UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardener July 2021 Spotlight: Debbie Schnur

This month's UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardener Debbie Schnur was frustrated by the amount of organic waste she saw being thrown in the trash. She thought, "Rather than add to the landfill, why not turn it into compost for the garden? There's so much food waste being dumped in landfills when it could be used to enrich our soil. By reducing landfill waste, we can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Composting offers a way to promote sustainability in our food system and agriculture.

The Master Gardener Program provided the perfect opportunity for Debbie to turn her frustration into action. Since becoming a Master Gardener in March of last year, her main volunteer activity with the program has been coordinating a composting project for the Root 66 Community Garden in Rancho Cucamonga. She helped form a team that started the project in November, built the system in April, and created the first compost pile at the end of May. Creating a remarkable legacy, the team is now educating garden members about the benefits of composting and how to keep the process going! The Root 66 team is grateful to all the local businesses who donated tools and supplies to this effort.

Over several years Debbie saw Master Gardeners at farmers markets and other community activities. She wondered what the program was all about. She was a little intimidated to ask because she never considered herself an expert, even though she had many years of gardening experience.

Debbie says if someone is considering becoming a Master Gardener, "There are many beginning gardeners in the program. So, if someone is excited about gardening and sharing their knowledge, don't be intimidated . . . just go for it! The UCCE Master Gardener program offers numerous volunteer opportunities to learn as you go."

She was inspired to finally become a Master Gardener last year after working with FoodCorps, (part of the AmeriCorps Service Network) at Phelan Elementary School. She managed the school garden and greenhouse, taught hands-on gardening and nutrition lessons to over 500 students, and started an after-school gardening club. One of the school staff member volunteers at the garden was a Master Gardener trainee and described the program to her. Debbie also learned another FoodCorps service member in the California cohort completed her Master Gardener training during the school year. Debbie wanted to increase her knowledge of horticulture, serve the community, and thought the Master Gardener program would be an excellent way to accomplish her goals. So, she applied to the UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardener Program last fall.

Debbie has been gardening most of her life, mostly in cold climates. She grew up in New York and lived in Minnesota for about 25 years. Whenever she had a yard, she planted something: mainly vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Vegetable and herb gardening are the areas that Debbie is most interested in. She is a vegetarian and gluten-free, so as she says, "vegetables are her life!" She says there is nothing more delicious and satisfying than a home-grown tomato. I think most gardeners would agree with her!

She currently has a raised bed garden at the Root 66 Community Garden. She likes trying new recipes and harvesting fresh ingredients from her garden. She also participates in the Root 66 Community Garden FoodShare Project, where members share their produce.

Starting in July, Debbie will be working 8 hours a week as a Community Education Specialist under the supervision of Master Gardener Coordinator Maggie O'Neill. In this position, she will support Master Gardener activities in schools, including school gardens and environmental education.

Debbie is also working with fellow Master Gardener Elizabeth McSwain and the Caramel Connections Foundationto establish the new Seeds of Joy Community Garden in Anthony Munoz Park in Ontario, California. There will be a Little Free Library in the garden, and Debbie is helping to coordinate the Read in Color project with Girl Scout Troop 5574. This is a Cadette Silver Award project for the troop and will bring diverse books to families who utilize the garden.

Debbie volunteered for the San Andreas High School (San Bernardino) Growing Hope Project twice this year, packing lettuce for school lunches and filling planters with soil. San Andreas High School has the most extensive teaching greenhouse on the West Coast!

Debbie was accepted for the New Farmer Training Program (Agricultores del Valle) at the Huerta del Valle Community Garden upon completing her Master Gardener training. Learning about food justice, regenerative agriculture, cooperative business development, and farm management and production help her understand the role of local farms and gardens in creating a healthier and more equitable food system.

Debbie is currently experimenting with growing various uncommon herbs, including fenugreek, borage, and Moldavian dragon head balm. She would like to see what types of culinary and medicinal products she can make from these plants. Her goal is to apply to the Huerta del Valle Incubator Program to access land and assistance to start an herb farm.

Debbie even started a YouTube channel called "Ms. Debbie the Garden Lady” when she was a FoodCorps service member. Be sure to check out her Remote Garden Tour of the Rancho Cucamonga (Root 66) community garden when you get a chance. She would like to find some time to create more YouTube videos or try out TikTok. Debbie is a naturally engaging presenter! In June 2020, she was interviewed on the KVCR NPR radio program “Lifestyles with Lillian Vasquez” about her experience with FoodCorps.

Debbie has learned a lot about sustainable gardening since joining the Master Gardeners. She has also brought many skills learned in previous careers to the program. Her first career was in mechanical engineering in which she earned her PhD. She has applied her project management experience in engineering to coordinating the Root 66 composting project and her technical background in designing and installing irrigation systems. In addition, the computer skills she learned before joining Master Gardeners have come in handy for Zoom meetings. Before moving to California, she completed a Master of Public Health in Community Health Promotion at the University of Minnesota, focusing on nutrition and health equity. As a Master Gardener, she applies what she has learned about health education to teaching online gardening classes.

Debbie Schnur passionately believes that food insecurity is one of our biggest global challenges. With a firm belief that “we can improve people's lives and reduce inequities,” she started a second career in Public Health. She wanted to “do something that fed her soul, something that she is passionate about.” UCCE Master Gardeners are thankful that Debbie has become a member of our community. Her drive to improve our world, her intelligence, kindness, and willingness to wholeheartedly embrace other perspectives are an inspiration to us all. Thank you for joining us, Debbie. You remind us of what is truly important!