- Author: Lauren Snowden
The majority of resources offered through the UC Master Gardener Program are only available in English, so when an internalUC Agriculture and Natural Resource (UC ANR) grant arose to develop online educational resource materials in other languages it was the perfect opportunity to expand its gardening resources for Spanish speakers. UC ANR and UC ANR-affiliated academics and staff from across the state submitted proposals for review in hopes of getting projects funded and out into their communities.
Extending the UC Master Gardener Programs' reach and impact to non-English speaking audiences is key to achieving the program's mission of reaching all Californians. According to the 2019 census data, the most common non-English language spoken in California is Spanish; 28.8% of the overall population of California are native Spanish speakers. For this reason, building the UC Master Gardener Program's resources in Spanish is a significant priority area.
Award with a twist
While evaluating the proposals, Strategic Initiatives leaders discovered four proposals with similar gardening themes, and after careful consideration granted the award but with a little “twist”. The four proposals would be combined to form one collaborative project. The proposals shared common goals and had overlapping scope, so the Director of the UC Master Gardener Program, Missy Gable, was charged with coordinating a collective effort to develop food gardening resources in Spanish and distribute these new resources through the UC Master Garden Program channels.
Thanks to shared goals a creative team formed, including awardees:
- Dr. Lucy Diekmann, Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Advisor in Santa Clara County
- Mimi Enright, UC Master Gardener Coordinator in County
- Maggie Reiter, former Environmental Horticulture Advisor in Tulare/Kings Counties
- Dr. Yu Meng, Youth Family and Community Advisor in Imperial County
Collaboration and unexpected outcomes
With a spirit of collaboration, the group worked alongside UC Master Gardener volunteers, local community organizations and partners, and UC Communication Services News and Outreach in Spanish staff to create and release a series of food gardening videos in Spanish.
The project also funded a comprehensive vegetable gardening resource that is set to be released in 2022 in both Spanish and English. The teamwork didn't stop here though, YFC Advisor, Dr. Yu Meng initiated the development of a new UC Master Gardener Program in Imperial County so collaboration will continue and expand to meet the needs of residents in our southernmost locations.
Vídeos de jardinería en español (Gardening videos in spanish)
The statewide UC Master Gardener YouTube channel is now hosting a playlist of videos in spanish titled, Vídeos de jardinería en español . These videos are available for individuals or local programs to share on social media, websites, or anywhere the program is reaching the gardening public.
- Cultivando alimentos en su jardín seguramente: Growing food safely in your garden
- Beneficios de tener un jardín de verdure: Benefits of having a vegetable garden
- Fertilidad de la tierra: Mantener su tierra saludable con abono, estiércol, y cultivo de cobertura: Soil fertility: Keeping your soil healthy with compost, manure, and cover crops
- La jardinería en contenedores: Container Gardening
- Clima Desértico: Preparación de su Jardín en el Condado de Imperial: Desert Climate: Preparing Your Garden in Imperial County
- Germinación de Semillas: Cultivos Estacionales y Técnicas de Brotación: Seed Germination: Seasonal Crops and Sprouting Techniques
- El Manejo de Plagas e Insectos en el Jardín : Pest and Insect Management in the Garden
- Primeros Pasos: Diseñando su Jardín : First Steps: Designing Your Garden
Full YouTube playlist link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw6OczuNHpWDc1YzCKXqj2PYQnDTl6Hx9
A special thank you to those working in front of and behind the camera and computers to get these videos produced. The videos have already reached thousands of people in communities across California and beyond!
Join us LIVE
UC ANR and the UC Master Gardener Program are joining the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally to acknowledge Latinos' contributions and vital presence in the United States. UC ANR has already held several zoom forums and there are three more to come. The below events will be presented in Spanish.
Links to join will be sent to registrants prior to each event. Registration required: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35503
- Oct. 6, 1-2:30 PM - Zoom community forum in Spanish
Be better parents, how to make your kid a leader.
Guest speakers: Claudia Diaz – 4-H youth development advisor - Oct. 13, 1-2:30 PM - Zoom community forum in Spanish
How to have a successful vegetable garden
Guest speaker: Master Garden Volunteers from UCCE Contra Costa County - Oct. 15, 1-2:30 PM - Zoom community forum in Spanish
The power of a nutritional meal
Guest speakers: Susana Matias Medrano/Nutritional Science & Toxicology/ UC and CE Berkeley
Sources:
2019 US Census, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/news/updates/2019.html
Data USA, California. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/california
UC ANR Employee Blog, https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=29017
- Author: Lauren Snowden
UC Agriculture and Natural Resource (UC ANR) and the UC Master Gardener Program are joining the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, From Sept. 15 through Oct.15, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally to acknowledge Latinos' contributions and vital presence in the United States.
Over the coming weeks UC ANR will hold several zoom forums with topics ranging from how to stop the implicit bias towards Latinos and other ethnic groups, what do we need to know to better understand the Latino community. To the indigenous migrant workers, who are they? What are the most pressing needs? These communities were hit hard by COVID-19.
Registration is required for these events (links provided below), however they are being recorded and posted to the Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 website for those who can't make it.
Hispanic Heritage Month Honorees
We are celebrating three Latino UC ANR professionals in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Congratulations to Liliana Vega, Leticia Christian, and Gersain López, each have an informative, short 2 minute video explaining their work and will be part of a forum on Sept. 29. They were chosen for being Latino professionals who serve their communities while always upholding UC ANR's public values of academic excellence, honesty, integrity, and community service. Watch the honorees videos below.
Zoom Forums
All the zoom forums will be from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and moderated by Ricardo Vela, manager of News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS).
The below events will be presented in English. Links to join will be sent to registrants prior to each event. Registration Required: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35590
- September 15, zoom forum, 1-2:30 PM
One size does not fit all! – Myths, Stereotypes and Discrimination against Latinos.
Guest speaker: Victor Villegas /Oregon State University/Latino advocate.
Testimonies from: Christian Gomez Wong, Beatriz Nobua-Bherman and Bertha Teresa Felix-Simmons. - September 22, zoom forum, 1-2:30 PM
Indigenous Migrant Communities – “The forgotten ones in the age of COVID19”
Guest speakers: Arcenio López/ Exec. Director Mixtec Indígena Organization Project (MICOP) - September 29, zoom forum, 1-2:30 PM
Meet the HHM 2021 Honorees
Guest speakers: Katherine E. Soule /Liliana Vega – 4-H; Tuline N Baycal/Leticia Christian – CalFresh Healthy Living, UC; Jairo Diaz/Gilberto Magallon/Gersain Lopez – Desert Rec.
The below events will be presented in Spanish. Links to join will be sent to registrants prior to each event. Registration Required: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=35503
- October 6 zoom community forum in Spanish, 1-2:30 PM
Be better parents, how to make your kid a leader.
Guest speakers: Claudia Diaz – 4-H youth development advisor. - October 13 zoom community forum in Spanish, 1-2:30 PM
How to have a successful vegetable garden
Guest speaker: Master Garden Volunteers from Contra Costa County UCCE. - October 15 zoom community forum in Spanish, 1-2:30 PM
The power of a nutritional meal
Guest speakers: Susana Matias Medrano/Nutritional Science & Toxicology/ UC and CE Berkeley
Registration and Website Links
Please help us make this year's celebration a success, spread the word about the events.
Those interested in attending the September forums should register here.
For the Spanish community forums, please register here.
For more information, Zoom backgrounds and phone wallpapers
- Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 (Main page) http://ucanr.edu/hhm-2021
- Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 (Recursos, Resources) http://ucanr.edu/hhm-2021-recursos_resources
- Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 (Recetas) http://ucanr.edu/hhm-2021-recetas
- UC ANR Honorees Page https://tinyurl.com/ycpcdufh
Questions, Contact:
Ricardo Vela, rvela@ucanr.edu, (951) 660-9887