The following counties were honored as David Gibby Search for Excellence winners!
Category Award Winners
Community Service
1st Place - Fayette County:
Seed to Supper FullSizeRender.MOV
2nd Place - Bucks County:
Adams Hollow Community Garden Partnership
3rd Place - Huntingdon County:
Mount Union Area Community Garden
Honorable Mention - Greene County:
Tomato Plant Give-Away
Demonstration Garden
1st Place - Cumberland County:
Craighead House Pollinator Garden Craighead House Garden.mp4
2nd Place - Bradford County:
Alparon Park Demonstration Garden
3rd Place - Susquehanna County:
Master Gardener Educational Gardens
Innovative Project
1st Place - Washington County:
Garden Boxes
2nd Place - Lackawanna County:
Butterfly Notecards
3rd Place - Wayne County:
Veg Bucket Project
Presentation/Workshop
1st Place - Susquehanna County:
"Digging for Answers" Podcast
2nd Place - Cumberland County:
Pollinator Container Garden Kits to Go
Special Needs Audience
1st Place Tie Cumberland County:
Simmering Spices Alternative Contactless Programs Therapeutic Horticulture Simmering Spices.url
Lackawanna County:
Mother & Infant House Nutrition and Flower Garden
Youth Programming
1st Place - Wayne County:
Hydroponic Vegetable Project veg bucket video.eml
Program Descriptions:
Community Service
Bucks County - Adams Hollow Community Garden Partnership for Public Education
The Garden Club of Bristol Borough operates Adams Hollow Community Garden in the most populated and diverse area of Bucks County. The community garden offers 155 raised beds to residents for a minimal annual fee. As few garden club members are experienced gardeners, Master Gardeners partnered with the club to provide research-based education. The 2021 training class was tasked with the project and provided support in the following areas: Compost, Soils, Food Pantry, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Pollinator, and Reporting.
Fayette County - Seed to Supper
Fayette County has reported an overall poverty rate of 22.6% compared to Pennsylvania's 13.6 % rate. To support the 16,000 families who qualify for food assistance, Master Gardeners partnered with Community Action of Fayette County, East End Community Center, Third Presbyterian Church of Uniontown, and Trinity Lutheran Church of Connellsville to offer the Seed to Supper Program to provide novice, adult gardeners the tools they need to successfully grow a portion of their food on a limited budget. Community Action of Fayette County received a grant to build five community gardens and refurbish six existing community gardens at four different sites. Fayette County Master Gardeners designed, educated, and consulted with the Community Action staff, who then built and prepared the beds. The five new beds were placed in low-income housing sites and communities. Master Gardeners grew over 200 vegetable plants for the project.
Greene County - Tomato Plant Give-Away
In coordination with the Director of The Corner Cupboard Food Bank, Master Gardeners donated free tomato plants at the monthly food distribution at the Greene County Fairgrounds and two other sites in the county. Plants were distributed to 84 families with instructions for transplanting and caring for their tomato plants. Several recipients commented, "We all loved our tomatoes last year, and we didn't know how easy it was to grow things 'til you gave us that tomato plant last year." The remaining tomatoes were planted in the raised beds at The Corner Cupboard Food Bank, yielding pounds of tomatoes for Greene County families in need.
Huntingdon - Mount Union Area Community Garden
The Mount Union Area Community Garden offers free garden plots to area residents on a first come, first served basis for low to medium-income adults and youth. Master Gardeners offer guidance on building and positioning the raised beds, composting, and best cultural practices. The Master Gardener program was part of the planning process with the major partners: the Center for Community Action (CCA), the Juniata River Blueprint Community (JRBC), the Mount Union Area Partnership (MUAP), and the Mount Union borough local government. Excess vegetables are donated to the local food bank.
Demonstration Garden
Bradford County - Alparon Park Master Gardener Raised Demonstration Garden
With the support of Alparon Park/Troy Fairground board members, the Master Gardeners created a raised demonstration garden in front of the 4H building. The purpose of this garden is to teach sustainable horticultural principles and practices to adults and children and to have an accessible location for Master Gardener public presentations.
Cumberland County - Craighead House Pollinator Garden Restoration Project
Craighead House is an educational center focusing on nature, the environment, literature, and the ideals of the Craighead family of authors, naturalists, and environmental scientists. The gardens are being revitalized with the assistance of Penn State Master Gardeners and volunteers. The new Master Gardener Demonstration Garden features plants historically associated with the house during the 1930s when the last of the Craighead family lived there, including native plants focused on those that best attract pollinators. Educational signs about native plants, invasive and exotic species, and pollinator habitat areas are displayed throughout the gardens.
Susquehanna - Master Gardener Educational Gardens
The Master Gardener Educational/Demonstration Gardens were built by the 2017 trainees as their class project. There are ten raised beds inside the fenced garden, including a keyhole garden with its own composting bin in the center and a raised table garden.
Innovative Project
Lackawanna County - Butterfly Notecards
The notecard project was inspired by a desire to share and showcase the beautiful photographs taken by Lackawanna County Master Gardeners. In addition, we wanted to spread awareness and information about different species of insects and plants. Many photos were taken in Penn State-certified pollinator gardens throughout the county.
Washington County - Garden Boxes
The garden boxes resemble "Little Libraries" found throughout our communities. The attractive house-shaped boxes provide free gardening information, seed packets, take-it-and-make-it gardening activities for children and adults, and self-guided tours of the gardens.
Wayne County - Veg Bucket Project
Food insecurity is a daily fact of life for many Wayne County residents. At one local elementary school, 49% of the student population is enrolled in the Free or Reduced School Lunch Program. To broaden awareness of the Master Gardener program and the Seed-to-Supper Program, the Veg Bucket Project was developed. We partnered with the Wayne County Food Pantry and local high school. High school students grew all the vegetable, herb and flower seedlings and the 5-gallon buckets were donated by a local store. Master Gardeners developed plant care cards and distribution was set up at the food pantries.
Presentation/Workshop
Cumberland County - Pollinator Container Garden Kits to Go
In celebration of National Pollinator Week, Master Gardeners sold and distributed 35 pollinator container garden kits. Included were a variety of labeled pollinator-friendly plants, soil, a container, and Extension materials about the growing requirements for the plants, the Penn State Pollinator Friendly Garden certification, and promotion of the Master Gardener program.
Susquehanna - Digging for Answers Podcast Partnership
Since November 30, 2020, we have released 12 episodes of a gardening-focused podcast in partnership with the Susquehanna County Historical Society and Free Library Association. The podcasts are customarily released monthly and are about 40 minutes long. To date, the podcasts have been downloaded 487 times in five countries, 18 states, and 44 cities in Pennsylvania.
Special Needs Audience
Cumberland - Simmering Spices Alternative Contactless Programs
The target audience for this project was five senior centers and adult day care facilities in Cumberland County. During COVID restrictions, Master Gardeners prepared kits containing the supplies and lesson plans needed for staff to lead their clients in assembling a simmering spice bag or have a spice experience. The activity is sensory-based, fosters interactive verbal reminiscing of scents and flavors, and encourages fine motor skills.
Lackawanna - Mother and Infant (M&I) House
The M&I House supports vulnerable mothers and their babies transitioning to an independent lifestyle. This program, sponsored by St. Joseph's Center, helps homeless single mothers and their babies in their emergency shelter for up to 18 months. The M&I House program educates women in many different areas of life so they can develop good life-building skills in maintaining a home for themselves and their young families. Master Gardeners have been involved in this project for approximately 17 years.
Youth Programming
Wayne County - Hydroponic Vegetable Project at Wallenpaupack Middle School
Master Gardeners were invited to work with approximately five students in the Gifted Program at Wallenpaupack Middle School. The goal was to design and build a hydroponics system for growing herbs and greens to be enjoyed by the school community. The system was installed in a sunny alcove outfitted with a table and chairs. The completion of the project was made possible by a grant from the Wayne Foundation and in-kind donations from the Honesdale Home Depot.
