HORTICULTURE HOTLINE DESIGNED FOR SMALL MASTER GARDENER PROGRAMS
Horticulture & Turfgrass
Edwin Lentz
Extension Educator and Professor
The Ohio State University Extension
Findlay
Abstract
The Horticulture Hotline is a key component for many county Master Gardener Programs. These services may be a challenge for small organizations because of the number of volunteers available and often, the Agriculture Educator is also the Coordinator balancing this responsibility with many other demands, such as livestock and field crop issues. Problems may arise because calls occur when there is a question and not when Master Gardeners are operating the Hot Line phone. In addition, searching for information and tracking calls may require computer skills unfamiliar to many Master Gardeners who are seniors. The objective of this presentation is to share how one county overcame these challenges with a modified hotline program called the Master Gardener Resource Line. This program relies on an answering system to capture the request, easy to use forms to follow progress to a response, computer setup to readily find university information, and a filing system where previous activities may be reviewed. The system has enabled Master Gardeners to be efficient and still provide answers in a reasonable time. The tracking system allows the Coordinator to quickly see the status of requests and be alerted to frustrating situations. The mix of paper forms and electronic system has provided a comfort zone for those adapting to new technology. Master Gardeners now look forward to the Resource Line as a learning experience as well as an opportunity to provide a service to their community. The Resource Line receives about 100 requests for horticulture information each year.
Authors: Lentz, E.M.
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Lentz, E.M. Extension Educator, The Ohio State University Extension, Seneca County, Ohio, 44883