QUESTION: CAN THE COUNTY REPLACE MASTER GARDENERS WITHOUT OSU?

In regard to the OSU defunding, OSU and Oregon Master Gardener's Association (OMGA) are very aware of what is going on.  There was a statewide OMGA board meeting yesterday, and I attended as the (former) Josephine County Representative.  There were representatives from, I think, eighteen counties there, as well as the executive board.  The OSU Community Outreach coordinator was also in attendance.  I gave a report, reading directly from Pam Zakian’s email.  Jamie Davis, the regional OSU coordinator is working on things also.  OSU (publicly funded) and OMGA (501-c-3) must remain politically neutral, but they can lobby for causes that affect their mission.  Since OSU no longer exists in Josephine County, Josephine County Master Gardeners Association no longer exists except to tie up loose ends. Chris Rusch, OMGA president, has been very supportive and active in helping us as far as she can.  

Master Gardeners is a national organization, and even has some international chapters.  The name cannot be used without permission of the national organization.  According to their rules, any Master Gardener chapter must be sponsored by a Land Grant University.  In Oregon that is OSU.  Period. End of story.  Anything else is a garden club.  A master gardener certification is recognized nationally, and nothing Josephine County can do that can match that.  Josephine County also cannot match the access to research facilities, researchers, information, and networking that OSU can provide.  

The comparison to Josephine County opening their own DMV is accurate.  While they can tell the Sheriff that the licenses they issue are valid in Josephine County, once they go one foot into Jackson County, they are an unlicensed driver.  With my Master Gardener certification, I can move in with my sister in Henderson County, Texas and be recognized as a Master Gardener.  A Josephine County Garden Club member could not.  

As far as the meeting [with the commissioners] on the 19th is concerned, we [Master Gardeners] do not yet know what we will do.  We know that no matter what we say, the decision is already made.  Factual information will not change things.  It is a political stunt by West in response to the recall, nothing more. We have not received any official word, so as far as I am concerned, it is just a rumor.  

John Miles, Master Gardener & member of CRG