Several Master Gardeners were honored during the North Dakota State University Extension Master Gardener Program awards ceremony in Burlington, N.D.

The Extension Master Gardener Program is a volunteer service organization that beautifies communities, educates the public about gardening, donates fresh produce to local food pantries and encourages pollinator conservation.

After participants complete 40 hours of classwork, they are known as Master Gardener interns. They can become certified Master Gardener volunteers by volunteering 48 hours of time during a two-year period on horticultural projects in cooperation with NDSU Extension.

Those honored at the awards program were (all cities are in North Dakota unless otherwise noted):

• Adult Education Award - Linda Hovda, Parshall
• Best Group Project Award - Oakes Hospital Healing Garden Project, Dickey County Master Gardeners, Nancy Carda, Oakes; Ginger Petersen, Monango; and Amy Sand, Ellendale
• Communications Award - The Dirt newsletter team consisting of Anne Blankenship, Fargo; Rachel Brag, Kindred; Corinne Frey, Towner; Lila Hlebichuk, Fargo; Laura Kourajian, Bismarck; Rena Mehlhoff, Mandan; Cathy Ruebel, Mandan; Caitlin Stegmiller, Flasher; and Martha Willand, Bismarck
• Elder Care Project - Senior Gardens at Edgewood Vista, Ward County, Deb Fauske, Minot; Renee Fransen, Coleharbor; Bette Furgeson, Burlington; Terri Hoskin, Minot; Gladys Lowell, Minot; Liz Mueller, Kenmare; and Nancy Scofield, Minot
• Feeding the Hungry - Annette Kost, Bismarck; Amber Lockhart, Gardner; and Nicole Severance, Hunter
• Innovation Award - Diane Gronfur, Bismarck
• Public Garden Award - Pembina County Historical Museum Gardens, Lillian Thomson, Cavalier
• Working With Underserved Populations - Alice Fujita-Schwarz, Fargo, and Candace Stegman-Allen, Moorhead, Minn.
• Youth Education Award - Cindy Filler, Grand Forks
• Friend of the Extension Master Gardener Program - Melissa Seykora, Extension agent for Sargent County, Forman
• Ron Smith Award for Community Service - Deb Fauske, Minot

100 Hour Service Club Members - These Master Gardeners volunteered 100 hours or more but less than 200 hours in 2020 (volunteer hours in parentheses) - Sandy Bieber, Bismarck (104); Carol Burley, Fargo (113); Cindy Filler, Grand Forks (104.5); Julie Garden Robinson, Fargo (121); Laura Halvorson, Bottineau (109); Mary Heyerman, Bismarck (160); Brenda Jorgenson, Tioga (intern, 109.5); Lou Ann Lee, Wahpeton (108.75); Marlene Maxon, Grand Forks (111); Rhonda Miller, Fargo (115.5); Kris Schipper, Fargo (158); Penny Seifert, Wahpeton (187.5); Nicole Severance, Hunter (106.5); Lillian Thomson, Cavalier (120.25); Kathryn Torkelson, Lansford (159.75); Leigh Vetsch, Fargo (intern, 107); Linda Worner, Fargo (intern, 144.5).

200 Hour Service Club Members - These Master Gardeners volunteered 200 hours or more in 2020 (volunteer hours in parentheses) - Joan Bishoff, Fargo (343); Anita Hofsommer, Fargo (322); Kathleen Johnson, Fargo (359.5); Caryl Lester, East Grand Forks, Minn. (369); Amber Lockhart, Gardner (412); Anne Smith, Grand Forks (244); Nancy Stegman-Allen, Moorhead, Minn. (412.5); Nola Storm, Fargo (200.5); Karen Weber, Wahpeton (314); Jack Wood, Fargo (477).

Certified Master Gardener Volunteers - These individuals completed their 48-hour volunteer internship in 2020 and were certified as Master Gardener volunteers - Anne Blankenship, Fargo; Lucas Brendel, Bismarck; Connie DeKrey, Reiles Acres; Ronald Ellingson, Fargo; Rebeccah Eman, Minot; Karla Herzig, Burlington; Lucas Holmes, Williston; April Johnson, Fargo; Brenda Jorgenson, Tioga; Lisa Kasson-Bauer, Hawley, Minn.; Leah King, Bowman; Kenneth Laber, Fargo; Zoe Manstrom, Bismarck; Amanda McClean, Ypsilanti; Grace Robinson, Fargo; Dawn Ueckert, Beach; Leigh Vetsch, Fargo; Julie Woodbury, Ross; Linda Worner, Fargo; Becca Yarger, Manning

Master Gardener Diagnosticians - These individuals completed their 20-hour apprenticeship in 2020 and earned the elevated title of Master Gardener diagnostician - Sharon Bartels, Enderlin, and Meigan Cameron, Bismarck.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - July 12, 2021

Source: Esther McGinnis, 701-231-7971, esther.mcginnis@ndsu.edu

Editor: Ellen Crawford, 701-231-5391, ellen.crawford@ndsu.edu