NEWBERRY COUNTY — A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded by the Newberry County Master Gardeners Association for the 2016-2017 academic year to a student who is pursuing/plans to pursue a collegiate degree in a field related to gardening.
“The scholarships are awarded on the basis of character, sincerity of purpose, achievement, academics and dedication to horticulture or related fields,” reads an MGA press release.
At least one scholarship has been given out each year since 2004 and is financed through fundraising efforts from the members of Newberry County’s MGA.
“The whole idea is to educate people. First we educate ourselves then we share that knowledge,” said member Barbara Miller. “We felt that we could further our educational commitment by giving a scholarship to a young person who would then be going to college to learn more in the gardening field.”
Past recipients have gone on to study food science, forestry and resource management and agronomy and soil analysis.
“Anything that has to do with gardening from the soil, to the plant, to harvesting, to the preserving we’re interested in getting more young people educated and passing that along,” Miller said.
Applications can be found in the guidance department of Newberry County schools as well as Newberry Academy and Piedmont Tech.
Miller said it is very important for the health of a community to be aware of the sources of their food.
“And how better to know those sources than if they come out of your own backyard or your neighbor’s,” she said.
Additionally the MGA is involved in multiple service projects around town such as maintaining a flower garden at Newberry County Memorial Hospital.
“It just adds that much to the community that you have a group of people that are working on that kind of thing, whether it’s vegetables, flowers or what have you,” said member John Wagner.
The MGA’s membership is composed of those who have passed an accredited master gardener course.
“It’s a 12-week course that covers all sorts of gardening topics at a fairly in-depth level,” Miller said.
Among the various areas covered are plant propagation, soil, irrigation and insects.
“It’s pretty much like a college course in terms of the length and number of sessions,” Miller said.
The Newberry County Master Gardeners Association is an independent, non-profit organization formed in 2001 as a way to assist graduates.
Upon completion of the course graduates are required to complete 40 hours of community service in a garden-related capacity before they are certified.
“It’s just easier sometimes to find volunteer opportunities through a group,” Miller said.
The MGA also founded the Grow Newberry Farmers Market which is now controlled by the city and is held on Saturday mornings in season.