Clinics - Episode 1

GETTING OUR ASSIGNMENT

Way back in an earlier blog I told you about the Master Gardener clinics.  This is where MGs set up a table at various nurseries, garden centers, farmers markets and the like, and invite the general public to bring in gardening-related questions. 

As interns we're required to complete a minimum of 5 clinics per year during our first two years. After that, it's negotiable with the program coordinator (you may have an interest/talent that better serves the public elsewhere, so you don't HAVE to work the clinics - just be prepared to convince the coordinator first!)

The MG program coordinator made up the clinic assignments and sent the list out to all of us the second week or so of February.   She did her best to assign us to a clinic that's geographically desirable (close or relatively close to where we live).  If we didn't like the assignment we had one week to negotiate with another student for a swap and get back to the coordinator with information about the switch.  After that the list was finalized and now we're to stay with our assigned clinic at least through our internship (the first 2 years).

I've been assigned to Issaquah..... namely Pickering Barn (Issaquah Farmer's Market) and the Squak Nursery.  Woo hoo!  I'm thrilled.  First of all, the Issaquah Farmer's Market is a busy place, so we'll have lots of visitors and questions to answer..... great opportunity to learn stuff.  Secondly, we get to support the Squak Nursery, also in Issaquah, which gives us a change of scenery once in a while.

With the assignments locked and final, the lists go out to the clinic coordinators and it's up to them to then get their respective clinic team together and formulate the schedule for the upcoming year.  Stay tuned for the next episode!