Maine Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter -December 2025

December 17, 2025 Maine Master Gardener Volunteers Newsletters

In this issue…

MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER  NEWSLETTER

December, 2025

cedar cones in winter
Photo by C. Eves-Thomas

Greetings, Master Gardener Volunteers!

Happy December! This month we welcome our newest group of Master Gardener Volunteer Interns. We also want to share some updates on the annual shutdown of the Master Gardener Volunteer dashboard for reporting hours.

Quick Reminders:

  • Annual MGV Portal Closure: As a reminder, your Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV) dashboard will be closed from January 1 to early March 2026. You will not be able to enter hours during this time, so please keep a record of your volunteer activities and enter them when the dashboard reopens.
  • Hours Reporting: Please make sure your hours and impact reporting is up to date so we can use it for our annual reporting requirements! December 31st is the final deadline for all hours and impact reporting.
  • Did your volunteer work include any workshops, presentations, or events like fairs? Make sure to report your hours and how many people you reached under the  “One Time Events: Workshops, Presentations, Fairs. Etc.” project.
  • MGV Enrollment for 2026 will begin in early March, 2026
  • Project Leaders: Even though the portal will be closed for hours reporting, MGVs who are project leaders will still be able to re-enroll your projects for 2026. Enroll your project and report your 2025 impacts to be included in our active project list for the 2026 season! Check your inbox, see the Project Leader toolkit, or log into the Project Leader Dashboard for more details, and please reach out if you need assistance.

Questions or ideas? Reach out anytime at Extension.mastergardeners@maine.edu.

-Your Maine Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator Team

Welcome!

A Special Welcome to the Class of 2026 MGV Interns!

Icon drawing of a plant in a potTo our newest Master Gardener Volunteer interns: Welcome to the Statewide MGV Newsletter! We are thrilled to have you join our community.

This newsletter is shared with all active Master Gardener Volunteers on a quarterly basis, keeping you updated on all the statewide news and opportunities within the program.  We hope you enjoy it!

A little bit about this year’s interns:

We are excited to have 81 new interns from 14 different counties in this year’s training! According to their applications, they are excited to do volunteer work related to food security, educational gardens, youth education, public speaking, and leadership. They are also eager to serve diverse communities, including adults, seniors, youth, individuals with disabilities, and those with limited English proficiency.

Every year we’re amazed by the diverse backgrounds and interests our interns bring to the program and we’re looking forward to seeing how they will engage with their community through volunteering!

Join our Maine MGV Facebook Community!

Maine is a big state, and Master Gardener Volunteers are doing amazing work in every corner. Here’s a chance to connect with, and learn from, your fellow MGVs:

If you are on Facebook, we invite you to join the Maine Master Gardener Volunteers Facebook Group. This private, statewide online community is open just for our Master Gardener Volunteers and staff.

Why join?

  • Ask and Answer Questions: Tap into the collective knowledge of MGVs across Maine.
  • Share Information: Post resources, exciting gardening opportunities, and your latest projects.
  • Connect & Network: Get to know your peers and build lasting, statewide connections.

How to join?

This year’s MGV trainees are encouraged to join the group and introduce yourself!

As you share your wisdom and advice, please always keep in mind the core mission of our MGV Program: to share reliable, research-based information.

Reporting Update

Thank you to everyone who has already reported their hours and impacts for this year! And thank you to those of you who are also project leaders for having renewed your projects! So far you all have reported an amazing:

  • 227,220 lbs. of produce grown, harvested, and donated
  • 23,265 volunteer hours

There is still time to enter your 2025 hours and impacts! Log in to the dashboard by Dec. 31, 2025.

Keep an eye out early next year when we’ll share the finalized numbers from this year!

Hannaford Donation to Support Food Security Work

Thanks to the incredible food security work you do, Hannaford Supermarkets has made a generous $110,000 donation to Maine Harvest for Hunger and Waldo County Bounty. These funds will strengthen food security efforts across the state by:

  • Strengthening connections with central Maine farms by purchasing CSA shares that MGVs will deliver to food security organizations
  • Funding Food Security Apprenticeships at Tidewater and Rogers Farms to train future food system leaders
  • Purchasing supplies and materials for MGV-supported food security initiatives in western and northern Maine
  • Helping Waldo County Bounty acquire a van to expand and support their gleaning operations

This gift builds on Hannaford’s ongoing support, which has previously funded storage equipment, harvest tools, and seeds and seedlings for food security projects across the state.

Your dedication as volunteers made this possible; we’re grateful for your hard work and impact! Stay tuned for more updates from your local coordinators in 2026!

Help Spread the Word About Upcoming Programs

New! Webinar series for aspiring and current horticulture professionals:Three women work together potting plants inside a greenhouse. Two wear straw hats and gloves, while the third guides the planting process. A tray of small green plants sits in the foreground and tall tomato plants grow in the background.

In-person learning opportunities:

Beginner Beekeeping York County: January 21 – February 18, 2026

Flowering in the North Conference: January 27 – 29th, 2026, Portland

Support the Master Gardener Volunteer Program

A gift to the Master Gardener fund supports financial assistance for training new volunteers and support for your volunteer projects.