How a Message Campaign Produced a Team to Deliver Smart Gardening

for a Ripe Audience

Joy Landis and Mallory Fournier, Michigan State University

IPM Program; Rebecca Finneran and Mary Wilson, Michigan State University Extension

#ACEPortland

We’re talking about:• How we got started and why• How formed our messages• How we delivered them• How we rallied people to be

involved• The results• Opportunities for growth

(Result #1: Calls to our statewide garden hotline grew 20 percent)

How did we get here?• Need for “environmentally

themed” messages to align with institute

• MSU Extension Research driven message “Mow High”

• Need to get the word out about new Consumer Horticulture tools developed by the team

(Result #2: Soil test kits sales up 203 percent with 3,433 sold in 2013)

From fragmented to intentional• Smart lawns - Mow at the highest

setting to promote deep roots, avoid grub damage and crowd out weeds.

• Smart plants - Select plants, trees and shrubs that are native or well-adapted to challenges by pests and local conditions.

• Smart soils - Test the soil to use money and soil wisely by fertilizing only as needed per test results.

(Result #3: Visits to our gardening website grew 25 percent)

From fragmented to intentionalTopic: How to have a low maintenance lawnFits into Smart Gardening:• Smart plants – pick the right plant for the place (grass variety)• Smart lawns – set mower on

highest setting.

Keeping them focused – its’ all smart

Cat videos showing how much they love plants!!

Pruning treesWatch out for invasive species

Tip Sheets• 15 tip sheets focusing on our message

– 2013 = 31,500; 2014 = 36,000– Total = 67,500 (plus 95,000 ready to go!)

• Available at garden shows and website

Gardening in Michigan websitewww.migarden.msu.edu

Writing for MSU Extension Newswww.msue.msu.edu

• Wrote articles on:– Promoting garden shows– Any of the three smart gardening messages– Linked to tip sheets

• Statement at bottom of every article told readers to go to website for more smart gardening topics

Videos, Banners, Bookmarks and Aprons• 3-4 minute videos looped during garden shows• Large banners promoting our message• Master Gardener volunteers wore aprons that displayed

graphic identifier and passed out bookmarks

Getting the team on board…• If you build it they will

come…• Synergy built when

volunteers saw the content and confident in delivery

• Clients drawn to professional looking presentation and cheerful volunteers

• Consistency and simplicity!

Spreading Smart Gardening Messages

Engaging volunteers• Extension Master Gardener – Passionate, community volunteers– Trained through land grant universities

Need to find image for this slide

Spreading Smart Gardening Messages

• Mandatory training– Smart Gardening messages– Show etiquette– Data collection

More results• Our events drew people from 50 of our 83 counties and 2

nearby states

• Master Gardener volunteers documented 1,789 discussions about Smart Gardening at the two big shows.

• Survey of Grand Rapids conference and apprentice program participants: 69 percent used a soil test, 90 percent raised their mowing height, and 91 percent installed native plants.

• Partnering with the Ohio State University to share Smart Gardening resources and benefit from their vegetable gardening expertise.

Thank you – feel free to contact us:

• Joy Landis, landisj@msu.edu and @landisj

• Mallory Fournier, fourni49@msu.edu and @malloryashten

• Mary Wilson, wilsonm1@msu.edu

• Rebecca Finneran, finneran@msu.edu