Dear Potential Sponsor:

October 2023, the OSU Extension Greene County Master Gardener Volunteers will host the 2023 State-wide Ohio Master Gardener Volunteer Conference. This will be on Thursday, October 12th through Saturday, October 14th at the Holiday Inn in Fairborn, Ohio. The State-wide Conference is a gathering of the more than 300 Certified Master Gardener Volunteers of the over 3,300 in the state of Ohio. We also anticipate that Master Gardener Volunteers as well as agricultural and horticultural enthusiasts from surrounding states will attend this two-and-a-half-day conference. The conference theme is “Greene: More Than a Color” and nationally recognized keynote speakers will highlight this outstanding continuing education event for Master Gardener Volunteers. The first full day of the conference (Friday) will include a series of bus and bike tours of parks, gardens, urban and rural farms, and nature areas throughout Greene County along with an opening dinner and keynote speaker. On Saturday, a quality group of presenters from The Ohio State University, green industry professionals, and area experts will present workshops on a variety of horticultural topics.

The Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV) program is a volunteer group focused on horticultural education as part of the Ohio State University Extension service. The MGVs receive intensive training in horticulture and are then certified and volunteer their time assisting with educational programs and activities for Ohio residents through local OSU Extension County offices. Working with OSU Extension personnel, MGVs provide services such as: educational gardening activities for children, adults, senior citizens, and disabled persons; community beautification projects; developing and mentoring community or demonstration gardens; and answering gardening questions from the public on our horticulture helpline. In 2019, Ohio MGV‘s donated over 165,945 hours of volunteer service to our communities, completed more than 49,227 hours of continuing education; and in Greene County alone grew and donated more than 16,000lbs. on a three year average of fresh vegetables to food insecure families throughout the county.

We are offering you the opportunity to join us and become an Exhibitor and Sponsor for our conference. We are sure that MGV’s from throughout Ohio and the surrounding states will benefit from your display and support of this educational program. Enclosed is information about exhibiting at the conference, the sponsorship support levels and an advertising schedule for our conference program book. We encourage you to become a partner and to tell the attendees about your support for MGVs and the green industry in Greene County. This is a tax-deductible donation for you or your business. Please fill out the Greene MGV Sponsor Levels 2023 form and return via email to corboy.3@osu.edu. Please be aware that we have a limited number of exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities available; so, we are giving you the preferred opportunity to be a partner and for you to promote your organization and to reach an audience which has contact with thousands of gardeners throughout Ohio.

The group is beyond excited by the opportunity to host the 2023 State Conference and look forward to the opportunity to apply for funding opportunities. Please, feel free to contact the Extension office at 937-372-9971 or by email at corboy.3@osu.edu.