The COVID-19 pandemic forced a shift in how Oregonians accessed gardening education. In response to restrictions on in-person programming, the Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener program began delivering presentations and content online. At the same time, program priorities were refreshed to emphasize accessibility for small-space and urban gardeners.
Growing microgreens offered a perfect fit. These tiny vegetable greens — harvested at 1 to 3 inches tall — are packed with nutrients, inexpensive to grow and easy to cultivate indoors year-round. Recognizing their appeal, OSU Extension horticulturist Brooke Edmunds transitioned a traditional lecture-style class on microgreens into an interactive two-week online workshop.
Rather than simply replicate a lecture over Zoom, Edmunds created short, step-by-step instructional videos and companion text to guide beginners through the process. Participants also received food safety and nutrition tips, meal ideas and additional OSU Extension resources. The text was translated into Spanish and videos dubbed by the OSU Food Hero team, which promotes healthy eating across Oregon. OSU’s Professional and Continuing Education unit provided critical support for registration and delivery through daily emails or text messages.
Through a creative, community-based approach to online learning, the microgreens course has expanded OSU Extension’s reach and empowered thousands of gardeners in Oregon and beyond.
To foster interaction, an online discussion group was launched for each workshop cohort. The January and February 2021 groups were hosted on Facebook and used by about 35% of participants, though some people opted out due to privacy concerns.
Participation far exceeded in-person attendance from prior years. In January 2021, 2,271 people joined the first online workshop. Another 461 participated in February. Most were from Oregon, but every U.S. state was represented and some international learners joined too. Of those who had never grown microgreens before, 82% followed along during the workshop and 98% said they planned to grow them in the future.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. One participant wrote, “The daily messages motivated me to … just do it! Plus, I liked the links to short videos. The timing of the course was perfect for dreary, cold days of winter.” Another shared, “It felt much more interactive than just reading a blog post or website. I would not have tried growing these babies without the guidance from the class.”
In 2022, the course was offered as a flexible self-paced option from January through March. More than 2,400 lesson views were recorded, and 85 people joined the discussion group. The workshop continues to have lasting reach. Since March 2022, the videos remain online and are promoted by SNAP-Ed and the Master Gardener program. They’ve been viewed more than 1,100 additional times.
In partnership with Food Hero’s Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge, 1,100 microgreens kits were also sent to classrooms across the state as part of seed-starting kits — bringing hands-on gardening to students even in winter.
Through a creative, community-based approach to online learning, the microgreens course has expanded OSU Extension’s reach and empowered thousands of gardeners in Oregon and beyond.
