CORVALLIS, Ore. — The Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener Program and the nonprofit Oregon Master Gardener Association have recognized three Oregon gardeners as 2024 Statewide Master Gardeners of the Year for their dedication and commitment.
Larina Hoffbeck of Washington County, Richard Little of Linn County and Gene Nesbitt of Yamhill County were named statewide Master Gardeners of the Year. Kendyl Berkowitz of Jackson County received the statewide Growing and Belonging Award, and the statewide Behind the Scenes Award went to Rita Canales of Yamhill County.
The honorees were recognized at the Joy of Gardening Conference, held at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center on the OSU campus in Corvallis.
About 2,400 Master Gardener volunteers across Oregon partner with OSU Extension to provide research-based gardening education in 28 counties and 116 educational gardens. In 2023, volunteers contributed more than 154,000 hours of service.
Promoting accessibility and inclusivity
Hoffbeck has been a Master Gardener volunteer for six years, focusing on expanding accessibility and inclusion within the program. She works with audiences not traditionally engaged with Master Gardener volunteers, including bilingual programs such as Grow1Give and HomePlate Youth Services. Hoffbeck also helped found and chair the Washington County Master Gardener Association’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
She contributed to statewide Growing and Belonging efforts and helped develop local accessibility assessments. Hoffbeck has created educational kits used across the Portland metro area, including “Invertebrates/Vertebrates,” “Calling All Pollinators!” and her “Storytime in the Garden” project.
Linn County’s ‘insect guy’
Often called the “insect guy,” Little has been answering insect-related questions since 2011 and has become a catalyst for public entomology education in Linn County and surrounding areas. He is widely respected by Master Gardener volunteers for his high-quality insect education.
Little’s contributions include teaching pollinator classes, answering Ask Extension questions, writing Bee Notes for pollinator enthusiasts and staffing plant clinics. He was named the Ask Extension Volunteer of the Year in 2023.
Garden to Table/Del Jardín a la Mesa
With more than 5,000 hours of service, Nesbitt has made substantial contributions to the Yamhill County Master Gardener Association. He helped establish the Education Outreach Committee, which coordinates the annual Spring into Gardening classes and community events. He has also served as chapter president and trains new volunteers at the plant clinic desk.
Nesbitt’s signature achievement is the Garden to Table/Del Jardín a la Mesa program, a bilingual gardening course supporting gardeners who grow food on limited budgets. He has developed partnerships, secured grant support and recruited Spanish-speaking participants.
He also takes Spanish classes to better communicate with students. The program received the David Gibby Search for Excellence Award at the 2023 International Master Gardener Conference.
Expanded access in Jackson County
Berkowitz’s advocacy resulted in ADA-certified concrete paths in Jackson County’s lavender garden, ensuring wheelchair accessibility and improving access for visitors with limited mobility. She secured grant funding for the $10,000 project.
Berkowitz also championed Cultivating Companions, a gardening workshop series held in libraries across the county to increase social connection among rural older adults. She continues to support curriculum development and instruction.
Ensuring smooth operations
Since joining the Yamhill County Master Gardener Association in 2015, Canales has chaired the Education and Outreach Committee and the Spring into Gardening Committee, and she has served as board president.
Canales manages plant clinic scheduling, keeps operations running smoothly and volunteers at the plant clinic/help desk and the McMinnville farmers market plant clinic. She is a respected educator who teaches vermiculture classes and workshops for both the public and Master Gardener volunteers.
Previously titled OSU Extension Master Gardeners honored with statewide awards
