Garden Reporting
What to report
All gardens that receive some Extension staff or Master Gardener/Master Naturalist support during a reporting year should be entered in the Extension Garden Data System. Gardens may be used for demonstration, education, food donation, pollinator support, life skills training, and many other uses.
It's here: new simplified garden reporting system. Garden reporting for 2023 opened 10/12/2023 and be due by 11/30/2023.
Direct education activities held at gardens. If you had one or more direct education program activities take place at the garden, you will need a separate entry for each, following the usual direct education guidelines, NOT these garden entry guidelines. These are not considered to be a “garden entry” and will not appear on the dashboard. If the garden is supported by Extension, make sure it also has a garden entry in the new system.
Resources
Reporting system (internal use only)
Public garden dashboard (2023 data will be published after 11/30/23).
List of garden information collected (internal use only)
Request a new garden site in PEARS
FAQ
How can I find out if I need to add or update a garden entry?
Which gardens should I report on?
I made an entry last year and I don't see it here.
I am SNAP-Ed or 4-H staff. Do I report on gardens?
I work on a garden but I don't report in PEARS.
How can I find out if I need to add or update a garden entry?
The Extension garden dashboard shows the records currently in the system. You will need to provide an update for each of these records, whether or not the garden is still actively supported by Extension. If the garden is not listed, you'll need to add it. The new system uses the PEARS site data, although reporting is done outside PEARS. If the location of a new garden is not currently in PEARS, you may want to request a new site in PEARS now.
Which gardens should I report on?
- Extension-supported gardens. All gardens that received some Extension staff or Master Gardener support this reporting year should be entered in the PEARS program activity section. Gardens may be used for demonstration, education, food donation, pollinator support, life skills training, and many other uses.
- Previously supported gardens that are now inactive or not supported by Extension should be updated in our new garden data management system so that we can delete it (instructions coming soon).
I made an entry last year and I don’t see it here.
Contact Karen Winter-Nelson.
What is the difference between the main garden entries and entries for direct education located at gardens?
- Main garden entries. Gardens are now tracked in a garden data management system, which provides a permanent place for garden data, allowing data to be easily updated each year.
- Direct education entries. Direct education activities held at the garden are entered in PEARS following usual guidelines.
I am SNAP-Ed or 4-H staff. Should I report on gardens following this guide?
The list of Extension-supported gardens is used in Extension-wide reporting such as legislative reports and annual reports, so it should be comprehensive. If you support a garden and do not have an AAB/NREE collaborator who is updating the record, please following this guide. SNAP-Ed staff continue to report garden information in the PSE module. Consult with Caitlin Kownacki or Amy Henschen to see if there are additional garden reporting guidelines for your program area.
I have a garden to report on but I don’t report in PEARS.
Since gardens now have their own data system, any Extension employee can update or add garden records.