Eddie, it's my understanding you can "ask" for travel expenses but can't charge a fee if you are doing this as a Master Gardener Volunteer. If you drop the name, you can charge as much as they are willing to pay. Since you are technically representing your state university, check with them to get their policy on this.

Good answer. Seems all I have to do is speak as an individual not representing myself as a Master Gardener speaker. I can do that.
The last time I spoke I heard one MG say to another "We could have got Felder Rushing but we got Eddie Rhoades instead" the other MG replied "Oh, is Eddie better than Felder?" and the first MG answered "No, but he's a lot cheaper."

LOL Sometimes cheaper really IS better! We've had several symposiums with no paid speakers and the level of expertise was outstanding. Most were university professors or researchers in bio-tech and were better than any "popular" gardening gurus.

Good luck, Eddie. Let us know how your adventure into the world of paid speaking turns out.

Sandy, For a long time I thought being on the speaker circuit was what I wanted to do. Lately I have been having mixed feelings. I am my own worst enemy in that I do not charge enough. I am not afraid to fly but I hate airports and being treated like a criminal. I have spoken at state MG conferences twice in South Carolina, twice in Alabama, once in Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi. I may shoot for speaking at all the Southern states before I quit. By the way, Alabama treated me like royalty and Mississippi came close.

Awwww. Are you trying to say that the deeper in the south you go, the better you're treated? LOL If so, I agree! That traditional Southern Hospitality is slowly disappearing up here in the northern fringes of the south. I've actually heard tales of some Virginians being downright rude to Northerners who moved here. (All tongue in cheek, of course! LOL)

If you're so popular that you're being asked to speak in that wide an area, you must be very good and your information must be what they're looking for. A lot of the so-called garden experts that speak are so full of mis-information that it's discouraging. I used to listen to a radio show by such an expert and some of the things I've heard there would upset any gardener that has taken the time to do good research on the topics. Wrong plants in the wrong places, heavy use of commercial chemicals without finding out what you're treating, sight unseen diagnosis of plant problems, and other nightmares.... I stopped listening.

If you can impart accurate information in a way that doesn't put your audience to sleep, I would encourage you to keep up with your public speaking for the sake of your future audiences. Far too many people think that the local landscape companies and the so-called experts are right just because they're well known. It ain't necessarily so.

Come to Texas, Eddie!

We treat our speakers like royalty here too!

Usually even the Northerners, too......

Janie

Sandy, you message is SO true, particularly regarding speakers who acquire knowledge - but don't perform due diligence (research), before they propagate the information they chose to believe - which may be passe, incomplete or not accurate. I quit listening to radio shows for the same reasons.

And in addition, I'm sometimes flabergasted to find that a speaker has little (if any) actual experience in perfoming the activities they expound.

I limit my speaking engagements to local venues now, since traveling became so expensive - and even covering travel expenses to MG events is difficult, since a host of MG organizations do not have a budget sufficient to cover full long-distance costs nowadays. I continue to volunteer my time, but as a retiree, I can't afford to 'pay my own way' very far from home.

Eddie, talented speakers are sorely needed in the field, and as I understand the issue, just because you are an MG, your credentials don't limit charging for engagements - except at MG sponsored functions.
But as Sandy stated, your land grant university has the 'last say' about that, and your state MG association may have additional policies as well.

And ditto Janie's comment - Texas is a friendly place, and our year-round gardening provides winter-time engagements too.

Robert