Master Gardeners provide communities with solutions
For over 50 years, the Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) program has been training volunteers across the nation who have a passion for horticulture and assisting with gardening education in their communities.
Today, EMG programs can be found in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, supported in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) capacity funding.
Master Gardeners come from diverse backgrounds and are united by their passion for sharing gardening knowledge and experience with others.
Becoming a Master Gardener provides many benefits, such as greater gardening knowledge, opportunities for volunteering and educating others and the chance to connect with their community.
How it all started
According to USDA NIFA, the Master Gardener idea was established in 1973 in Washington and has grown to more than 77,000 experienced and 12,500 new EMGs.
The EMG program was created by two Extension agents looking for ways to meet the needs of backyard gardeners, as agents across the country were being overwhelmed with gardening questions.
The two agents realized they could multiply their resources by training motivated amateur gardeners who would, in turn, respond to the ever-increasing number of home gardeners seeking help.
EMG volunteers share their gardening knowledge by teaching workshops, managing demonstrations and community gardens, speaking at events and staffing garden information helplines.
According to the most recent USDA reports, more than 89,000 EMG volunteers contributed 4.9 million hours in community volunteerism in 2023, valued at $157 million in donated time nationwide and collectively reached 10 million people through their work.
EMGs also donated over one million pounds of produce to communities in need, estimated at $2.3 million in donations.
In many states, EMG volunteers work garden helplines, answering questions from the public, providing individuals with the opportunity to ask EMG volunteers gardening or landscaping questions and receive research-based answers specific to their location.
Becoming an EMG
To become an EMG, candidates must complete an in-person or virtual training program, volunteer their time and maintain certification through continuing education and volunteer services.
While certifications and class specifics may vary state-to-state and even university-to-university, individuals will generally participate in 40 to 60 hours of course work, taught by local experts, EMGs or other educators.
Classes include basic botany, where students will learn fundamental differences between various classes of plants and plant-like organisms, as well as the various parts of plants and their functions, while gaining the ability to recognize the different roles plants play in a healthy ecosystem.
Additional classes may cover topics such as introduction to entomology, plant pathology, pesticide safety and pest management.
An essential part of becoming an EMG is volunteering, and as part of the EMG program, candidates must fulfill a volunteer hours requirement.
Volunteering requirements continue beyond certification. Individuals must fulfill an annual volunteer obligation and may also need to complete additional classes or training to retain their EMG status.
EMG programs typically require ongoing education to maintain certification, ensuring individuals remain informed about the latest research and techniques.
Master Gardener
opportunities
EMGs are dedicated volunteers who share their knowledge with the public through diverse and impactful activities, educating the public on gardening techniques, pest management and environmentally-sound horticultural practices.
According to USDA NIFA, across the U.S., EMG programs and other Extension efforts work to reduce food insecurity in communities. Katie Dunker, state Master Gardener coordinator for Colorado State University Extension, notes food insecurity and access to fresh produce is a concern among Masters Gardeners.
“I think nationally, EMGs are concerned about people in their communities facing food insecurity,” she states. “Look at what we as EMGs can do. Not only can we teach people to raise their own fruits and vegetables, but we can donate the fruits of our labors to our neighbors, as well as local food pantries and food banks. It’s more than food – it’s a gift of love.”
Feeding communities through EMG programs
Today, across the country, multiple Extension programs are promoting growing food for others, not only through Master Gardener programs but other programs as well.
Seed to Supper is a beginning garden course focused on reducing food insecurity and was co-created by the Oregon Food Bank and Oregan State University (OSU) Extension.
This program empowers novice gardeners with the essential tools they need to connect with others, build confidence and grow a portion of their food on a limited budget.
Although gardening alone cannot address all food security issues, having access to fresh food – and the confidence and skills to cultivate it – can significantly improve the situation.
According to OSU research, participants in Seed to Supper demonstrate increased knowledge of food gardening and feel more confident in their ability to grow some of their own food.
They also become better equipped to access gardening resources in their communities, and in the medium to long term, these participants implement food gardens, improve their nutrition, offset grocery costs, reduce hunger and become advocates who teach others about gardening and access locally-grown fruits and vegetables.
The free, comprehensive six-week beginning gardening course has been taught in partnership with many different community organizations, from food pantries and food banks, to places of worship and prisons.
Additional programs include Growing Together, a multi-state Extension effort to increase fresh fruit and vegetables available to food pantries and agencies.
Master Gardeners in North Dakota provide free vegetable seeds to home gardeners with the stipulation produce grown be donated to food pantries, and organized nine weekly collection sites to receive surplus homegrown vegetables and fruits from the public for delivery to food pantries.
In 2020, EMGs produced, gleaned and collected more than 38,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables for local food pantries, and in the Cowboy State, Wyoming Hunger Initiative, the University of Wyoming Cent$ible Nutrition Program and Master Gardener program joined the fight against food insecurity with its Grow A Little Extra program.
For more information visit ahsgardening.org.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
