CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 03/01/07

Master Gardeners are trained volunteers

By Sharon Omahen
University of Georgia

Last year, 2,650 Georgians donated 194,000 hours of their time to help University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents. They answered gardeners' questions, taught classes and led community service projects.

These volunteers are all graduates of the Master Gardener program in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. And to honor their service to the state, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has declared March 17 Master Gardener Day in Georgia.

Planting gardens, answering calls

"Across the state, Master Gardeners will conduct special programs to celebrate the day," said Marco Fonseca, a UGA Extension horticulturist and coordinator of the program.

Some will plant trees or beautify public community centers, he said. Others will teach children about horticulture, conduct plant clinics at garden centers and help with gardening events.

Statewide, Georgia has 14 Master Gardener training classes each year. To see if your county offers the program, call the UGA Extension office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1.

To become Master Gardeners, volunteers are trained for 40 hours by UGA Extension experts. Then, after volunteering for at least 50 hours at their local Extension office, they become certified Master Gardeners.

Knowledge is essential

"The training is essential as the volunteers use their new expertise to help with a variety of gardening-related projects," Fonseca said. "Without the training, they wouldn't be prepared to answer questions from gardeners who either call or come into their county agent's office."

In 2006, Georgia's Master Gardeners answered more than 90,000 phone calls and visited more than 3,500 home gardens.

"Our Master Gardeners do everything from presenting plant clinics to speaking to garden clubs and writing newspaper articles," he said. "Master Gardener volunteerism creates a far-reaching ripple effect across our state."

Several Master Gardener groups take part in the Plant-A-Row for the Hungry program, Fonseca said. They install landscaping at Habitat for Humanity homes, build community nature trails and design demonstration gardens.

When you figure in the value of their time and travel, he said, Georgia Master Gardeners donated nearly $4 million last year.

Historically affective

The Georgia Master Gardener program began in 1979. Butch Ferree, then head of UGA horticulture, went to Washington state to learn about the popular new urban outreach program.

That fall, Ferree promoted the program in metro Atlanta. Under DeKalb County agent Newton Hogg, three agents in DeKalb and Fulton counties led the first Georgia Master Gardener training. The first class graduated 140 volunteers.

"We graduated more than 100 people per year for the first 15 years," Fonseca said. "Now we average 500 graduates each year."

Over the years, he said, the program has grown from answering walk-in or phone questions in cities to a nationwide network of volunteers.

Sharon Omahen is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Marco T. Fonseca
A new UGA study found that children improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches. CAES News
UGA study shows all students benefit from healthy school lunches 04/24/24 Erica P. Techo
School lunches have come a long way from square pizza and fish sticks, and students across the board are benefiting from improved nutritional standards in the cafeteria. A new study from the University of Georgia found that children from all walks of life improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nutritional guidelines instead of home-prepared lunches.
Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
uga commencement CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.