Master Gardener Training
What is the Master Gardener Program?
Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who aid University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension staff by helping people in the community better understand horticulture and their environment. This national program was introduced to Wisconsin in 1977. Today the Master Gardener Program is in all 50 states and several counties.
In the Master Gardener Program, you receive 36 hours of free horticultural training with Cooperative Extension university specialists and faculty. You pay only for your instructional materials, which you keep.
To become a certified member, you must attend the designated training sessions, volunteer 24 hours of your time to your community, and pass a final exam. To remain certified, each year you will need to take 10 hours of additional training and volunteer 24hours of your time.
There are two types of Master Gardener Programs in Wisconsin – a general program and a specialized program.
Columbia County will offer the general program which consists of a minimum of 36 hours of training covering all aspects of horticulture. Note that this program is offered in a different region of the state each spring and fall.
If you are interested in a more comprehensive, specialized program, Dane County offers a 4 year program which provided in-depth training in each of the four major subject areas: vegetables; flowers and houseplants; fruits and berries; and landscape plants and lawns.
Beyond the initial training, the Master Gardener Program offers update sessions for members who have completed either the general or the specialized program. Also, statewide and regional conferences cosponsored with Minnesota and Iowa provide additional learning opportunities.
When you’ve completed your training, you can join the Columbia County Master Gardener Association. The association supports yearly training updates and also helps Master Gardeners develop community volunteer projects.
What you can do as a Master Gardener
In exchange for the training, you are required to donate 24 volunteer hours each year. The following programs offer a sample of the opportunities open to Master Gardener volunteers:
- Extension demonstration and community gardens
- county and community fairs
- botanical gardens
- horticultural therapy projects
- farmers’ markets
- answering telephone inquiries for horticultural information
- write newspaper gardening columns
- Adopt-A-Classroom
- volunteer at your county Extension office
- local parks or beautification committees
- youth groups such as 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts
Many Master Gardeners volunteer their time beyond the required minimum number of hours. Last year, Master Gardeners volunteered thousands of hours of horticulture-related community service.
Any adult (18 years or older) can participate in the Master Gardener Program – no previous experience or training is necessary, although many people do have some horticultural experience.
When is the Program in Columbia County?
Master Gardener training in Columbia County has been scheduled for the 2010. Spring 2010 General Master Gardener Program Schedule can be found at http://wimastergardener.org/?q=schedule . The class will be held at the Columbia County Annex Building at 5:45 p.m-9:00 p.m.
Topics to be covered during the twelve sessions include:
- Introduction to the MG Program, Vegetable Crops
- Soils and Fertility
- Weed Management Invasives
- Fruit Crops
- Introduction to Turf Management
- Woody Landscape Plants
- Insects
- Backyard Wildlife
- Plant Propagation
- Using Native Plants
- Plant Diseases
- Herbaceous Annuals and Perennials
Contact your local UW-Extension Office. Columbia County residents should contact the UW-Extension Columbia County Office, (608) 742-9688, if you are interested in attending the 2010 Master Gardener training sessions in Columbia County.
If you have additional questions about the Master Gardener Program, please contact Joe Bollman, UW-Extension Agriculture Agent for Columbia County, at (608) 742-9682.
