Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Adam Leonberger
Major Program: Master Gardener
Current research indicates numerous pollinating insect species are threatened or in decline. The USDA states that about one third of global food supplies depend on pollinating insects. There are many simple steps homeowners can take to encourage pollinators in backyard gardens. To provide more education around the topic, horticulture agents from Fayette, Franklin, and Woodford counties planned our annual Extension Master Gardener Conference to focus on pollinators. We selected and tapped speaker
Author: Tyson Gregory
Major Program: Master Gardener
Current research indicates that numerous pollinating insect species are threatened or in decline. The population decline of these insects has a direct impact on numerous fields and from an anthropocentric view the greatest impact will be on our food systems. The USDA states that about one third of global food supplies depend on pollinating insects. Loss of these pollinators will directly impact food stability across the US. From an ecological perspective, the increased decline in insect populati
Author: Nicole Rhein
Major Program: Master Gardener
Master Gardeners are often long term volunteers for the Extension Service. Agents often find it difficult to teach new skills to veteran MG's once they have participated in Extension programs for many years. Marshall County ANR Agent, Nikki Rhein, researched new opportunities in an attempt to inspire and educate both her seasoned and newer volunteers alike.On July 12th, 2023, Nikki took her Master Gardeners (MG's) on a two day trip to Jackson, Tn. The trip included 3 educational stops. T
Author: Lori Bowling
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Tri-State area of Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia has been battling the issues of food insecurity and food deserts for many years. There has been in influx of the population that has fallen below the poverty line in the recent 5 years and the number of those that are homeless have increased as well. One program that has been working to help provide fresh fruits and vegetables to those individuals that would not normally have access to these is the Master Gardener Program at the
Author: Robert Brockman
Major Program: Master Gardener
In recent years, there has been a slow decline in the number of entrees within the crops and vegetable barn during the Boone County Fair. This has been due to a slight decline in the number of vegetable entrees, but a very large decline in FFA entrees as well as crops. Many of our FFA and crops categories haven't had entrees in several years. This significant decrease in entrees has led to a barn with very little to offer the public and consequently, low participation in cooperative extensio
Author: Erika Wood
Major Program: Master Gardener
In the past several years, the Pennyroyal Master Gardener Association has held a spring and fall plant swap at the Hopkins County Farmers Market. The purpose of the fall plant swap was to give the community an opportunity to come swap plants with one another. Participants brought plants they were willing to give away and then could pick from plants donated by other participants to take home. A wide range of plants were brought to the swap and included the following: herbaceous
Author: Bethany Wilson
Major Program: Master Gardener
Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) are volunteer educators serving across the country in local communities. Backed by the University of Kentucky, Kentucky EMGs are dedicated to outreach and on a mission to support successful gardening through science-based horticulture information. Nine new EMGs In-Training were trained during Fall 2023 in Pulaski County. EMGs are required to volunteer hours of service back to the community or in efforts that help Cooperative Extension. During 2023-24,
Author: Deborah Stumbo
Major Program: Master Gardener
The problem--Because of moving and death of MG's, numbers were decreasing within the group and making it difficult to proceed with planned MG training and programs.The educational program response-- 31 people signed up to take the MG Class and 27 completed the classwork associated with the program. Several have already earned volunteer hours to become Master Gardeners. Existing Master Gardeners taught te majority of the classes, with the ANR agent and her assistant adding t
Author: Robert Brockman
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Cooperative Extension Service requires members of the local community to take on volunteer and leadership roles for it reach the full community. The University of Kentucky Master Gardener program is a way for the Boone County CES horticulture program to identify future leaders and give them the training they need to be community educators and direct the program where it needs to go. To become certified as Master Gardeners, participants must complete forty volunteer hours, attend fifteen four
Author: Adam Leonberger
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Kentucky Master Gardener Program is an intensive fourteen week series of classes focusing on various aspects of horticulture. While it does benefit the participants, the primary goal is to train new volunteers to be better gardeners and stewards of the land, as well as grow in their leadership skills and in community involvement. Each person who completes the program must return 40 hours of community service through the Cooperative Extension Service during the first year after the completion
Author: Robert Smith
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Master Gardener program is an internationally successful extension program that looks to increase knowledge, enhance communities, and create leaders through the science of horticulture. The Extension Master Gardener program began 50 years ago to address the multitude of questions received in extension offices with educated and experienced problem-solving volunteers. With ever-growing populations come new homeowners who desire knowledge in all things gardening. To meet the demand for knowledg
Author: Matthew Chadwick
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Calloway County Extension Master Gardener Association was founded in 2015. Since it’s founding the members have contributed 3812 volunteer service hours back to the community. Volunteers assist agents with educational activities, 4-H clubs, additional Master Gardener Trainings, and many beautification projects. Master Gardner Volunteers also participate in continuing education programs. The Calloway County Extension Office and the Marshall County Extension Office have paired up to offe
Author: Tracie Goodman
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Challenge:McCreary County faces a significant demand for horticultural assistance due to its sizable community of backyard gardeners and horticulture enthusiasts. The surge in participants joining the Grow Appalachia program, many of whom are newcomers seeking basic gardening guidance, underscores this growing need.Educational Initiative:In January 2023, McCreary County Extension launched its inaugural Master Gardener certification program, attracting 9 participants. The comprehensive classe
Author: Amanda Potter
Major Program: Master Gardener
According to the guidelines for The Kentucky Extension Master Gardner Program, Extension Master Gardeners are trained volunteers that assist County Extension Agents with educational programming. This program is considered a volunteer management and outreach program within Cooperative Extension. The Master Gardener program had been implemented in years past by previous agents within Rowan County. Due to the vacancies within the ANR position for several years, the program had no longer been a
Author: Anthony Tackett
Major Program: Master Gardener
During 2023, 16 participants enrolled and completed the 10 week classroom requirement of the Bourbon County Master Gardener program which covered various aspects of gardening and horticulture. The training included 15 hours of hands-on lab time where the participants learned skills such as pruning, composting, soil science, and botany. The graduates are now giving back to their local communities by volunteering 640 hours of their time to various projects. Some of the projects they have completed
Author: Erika Wood
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Extension Master Gardener program is a volunteer organization dedicated to teaching and training people about horticulture related topics. This program is a part of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and assists county extension agents in providing education and outreach in the community. Master Gardeners are required to undergo training and complete 40 hours of volunteer service in their first year before becoming certified. After the first year, Master Ga
Author: Mary Dossett
Major Program: Master Gardener
The problem we noticed in the community was there was not many homesteading programs offered in the area. The Horticulture agent contacted Miranda Rudolph in Graves County to speak for one of the Master Gardener programs. Miranda did a wonderful job by highlighting the aspects of what homesteading is and how to get started. The participants/target audience was outstanding and is now the record number for Master Gardener Toolbox programs. We had 80 adults and 7 kids attend the program! There
Author: Deborah Stumbo
Major Program: Master Gardener
The problem-- Due to a lack of access to heirloom seeds the Master Gardeners want to start an Annual Seed Swap and one was started and continued for 12 years nKnowledge gained from the various seed keepers and sellers has added tremendously to the knowledge and pockets of our local seed keepers and brought various interested partied in from across the nation.Participants included 5 Asians (local now), 2 Native American Indians, 3 Multi national including Hispanics as wells right at 400 local par
Author: Robert Brockman
Major Program: Master Gardener
In a county as populous as Boone County (population 139,000), it is impossible for Cooperative Extension Service personnel to interact with and teach all members of the community. To address this, we need passionate and well trained volunteer leaders. The Master Gardener Volunteer program allows Boone County CES to formalize this volunteer leader position. It also provides the framework to train members of the public in a way so that they are knowledgeable on relevant horticulture topics.Boone C
Author: Steven Mobley
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program was created to meet an increase in requests from home gardeners for horticultural information. This increase derives primarily from the urban and transient nature of modern American life. As the population of Laurel County and the number of larger subdivisions has increased, so has the need for additional resources to provide gardening-related assistance to our community. To meet this need, the Laurel County Horticulture agent, Steve Mobl
Author: Tyson Gregory
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Woodford County Extension Master Gardener program addressed the need for more volunteers and leadership by re-implementing a 14-week training program co-lead by the Woodford County Horticulture Agent, Tyson Gregory, and the Frankling County Horticulture Agent, Adam Leonberger. This program provided interested residents of central Kentucky with a deep dive into core horticultural principles and related scientific disciplines.Eighteen residents successfully completed the program and became Ext
Author: Mary Dossett
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Lakes of Paducah reached out needing to get their residents more involved in hands-on activities that involve gardening. Three master gardener, The Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Assistant, and several office staff of the center volunteered to help. Bud Qualk, Master Gardener president, lead the program and educated the residents about the plants he brought. The volunteers handed out three different types of plants and the residents placed them in the planters. They wore their homemade der
Author: Bryce Roberts
Major Program: Master Gardener
With the continued growth in population in Spencer County, the number of horticulture questions continues to increase. Over the past few years, there has been some interest in starting a Master Gardener program to help educate our local residents in proper horticulture techniques. In January 2023, the Spencer County Master Gardener program started. Master Gardener is a volunteer dri
Author: Lorin Fawns
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Master Gardener program in Mason County has expanded to include more members, urging them to take on leadership roles within the community. Over time, Master Gardeners have dedicated countless hours to support a variety of programs. Lately, the program has broadened its scope, with Master Gardeners leading more than over a dozen different programs at locations such as the library, senior center, and Extension Office. Through their involvement, members have evolved and contributed to enhancin
Author: Nicole Rhein
Major Program: Master Gardener
Home gardeners regularly call the Marshall County Extension Office asking how to properly take care of plants they have acquired. Often times, the plant information provided by a retailer fails to provide the necessary instruction needed to successfully grow the plant or has misleading/incorrect information.The Marshall Master Gardener Association (MMGA) offers a plant sale annually. This event has three goals. 3.) Provide an outlet for the community to purchase affordable plants with the intent
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Master Gardener
Gardening is a wonderful time for people of all ages for those to spend family time together, learn where their food comes from, or even just enjoy the outdoors. This was a hope that our Junior Master Gardener leaders had for the youth that signed up to participate. The Jr Master Gardeners program in Christian County became a partnership with the Master Gardeners as two of the more experienced members volunteered to lead the program.The Master Gardener leaders participated in the Jr Master Garde
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Master Gardener
Master Gardeners is a program run by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service to train citizens in many areas of horticulture. Upon completing the Master Gardener education program, participants return 40 hours of community volunteer service through organized projects within one year to earn the title of Master Gardener and 15 hours annually to maintain their volunteer status. During the 2023 program year, Master Gardeners volunteered:681 hours of service in planting and maintain
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Master Gardener
Interest in vegetable gardening, especially among younger generations, has seen a resurgence in recent years, as evidenced by the increase in garden phone calls to the office. To address this need, the Christian County Master Gardeners organized a team of volunteers to focus on expanding vegetable information outreach of University resources. The educational efforts were targeted to reach audiences where they are. This included the high school agriculture classroom, a local brewery, Lowes, a loc
Author: Sharon Flynt
Major Program: Master Gardener
The problemVolunteers play a crucial role in Extension programs, contributing their time, talents, and skills to provide instruction, research, and public service.The educational program responseThe Scott County Extension Master Gardener Prgram's dedicated volunteers are part of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension program. They engage with local citizens, delivering up-to-date, research-based information. In the fiscal year 2023-2024, the Scott County Cooperative Extension Master Gardene
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Master Gardener
Gardening is a popular hobby which results in an increase for the demand of horticultural information. With the help of trained Extension Master Gardener volunteers, who deliver science-based horticultural information, the Horticulture Extension Agent is able to reach more clientele with information on growing and maintain vegetable gardens and landscape plants. They are a vital part of the outreach of the Cooperative Extension Service into the community. In addition, the Extension
Author: Benjamin Prewitt
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service noticed that there wasn't any available clubs or programs for the youth in our county that involved Horticulture. After a very successful first graduating Master Gardener Class it was decided that it would be an amazing opportunity to co-partner with the 4H Program to offer up a Jr Master Gardener Club for the youth in our county. The recently graduated Master Gardeners would serve in volunteer roles to a
Author: Matthew Chadwick
Major Program: Master Gardener
The problemMaster Gardner's look for local service project that can have a lasting impact on the community by providing educational opportunities, impacting community behavioral changes, working with other groups, and promoting the progress of extension. The educational program responseA community composting pilot project. The participants/target audienceCommunity members, local environmental groups, and community leadership. Other partners (if applicable)The National Bo
