Since 2005, The Extension Master Gardener program in Grayson County has been offered 5 times. Traditionally, the classes have been an in person, classroom style program. Over the course of the 18 years, the program, clientele and learning environment have all changed. This has created barriers for programs like this to be successful. However, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent integrated an online approach with a more diversified option, to better accommodate the participants in the program. The goal was to meet weekly via Zoom and do the lab portion of the training in person once a month.  This allowed for people to get the material, but also still meet with their peers and network in those in person settings. This year, Grayson County worked with the Breckinridge County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent to conduct a bi-county Master Gardener Training program beginning in February 2023 and going through May 2023. The Master Gardener training spanned 14 weeks and covered such topics as soil science, pesticide use, fruits and vegetables, woody plant materials, insects and plant pathology and much more. The program utilized several University of Kentucky specialists, Agriculture agents and the Grayson and Breckinridge County Extension Services.  There were 12 individuals attending ranging in ages from 20-75. The program was changed this year to be hosted in the morning, which was a change from the original evening program. This allowed some individuals who might not otherwise be able to attend, to do so. Out of the 12 individuals, 9 are planning to joint the Master Gardener Association and become an Extension Volunteer. We also have relied on current Master Gardener Volunteers to serve as mentors and help the new Master Gardeners with getting started. 

The overarching goal of this program was to entice new extension volunteers to help promote programs in the counties that do not have a horticulture agent. In Grayson County alone, over 30% of the information needed from clientele is horticulture based. Therefore, the need for horticulture programming is increasing by about 10% each year. By creating more extension volunteers, we create a more diverse group of people that can be there to assist in programming, create programs themselves, or answer one-on-one questions. At the conclusion of the program, all four residence of Grayson County enrolled as members of the association in Grayson County.