In response to clientele requests, the Allen, Simpson and Warren County Extension Agents for Agriculture and Horticulture collaborated together to offer the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program in the Winter/Spring of 2023. Educational classes were offered for a total of 12 weeks with 14 home consumer horticulture topics being covered. Consumer horticulture topics covered in the program were home vegetable gardening, small and tree fruit production, home lawn care practices, woody tree and shrub care, pesticide safety, soils and fertility, annual and perennial flowers, home composting, plant propagation techniques, plant diseases, and much more. All classes were instructed by UK Extension agents and specialists.

A total of 24 horticulture enthusiasts (6 from Simpson County) enrolled in the Allen, Simpson, and Warren County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program. Participants attended educational lecturers offered by UK Extension Agents, completed quizzes for each of the subjects being covered, and also read the chapters outlined in the University of Kentucky Extension Master Gardener manual. At the end of the educational classes, participants kept the Extension Master Gardener manual to use later as a reference guide for any questions. Several of the sessions involved hands-on demonstrations and activities to enhance their classroom experience. Specifically, 15 participants participated in a hands-on tree grafting workshop where they were able to graft apple scion wood onto a rootstock which they took home to begin their own fruit tree orchard.

A pre- and post- evaluation survey was distributed to participants to measure successes from the program. Some highlights from the results are outlined below.

1. 100% of participants reported that they took a soil sample from their home garden, lawn or landscape areas. Several mentioned it being their first time for taking a soil sample as a result of information presented during the soils session.  
2. Based on survey results, several reported that they enjoyed meeting like-minded individuals during the class and have now created their own Master Gardener Class Facebook group to continue to network with other fellow classmates.   
3. The Simpson County Agent taught the Vegetable Gardening session.  One Simpson County producer reported that her favorite subject was vegetable gardening.  Her and her husband have since built two raised beds, terraced on a slope due to the information that was presented during that session.

In a follow up email to agents, one participant highlighted that she shared information gained from the Master Gardener program about resources available through the Cooperative Extension Service with a family members in Alaska. She mentioned that “I had no idea there were so many resources available nation-wide through the various Extension Offices. I was able to refer my son and daughter-in-law to the local Extension Office and University of Alaska in Fairbanks website where they could find all kinds of information about timing for planting”.