The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program is an internationally recognized program known for providing intense home horticulture training to interested individuals in the community. Once training is completed, participants have the option to continue in the program to achieve Extension Master Gardener status by volunteering time in their communities. Opportunities in the community for volunteer service would be assisting with city beautification projects and sharing newly acquired knowledge with other citizens in the community through educational gardening classes or events.

In the fall of 2017, the Warren County Horticulture Extension Agent conducted Extension Master Gardener classes at the Extension Office. Area extension agents and UK Specialists instructed on several home horticulture topics including botany, turf management, home fruits, vegetable gardening, pesticide safety, entomology, annual and perennial flowers, woody ornamentals, plant pathology, composting, and soils and fertility. The curriculum follows the Kentucky Extension Master Gardener manual, which participants keep as a reference guide at the end of the course.

17 horticulture enthusiasts, from Allen, Simpson, and Warren Counties with 7 of those being male, completed the educational training for the Extension Master Gardener program. In the post evaluation surveys, 100% stated that they gained new knowledge from each of the classes and plan to use the knowledge when gardening at home.

At a follow-up meeting In April 2018, eight interns expressed interest in advancing on in the program to complete the necessary 40 hours of volunteering service to achieve Extension Master Gardener certification status. To date, master gardener interns have performed work on several gardening related projects including the annual flower garden demonstration plots, taught gardening classes with WKU’s Society for Lifelong Learning, held Ask a Master Gardener booths at the Arbor Day celebration and local farmers market, and assisted with 4-H youth gardening activities.