In order for the   Horticulture Program and the Master Gardener association in Bullitt County to meet the organizations objective of assisting “in explaining, advocating and promoting past, present, and future extension programs to the public”, to earn the funds to support said objective, and to make new and lasting connections with members of our community, the Bullitt County Horticulture Council and Master Gardener Association collaborated to create an annual “Garden Art and Plant Sale” event.      

This event is the centerpiece of the Master Gardener outreach for the year, with an attendance of 1300 at the 2019 event.  It allows the organizations (The Horticulture Council, Bullitt County Master Gardener Association and the Bullitt County Extension Service) to ally with commercial horticulture businesses in a positive and lucrative event.  This event provides an opportunity to introduce community members to Extension and for those familiar with Extension to network.   The Extension office hosts, markets and supports the event.  We set up an information booth providing on site information to gardening questions, newsletters and publications with researched based horticulture articles, provide trained volunteers to run the event and make new connections with experienced horticulture professionals that often led to guest speakers at horticulture events.                                                                                                                                                                                                      This program was advertised widely on social media this year.  It posted on 7 different websites with total exposure of 73,219 people.  In a county with a population of around 80, 000 the exposure is significant.  This program allows the public a positive, informative introduction to Extension and its programs in Bullitt County.     Attendance at this year’s event was a record setting 1300 people, which is a 144% increase over last year’s attendance.  An oral survey administered by parking directors at the sale determined that 83% of the 1300 participants had never been to the Extension office before. There were also 53 community members that signed up at the event to receive the Horticulture newsletter.  Based on surveys administered in classes in 2017 and 2018, 51% of new participants heard about the program at the annual plant sale.      Over the 9 years that the program has been in effect we have also gained 8 Master Garden volunteers as a direct result from introduction at the annual plant sale.    The eight Master Gardeners gained have turned in a combined total of 3267 volunteer hours since certification.  According to Independent Sector in 2019 this time is valued at $25.43 an hour netting of return of approximately   $83,079.81 worth of horticulture education put back into the community as a direct result of this sale.