Success StoryEquiping Agents for Master Gardener Training



Equiping Agents for Master Gardener Training

Author: Richard Durham

Planning Unit: Horticulture

Major Program: Master Gardener

Outcome: Initial Outcome

The Extension Master Gardener training program generally involves approximately 14 weekly 2.5 hour sessions coordinated by county staff and delivered by county agents, state specialist, or local professionals. The coordinator must also develop and grade homework and/or quizzes and administer a final exam.  As state coordinator I maintain, with the help of a few specialists, a training manual that is uniformly used for Master Gardener education throughout the state.  However, we have never had a single repository for other educational resources for volunteer training.  Several years ago I constructed a shell for such resources on a wiki site housed on the college CITC server.  Although a few resources were posted there, it never really developed into a useful tool for agents. In fall 2017, Harden County Extension Agent for Horticulture, Amy Aldenderfer, suggested a task force be formed to develop agent resources for Master Gardener volunteer training so three agents and myself developed a template for agent training which we delivered in two locations in spring 2018, and we also developed a wiki shell where agents can upload resources they use in training.  The wiki shell consists of a separate page for each chapter in the Kentucky Master Gardener Training Manual containing the text of that chapter, and will eventually also house PowerPoint presentations, some with voiceover scripts or videotaped presentations, supplemental handouts, homework examples, and sample text questions. The site if found at https://citc.ca.uky.edu/groups/emgcoordinators/ and is password protected by MyUK/Linkblue credentials.  






Stories by Richard Durham


Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program Virtual Training

about 3 years ago by Richard Durham

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Master Gardener Training was different in 2020. Training usually o... Read More


Partnership in Publications between the Nutrition Education Program and Horticultuer.

about 3 years ago by Richard Durham

In 2018 I was approached by NEP extension staff to help update existing and develop new home gardeni... Read More


Stories by Horticulture


Hands-on high tunnel agent training increases agent knowledge and confidence

about 3 years ago by Rachel Rudolph

High tunnels are primarily use for specialty crop production, including fruit and vegetables, and ha... Read More


Early-planted spring broccoli can reduce pesticide applications and increase marketable yields

about 3 years ago by Rachel Rudolph

Broccoli production in Kentucky has grown by nearly seven fold from 2012 to 2017 (USDA, 2017). Accor... Read More