The Master Gardener Program, is a 12-14 week course that teaches volunteers not just the basics of gardening but also various other subjects like entomology, plant disease, soil nutrition and composting, landscaping, indoor plant gardening and many other topics. The students then take these skills and use them to educate people on sustainable gardening and improve their neighborhoods. For the past 5 years the classes have taken place at the Nature Center near the Louisville Zoo. This year the class was held in Portland at Louisville Grows’ newly constructed Healthy House. The new location gave volunteers, who may not frequent the area, the opportunity to experience the rich Urban Ag culture in West Louisville. The class started with approximately 23 students and ended with 23 students completing the class and becoming interns. Some highlights of the class were a tour of Yew Dell Gardens, and Canoeing Lab on Beargrass Creek and learning about raising backyard chickens. The class was well received and the new found knowledge inspired interns to begin accumulating their 40 volunteer hours.  The Jefferson County Master Gardener Program held its annual Christmas Awards and potluck ceremony where Master Gardeners were honored for the exemplary service and interns received their certificates. Master Gardener Marsha Flores completed 179 volunteer hours for 2017 and right behind her was Janie Kanzler with 159 hours. 12 gardeners received the golden shovel award for completing over 45 volunteer hours. Overall Jefferson County Master Gardeners donated 1,760 volunteer hours to Louisville and the surrounding communities and if their work was calculated at $20/hr, it would equate to $35, 800! However, the people of Jefferson County who they know and love would consider their work priceless.