What is the Master Gardener Program?

The Master Gardener program is an all-volunteer organization sanctioned by land grant institutions in each state; the program functions as an extension of the college or university. In Wisconsin, the program is sponsored by University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who aid Extension staff by helping people in the community better understand horticulture and their environment.

How to Become a Master Gardener

Any adult (18 years or older) can participate in the Master Gardener Volunteer Program – no previous experience or training is necessary.

For a step-by-step guide on how to become a Master Gardener, click the Get Started button below.

What You Can Do as a Master Gardener Volunteer?

In exchange for the training, you are asked to volunteer hours equivalent to the number of training hours received for that year. Many Master Gardener Volunteers donate their time beyond the required minimum numbers of hours. They volunteer hundreds of hours of horticulture-related community service annually.

Learn

Accomplish

Do

Make a Difference

Extension Demonstrations

Community Garden

County Fair

Botanical Garden

Horticulture Workshops

Horticulture Therapy Projects

Farmers’ Market

Responding to Inquiries

Write Newspaper Gardening Column

Adopt-A-Classroom

Volunteer at Extension

Beautification Committees

Youth Groups: 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.

MG History

Cooperative Extension has been helping people solve their agricultural problems since 1913. Extension agents/farm advisors supervised “Victory gardens” during World War I and II and have helped home and community gardeners ever since. Eventually, a voluntary educational program was initiated to teach gardening to people who would then extend the information to others in the community. The first Master Gardener Volunteer Program was started in 1972 in Washington State. Since then, Master Gardener Volunteer Programs have spread to over 45 states and four Canadian provinces, and boasts of more than 45,000 volunteers.