You can become a certified Master Gardener
For those of you who have been reading the articles by Master Gardener Jim Hassett, you are aware that he has moved to Allegheny County to be closer to his family.
The Greene County Master Gardeners will be continuing to write articles pertinent to Greene County. You may not be aware, but of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, 62 have Master Gardener programs. Each county has specific weather conditions, climates, etc … so each county has Master Gardeners who work in their own counties.
If you like gardening and have ever thought about learning more, and helping others learn more, now is the time to think about becoming a Master Gardener. What sets a Master Gardener apart is the intensive training in horticulture they receive from Penn State Extension. In exchange for their training, Penn State Master Gardeners serve as volunteers for the extension horticulture program.
To become a Certified Master Gardener, you need to complete a minimum of 36 hours of training, score at least 80 percent on the final exam, and fulfill 50 hours of volunteer service. To maintain your certification, you must complete 10 hours of continuing education and 20 volunteer hours annually.
We are holding new classes for those interested, these will start in October. They will be held Thursday evenings at the Penn State Extension office in Waynesburg. We connect directly to an instructor who delivers the program live and most sessions are interactive. There is a fee which covers the training manual, printing and programming supplies and IT support. The manual is yours to keep and is a great reference.
Our Greene County Master Gardeners have volunteer activities for all ages. We work with schools for poison prevention programs; with libraries for a Tiny Tim (tomato project with preschoolers), giving talks for various organizations, offering a Spring Seminar, answering gardening questions that come into the office and more.
The Penn State Cooperative Extension is now accepting applications for the fall Master Gardener Program until Sept. 16. You can contact the Greene County Extension office at 724-627-3745 for more information or an application. You can also visit the website at www.extension.psu.edu/master-gardener.