Training: Master Gardener Program Offered in the Local Area

The mission of the Missouri Master Gardener Extension Program is “helping others learn to grow.” The Master Gardener program provides in depth horticultural training to individuals throughout Missouri who then volunteer their time applying what they have learned to help others in their communities to learn about gardening and environmental education. The Master Gardener Program throughout Missouri promotes and raises public awareness of the University of Missouri Extension as a source of unbiased,research-based gardening information.

Through activities such as Extension newsletter articles, workshops, speaker’s bureaus, garden show booths and demonstration projects, Master Gardeners provide gardening information to thousands of Missourians each year.

To become trained as a Master Gardener, an individual must attend a 30-hour classroom Core Course training. Then the Master Gardener trainee is required to give 30 hours of volunteer service back to their community in approved University of Missouri Extension activities.

The core course training will be held on Thursdays for 12 weeks starting August 18 to November 3, 2016, from 6 to 9 pm.  The first 6 classes will be held at the Ste. Genevieve County Extension Center in Ste. Genevieve and the last 6 classes will be held at the Perry County Extension Center in Perryville.  The cost of the class is $165, which includes the Master Gardener Core Manual, State Fees, refreshments, and speaker fees.  Registration deadline is August 11.  The program will cover the subjects of plant anatomy, soils, and fertility, annual and perennial flowers, fruits and brambles, vegetable gardening, lawn care, insects, landscaping, propagation and plant disease.  For more information, contact Donna Aufdenberg at 573-238-2420 or Katie Kammler at 573-883-3548.