Story in Brief
The Walton County Extension agent coordinated the Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program in 2020 for 18 participants. This training consisted of 23 classes, each three hours long, to give participants a thorough understanding of gardening and horticulture in Georgia. After completing the training, program participants helped the Extension office disseminate gardening information, answer homeowner phone calls and emails, and helped collect soil samples. These volunteers also help plan and coordinate projects such as the Social Circle Pollinator Garden, the City of Monroe Educational Pollinator Garden, and the educational Field Garden. In addition, the MGEV conducted educational webinars that were posted on the Walton County public libraries social media platforms reaching over 500 individuals. For 2020, The Walton MGEV program, as a whole, volunteered over 2,000 hours estimated at a value of $44,000. Through the Master Gardener Volunteer program, the Walton County Extension office has been able to extend its reach to more people within the community, be involved in more community projects, and help increase the impact of Extension in Walton County.