Georgia Master Gardener Program
Our mission is to train the best general horticulturists who can provide unbiased and up-to-date horticultural information to the community through volunteer service.
The Master Gardeners of Georgia are invaluable for their assistance to local County Extension Agents in helping meet the publics demand for gardening information. Therefore, it is important that you have a flexible daytime schedule in order to meet our volunteer needs. Through this program, individuals are trained and certified in horticulture and related areas. These individuals, in turn, volunteer their expertise and services, under the direction of their County Extension Agent Jacob Williams, to assist others through horticultural projects that benefit the community.
The Georgia Master Gardener Program is one day a week over a thirteen-week period course under the leadership of UGA Extension. The program consist of two parts: classroom education and hands on experience. Overall, the program involves 50 hours of classroom learning and additional laboratory exercises. There is a mid-term, and a final exam required to pass for the first part of the training. Please check with the Union County Extension office on the cost of the prorgam.
Once this part of the program is completed, you must complete 50 volunteer hours in various approved projects before becoming a certified MGEV. Our MGEV program is based on volunteerism and education to the county homeowners and is not the typical garden club. The application process includes a fee with a formal application which requires references and a background investigation. We also conduct an interview, this is to get to know you and answer any questions or concerns you may have about the program or your part in the program.
Our office conducts a class every other year. If you are interested, please contact AG Agent Jacob Williams for more information and to have your name placed on the interest list. Our next training class will begin sometime in early 2025. If you're interested, you can contact the Union County or Towns County Extension offices to sign up for the class as well.
If you enjoy educating and giving back to your community, you may want to consider becoming a Master Gardener Extension Volunteer.