Becoming a Penn State Master Gardener

The Master Gardener program began in Adams County in 1990 with two Master Gardeners in the program. It is now 68volunteers strong! As a Penn State Master Gardener, volunteers commit their time and knowledge to assist Penn State Cooperative Extension in educating groups as well as individuals on proper horticultural practices and environmental stewardship. They are trained in horticulture by Penn State Cooperative Extension educators from across the state.

To become a Penn State Master Gardener, one must complete a thirteen week course that covers information on botany, plant propagation, insects and diseases, plant identification, diagnostics, native plants and much more. Upon completion of this thirteen week course, the Master Gardener trainee must dedicate 50 hours of volunteer time to the Master Gardener program throughout the following year. There is a fee of $200 for the training to cover costs of the manual, handouts and instructors. $50 will be refunded after the first year volunteer service is completed.

There is great pride and community service involved when becoming a Master Gardener. The Master Gardener training program will begin this August 16 ? Dec. 6, 2012the first eight classes will be held at the Penn State Extension Office in Franklin County, Chambersburg, August 16 - Oct 3, and then we will complete the class series in Gettysburg at the Agricultural and Natural Resource Center, 670 Old Harrisburg Road beginning Thursday October 10, 2012through Thursday, December 6, 2012. These classes will take place every week from 12 noon - 3pm.

If you are interested in participating in these classes and becoming a Penn State Master Gardener, please e-mail Mary Ann Ryan at mar35@psu.edu for an application. The application and additional information will be sent to you. After we receive your completed application, an interview will be scheduled prior to the first class.

The Master Gardeners of Adams County are involved in many programs and projects.

Throughout the summer, the Master Gardeners work on four demonstration garden projects: the trial gardens, the native plant garden, the rain garden, all located at the Agricultural and Natural Resource Center, Gettysburg and a fruit garden at the Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville. All projects run from May through September and are used as tools to teach the residents of our county and surrounding areas about horticulture, gardening, environmental gardening strategies, pollinators, and plant selection.

Master Gardeners teach children about horticulture. This is done through demonstrations, lectures, and hands-on presentations. After school programs and

Ag Explorers Day Camp on June 25 ? 29, 2012are just a few activities we use to reach our children and educate them on today's environmental issues. To register for the Ag Explorers Day Camp go to: http://agsci.psu.edu/ag-explorers, or call Penn State Cooperative Extension, 334-6271 for a brochure and more information.

Master Gardeners are available at the extension office to answer your gardening questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am - 2 pm beginning in April. For any gardening related questions, call 717-334-6271or stop by Penn State Extension at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg with samples of the problem during these hours and you will be directed to a Master Gardener.

Other educational workshops include a Backyard Fruit Care program on April 14 from 9am ? 12noon. We will be conducting a workshop on Wednesday, April 4 focusing on cold crops for the vegetable garden. Many 11 and 12 you can visit the Agricultural and Natural Resource Center for a perennial sale that supports our educational programs. On Tuesday, May 29 we will be departing Gettysburg for a bus trip to Temple-Ambler garden tour and Meadowbrook Farm, north of Philadelphia. On June 20, the Summer Solstice, we will be celebrating with Well Span Health, Adams County the North Trail opening, offering garden and nutrition related workshops and garden walks.

On Wednesday, August 1 we will be celebrating National Kitchen Gardens, offering workshops on harvesting, food preservation and starting fall crops.

We will wrap up the garden season with a vegetable gardening workshop focusing on putting your garden to bed on Wednesday, October 3 at 6pm, and our Fall Craft Series will take place at the Agricultural and Natural Resource Center Mondays in November.

Information on any of these programs is available at Penn State Extension, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg, PA, 717-334-6271.

As you can see, the Penn State Master Gardeners of Adams County are a very active group. Lots of educational opportunities for the home gardener are offered through this program as well as additional opportunities for the Master Gardener volunteer. It's an exciting volunteer program centered on gardening and education. If interested in more information on becoming a Master Gardener in Adams County, please contact Mary Ann Ryan: mar35@psu.edu or stop by the extension office at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Suite 204, Gettysburg, PA.

The Penn State Master Gardener Hotline to answer gardening questions is open April through September, on Mondays and Fridays, from 10 am to 2 pm. Call 717-334-6271 or bring in your samples for a diagnosis to 670 Old Harrisburg Rd, Gettysburg.