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Master Gardener program in your state
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Cornell Cooperative Extension's mission is to enable people to improve their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research knowledge to work.
Master Gardener volunteers are a key link in helping CCE accomplish that mission in counties throughout the state.
If you would like to help improve your community and enjoy gardening, landscaping and related activities, please consider becoming a Master Gardener volunteer.
What is the Master Gardener Program?
...An integral component of a county's outreach program in educating:
- Home gardeners
- Nursing home residents
- Youth in after-school programs
- Physically and mentally challenged
- Community gardeners
- Consumers of horticultural products
...Neighbors teaching neighbors about:
- Landscapes
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Herbs
- Houseplants
- Beneficial and harmful insects
- Plant diseases
- Integrated pest management (IPM)
- Wildlife management
- Soils
- Birds
- Composting
- Water conservation
- And much, much more
...A corps of volunteers in New York State who are trained by Cornell Cooperative Extension in the science and art of gardening
...A nationwide educational program
What are the qualifications to become a Master Gardener?
- A basic interest and knowledge about landscape and food gardening
- Enthusiasm for acquiring and sharing horticultural knowledge and skills
- Interest in teaching others
- Ability to communicate written and verbally
- Understanding of Cornell Cooperative Extension's educational mission
- Flexible time schedule to allow participation in the program
- Willingness to volunteer time on horticultural projects and functions to help meet the goals of the county's Cornell Cooperative Extension Program.
To get a better idea of what's expected of Master Gardeners, please study the Master Gardener Volunteer Orientation.
What do Master Gardeners do?
Projects and functions carried out by Master Gardeners are based on the educational priorities of individual counties, differing from county to county. Some of the ways in which Master Gardeners have been involved include:
- Answering horticultural inquiries on the telephone
- Researching and answering letters
- Writing articles about gardening
- Setting up demonstration projects in public places
- School gardens
- Community improvement projects
- Historic garden restoration
- Horticultural therapy
- Organizing plant sales and public events
- County fair informational booths
- Providing advice to customers at garden centers
- Increasing awareness of integrated pest management, water quality conservation and other environmental issues
Which counties have Master Gardener Programs?
Contact your county's Extension office for more information. (See list of active programs below.)
If your county does not have a program, or you want more information about the statewide program, email Lori Bushway Leader, Home-Grounds and Community Horticulture Program and Leader, Master Gardener Program of New York State. Write: Lori Bushway, Dept. of Horticulture, Plant Science Bldg.,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Phone: (607) 255-5918. Fax: (607) 255-9998 (FAX)
Counties with Master Gardener Programs:
- Albany
- Allegany
- Broome
- Cattaraugus
- Cayuga
- Chemung
- Chenango
- Clinton
- Columbia
- Dutchess
- Erie
- Essex
- Fulton
- Genesee
- Greene
- Jefferson
- Livingston
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Nassau
- Niagara
- Oneida
- Ontario
- Orange
- Orleans
- Oswego
- Otsego
- Putnam
- Rensselaer
- Rockland
- Saratoga
- Schenectady
- Schoharie
- Seneca
- St. Lawrence
- Steuben
- Suffolk
- Sullivan
- Tioga
- Tompkins
- Ulster
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Westchester
- Wyoming
- Yates
How do I apply?
First, be sure you have read all the information on the Master Gardener website about the Master Gardener Program. Focus not only on the training phase, but also the volunteer phase and what is expected of you as a Master Gardener volunteer in the county where you live.
Then, find the website for the county where you live. (CCE county office directory.) It will give you a mailing address, phone number and (in many cases) more information about the Master Gardener Program in that particular county. The Master Gardener Coordinator in that county will know when they are convening a new group of Master Gardener trainees. If the name of the Master Gardener Coordinator is not listed on their website, call the office and ask who you should contact.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension office in the county where you live makes all selections of its new Master Gardener candidates based on the educational objectives of that county and the need for additional Master Gardener volunteers in the future. In some cases, you may be put on a waiting list, since the demand for the program is sometimes large, to notify you when they are ready to start selecting new candidates. Most counties now interview candidates. Application to the program does not necessarily mean that you will be selected. There are many reasons why the county decides to limit an incoming Master Gardener class.
You need to apply for the program in the host county (where you live). If you happen to live in a county that does not host a Master Gardener Program, you may need to look for other volunteer opportunities in horticulture. On rare occasion, a nearby county that hosts a Program will consider residents outside their county. However, please note that the host county makes that decision based on the demand from its own residents and the need for additional Master Gardener volunteers. For instance, many of the heavily populated counties near New York City are already at full capacity for Master Gardeners, have long waiting lists from their own county residents, and may be unlikely to accept an out-of-county applicant. In other counties, where the population base is smaller, you may find a nearby county willing to consider your out-of-county application, as long as you are willing to commit to training as well as volunteering in another county.
To get a more complete picture of what it is like to be a Master Gardener, please study the Master Gardener Volunteer Orientation.
© Copyright, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University.
Website design: Craig Cramer cdc25@cornell.edu
Mention of trade names and commercial products is for educational purposes; no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension or Cornell University is implied. Pesticide recommendations are for informational purposes only and manufacturers' recommendations change. Read the manufacturers' instructions carefully before use. Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University assumes no responsibility for the use of any pesticide or chemicals. Some of the links provided are not maintained by Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University. Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University are not responsible for information on these websites. They are included for information purposes only and no endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension or Cornell University is implied. Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.
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