Extension restarts local Master Gardener program
August 30, 2022 at 8:37 p.m.
Purdue Extension Franklin County agriculture and natural resources educator Veronica Bullock is working to restart the community's master garden program with classes starting Sept. 15.
Indiana's master gardener program began in 1978, based on the original master gardener program founded in Seattle six year prior. The program is administered by Purdue Extension with active programs in more than 50 counties, Bullock hopes to add Franklin County back on to that list.
The master gardener program begins with a 40-hour instructional course. Bullock's upcoming course begins Sept. 15 and runs through Dec. 15, meeting from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Dearborn Adult Center in Lawrenceburg. The course will cover plant science, pesticide safety and alternatives, soils and plant nutrition, plant disease diagnosis, weed identification and control, lawn care, insect identification and control, fruit gardening, herbaceous ornamentals, animal pests, invasive species, woody ornamentals and vegetable gardening. The cost of the class is $175, $270 for couples, which covers the costs of educational materials.
A test is required at the start of the course and upon completion. After passing the exam, students become a master gardener candidate. From there, the real work begins. Within the following two years, each master gardener candidate must complete 40 hours of volunteer work to become a certified Purdue Extension Master Gardener. To maintain that certification, master gardeners must continue to volunteer a minimum of 12 hours and complete six hours of continuing education each year.
To facilitate those volunteer hours, Bullock has been working with the Franklin County Public Library through the past spring and summer to develop community gardens, one at the Laurel Public Library and the second in Brookville on the north side of the Franklin County Government Center. The raised-bed gardens in Laurel have received significant community support and as a result, have produced more than a hundred pounds of fresh, healthy produce that has been disbersed back into the community through cooking and nutritional education classes, food banks and community kitchens. Brookville's community garden has lagged in 2022, but Bullock hopes a fresh group of master gardener candidates will be able to support the garden and its growth in 2023.
Those interested in becoming a master gardener can contact Bullock at [email protected] or call 765-647-3511. Applicants will need to pre-register for the course and complete a Purdue Extension volunteer application and background check, similar to the requirements for a 4-H volunteer.
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Purdue Extension Franklin County agriculture and natural resources educator Veronica Bullock is working to restart the community's master garden program with classes starting Sept. 15.
Indiana's master gardener program began in 1978, based on the original master gardener program founded in Seattle six year prior. The program is administered by Purdue Extension with active programs in more than 50 counties, Bullock hopes to add Franklin County back on to that list.
The master gardener program begins with a 40-hour instructional course. Bullock's upcoming course begins Sept. 15 and runs through Dec. 15, meeting from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Dearborn Adult Center in Lawrenceburg. The course will cover plant science, pesticide safety and alternatives, soils and plant nutrition, plant disease diagnosis, weed identification and control, lawn care, insect identification and control, fruit gardening, herbaceous ornamentals, animal pests, invasive species, woody ornamentals and vegetable gardening. The cost of the class is $175, $270 for couples, which covers the costs of educational materials.
A test is required at the start of the course and upon completion. After passing the exam, students become a master gardener candidate. From there, the real work begins. Within the following two years, each master gardener candidate must complete 40 hours of volunteer work to become a certified Purdue Extension Master Gardener. To maintain that certification, master gardeners must continue to volunteer a minimum of 12 hours and complete six hours of continuing education each year.
To facilitate those volunteer hours, Bullock has been working with the Franklin County Public Library through the past spring and summer to develop community gardens, one at the Laurel Public Library and the second in Brookville on the north side of the Franklin County Government Center. The raised-bed gardens in Laurel have received significant community support and as a result, have produced more than a hundred pounds of fresh, healthy produce that has been disbersed back into the community through cooking and nutritional education classes, food banks and community kitchens. Brookville's community garden has lagged in 2022, but Bullock hopes a fresh group of master gardener candidates will be able to support the garden and its growth in 2023.
Those interested in becoming a master gardener can contact Bullock at [email protected] or call 765-647-3511. Applicants will need to pre-register for the course and complete a Purdue Extension volunteer application and background check, similar to the requirements for a 4-H volunteer.