Press Release
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Henderson County Center
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension of Henderson County will honor 18 volunteers from the education portion of its Master Gardener program on Wednesday, April 30. The students have successfully completed 40 hours of instruction from Kerrie Roach, Extension Agent, Agriculture – Consumer and Commercial, plus other extension agents and subject experts. The training encompasses research-based information on home garden plants, landscapes, lawn maintenance and pest management. Upon completion of the mandatory 40 hours of volunteer service by the end of the year, these interns will be certified as Extension Master Gardeners.
The education graduates join a current force of 71 Master Gardeners who commit to volunteering 35 hours annually in horticulture service to Henderson County residents. You can find these garden enthusiasts serving at Bullington Gardens, Flat Rock Playhouse, the Community Garden in Jackson Park, and with numerous school garden programs. In addition, they staff the InfoLine, a phone and walk-in service of the Cooperative Extension office. They also support community events including Garden Jubilee, Apple Festival, and Farm City Day.
“The Extension Master Gardeners offer a valuable service to our county residents. They put their research-based knowledge and love of gardening to work, helping homeowners and the community,” says Roach.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension created the Master Gardener program in the late 1970’s. Today, there are more than 2,000 Master Gardener volunteers in the state. In Henderson County, 173 residents have successfully completed the program over the past 15 years. This is a committed and active group: in 2012, Henderson County Extension Master Gardeners ranked seventh of 55 statewide programs in total volunteer hours supporting the community. That same year, local master gardener Joellen Johnson was ninth statewide for individual hours volunteered.
To speak with an Extension Master Gardener or to learn more about the program, call the Cooperative Extension office at 828.697.4891 or visit the office at 100 Jackson Park Road.
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