Welcome!

The Master Gardener Program includes a corps of volunteers in New York who are trained by Cornell Cooperative Extension in the science and art of gardening. The mission of the Master Gardener Volunteer Program is to train volunteers to teach others how to protect the environment and grow plants more effectively.

Master Gardener volunteers are a key link in helping Cooperative Extension accomplish its mission in counties throughout the state.

Projects and functions carried out by Master Gardenersare are based on the educational priorities of individual counties and differ from county to county. Examples of Master Gardener Volunteer projects in Clinton and Essex Counties include answering gardening questions in the Cooperative Extension Office, creating educational exhibits for farmers markets, home shows, and the county fair, testing soil pH, working with schools, 4-H clubs, nursing homes, and community beautification groups on gardening projects, teaching workshops, and specific projects of interest created by individual Master Gardener Volunteers.

Training for new Master Gardener volunteers is held in every other year in the fall. The next training will be held in September 2008. For more information about becoming a Master Gardener volunteer in Clinton or Essex county, NY, visit our Become a Master Gardener link.

The program is coordinated by Amy Ivy, an extension educator since 1987 and the executive director, Anne Lenox Barlow, the Clinton County horticulture educator, and Emily Selleck, the Essex County home garden educator.