History of the
Texas Master Gardener Program
When the term "Master Gardener" was
first coined in the early 1970s to describe a new
Extension program in Washington State, few could have
predicted it would spread into Texas and blossom into
one of the most effective volunteer organizations in
the State.
The Texas Master Gardener program
had its beginnings in 1978 in an Extension
horticulture training at A&M University when Dr. Sam
Cotner (Extension vegetable specialist) described the
success of the movement in Washington state. At that
time, county agents in the Texas Cooperative Extension
were experiencing overwhelming demands for
horticulture information, much like their colleagues
in the Pacific Northwest.
The first Master Gardener class was
held in 1979 in Montgomery County and drew about 25
people. The 50-hour course was held in the evenings
and taught by Extension agents and specialists from
Texas A&M using a manual compiled from Extension
publications and news articles. Volunteer service was
optional, but class members were encouraged to work on
Extension projects.
Two more counties, Galveston and El
Paso, started programs in 1981. By the end of the
decade, five more counties had Master Gardener
programs: Harris (1986), Dallas (1986), Tarrant
(1987), Bexar (1989) and Denton (1989).
The Texas Cooperative Extension made
an official commitment to a Texas Master Gardener
program in 1987 with the hiring of a statewide
coordinator. At that time, guidelines were developed
for the program, including a minimum of 50 hours of
formal training and 50 hours of volunteer service to
become a certified Texas Master Gardener. The 500-page
training handbook also was completed then.
More information on the statewide
program is available at:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/mastergd/mg.html
and the state association at:
www.texasmastergardeners.com
History of the Rockwall Association
