The Putnam County Master Gardener Program is helping residents grow their skills and give back through a University of Tennessee Extension-led initiative.
The program relies on trained volunteers who learn horticultural skills and then give back through projects that support food production, landscaping, and education across the county. Wayne Key, UT Extension agent for agriculture in Putnam County, said the Master Gardener program is designed to both educate participants and strengthen communities.
“It’s main purpose is to utilize volunteers in the communities to help not only learn those valuable skills associated with the training for Master Gardener, but then to be able to give back through projects and through community projects,” Key said.
Key said participants begin the program as interns, enrolling in a twelve-week course that combines online instruction from UT specialists with local, hands-on learning projects.
“They sign up, and they volunteer. They pay their fee for the course,” Key said. “They go through this twelve-week course, and they’re interns, Master Gardener interns, so they’re learning and developing a knowledge base.”
After completing the course, interns can become certified Master Gardeners by joining the local association, completing volunteer hours, and continuing their education each year. Key said the program attracts people who want to learn more about gardening while also contributing their time and skills to the community.
“They like the idea of being involved in the communities and doing something to give back,” Key said.
Putnam County Master Gardeners support a wide range of projects, including food gardens, ornamental gardens, educational programs, and youth gardening activities in local schools. According to Key, the impact of the program is measurable through the amount of volunteer service provided each year.
“Our Putnam County Master Gardeners last year had just over thirty-one hundred service and community hours in Putnam County,” Key said.
Key said the group also completed more than seven hundred continuing education hours while supporting community events, local fairs, and gardening programs throughout the county. One of the program’s most visible efforts is the annual Master Gardener plant sale, where volunteers grow and sell plants to support scholarships and community gardening initiatives.
“The plant sale is used for our scholarships,” Key said. “It also helps to buy supplies for elementary school gardening programs and helps support FFA programs.”
Key said the Master Gardener Program plays an important role in helping Putnam County residents learn about gardening while creating lasting benefits through volunteer service and education.