HOME & GARDEN GUIDE Master Gardener Training Program Offered in Cobb County The idea of Master Gardener volunteer training began on the West Coast more than 40 years ago. Overwhelmed by requests for gardening information, Extension agents from Washington State University recruited home gardeners. In exchange for specialized training in horticulture, these gardeners made a commitment to spend time doing volunteer outreach work. The Master Gardener program has since traveled around the world. Through the Master Gardener program, thousands of people across the United States and Canada have been trained as volunteers. Similar programs now exist in the UK, Australia and other countries. In Georgia, the Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program is operated through county offices of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Through this program, individuals are trained in horticulture and related areas. These individuals volunteer their expertise, under the direction of Cooperative Extension staff, to help educate others through horticultural programs and projects that benefit the community. Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers bring the latest horticultural information and practices from the world of research to their communities’ landscapes and gardens.
Like
The EAST COBBER monthly is on Facebook! Show your East Cobb Pride and Like us!
For 20+ years our magazine has served
EAST COBBER FREE
December 2013
Take One !
East Cobb County by spotlighting residents who contribute to our quality of life as well promoting local events, clubs and businesses.
Susan Hampton East Cobb Citizen of the Year
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
PAGE 20
New Year’s Eve Events
| Community Calendar
PAGE 36
| Toys for Tots
PAGE 6
PAGE 30
| Restaurant Roundup
| HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
PAGE 40
PAGE 24
check us out on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/East Cobber
770-640-7070 14 March 2014
www.eastcobber.com
Georgia’s Master Gardener Program was started in Atlanta in 1979 and Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers are active in many counties throughout the state. In 1980, the Cobb Extension Service established the Master Gardener Program in Cobb County. Since that time the program has trained and graduated 25 to 35 Master Gardeners each year. As a condition of acceptance into the Master Gardener training program, each individual agrees to pay back to the Cobb Extension Service a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer time during the first year. In 1988, a number of Cobb County Master Gardeners who had completed their 50 hours of volunteer time formed an informal group. Their zeal to volunteer additional hours and to get involved with community projects was very strong. On January 1, 1989, the group formed the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County (MGVOCC). Today there are over 130 active Master Gardeners in Cobb County. Many of the 32 who have achieved the 10-year Lifetime Status remain active in the program. Master Gardener classes start in June. The application deadline is March 31. For more information and an application, call Ranae Lemon, Master Gardener Coordinator, Cobb County Cooperative Extension office at 770-528-4070 or visit www.caes.uga.edu/extension/cobb.
EAST COBBER
www.eastcobber.com