You might wonder what time of year it is. It is the time of year for you to apply to be in the class of 2027 Interns for the Master Gardener Program.
You can find the link to the application at z.umn.edu/StateMG2027app.
Applications will be accepted until October 01, 2026.
What does applying to the program mean?
The Master Gardener program has 2 parts. The first part is the online coursework that begins the first week of January. It is a 13-module course through the University of Minnesota. They do one module a week, and it lasts through the first part of May. There is a short quiz after each module that is open-book. Don’t let that scare you - you take the quiz until you get the questions answered correctly.
After the coursework has been completed, the second part of the program kicks in. That part is Community Service hours. During your Intern year, you must complete 50 hours of service. How do you get that accomplished? You do that by helping the Master Gardeners with the projects they are involved with. We have a Teaching Garden at the Rice County Fairgrounds that is a labor of love for the Master Gardeners. We are continually working in the garden to make it better. We host a Garden Day program in March at St.Olaf College with a variety of speakers. We give away trees and shrubs for an Arbor Day promotion. We have a booth in the Garden during the County Fair and also at Passport to Agriculture held here at the Fairgrounds. These are some of the projects we are involved with here in Rice County.
We do have monthly meetings, and that also counts as Community Service hours. So there are many ways to get those 50 hours the first year. Once those 2 parts are completed in January of 2028, you become an Active Master Gardener. In the following years, we as active Master Gardeners have to complete a minimum of 25 hours of Community service and get at least 5 hours of additional education through classes or webinars.
I have been a Master Gardener for almost 26 years and have thoroughly enjoyed my journey. I have made so many friends and learned so much more about gardening than I ever thought imaginable. We have fun and do lots of good work along the way.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in and have more questions, send me an email, and I would be more than happy to have a conversation about the program. My email address is brow3298@umn.edu.
We all share a passion for gardening and love to talk about it and share our research-based gardening information with you. Come join us and have some fun!
