In 1982, Penn State Extension adopted the Master Gardener program. Currently, there are more than 3,500 Master Gardeners volunteering in all of the 67 Pennsylvania counties.
Dr. David Gibby the founder of the Master Gardener Program
The Master Gardener Program was initiated in 1972 in Seattle, Washington in response to the intense public demand for information about plant problems. David Gibby and Bill Scheer, area Extension Agents in King and Pierce Counties met to explore avenues to most effectively address the needs of the backyard gardener.
Among approaches considered was the concept of recruiting and training volunteers to serve the urban audience. This appeared to be the most feasible option as it would free Gibby and Scheer from constantly reacting to public demand and allow them to be proactive in fulfilling educational needs.
An appropriate and distinguished title would also be necessary. As both Gibby and Scheer had worked in Germany acquiring language proficiency and understanding of culture, they knew that Germans bestow titles for hard-earned proficiency levels in various crafts. The top proficiency level in horticulture is denoted by "Gartenmeister," which they anglicized as "Master Gardener." This title would be appropriate for volunteers who had received extensive training.
The Master Gardener program was so successful in the state of Washington that it was adopted by many other states within a few years. Today, the program is active in all 50 States, Korea, and three Canadian provinces.
The horticulture "Master" volunteer concept is so effective that it has been adopted by various other disciplines of Extension such as food preservation, well drillers, and watershed stewards.
