The heart of every Master Gardener Program is education. The Level 1 Core Training that every prospective candidate must complete is only the beginning! Continuing Education is a way for Master Gardeners to learn more after Level 1 training and keep up with the latest horticultural information. We are taught during our training that it isn't necessary to have all the answers; it's only necessary to know how to find them. The big difference between Master Gardeners and other gardening organizations is that we provide RESEARCH-BASED gardening information to the public. This information is the foundation of the Extension and U. S. Land Grant partnership. The up-to-the-minute research that is being conducted at the University of Missouri and systematically distributed to state Extension locations is the basis of all our Master Gardener projects, programs, and presentations.

ContinuingEducationActive Master Gardeners are required to complete six hours of continuing education yearly. The nature of what may be counted as continuing education will be at the discretion of the local or regional program coordinator or the Master Gardener Leadership Team. The basic guideline is that continuing education should augment and reinforce the Master Gardener core course training, according to the MU Extension Master Gardener Core Manual Policies and Procedures.

Continuing education (CE) is a way for Master Gardeners to learn and develop their knowledge after Level 1 training and is also a way to keep up on the latest horticultural information and science. Furthermore, by obtaining continuing education hours the volunteers knowledge and skill base allow them to perform services as a community educator.

There are many opportunities available for Master Gardeners to fulfill their continuing educational requirements. What qualifies for continuing education?

Any horticultural program:

    • taught by our coordinator or his/her representative/assistant.
    • offered by our chapter including programs at our meetings, Potting Shed University, programs considered a Speaker's Bureau topic, topics open to the public and led by a Master Gardener.
    • offered at Master Gardener state conferences.
    • taught by other Master Gardener chapters throughout Missouri and surrounding states.
    • that is approved by the coordinator and recommended in the Chapter News.
    • that the coordinator approves ahead of time.
    • taught by a professor or accredited college educator.
    • that is an MU course, including re-taking some of MG basic level one training.
    • that is a field trip or workshop sponsored by Extension.
    • taught by professional associations in the field of horticulture.

Additionally:

  • Time spent researching in preparation for a MG presentation or article which is then delivered to the community. (Limited to 4 times the length of the presentation).
  • Other activities, including training on presentation skills, leadership, and program planning that increase the knowledge for our members or the public.

What counts as continuing education can be infinite. We encourage our volunteers to always strive for more knowledge. We feel that knowledge that flows in will flow out and this is in keeping with our mission to provide horticultural information and training to the gardening public based on proven research specific to the local climate, soils, and plants, consistent with the policies and procedures for the Missouri Master Gardener program.

The goal of continuing education is to share information with Master Gardener chapter members in a way that they can understand and feel comfortable sharing what they learn with others. At the end of each continuing education, we might be able to state, "now you know, now you can share this with others." This is the concept of repeat teaching that was so important to our first female extension specialist in Missouri, Ella Stackhouse.

It is the volunteer's responsibility to track their continuing educational hours and volunteers should report these hours using our online system. Anything over 50 minutes may be rounded to 1 hour of continuing education. Travel time for these programs does not count in these hours.

Requests for approval of continuing education can be made to the coordinator or his/her assistant and the preferred method is by email.

Advanced Master Gardener

The Advanced Master Gardener designation is a new addition to Master Gardeners of Greene County for 2015. Advanced training classes will be more formal than continuing education and must be taught by an improved instructor, who must be a qualified horticulturist or well-known speaker in the field of horticulture. 30 hours of pre-approved advanced training covering at least three horticulture disciplines and completed within five years are required to earn the title of Advance Master Gardener. All classes will be approved by our Coordinator, Patrick Byers. The disciplines are as follows:

•Plant Propagation
• Soils, Plant Nutrition and Nutrition Management
• Vegetable Gardening
• Fruit Production
• Establishment and Care of Woody Ornamentals
• Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs
• Establishment and Care of Herbaceous Ornamentals
• Managing Lawns and Turfgrass
• Residential Landscaping
• Insects
• Preventing and Managing Plant Diseases
• Using Pesticides in the Home and Garden

Our Continuing Education committee will meet with our Coordinator, Patrick Byers, to decide on specific topics in areas that might interest our Master Gardeners as well as offer additional support to our chapter and to the Extension. They will be chosen based on Extension educational priorities.

Our chapter will provide a limited number of topics each year and members are encouraged to take classes outside of the chapter provided classes. An example of a topic might be:

• Master Composter Designation
• Sustainable Landscaping
• Master Naturalist Training
• Advanced Integrated Pest Management
• Organic Gardening
• Importance of irrigation on Water Quality
• Tree Stewardship
• Rain Harvesting Techniques
• Rain Gardens
• Pruning Principles: Types of Pruning, How Plants Respond to Pruning, and Pruning Equipment

To qualify for the program, a person must be an Active or Emeritus member. Trainees who have completed their Core Training may also attend. The Continuing Education Committee will track these hours but members are responsible for keeping their own records up to date with the Committee.

Class fees will be based on teaching fees and class materials and the intent is to offer these at an affordable price, if not free. Classes should be offered to Master Gardeners around the state who are also working on their designation.

How to achieve Advanced Certification:

• Determine if you would like to work toward your Advanced Master Gardener Certification.
• Begin the clock by attending an Advanced Master Gardener certified class. Outside classes can be pre-approved by contacting the Continuing Education Chair, who will contact the       Coordinator to determine if a class counts as credit. You have five years to complete 30 hours.
• Attend Master Gardeners of Greene County Advanced Master Gardener Certification classes as desired and receive a certificate upon completion.
• Turn in your hours using the special AMG Certification reporting form as soon as possible upon completion of course.
• Let the Continuing Education Chair know when you have completed your 30 hours.
• Consider attending the Spring Banquet to receive your Advanced Master Gardener Certification pin/nametag.
• Be prepared to assist the chapter and coordinator in areas where you may be needed.