What is a Master Gardener?
U.C. Master Gardeners are trained representatives of the University of California Cooperative Extension.  We assist farm advisors by providing advise and informaiton to our home gardening community.  If you would like to share your own gardening skills, experience, and enthusiasm, we invite you to join us.  Master Gardener applicants should have some agricultural or horticultural experience and be able to communicate effectively with individuals and groups. 

There are currently four Master Gardener Volunteers in Butte County available to help backyard gardeners solve their horticultural questions who have trained in El Dorado, Yolo and Sacramento Counties.

Become a Master Gardener

We have completed our recruitment for our group of 2008 Master Gardener Volunteers.  Our next Training Program will be offered in 2010.  If you would like more information, please email our Master Gardener Program Coordinator, Danielle Baker at drbaker@ucdavis.edu.

As part of our training program, applicants attend a 17-week (76 hour) series of classes in plant science, soils, water management, vegetable gardening, entomology, integrated pest management, home orchard, turf grass, oaks, fire safety, pathology, weeds, pest control and more.  Classes are taught by experts in their fields, including Cooperative Extension Advisors, Specialists and faculty from Universities and colleges.  The classes are meant to prepare you for your work as a Master Gardener Volunteer. 

After passing a written examination and completing a minumum of 50 hours of volunteer servce, the Master Gardener is certified. To maintain your affiliation with the University Master Gardeners, you need to complete 12 hours of continuing education yearly and continue to volunteer 25 hours per year.  

We have not had a Master Gardener Program in Butte County before, so we are very excited to announce that we will have our 1^st ever Master Gardener Training Program for Butte County January-May 2008.