Celebrating 25 Years of Master Gardeners in Yellowstone County

Published: 2019
By Amy Grandpre

The Yellowstone County Master Gardener program started in 1994 with only 9 participants. The classes consisted of 6 training sessions done via video teleconference sites. One of those sites was Eastern Montana College (now MSU Billings). All sites were hooked up to MSU Bozeman for live classes which were taught by MSU Bozeman professors. Projects that year involved assisting Extension personnel with phone-in questions, a plant exchange and a garden tour, featuring the Master Gardener’s home gardens. The total volunteer hours for 1994 was 43. Fast forward to 2019, we have 130 certified and active Master Gardener volunteers, with hundreds more completing the program in the past 25 years. The Master Gardeners have 25 current projects throughout the community and volunteer hours in 2019 added up to 3,087, contributing to the 75,000 volunteer hours recorded since 1994. Of these projects, two are exclusively Yellowstone County Master Gardener’s: 1) The Square Foot Demonstration Garden began in April 2003 2) The Education and Demonstration Garden started in September 2014. These two gardens have become year-round features at MetraPark and provide a great opportunity for Master Gardeners to share their knowledge with the public especially during MontanaFair. At our 25-year celebration, we were honored to have 2 Master Gardeners from the original 1994 class in attendance. A delicious BBQ potluck was enjoyed by all, past participants were recognized, many prizes were handed out, and a chalk drawing contest kept things interesting. The festivities were wrapped up with the dedication of a Mock Orange Tree in memory of Dr. Bob Gough–MSU Horticulture Professor. This Mock Orange tree is now a feature tucked inside our Education and Demonstration Garden facility. It was Dr. Bob’s passion for the Master Gardener program and his encouragement that was instrumental in starting the program in Yellowstone County. We are his ongoing legacy, and a testament to the impact of one life’s mission on others.