History of the NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program
Paying It Forward - The Origins of the Extension Master Gardener Program
In 2016, a roomful of Extension Master Gardener Coordinators from around the country sat with bated breath as the speaker took the stage. Dr. David Gibby, a distinguished silver-haired gentleman, began speaking of his upbringing in the desert Southwest during the 1930s. He shared a story about his parents that defined his career and inspired a community volunteer program adopted in 49 states, Canada, and South Korea.
Dr. Gibby’s parents were traveling to an event and were dressed in their Sunday best. Before they could reach their destination, they were stranded by a flat tire in a remote location. A car full of teenagers stopped to help. While feeling apprehensive of strangers, the Gibbys accepted the offer. The teenagers removed the damaged tire and said they needed to take the tire home to repair. An hour passed and the Gibbys assumed they had seen the last of the tire and the teenagers. Suddenly, they reappeared and installed the repaired tire. Before the Gibbys could offer payment or thanks, the teens left. The Gibbys never forgot this act of kindness.
This ethic of paying it forward has reverberated across the United States and Canada. Fast forward to the 1970s--David Gibby and his colleague Bill Scheer were overworked Extension Agents in Washington State. Inundated with home gardening questions from rapidly urbanizing areas, the two community-minded agents could not keep up with the burgeoning demand. After deliberating, Gibby and Scheer came up with the concept for the Extension Master Gardener Program. They would recruit and train volunteers to answer gardening questions and serve the needs of their communities. Based upon time spent in Germany, they knew that Germans frequently bestowed titles on individuals who demonstrated proficiency in various trades. They settled on Gartenmeister, which is translated as Master Gardener.
After some initial obstacles from skeptical administrators, Gibby and Scheer recruited volunteers in Sunset Magazine. Out of an initial pool of 600, 200 applicants were accepted. Washington State University developed a 40-hour course to train new applicants, including sessions on ornamental plants, fruits, lawns, vegetables, plant diseases, insects, weeds, and pesticides. At the end of training, the applicants took a final exam to demonstrate proficiency in these topics. Upon completion of the course, Master Gardeners were expected to volunteer with the gardening public under the supervision of Extension.
The program was a success and has inspired programs in land grant universities in 49 states, Canada and South Korea. The Extension Master Gardener Program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023.
The Extension Master Gardener Program has grown to over 86,000 volunteers in 49 states. In 2018, Master Gardeners volunteered over 5.6 million hours to benefit their communities and educated more than 8.6 million individuals. The pay it forward ethic of David Gibby is alive and well!
The North Dakota State University Extension Master Gardener Program commenced in 1980. Due to budget constraints, the Program was put on hiatus in 1988 and restarted in 1996.
