Page Title
Extension Master Gardener Impacts
Description
Master Gardeners report nearly 14,000 hours of volunteerism in 2025
The demand for consumer horticulture education and expertise is on the rise. The NDSU Extension Master Gardener (EMG) Program has risen to the challenge by educating individuals to serve their communities with their time, talent, expertise, and labor.
In 2025, 246 EMG volunteers and interns reported 13,784 volunteer hours in 40 counties. The value of their volunteer service totaled $474,170 based on Independent Sector’s value of North Dakota volunteer hours.
Volunteerism comes in many forms, from Citizen Science Projects and providing diagnostic services to teaching and inspiring North Dakotans of all ages.
- Fifty-six EMGs from 20 counties conducted 341 paired vegetable variety trials to support the NDSU Extension home garden variety trials research project. This citizen research helped NDSU Extension Horticulturist Tom Kalb identify superior vegetable varieties well-adapted to North Dakota’s challenging growing environment.
- Nineteen EMGs in 9 counties hung Japanese beetle traps for the North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) and monitored for the presence of this invasive insect. This research helped the NDDA identify Japanese beetle hot spots in the state.
- Seven EMGs in 5 counties monitored daily rainfall amounts through CoCoRaHS to help the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network.
- Extension Master Gardeners cared for 77 ornamental gardens and landscapes in 26 counties across the state, as well as several indoor plant collections. This volunteerism takes place in prominent North Dakota gardens such as:
| International Peace Garden, Dunseith | NDSU Historic Daylily Garden, Fargo |
| Dakota Zoo Rose Garden, Bismarck | Garden of Healing, Fargo |
| Red River Zoo Sensory Garden, Fargo | CHI Oakes Hospital Healing Garden, Oakes |
| Chahinkapa Zoo, Wahpeton | Myra Museum, Grand Forks |
| NDSU Horticulture Research and Demonstration Gardens, Fargo | Medora Flower Plantings, Medora |
| West Acres Mall Indoor Collection, Fargo | Veterans Affairs Community Living Center, Fargo |
- Thirty-four EMGs in 23 counties volunteered 358 hours to educate 4-H youth and to judge their horticultural projects at county fairs and achievement days.
- Thirty-six EMGs in 23 counties volunteered 264 hours educating youth in daycares, preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and in extracurricular clubs such as FFA and Bio Girls.
- In total, EMGs volunteered 622 hours with North Dakota’s youth.
- Twenty-nine EMGs gave 39 presentations across 15 counties.
- One hundred and nine Extension Master Gardeners from 15 counties volunteered to assist with 38horticultural workshops, garden tours, and events. Notable events include:
| Dakota Garden Expo, Bismarck | Gardening Saturday, Grand Forks |
| Metigoshe Ministries Garden Retreat, Bottineau | Spring Fever Workshops (multiple across the state) |
| Plants, Local Foods & Outdoor Spaces, NDSU, Fargo | Pretty Bloomers Spring Garden Workshop, Breckenridge |
| Red River Valley Garden Tour, Fargo | Spring Garden Morning, Jamestown |
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