NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program accepting applicants through Nov. 4
Anyone who loves gardening and sharing plant knowledge is invited to apply to the North Dakota State University Extension Master Gardener program. Online training starts in January 2027, offering a learning experience for adults.
The Extension Master Gardener Program is a national volunteer service organization that works in cooperation with land-grant universities. The program trains and empowers volunteers to teach others how to garden, conserve natural resources such as pollinators, beautify communities and diagnose common garden problems.
NDSU Extension is now accepting applications for the 2027 Extension Master Gardener Program. Accepted applicants will take a 40-hour volunteer training course designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to complete volunteer projects. Weekly classes will be held from Jan. 22 to April 2, 2027.
Course topics include vegetable and fruit production, soil health, composting, plant diseases and insects, annual and perennial flowers, tree selection and maintenance, landscape design, houseplants, and lawn maintenance. NDSU faculty and Extension personnel teach the classes.
“The 10-week training is designed to be flexible for working individuals and snowbirds wintering in other states,” says Esther McGinnis, NDSU Extension horticulturist and Extension Master Gardener director. “Students can participate in the live Friday classes from 9 a.m. to noon using interactive webinar technology.”
Alternatively, students can watch the recorded lectures at their convenience. Students in Fargo, North Dakota, have the option to be present in the NDSU campus classroom.
After participants complete the 40-hour training, they are recognized as Extension Master Gardener interns. They must volunteer 48 hours over a two-year period on horticultural projects in cooperation with NDSU Extension. After that, they will be certified Extension Master Gardener volunteers.
Potential volunteer projects include answering gardening questions, organizing horticultural workshops, leading garden tours, teaching children to garden, growing fresh produce for food pantries, designing and maintaining pollinator gardens, and conducting citizen science projects.
Twenty-five North Dakota counties will be accepting a limited number of Extension Master Gardener Program applications. The program fee is $250, and the application deadline is Nov. 4.
A nonvolunteer option is available for $475, with registration open until Dec. 16.
Information and application links for both the Master Gardener Core Course and Extension Professional Horticulture Course are available at ndsu.ag/EMG-2026.
For more information, contact your NDSU Extension county office or McGinnis at esther.mcginnis@ndsu.edu.
NDSU Agriculture Communication – Sept. 10, 2026
Source: Esther McGinnis, 701-231-7406, esther.mcginnis@ndsu.edu
Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu
