Master Gardener volunteers are recruited and trained by land grant universities throughout the United States and Canada. Local programs are coordinated by horticulture advisors at county cooperative extension offices with a primary goal to answer the myriad of questions from home gardeners. Master Gardeners extend to their communities the benefits of horticulture research developed at the University level. "Master Gardeners have been referred to as the public relations firm of the University of California". In General: The University of California Cooperative Extension is part of the land-grant University system that, since 1914, has provided the citizens of California with information and educational programs on agriculture, natural and human resource development. The land-grant system was established to encourage state universities to better serve the agricultural needs of communities not located near campuses. Cooperative Extension Advisors are "close at hand" representatives of the University of California. Internationally: It is estimated that there were over 60,000 Master Gardeners in 48 states and four provinces in Canada. The idea began in Washington in 1972 when the Farm Advisor, Dr. David Gibby and a colleague, were no longer able to handle all the incoming calls from home gardeners. Therefore a group of trained volunteers, whose purpose is to accommodate the needs of the local community and to establish a functional partnership with the community, was established. Statewide: There are active Master Gardener programs in 32 counties in California and it is estimated that there are over 6,000 Master Gardeners trained in California. We calculate that the volunteer value to the State of California exceeds five million dollars based on estimated annual volunteer hours of 40,000. Santa Clara County: As volunteer representatives of the University, the overall impact on our communities cannot be overstated. It is estimated that we have one-on-one contact with 12,000 to 15,000 people each year. Nancy Garrison, Urban Horticulture Program Coordinator with UCCE, started the program in Santa Clara County in 1982. Our value to the community can best be evaluated by the impact of our work in our community. We serve the people by the thousands of hours we commit through outreach projects and educational programs. Gardening classes are taught by Master Gardeners to many different groups of people. Becoming a Master Gardener To receive Master Gardener information in your area please contact your local university Cooperative Extension office. If you live in Santa Clara County CA please call 408-282-3105 between 9:30am and noon; Monday thru Friday.