History
The program was initiated in 1972 in Seattle, Washington in response to questions posed to Cooperative Extension. David Gibby, an Extension Agent in King County, is credited for designing the Master Gardener program to meet the demand for reliable home gardening information.The Master Gardener program was so successful in the state of Washington that it was adopted by many other states within a few years. Today, the program is active in 48 States, the District of Columbia, and three Canadian provinces.
Penn State Cooperative Extension adopted the Master Gardener program in 1982. Currently, there are 1400 volunteers within 58 of Pennsylvania’s counties.
