The Master Gardener Program is offered by the University of Tennessee Extension. The purpose of the Master Gardener program is to train people as horticultural-educated volunteers. These volunteers work in partnership with their counties to expand the educational outreach, providing home ga​rdeners with researched-based information. Each volunteer has been trained with 40 hours of horticultural education, and keeps updated with continuing education events.

The Northeast Master Gardener Association (NETMGA) membership includes  volunteers from Hawkins, Sullivan, Washington, Carter and Unicoi Counties. Their many activities include information booths at various home and farm shows, answering Ask-a-Master Gardener phone calls, teaching classes in the community, and organizing new Master Gardener classes. Their presence can be seen in many local historic site gardens, demonstration gardens and community vegetable gardens.



NETMGA Membership Meeting *

Monday, April 6

6:00 Networking ( Bring a snack to share)

6:30 Meeting begins

Ramsey Regional Ag Center 

140 Spurgeon Lane, Blountville, TN 

*

Dear Master Gardeners,

Currently, all UT and TSU Extension Face to Face meetings have been cancelled starting March 16 and continuing through April 30.  I’ll keep you updated as changes in the status of the Extension Office and Master Gardener Program develop.

Thanks,

Chris Ramsey

County Director and Extension Agent

140 Spurgeon Lane

Blountville, TN 37617

423 – 574-1961 Office

423 – 646-9043 Cell

CEU Opportunities

Tennessee Extension Master Gardener

State Conference

June 11-13, 2020

Hosted by Northeast Tennessee Master Gardeners

Exciting plans are underway for the 2020 Master Gardener State Conference, which will be held next June in the Tri-Cities. Make plans to attend, and look for opportunities to help with the festivities!

Come and enjoy three fabulous days of activities, sessions, tours, workshops, food, and fellowship with other MGs and share the best of East Tennessee with our MG colleagues from across the state.

Thursday, June 11^th: Pre-conference afternoon session on Herbs or fishing experience followed by a late afternoon visit to Bays Mountain, including dinner.

Friday, June 12^th: Traditional conference format at the Ron Ramsey Agricultural Center with great topics by renowned speakers, concluding with a delicious farm to fork dinner.

Saturday, June 13^th: In depth horticultural topics and tours to Rocky Mount, Steele Creek Park or a local farm, ending with a tour of Roan Mountain during our peak Rhododendron season.

Link to paper registration form

Link to online registration

Highlights of the NETMGA Annual Recognition Dinner

It was announced that NETMGA members accumulated 12,555 volunteer hours for 2019. The following people have contributed 100 or more hours during 2019 and received gold leaf pins.   

Margaret "Peggy" Barrett-True,  Andrea Belcher,  Elizabeth Blakely,  Mary Cain,

Clare Childs,  Carol Collins,  Donald Davis,  Julia Dingus,  David Doan,  Teresa Gaffner, David Gostomski,  Doug Hilton,  John Hitchcock,  Geoffery Hoare,  Earl Hockin,

Ben Hunter,  Earlene Kun, Vonda Little,  Carol Ludiker,  Bonnie Manning,

Dennis Marshall,  Pat Mazurkiewicz,  Gene Morgan, Maureen Mulroy, Pamela Pope, Barbara Radice,  Brenda Render,  Sally Richard,  Carla Rogers,   Dave Rogers , 

Karen Rowell, Nancy Shilling,  James Clarke Shugart,  Donna Stewart, 

Marcia Vandermause,  Barbara Voigt,  Carl Voigt,  Kathryn Waldo,  Delette Walker,  Wesley Walker,  Margaret Woolery, 

The following members completed their internships and are now Certified Master Gardeners.

Ed Basconi, Andrea Belcher, Carol Bittinger, Mary Cain, Clare Childs, Gina Clark, Grace Ann Clark, Dianne Davison, Julia Dingus, Holly Grigsby, Geoffrey Hoare, Coril-la Johnson, Vonda Little, Carol Ludiker, Ginny McCullough, Sherry Ragsdale, Tina Rowland, Clare Snyder-Branch, Nicole Wernick.

Members who have achieved VIP status with three years of service:

Sandra Cross, Margueret Ferguson, Teresa Gaffner, Jodi Jones,

Theresa Marlow

( No photo available) 

Members who have completed five years of service:      

Beth Ashbrook, Jacqueline Cox, Gwen Ellis, Donna Fowler, Robert Lounsbery,

Carla Rogers, Dave Rogers, Charlene Thomas

Lifetime Members with 10 years of service:

Carol Collins, Imogene Randall, Carl Voigt

Members completing 15 years:

Lynn Carson, Gwyn Duncan, Nancy Haas,  Valerya Hyrne, Sharon Lane,  Junella McClellan, Lou Ann Moore, Mayme Pecktol, Sally Richard,

Barbara Voigt, Kathy Wagner

Members who have completed 25 years of service:

Jolly Hill, Doug Hilton, Joy Moore

For more photos of the Recognition Dinner,

click on the Award Dinner Pics tab the green banner above. 

***** READ ALL ABOUT IT ****

3/30  Learn more about the history of Extension, and how Extension impacts our community now in Chris's Column "Extension Month 2020."