Since 1979, the NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ program has recruited, trained and engaged residents to serve as volunteer educators who strengthen NC State Extension's delivery of science-based horticultural knowledge to North Carolinians.

Mission

NC State Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers empower North Carolinians to cultivate healthy plants, landscapes, ecosystems, and communities through volunteer service that delivers research-based information, educational programming, and community outreach.

Impacts

Extension Master Gardener volunteers share their knowledge to help North Carolinians learn and grow. See our impacts!

Join Us!

Interested in becoming part of this volunteer program that is dedicated to promoting research-based, sustainable gardening? Visit Become a Volunteer or contact your local N.C. Cooperative Extension Center to learn how you can join the Extension Master Gardener program.The NC State Extension Master Gardener program is offered in 75 of N.C. Cooperative Extension’s 101 local centers.

Gardening Questions?

Use our Garden Help Directory to find Extension Master Gardener volunteers in your local community. You'll find their contact information (email, phone, office address) for asking your gardening question.

Connect

Follow us on social media:

• Facebook: @NCExtensionMasterGardenerVolunteers
• Instagram: @ncemgv
• YouTube: NC State Extension Master Gardener program channel

Donate

Support the work of Extension Master Gardener volunteers across North Carolina by making a tax-deductible donation to the Extension Master Gardener endowment, a fundraising initiative to ensure the NC State Extension Master Gardener program will continue to grow and serve North Carolinians for many years to come. Support the EMG Endowment through a gift or by purchasing an NC EMG license plate!

Our History

The Extension Master Gardener program began at Washington State University in 1973 in response to the high demand for gardening advice. It rapidly spread across the United States. By 1978, NC State Extension volunteers staffed a garden hotline in New Hanover County. The next year Wake County trained their first Extension Master Gardener volunteers and three years later there were 110 Extension Master Gardener volunteers in five counties. Now there are over 3,500 volunteers in 83 counties across the state.

Learn more: History of the Extension Master Gardener program in NC