When the term “Master Gardener” was first coined in the early 1970’s to describe a new Extension program in Washington State, few could have predicted it would spread into Texas and blossom into one of the most effective volunteer organizations in the State.
The Texas Master Gardener program had its beginnings in 1978 in an Extension horticulture training program at Texas A&M University when Dr. Sam Cotner (Extension Vegetable Specialist) described the success of the movement in Washington State. At that time, county agents in the Texas Agricultural Extension Service were experiencing overwhelming demands for horticulture information, much like their colleagues in the Pacific Northwest.
The first Master Gardener class in Texas was held in 1979 in Montgomery County and drew about 25 people. The 50-hour course was held in the evenings and taught by Extension Agents and specialists from Texas A&M, using a manual compiled from Extension publications and news articles. Volunteer service was optional, but class members were encouraged to work on Extension projects.
Two more counties, Galveston and El Paso, started programs in 1981. By the end of the decade, five more counties had Master Gardener programs: Harris (1984), Dallas (1986),Tarrant (1987), Bexar (1989) and Denton (1989).
The Texas Agricutural Extension Service made an official commitment to a Texas Master Gardner program in 1987 with the hiring of a statewide coordinator. At that time, guidelines were developed for the program, including a minimum of 50 hours of formal training and 50 hours of volunteer service to become a certified Texas Master Gardener. The 500-page training handbook was completed in 1989.
