Penn State Extension recently welcomed three new apprentices to its Potter County Master Gardener Program. Linda Ford of Millport, Jennie Rodriguez-Priest of Coudersport, and Sue Shaeffer of Galeton completed an intensive 6-month basic training in April 2023.

Completion of the training program, which began in October 2022, is the first step towards earning Master Gardener certification. Each trainee must finish 40 hours of instruction and participate in weekly online classes conducted by Penn State University faculty and Extension staff. Classes include a broad range of horticulture topics such as botany, plant propagation, soil health and fertilizer management, composting, controlling pests safely, entomology, indoor plants and diseases, vegetables, tree and small fruits, lawn care, pruning, woody ornamentals, herbaceous and native plants, weeds and invasives, and landscape design. Trainees studied corresponding topic chapters in the Master Gardener manual, watched webinars, and took quizzes to test their knowledge. They progressed to the second step of the program, the apprenticeship phase, after scoring at least 80% on their mid-term and final exams.

Apprentices must serve a minimum of 50 volunteer hours by end of September 2023 to qualify for Master Gardener Certification. Projects may include planting and designing pollinator-friendly demonstration gardens on the Extension grounds in Coudersport, staffing and responding to Garden Hotline questions or at Ask a Master Gardener community events, hosting classes and workshops, supporting Potter County fair activities and writing articles for publication in local and social media forums. Apprentices may also participate in state sponsored Master Gardener events and workshops hosted by Penn State.

Linda, Jennie and Sue are anxious to share their passion for gardening and, collectively, have already earned numerous service hours. Linda, a semi-retired Public Accountant, utilizes her 45 years of organic gardening expertise on her 32-acre property and is starting new gardens in Petoskey, MI, where she lives 5 months a year. Jennie, a human resources consultant, has residences in Coudy and Berks County, PA, where she grows and propagates houseplants, notably succulents, and sowed her first vegetable garden on the Extension grounds. Sue, a native of Venango County, is a retired nurse with experience in greenhouse flowers and home vegetable gardening. They all enrolled in the Master Gardener program to learn more about horticulture and share their knowledge with the public through community outreach. When they earn their Master Gardener certification, they will join their Potter County peers who were certified in 2022. Together, they will continue to support our communities by educating best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship.

For additional information, contact Leona Smith, Potter County Master Gardener Coordinator, 814-274-8540, ext 103, lds5520@psu.edu.