The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County Volunteer Training Program
Registration for the 2025 Rutgers Master Gardener Training is OPEN!
Enroll in a free, no obligation online information session to learn about the Rutgers Master Gardener Program. This is required before enrolling in the 2025 training.
Orientation is required for the Rutgers Master Gardener Training program in the following counties for 2025: Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Cumberland, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Passaic, and Union**. The purpose of this Orientation is to provide you with all the information you need to decide if becoming a Rutgers Master Gardener is right for you. We will review the program’s role, structure, training, and commitment.
Space is limited to 40 participants, allowing plenty of time and opportunity for questions and discussion. Register today to secure your spot! Links to register for orientation are listed below. Please note there are both morning and evening sessions available. You are only required to attend one session. Additional information for applying to the program in your county will be provided to those who attend the session.
We are very excited to offer this new program and look forward to meeting you!
**For all other counties, please contact your local extension office for information on Rutgers Master Gardener Training. You can find your local extension office here: Cooperative Extension County Offices (Rutgers NJAES)
Cooperating Agencies: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Boards of County Commissioners. Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station, is an equal opportunity program provider and employer.
Contact your local Extension Office for information regarding special needs or accommodations. Contact the State Extension Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 848-932-3584.
History
The Rutgers Master Gardener Volunteer Program was created by Cooperative Extension to meet an enormous increase in requests from home gardeners for horticultural information. This increase derives primarily from the urban and transient nature of modern American life. Seventy-plus years ago an Extension agent dealt with the questions of farm families. Since then, much of this farmland has been subdivided, which has increased the number of families Extension must serve. In addition, many of these families are new to the area and are unfamiliar with the grasses, shrubs, trees, diseases, and insects that populate their new community. They often call Extension for advice.
In 1972 a county agricultural agent started the Master Gardener Program in Washington State. Since then it has spread to all 50 states and several countries. Seventeen of New Jersey’s 21 counties now train Master Gardeners. The Mercer County program started in September 1993.
What Is Cooperative Extension?
Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Mercer County helps the county’s diverse population improve life through an educational process that uses science-based knowledge. RCE/New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station focuses on issues and needs relating to agriculture and the environment, management of natural resources, food safety, quality, and health, and family stability, economic security, and youth development. Our departments are Agriculture, 4-H Youth Development, and Family and Community Health Sciences. The Rutgers Master Gardener Program is run through the Agriculture department.
As an integral part of The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station, we provide practical information and educational programs (including the Rutgers Master Gardener Program) to all adults without regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Rutgers University and County Boards of Chosen Freeholders fund the individual Extension offices throughout New Jersey.
Goals Of The Rutgers Master Gardener Volunteer Program
- To extend into the community the educational efforts of Rutgers Cooperative Extension by using trained and certified volunteers.
- To establish educational programs in which Rutgers Master Gardeners help residents of Mercer County obtain up-to-date recommendations from Rutgers University, the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- To assist individual clients, community groups, or other potential audiences by disseminating horticultural, pest control, and related information on the county-supported telephone Helpline and at community outreach events.
Training Staff
The teaching staff consists of the Mercer County Horticulturist, county agricultural agents, Rutgers staff and faculty, and other horticultural experts.
Course Requirements
Requirements for certification and graduation as a Rutgers Master Gardener of Mercer County:
- 80% attendance for class sessions and field trips. Students who miss class are responsible for all work. Applicants who have already planned extended absences that would necessitate missing classes should consider taking the program another year. The classes are twice a week.
- Satisfactory completion of activities and assigned projects.
- Satisfactory grade on the take-home open book final exam.
- Return of a signed copy of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County Master Gardener Volunteer Agreement.
- Fulfillment of the 60-hour volunteer requirement.
- Volunteer Commitment
To become a certified Rutgers Master Gardener one must complete the 21-week academic classwork and Helpline training. As part of the requirement students must contribute 60 hours of volunteer time to Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County or related programs. The volunteer commitment includes:
- A minimum of 30 hours spent supplying information to the public on the Rutgers Master Gardener Helpline at the office in Ewing.
- Five hours using composting skills at the award-winning Mercer Educational Gardens at 431A Federal City Road in Pennington.
- The remaining 25 hours (of the total 60) may be spent on the above options or on other approved Mercer County projects such as Rutgers Master Gardener program committees, the Mercer County 4-H Fair, or other Extension and county programs.
- Up to 15 hours (of the total 60) may be donated to horticulture education programs in other not-for-profit agencies in Mercer County.
- To maintain Rutgers Master Gardener status:
- 30 hours (at least 15 on Helpline) must be volunteered in each year thereafter.
- 10-hour per year continuing education requirement for all graduates.
- 1000 volunteer hours confers 1000-hour volunteer status as a Rutgers Master Gardener of Mercer County (our program currently has over sixty 1000-hour members!)
Tuition
A $250.00 tuition fee is due with your application. This fee covers the cost of the training manual, name badges, class supplies, and speaker fees. Scholarship opportunities may be available.
Acceptance
Up to 25 people will be accepted into the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County volunteer training program each year. Mercer County residents are given priority and are admitted on a “first-applied first-accepted” basis. Once the class fills, a waiting list is started in the order applications are received.
Out-Of-County And Out-Of-State Residents
Residents of other New Jersey counties should seek open slots in their home county’s Rutgers Master Gardener program. Hunterdon, Middlesex, Burlington, and Monmouth, counties that border Mercer, all have comparable programs. Out-of-county residents may be accepted after all Mercer vacancies are filled and the applicant’s home county program is filled. Volunteer hours must be served in Mercer County. We are not accepting out-of-state residents at this time.
Application
Interested in becoming a Rutgers Master Gardener of Mercer County? If you wish to be added to the waitlist for the 2025 MG class, please email the program coordinator at justine.gray@rutgers.edu.
Questions?
Do you have questions about the program or the application process? Contact our office at 609-989-6830 for more information.