Master Gardener Total Impact:
For 2021, the Master Gardeners of the Ozarks fulfilled their commitment to take on high-impact and ambitious projects. A total of 4,128 hours were reported in 2021 by sixty-seven master gardeners who served the entire year and reported. This was a 16 percent increase in hours submitted compared to 2020. The first-year Master Gardeners are required to provide 30 hours of service and seasoned master gardeners are only required to provide 20 hours. This year the master gardeners who submitted hours each averaged 61 hours of service! According to the latest figures from the Independent Sector organization, the hourly wage value for U.S. volunteer hours currently is $28.54. If you put a value on the education and service hours provided to the community, the amount totals almost $118,000 worth of volunteer time! Continuing education is in important part of volunteer service. The master gardeners reported 903 hours of continued education this year. This averages to 13 hours per person. They are expected to submit a minimum of 6 hours of continuing education each year.
Tim Schnakenberg
Tim is the Agronomy Specialist/County Program Director
Stone County Extension Center, University of Missouri Extension
“Gardening has become an important activity of many Southwest Missourians. Gardening is an excellent way to beautify our landscape and provide a healthy activity for the homeowner. It also is a huge industry in our region and impacts water quality.”
To help address the general horticulture and gardening needs of the public, a thriving Master Gardener program is present in Stone and Taney Counties. Master Gardeners are University of Missouri trained volunteers who assist with organized horticulture education programs for the gardening public.
