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Master Gardener training classes set

 

Applications are being accepted for the 2012 Sonoma County Master Gardener Training Class.

Program Chair Dan Milhollin of Oakmont said that applications are now available online at www.sonomamastergardeners.org. They may also be obtained at the Sonoma and other local farmers markets or by calling 565-2608. Forms must be received online or at the University of California Cooperative Education (UCCE) office by Sept. 26.

Adults of all ages and ethnicities are invited to participate in the program. However, applicants must be Sonoma County residents and have access to a computer, as most important communication with class members, such as quizzes or exams, will be electronic or via email. Upon acceptance, applicants will pay a fee of $275 for books, course materials and classes. Partial scholarship assistance is available.

Training classes will be two afternoons a week from mid-January through mid-April in Rohnert Park. The courses will be taught by UCCE farm advisors and specialists, UC Berkeley and Davis professors, local community college faculty and other gardening professionals. Master Gardeners volunteer a minimum of 60 hours for community service projects their first year and 37 hours each year thereafter.

Milhollin said there are approximately 35 Certified Master Gardeners in the Sonoma Valley, who provide research-based information to home gardeners at local farmers markets, library workshops, fairs and exhibits, the Sonoma Garden Park and at the information desks in Sonoma and Santa Rosa.