Colorado Master Gardener Volunteers assist CSU Extension staff in delivering knowledge-based home gardening information to the public.
The Colorado Master Gardener (CMG), audience is exclusively home and community gardeners. CMG volunteers serve the public by answering questions from citizens of Weld County about home gardening, staffing diagnostic clinics, teaching gardening classes, writing newspaper articles, and mentoring gardening and community greening projects.
Annually, 1,400 CMG volunteers, state-wide, serve 34 county-based programs and contribute over $1.3 million in volunteer time!
To learn how to become a Weld County Colorado Master Gardener, visit the Application Process page.
Colorado Gardener Certificate (CGC) -
"I want to take the course work but I don’t have time to volunteer. "
The Colorado Gardener Certificate is available for those wanting to obtain education on gardening in Colorado (training occurs with the CMG program). CGC students will not represent Colorado State University Extension as a volunteer following training. However, at the end of training, students will receive a certificate of completion showing that they have undergone the training course. The Colorado Gardener Certificate may be displayed in a place of business and used in business marketing. Participants in this training do not have a volunteer commitment, thus there is a higher fee for this program. Currently, the fee for the CGC training is $530.
**All Colorado Master Gardenersm trainees who successfully complete the CMG training will receive the Colorado Gardener Certificate.
Colorado Master Gardenersm (CMG) -
"I want to be a volunteer for the Colorado Master Gardener program in my county."
Colorado Master Gardeners are select individuals who have undergone specialized training from CSU to become active volunteers in their home county. Following completion of training**, CMG's volunteer at the local county Extension Office, host info booths at area farmers' markets, and assist with various types of local gardening programs.
Participants must apply to become a CMG volunteer. Once accepted to the program, participants must complete a specified number of volunteer hours and horticultural continuing education each year. Currently, the fee for the CMG training is $170, followed by a $30 renewal fee for each year in service.
Colorado Master Gardenersm is a registered service mark of Colorado State University Extension. It is used to identify volunteers serving in an official CSU Extension activities. It may not be used to infer credentials or otherwise imply endorsement of a private business. It may not be used on marketing materials of a business.
Colorado Gardening Certificate Application
Colorado Gardening Certificate training has unlimited space. The deadline for Colorado Gardening Certificate applications are due December 31, 2020. For full details and application, please visit Colorado Gardening Certificate Program.
Colorado Master Gardener Application
Spring Training Applications are being accepted now for 2021. The Weld County deadline for Colorado Master Gardener Applications is November 20, 2020 but may fill up fast due to our limited spaces available. For full details and the application, please visit Colorado Master Gardener Program.
Colorado Master Gardener programs operate at the county level, with primary support from the county government. Applicants should apply to their home county; those whom apply to the Weld County CMG program must complete their volunteer hours in Weld County. Colorado Gardening Certificate training is provided for educational purposes only and participants are not eligible to volunteer for the CMG program in Weld County.
If you have questions on the application process for the Colorado Master Gardener Program or Colorado Gardening Certificate Program, please contact Sunshine Gearhart, Coordinator of the Weld County Colorado Master Gardener Program.
Sunshine Gearhart
(970) 400-2080
sgearhart@weldgov.com
The Colorado Master Gardener/Colorado Gardener Certificate training is offered as a multi-county training for the Front Range corridor including Weld, Larimer, Adams, and Boulder counties.
The typical basic curriculum includes 13 weeks (60 hours) of classroom instruction. Our next training course will be taught in Spring 2021 as a fully online program with weekly live online review sessions.
Once you have been accepted into the CMG program, a detailed schedule will be provided. For more information on applying to the Weld County Colorado Master Gardener Program, please contact Sunshine Gearhart at sgearhart@co.weld.co.us.