Do you enjoy gardening? Appreciate the environment? Enjoy helping others? 
Consider joining the local class session for the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Extension Master Gardener (EMG) Program!
Depending on the format, classes either meet in-person twice per week during the afternoon or evening or are offered with a mix of on-line and in-person classes and labs. In-person sessions alternate around the five counties in the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener unit: Clarke, Frederick, Warren, Page, and Shenandoah.
More about the VCE Master Gardener Program
Becoming a Certified VCE Master Gardener Volunteer begins with a trainee course of a minimum of 50 hours of education. Training covers many topics, including landscape design, botany, pruning, pest management, soils, insects, and various types of plants. After training, trainees graduate to interns.
Interns must complete 50 hours of hands-on training during their first year by volunteering time back to the community at educational activities and programs available throughout the Valley. A variety of projects is available for students to meet their hands-on training commitment. After completion of the course and the hands-on training, students become VCE Master Gardener Volunteers, with a yearly requirement of 20 hours of volunteer service.
The registration fee for each year’s class is announced on the class flyer. There are additional costs for the course handbook and a background screening. Scholarships are available to assist with the registration cost.
To learn more, watch our overview video, see our brochure, check out information from the Virginia State EMG Office, and read the details below.
Continuing Education
All VCE Master Gardener Volunteers are required to complete 8 hours of yearly continuing education. This can be done through approved talks, webinars, and courses. In addition, all active VCE Master Gardener Volunteers are invited to participate in Master Gardener College, an annual advanced training program. Additional training in arboriculture to become certified Tree Stewards or in water quality to become certified Water Stewards is periodically available as well.
Future Classes
Classes typically run from February through May (in person) and January through May (hybrid classes). Tentatively, future classes will be:
- 2026 as a hybrid (mix of online and in-person)
- 2027 in Shenandoah County, two evenings a week, in person
- 2028 in Frederick County, two afternoons a week, in person
- 2029 in Warren County, two evenings a week, in person
If you are interested in becoming certified as an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, sign up for our email list or check back here for details. You can also contact the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Frederick office, at 540-665-5699 or via email to royaltey@vt.edu.
About Association Membership
The class includes the first year’s membership in the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association, or NSVMGA. The Association supports its members in the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren. NSVMGA provides additional opportunities for camaraderie, volunteering, and continuing education.
To continue membership into the following year, the annual dues as of 2021 are a modest $20 per person. Social time, business meetings, and educational sessions are held 8 – 12 times per year. Additional periodic educational offerings are sponsored by NSVMGA.