Master gardeners graduate

Six people from Aroostook County recently completed training in the University of Maine Cooperative Extension 2013 Master Gardener Volunteer Program.    County graduates included Jill McIntyre (Presque Isle), Sue Caswell and Jacquie Morse (Houlton), Debra Durkin, Mary Ellen Marucci (Fort Kent), and Robert Desrosiers (New Brunswick). Certified Master Gardener Laura Audibert facilitated the Fort Kent classes.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension master gardener volunteers program provides participants with at least 40 hours of in-depth training in the art and science of horticulture. This year’s program focused on vegetable and fruit production topics. Trainees received current, research-based information from UMaine Extension educators and specialists, the Maine Board of Pesticide Control, Penquis Beekeepers Association and Hannah Todd from Brick House Succulents  in Etna.
In return, trained Master Gardeners volunteer their time helping others learn about sustainable gardening. A variety of projects are being developed including, the “Farming to Shine” project, growing vegetables for the Plant a Row for the Hungry Project, helping friends and neighbors with gardening questions, and assisting with community beautification projects connected to the upcoming 2014 World Acadian Congress.
To learn more about the Master Gardener Program in Aroostook County contact Linda Trickey, Extension agricultural assistant at the Aroostook County Cooperative Extension office in Houlton 25 School St., PO Box 8, Houlton ME 04730; call 532-6548 or in Maine 1-800-287-1469 or e-mail linda.trickey@maine.edu.