Importance

Louisiana has an estimated 625,300 home gardens with a projected annual value of more than $342.7 million (2020 Louisiana Summary). There are also countless home landscapes requiring maintenance and development that relates to an ever- increasing need by consumers for horticulture information, training and timely access to the LSU AgCenter. The Louisiana Master Gardener (LMG) Program provides a network of volunteer support that strengthens and expands the capacity of the LSU AgCenter’s Cooperative Extension Service to effectively meet the educational needs of home gardeners in Louisiana. The program follows traditional Master Gardener format patterned after that of most states where volunteers complete the standardized LMG training course and return 40 hours of volunteer service the first year and 20 hours each year thereafter as gardening educators. The Louisiana Master Gardener program is administered and coordinated by LSU AgCenter Extension faculty who provide training and support to Master Gardener volunteer education and service projects that meet local parish needs.

LMG Trainees & Registered Volunteers Returning per LMG Program

LMG Program	Graduates	# Registered Volunteers
Ascension	0	59
Beauregard	17	18
Cameron	0	11
Cenla	14	62
Darbonne	0	0
Delta	0	21
Downriver	19	40
EBR	17	302
Feliciana	0	56
Grant/LaSalle	0	29
Lafayette	32	230
LaTerre	6	84
Livingston	18	35
Macon Ridge	15	0
MGGNO	55	266
Natchitoches	14	27
North Central	20	34
Northeast	Trained with Macon Ridge	55
Northwest	34	346
Piney Hills	115	82
Pointe Coupee	0	20
River Region	0	28
Sabine	0	35
Southwest	7	57
St. Tammany	30	330
Tangipahoa	0	60
Washington	0	23
Westside	0	27
Winn	17	18
Totals	316	2,368

Dynamics

The Louisiana Master Gardener program was started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1994 as a means of extending the educational outreach of the LSU AgCenter's Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. This pilot program was so successful that Master Gardener programs were started in 1998 in all the major metropolitan areas of Louisiana. Now in its 25th year statewide, there are 29 Louisiana Master Gardener volunteer training programs to reach participants throughout Louisiana. This LSU AgCenter signature program interacts with Habitat for Humanity, garden clubs and foundations, parish beautification programs, local farmers markets, school and community gardening programs, food banks, community and faith-based organizations, local master gardener associations, and Master Gardener programs in other states.

Volunteer Hours per Activity

Activity	Total Hours
4-H and Other Youth Activities	4,234
Civic and Community Activities	47,673
Extension Activities	17,985
LMG Teaching Activities	4,773
Continuing Education	1,400
Meetings – Business and Administrative	9,985
Total Volunteer Hours Reported	86,050

Impact

The increased need for consumer horticulture information and enhanced accessibility to the LSU AgCenter has proven that highly trained LMG volunteers presenting researched based information are recognized in their community as an important and critical resource for gardening education. In 2023, the Louisiana Master Gardener Program trained 316 new volunteers that increased the active number of LMG volunteers statewide to over 2,600. These volunteers donated 86,050 hours of their time to Extension horticulture education and service. Through the efforts of these volunteers, residents in Louisiana were provided research-based, consumer horticulture information and training. Additionally, volunteers continued their education by completing over 22,000 continuing education units (CEUs) in 2023.

LMG Program Impact/5 Year Average

Year	Active Volunteers (Reporting)	Mass Contacts	Service Hours	Impact $
2019	1,564	2,550,036	84,304	2,477,198
2020	1,318	1,751,409	39,788	1,203,143
2021	1,630	1,502,098	54,477	1,631,586
2022	2,169	1,108,707	76,961	2,304,981
2023	2,687	984,441	86,050	2,487,378
5 Year Average	1,873	1,579,338	68,316	2,020,857

LMG Volunteer Contribution

	Contribution
Louisiana Master Gardeners Trained in 2023	316
LMGs Returning from Previous Years (# Reporting)	2,368
Active LMGs (# Registered in LMG Reporting Site)	2,687
Volunteer Retention (#Reporting/#Registered)	88%
Volunteer Service Hours for 2023	86,050
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Value	43.71
Average Individual LMG Hours	34
Value of Volunteer Hours @ $27.39/hr	$2,356,910
Total Volunteer Contacts (Mass Contacts)	984,441
Total Volunteer Contacts (Individual Contacts)	300,877
Average LMG Contacts (Mass Contacts)	374
CEU Hours for 2023	22,730
Average Individual CEU (6 hrs per LMG required)	9
LMG Mileage for 2023 (All Volunteer Service Activities)	465,959
Value of LMG Mileage @ $.14 (All VS Activities)	$65,234
Unreimbursed LMG Volunteer Expenses (All VS Activities)	$52,838
Total LMG Volunteer Value for 2023	$2,487,378