About Us
RCMG volunteers are dedicated to learning, teaching, and nurturing a common love of gardening throughout our local community.
Our Mission
Ramsey County Master Gardener volunteers educate residents in research-based, eco-friendly gardening to improve physical and environmental health.
The Ramsey County Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 and governed by a board of directors. Our Master Gardener volunteers are trained by the University of Minnesota Extension program and educate the public about a variety of horticulture topics.
What We Do
Ramsey County Master Gardeners assist schools, youth programs, community organizations and individuals through outreach and education.
You can find us at community events, farmers markets, public housing complexes, garden clubs, Como Park and Conservatory, the Children’s Hospital, yard waste sites, teaching classes and planting gardens across Ramsey County. Visit our Community Collaboration page to learn more!
Ways We Serve
Ramsey County Master Gardener Volunteers connect research-based yard and garden resources with our community in a number of ways:
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Teach adults research-based horticulture practices that align with the priorities of the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteer program.
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Teach youth to how to plant a garden and the benefits of gardening.
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Increase underserved communities’ access to gardening education.
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Answer questions about gardening topics at community events, Diagnostic Clinics and the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Yard and Garden Line.
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Beautify public spaces and teach the public about plants through site specific and well-labeled public gardens.
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Participate in horticultural research projects led by the University of Minnesota.
Our Goals
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Protect and enhance the environment
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Strengthen citizens and families by promoting the therapeutic benefits of gardening.
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Strengthen community pride by engaging in neighborhood vegetable, fruit, and native plant gardens.
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Promote good nutrition by teaching residents to grow fruits and vegetable
Benefits to the Community
Ramsey County Master Gardeners volunteered more than 18,000 hours in 2022, sharing research-based garden knowledge through a variety of innovative, COVID-safe programs.
Our volunteers:
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Launched a healing garden program to demonstrate how nature enhances our health and wellbeing.
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Expanded a program to donate home-grown vegetables and fruits to local food shelves and public housing residents.
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Taught over 180 online classes on a variety of lawn and garden topics, reaching gardeners all over the country.
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Facilitated hands-on educational gardening programs for youth from preschool age to high school students.
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Collaborated with Habitat for Humanity homeowners to design and plant landscaping for their new homes.
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Partnered with community gardens and farmers markets to share advice and answer questions.
Our volunteers continue to adapted to the changes in our communities in order to further our mission and to find ways to connect with members of our community.
2022 in Numbers
336
Certified Master Gardener volunteers and interns
18,000+
volunteer community
service hours
13,500+
members of
our community helped
$540,357
monetary value of volunteer contributions in the county