PARIS – For less than $2 per hour, people can become a master gardener in Maine.

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s master gardener training begins Jan. 27. There are 20 slots available.

The program has been offered in Paris for the past 11 years and Barbara Murphy, extension educator, said there has never been a class that was less than full.

It is conducted for 45 hours over 15 to 17 weeks and costs $80.

Murphy said the course theme alternates between years. In 2003 ornamentals such as landscape, perennials and annuals were the topic. This year classes will be learning about fruit and vegetable production.

She said each year five topics – botany, soils, insect and disease management, composting and volunteerism – are always covered.

“Hopefully, people will understand why what they are doing either works or doesn’t work,” Murphy said. “But the real focus of this course is the volunteer part. People taking the horticultural training and putting it to use in their communities.”

Part of the requirement of the course is that people are expected to put in 40 hours volunteering on community horticulture projects after the classroom training.

Last year in the Plant a Row for the Hungry project Mainers produced 57,000 pounds of produce for the needy. Plant a Row is a national program that Maine promotes whereby gardeners devote a section of their gardens to helping those less fortunate. Two gardens in Paris and Rumford donated 7,304 pounds of produce for the program last year.

Murphy said she has mailed out 30 applications to people on a waiting list. As of Tuesday only a couple have been returned. She encouraged early enrollment because she wants to let applicants know they have been selected by the end of December.

For more information on the program phone the UMaine Cooperative Extension office at 743-6329 or 1-800-287-1482.

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