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Latest Press Release and News from CCE Orange County:

Love to Garden? Love to Volunteer? Consider Becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer!

Middletown, NY – Whether you have just started to get into gardening, or you’ve always loved gardening, if you would like to increase your knowledge and share it with others, consider becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Orange County.

The Master Gardeners are holding a panel discussion “Becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer” on Saturday, September 12, 2026, 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. or Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. at 18 Seward Avenue, 3rd floor, Middletown, NY. These sessions will talk you through the application process, the training model, volunteer commitment, and the experiences of current volunteers. Attendance at one of the two sessions is a mandatory component of the application process.

The next Master Gardener Volunteer Training begins in January 2027 and will use a learning model combining self-paced online work, in-person classes and small group work with a Master Gardener Volunteer mentor. Online work can be done on your own time and will include watching lectures, contributing to online forums, performing knowledge checks, writing reflections, etc. In-person sessions will be held once a month, January through December 2027, on the second Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. In-person classes will include lectures and numerous hands-on activities to reinforce the topics covered in the online sessions. Most in-person sessions will take place at our office in Middletown and potential field trips

include a local orchard, one or more community gardens, and our Education Center and 4-H Park in Otisville. In addition, trainees will have opportunities to volunteer in the community during training.

For more information or to register, visit: https://cceorangecounty.org/gardening/master-gardener-volunteer-program

Last updated September 2, 2026