STATESVILLE -- If you like gardening and volunteering in the community, consider becoming an Extension Master Gardener volunteer. The 2026 class begins in February with a Beginning Gardening Series followed by comprehensive horticulture classes covering botany, soils, entomology, pesticide safety and diagnosing plant problems. Training runs through the end of May. There will not be another class until February 2028.
Attend one of two interest meetings to learn more about the program, ask questions and to sign up. Sessions will be in Statesville on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Iredell Cooperative Extension Center, 444 Bristol Drive, and in Mooresville on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Mooresville Public Library, 304 S. Main St. If you are interested and unable to attend one of these sessions, contact Melinda Roberts at 704-873-0507 or melinda_roberts@ncsu.edu. Applications will be accepted Dec. 1-31. Brief meetups will occur after applications are received.
Classes meet every Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. at the Iredell Cooperative Extension Center. Times and training sites may vary, and some local travel may be required. Curriculum and training fees are $150, which includes the new N.C. Extension Gardener Handbook. Fees are nonrefundable.
ABOUT N.C. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
N.C. Cooperative Extension is a strategic partnership of NC State Extension, The Cooperative Extension Program at N.C. A&T State University, USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), and local governments statewide. Extension professionals in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians connect millions of North Carolinians with research-based information and technology from NC State and N.C. A&T. Educational programs specialize in agriculture, food and nutrition, 4-H youth development, community development and the environment.