Do you have an interest in volunteering and improving lives in your community through plants and gardening?
Would you enjoy working alongside talented, passionate EMG volunteers and knowledgeable, dedicated county Extension agents?
Do you have the desire to share the joy of plants and horticulture with others?
Do you want to teach and share with others more about nature and their environment?
Follow 5 Simple Steps to Becoming a Certified Master Gardener!
- Check the table below to determine if your county or one nearby has an Extension Master Gardener program. We don’t have one in every county, but almost everywhere in TN is within a reasonable drive of an EMG program.
- Contact the local EMG agent coordinator to get all the details about local trainings and requirements. Keep in mind that trainings are locally hosted, so the county coordinators have all the details!
- Attend the Extension Master Gardener intern training put on by your local county EMG group.
- Volunteer and serve in your community, represent UT Extension, and report your 40 hours of service to become certified.
- Re-certify the next year!
| Counties with EMG program | EMG Agent Coordinator | Contact Email for Local Agent Coordinator | Intern Training Notes for 2026 |
| Anderson | Seth Whitehouse | whitehouse@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Bledsoe (contact Sequatchie) | Sheldon Barker | sdbarker@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Blount | Caitlin Dalton | CaitlinANR@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Bradley | Evangelon James | ejames24@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Carter (contact Sullivan) | Melody Rose | mtrose@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Cheatham | Nick Waynick | nwaynick@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Coffee (Crimson Clover EMGs) | Amy Prince | awillis2@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Cumberland | Gregg Upchurch | gupchurch@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Davidson | Amy Dunlap | adunla12@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Dyer | William Taylor | wtaylor@tnstate.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Fayette | Syd Crofford | sydlcrof@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Fentress | John Gunter | jgunter4@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Franklin | Rylan Thompson | cthomp86@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Giles | Madison O’Ferrall | moferrall@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Greene | Anna Parsons | aparsons@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Hamblen | Mannie Bedwell | ebedwell@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Hamilton | Haley Treadway | haleytreadway@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Hardeman | Rachel Howell | rparker1@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Henry | Ranson Goodman | rgoodma1@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Knox | open | ||
| Lauderdale | Mary Stiles | marewort@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Lawrence | Katie Witbeck | katewitb@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Jan-Apr) |
| Madison | Tate Welch | awelch30@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Marion | Kelsey Holden | kholden5@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Maury | Kelly Dozier | kdozier3@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| McMinn | Melissa Coffey | melissacoffey@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Montgomery | Karla Gargus | kkean@utk.edu | |
| Obion/Weakley | Kari Beth Neville | karewood@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Putnam | Wayne Key | jkey3@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Rhea | Chasity Phillips | cphillips@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Roane | Jessica Smith | jwilki21@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Robertson | Bob Ary | bobary@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Rutherford | Baileigh Snow | bsnow6@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Scott | Brett Capra | bcapra@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Sequatchie | Sheldon Barker | sdbarker@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Sevier | Catherine Lawson | csams1@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Shelby | Jessica Maestas | jmaestas@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Jan-Apr) |
| Sullivan | Melody Rose | mtrose@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Sumner | Emily Richards | ericha40@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Tipton | Candace Herron | cherron8@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Unicoi (contact Sullivan) | Melody Rose | mtrose@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Warren | Heath Nokes | hnokes@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Williamson | Taylor Reeder | treeder2@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb-Apr) |
| Wilson | Lucas Holman | lhomlan1@utk.edu | Spring Collaborative Training (Feb- Apr) |
Some of the plants in the early 19th century flower garden at The Hermitage, the home of president Andrew Jackson, are the originals from Jackson’s era.
The Hermitage in Nashville, Tennessee