Wiregrass Master Gardeners Association

09/23/2026

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Growing stronger communities, one garden at a time!

For more than 20 years, Kerry Smith has helped the Alabama Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program bring trusted horticultural education, service, and support to communities across Alabama. Her personal giving is helping ensure that this work can continue for years to come.

Our volunteers give their time, knowledge, and hearts to this program, but volunteerism alone cannot sustain it. We need monetary donations to provide training, educational resources, workshops, outreach, and the support needed to continue serving communities across the state.

Every financial gift helps us reach more people, strengthen our programs, and keep this important work growing.

Your support truly makes a difference. By giving to the Master Gardener program, you are investing in education, service, and stronger communities throughout Alabama.

Read more at: https://wire.auburn.edu/content/philanthropy/2026/09/140835-auburn-family-helps-grow-master-gardeners-program.php

Happy Gardening!

08/25/2026

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/alabama-beginning-farmer-program/

The Alabama Beginning Farmers Project is funded by grants from the USDA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program.

08/24/2026

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07/11/2026

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06/20/2026

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Join Alabama Extension's next Smart Yards Webinar as Home Horticulture Agent Makahla Holloway shares everything you need to know about growing, caring for and using pumpkins in Pumpkins 101: Growing, Caring, and Creative Uses.

Register to receive the Zoom link and mark your calendars for upcoming dates: https://www.aces.edu/go/2414.

The Smart Yards Webinar Series is hosted by Alabama Extension's Home Horticulture team on the fourth Wednesday of each month and covers a variety of topics, including gardening, fruits and vegetables, lawn care, wildlife, home pests and more.

04/22/2026

Thank you, Mary Lou McNabb for helping start the master gardener program. I am thankful I had an opportunity to talked with you during this meeting. You will never be forgotten.

02/13/2026

Gardening in the South is just different, the heat, humidity, pests, and wild weather keep us on our toes! That’s why Alabama Extension just launched Southern Ground, a new research-based podcast packed with practical, Southern-specific gardening and horticulture advice you can actually trust.

Hosted by Extension educators Chip East and Shane Harris (with 50+ years of combined experience), each episode breaks down what to do, and what not to do, throughout the season.

Learn more about this new podcast from Alabama Extension: https://www.aces.edu/go/5845

02/13/2026

What a fun day we had showing interns all we do!

02/11/2026

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Even if it’s still chilly outside, we’re one day closer to spring and all the fresh new growth that comes with it! While we’re waiting on warmer days, now is a great time to start planting and prepping so your garden, landscape, and lawn will be ready to thrive.

In Alabama, February is the time to:
Continue planting cool-season vegetables
Plant hardy annuals
Prune shurbs before new growth starts

Check out these two helpful resources for full details and specific timing for your region in Alabama:
Home Gardeners Planting Guide https://www.aces.edu/go/5710
Alabama Gardeners Calendar https://www.aces.edu/go/5875

Don't forget the Gardener Helpline is ready to help with research-based advice at (877) 252-4769.

01/10/2026

The Alabama Farm Center moved one step closer to groundbreaking in late December, when the project received a $11 million grant from the federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program!👏

The funding will reclaim and restore abandoned mine land features at Hallmark Farms in Warrior in Jefferson County, helping transform the property into a state-of-the-art agricultural exhibition center that will boost education, tourism and economic growth across the region.

The Alabama Farm Center will feature facilities for livestock shows, rodeos, educational programs and an annual state fair. It will also generate an estimated $2.2 billion in direct economic impact over 20 years and create up to 850 jobs.

Alabama Department of Workforce Secretary Greg Reed said the grant is a shining example of cooperation and strategic partnerships between business and state and federal government.❤️

➡️ alfafarmers.org/recent-grant-to-hallmark-farms-highlights-economic-partnerships-between-business-and-state-federal-government/