Program co-founder, Dr. David Gibby, pictured center above, presented the keynote address at the Texas Master Gardener state convention in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Texas Master Gardener Association. The conference was held in College Station on April 4-6, 2018.

The first Master Gardener program was started in 1972 by Washington State Cooperative Extension. Gibby said the program started with a little over $500 in grant funding, but the initial call for potential volunteers drew 300 people. From there, the program snowballed into a thriving national network of enthusiasts in all 50 states and several countries.