How to Become a Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Volunteer

To become a Tennessee Extension Master Gardener (TEMG) volunteer, you register through your local county Extension office — not through the state website. Training is a collaborative intern program that begins in January and takes place in your local county, led by your county's Extension agent/EMG coordinator. The main condition is simply an interest in plants and horticulture; the program trains you and then engages you as a volunteer who shares research-based lawn and garden information with the public.

Who the program is for

The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Program is a volunteer educational program that provides Tennesseans with horticulture education. According to the program, TEMGs are volunteers who combine a love of plants and horticulture with Extension training that equips them to teach and assist Tennessee residents.

If that description fits you, the next step is not an application on the state site — it is a conversation with your county office.

Step-by-step: how to get started

1. Find your local county Extension office. The program's site links to a local office finder for this purpose.
2. Contact that office for all the information. The state program states plainly that all registration occurs locally, so the county office is your single point of contact for requirements, scheduling, and fees (if any).
3. Register locally. Registration is handled by the county, not the state website.
4. Begin intern training in January. The TEMG intern training program starts in January, and all training takes place in your local county through your local agent/EMG coordinator.
5. Complete training and begin volunteering. After training, TEMGs serve as volunteers delivering horticulture education to the public.

What the training looks like

The program describes its intern training as "collaborative and cohesive," with a statewide EMG leadership team providing content from its best speakers in the context of real, live, in-person interactive sessions in your county. The stated goal is to combine strong content with local, hands-on interaction.

Resources to review before you commit

The program makes several documents available for download:

The site also notes that 2026 will offer many opportunities to connect with the program through local groups around the state.

Recording your volunteer hours

Once you are an active volunteer, the program provides a dedicated way to log your time: the homepage includes a "Need To Record Your Volunteer Hours?" box that links to the volunteer time recording tool.

Additional ways to stay connected

The program runs 2026 Friday Office Hours for Horticulture — live visits and conversations with the Extension horticulture team, held at 10 a.m. EST / 9 a.m. CST on:

• June 12
• July 10
• August 14
• September 11

The program asks that even people who have received these reminders before sign up again, because it is updating its communication lists for 2026. You can sign up for the Office Hours Zoom and submit questions through the links on the site.

The mission behind the role

The program's stated mission is to improve the lives of Tennesseans through horticulture education delivered by a dedicated and skilled volunteer force. That framing is useful when deciding whether to join: the training is not an end in itself — it exists so you can teach and assist others.

Key things to remember

• Registration is local. The state website points you to your county Extension office; it does not register you itself.
• Training starts in January and happens in your county.
• Your county agent/EMG coordinator is your main contact.
• Download the handbook and 2026 key dates before committing, so you know the time expectations.
• Volunteer hours are logged through the recording tool linked on the homepage.

If you are unsure whether your county is participating or what its local requirements are, contact the county Extension office nearest you — that is the program's own recommended first move.