Theodore Roosevelt once said, “If you have a problem, then do what you can where you are and with what you’ve got.”

This kind of thinking often brings successful results.

In 1972, Dr. David Gibby, the Extension agent for King and Pierce counties in Washington State was overwhelmed with gardening questions. His solution was to offer intense horticultural training to experienced gardeners in exchange for their commitment to spend a certain number of hours doing volunteer outreach and education in their communities.

This marked the start of the Master Gardeners program.