(Atlantic) Cass County Master Gardener, Todd Turner, was honored by the Iowa Master Gardener Program as an Outstanding Master Gardener for the 2020 Year.
Kate Olson, Cass County Extension Director, said Todd was one of 15 honorees statewide this year. She said this award is given to Master Gardeners who have invested more than 400 hours of volunteer time in a year.
Todd is not the only Cass County Master Gardener to be honored by the state program in recent years. In 2016,
LaVon Eblen was also recognized as an Outstanding Master Gardener for investing over 400 volunteer hours in the Master Gardener program for the year. In 2019, LaVon was also recognized for over 1,000 total hours volunteered as a Master Gardener in Cass County with the Lifetime Service Award.
In total, during the 2020 growing year, Cass County Master Gardeners volunteered over 1,000 hours of service.
Olson said the Master Gardener Program, offered statewide by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, trains volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in horticulture.
Education courses are available throughout Iowa on a regular basis. Applications for the Fall 2021 Program will open on March 1. For more information on the program, contact Cass County Extension Director Kate Olson, at 712-243-1132 or keolson@iastate.edu.
