(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Master Gardeners kicked of their 2022 year with a new slate of officers, new members and a regional award for their outgoing president. At their meeting in late January, the group welcomed new members Lori Anderson and Kolton Hewlett as new members. Both recently completed the Master Gardener training course, consisting of 40 hours of online education delivered in September-November of 2021. After successfully completing the course post-test, Anderson and Hewlett begin their year as Master Gardener interns, who will complete 40 hours of community service activity to become full Master Gardeners.

The Master Gardener class is offered annually through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Cass County is planning to host another session of the course beginning in August of 2022. Also recognized at the meeting was immediate past-president Cathy Booth, who received the Southwest Iowa Exceptional Volunteer Service Award. The award is given to one Extension volunteer in Southwest Iowa; and is a new award in 2022. Cathy was recognized for two terms as president of the Cass County Master Gardeners, including leadership during the pandemic to keep group members active and connected.

In addition, over the last 12 years, Cathy has averaged 95 hours of service reported each year, well exceeding the required 20 hours to maintain her active status. She is also an integral part of the food donation work the Master Gardeners are involved in across the county- growing, transporting and collaborating to connect fresh produce to those who need it.

The Cass County Master Gardeners are also planning many activities for the upcoming spring and summer. The Spring Garden Seminar returns in 2022, with a theme of “Gardening from the Ground Up!” This event will be held on Saturday, March 19th and registration is now open. The date for their annual spring plant sale has been set for Saturday May 14th, and their summer bus tour will take place on Wednesday June 8th. Additional activities to support garden education, food access and community improvement are also in the works for 2022.

The group uses funds from their plant sales and other activities to fund many projects including scholarships and community grants. Applications are now open for the horticulture scholarships, available to high-school seniors or older students who are completing post-secondary studies in a horticulture related field. Applications for the scholarships are due April 1.

For more information on any of the upcoming events, scholarships or grants, including information on becoming a Master Gardener, contact the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or visit them online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. Questions can also be directed to Extension Director Kate Olson by email at keolson@iastate.edu.