The Jefferson County Master Gardener Association is a group of lay gardeners, trained and sponsored by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, who provide leadership and service to the community through gardening activities. In these pages you can learn more about what we do, how you can benefit, and how you can help.
GPIC
Among our many community service projects is staffing the help line at the Gary Gerlach Plant Information Center (GPIC).
The Master Gardener program is part of the United States' Cooperative Extension Service's mission to "take the university to the people."
The Jefferson County, Alabama, Extension Office started teaching the first Master Gardener courses in 1983.
The Jefferson County Master Gardener Association was started on October 3, 1991 when Dave Bradford, County Agent and Coordinator for the Jefferson County Master Gardener program, invited interested Master Gardeners to meet for the purpose of forming an association. Attending along with the 29 charter members were Ms. Sandra Williams, Agent-assistant for Jefferson County Extension; Dr. Dave Williams, Extension Horticulturist, Auburn University; Dave Bradford, County Agent for Jefferson County Master Gardener Program; David Henderson, Horticulture instructor, Jefferson Sate Community College; and Gary Gerlach, Director of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
The November 6, 1991 meeting featured the election of officers for the association. Serving as officers the first year of the association were President Chuck Farmer, Vice President Richmond Stephens, and Secretary-Treasurer Ann Raburn.
