The structure of the Master Gardener program has its roots in the Smith-Lever Act of the United States Congress which helped create the Cooperative Extension. This Cooperative Extension was to be a partnership among the federal, state, and local governments. Through land-grant institutions such as Penn State University, the act was "to aid in diffusing among the people of the various states, useful and practical information on subjects related to agriculture and home economics; and to encourage the application of the same". In 1972, Dr. David Gibby and Dr. Arlen Davison of King County Extension, Seattle, Washington, initiated a program of volunteers to help ease their growing load of gardening questions. Philip N. Rhinehart of Clearfield County Extension, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, read an article on the Master Gardener Program and conveyed the idea to his Extension Director, Harold R. Bock. Bock in turn proposed the idea to Penn State. As a result, the first Master Gardener class in Pennsylvania completed their training in 1982.

 

 

The Master Gardener program in Clarion County is based in the Clarion County Cooperative Extension Office at 8 Grant Street, Clarion, PA. Patricia Gordon Anderson is the County Extension Director. The Clarion County Cooperative Extension is also a member Cooperative Extension in the Northwest Region.