Our Impact
Kansas Extension Master Gardener volunteers grow with the needs of their communities, teaching neighbors how to grow food, care for plants, and steward the land around them. Rooted in research-based education, the program extends the reach of K-State Extension by bringing unbiased, science-based horticulture knowledge directly to Kansans. Through workshops, community projects, and everyday conversations, Extension Master Gardener volunteers help people put that knowledge to work in ways that matter.
Year in Review
In 2025, Kansas Extension Master Gardener volunteers reached 153,936 people directly and donated 65,476 pounds of produce to neighbors facing food insecurity. That work was carried out by 1,684 volunteers across 50 counties, who together logged 129,483 hours of service, a contribution valued at $3.9 millon. Behind every number is a volunteer who showed up and a Kansan who walked away more connected to their food, their community, and the land we call home.
Local Impact
Across Kansas, Extension Master Gardener volunteers meet people where they are, from farmer's markets and food pantries to school gardens and senior centers. In 2025, our programs reached 1 in every 15 Kansas adults with education and support across a wide range of horticulture topics, including nutrition security, pollinator health and habitat, and resilient landscaping. Here is a look at three stories from around the state.
 Great Bend, Kansas |
Seed Library Establishment Builds Momentum for Garden Expansion Impact
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 Newton, Kansas |
Giving Garden at St. Matthew's Fights Food Insecurity Impact
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 Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Kansas |
Seedling Distribution Lays Groundwork for Future Programs Impact
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Sedgwick County Master Gardener Program
Receives International Award
Volunteers in Sedgwick County developed a hands-on, science-based program to teach youth and adults about the vital role trees play in Kansas communities. Their project, "How Trees Drink, Breathe and Grow," was named a 2025 David Gibby Search for Excellence award winner at the International Master Gardener Conference.
K-State Vegetable Variety Trials
For more than 30 years, Kansas Extension Master Gardener volunteers have partnered with Kansas State University horticulture specialists and seed companies to conduct vegetable variety trials across the state. Testing how new varieties perform in Kansas's variable climate, volunteers help translate research into practical guidance that supports gardening success and community food security. This long-running collaboration is one example of how the Master Gardener program extends that reach of K-State Extension, putting un-biased, reasearch-based knowledge to work in Kansas communities.