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In His Own Words

Larry Kloze has been a Master Gardener for nearly 25 years

Image Credit: Meg Dibley

September 20, 2012 Meg Dibley, Sara Gavin

Veteran Master Gardener Larry Kloze of Baltimore is passionate about passing on his love for food gardening.

"I really believe in simplicity and self-sufficiency and it’s been my life’s practice," said Kloze. "I became a Master Gardener and I gave those skills to other people so they too could become more self-sufficient."

Hear Kloze in his own words explain how the Master Gardener program serves communities through University of Maryland Extension (UME):

The UME Master Gardener Program was started in 1978 as a means of extending the horticultural and pest management expertise of UME to the general public. Today, this popular program can be found in 18 Maryland counties, Baltimore City, and two Maryland prisons.

The program is designed to train volunteer horticultural educators throughout Maryland. Participants receive 40-50 hours of basic training from University of Maryland professionals and then agree to work in their communities to teach others how to cultivate garden spaces and manage landscapes sustainably using research-based information. This environmental horticulture approach reduces fertilizer and pesticide use resulting in improved soil and water quality.

For more information, visit http://mastergardener.umd.edu.