Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

What Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia does

Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia (MGNV) is a nonprofit volunteer organization that has operated since approximately 1985 as the Arlington/Alexandria unit of Virginia Cooperative Extension, a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the USDA, and local governments. The organization delivers free horticultural education and gardening advisory services to home gardeners in its two-city service area through a Help Desk staffed by trained Extension Master Gardener volunteers, plant clinics at farmers markets and libraries, eleven public demonstration gardens, a Speakers Bureau, a Youth Education Program (YEP!), and a Seed Project. Core programmatic offerings include the Master Gardener Virtual Classroom (an online video library), Native Plants Fact Sheets for the Mid-Atlantic, Integrated Pest Management guides, and a Climate Change Gardening Resources series, all distributed through the mgnv.org website and YouTube channels.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a WordPress-based content hub, a virtual classroom of recorded video presentations, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky), and physical demonstration sites — there are no proprietary software products, APIs, or paid platforms. The business model is a donation-funded nonprofit with all public services provided free of charge; the only fee in the ecosystem is a third-party $10 soil test processed by Virginia Tech. Revenue is sourced from community donations via a dedicated 'Support MGNV' page and in-kind volunteer labor, with no membership tiers, program fees, or commercial contracts. Customers are a long tail of individual residents, supplemented by secondary beneficiaries such as youth through YEP! and the Arlington Food Assistance Center, which receives produce donations from the Organic Vegetable Garden at Potomac Overlook Park.

Name

Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

Legal name

Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

Website

https://mgnv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia is a nonprofit volunteer organization affiliated with Virginia Cooperative Extension that provides free, research-based gardening education, plant diagnostics, and demonstration gardens to home gardeners in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Horticulture Education and Extension Services

NAICS

Landscaping Services (56173)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance (HSAIAFAM), Seasonal Color & Flower Rotation (Spring/Fall Plantings) (HSAIAFAE), Seasonal Color, Planting & Horticultural Services (BPABADAL)

Keywords

• Volunteer gardening education
• Horticultural extension services
• Demonstration gardens
• Native plant resources
• Community gardening programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: As a nonprofit Extension program affiliated with Virginia Cooperative Extension, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia relies on donations and community support to fund programming, demonstration gardens, and educational materials. The organization has a dedicated 'Support MGNV' page for contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia is a volunteer-driven nonprofit Extension program that provides free research-based gardening education and advice to residents of Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia. Its offerings include a Help Desk staffed by trained volunteers, public demonstration gardens, a virtual classroom with recorded video classes, plant clinics at farmers markets, native plant fact sheets, youth education, and a speakers bureau — all delivered free of charge under the Virginia Cooperative Extension umbrella.

Product overview

Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia operates as a volunteer educational organization affiliated with Virginia Cooperative Extension, offering a portfolio of educational programs and resources focused on sustainable gardening, native plants, and environmental stewardship in the Arlington/Alexandria area. The core offerings include the Master Gardener Virtual Classroom (online video-based education), multiple Demonstration Gardens (physical garden sites for hands-on learning), the EMG Help Desk and Plant Clinics (diagnostic and advisory services), the Youth Education Program (YEP!), the VCE Speakers Bureau (community presentations), the Seed Project (seed saving and sharing), Climate Change Gardening Resources (climate adaptation education), and Native Plants Fact Sheets (plant selection guidance). These programs collectively support home gardeners through instruction, diagnostics, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Gardener Virtual Classroom An online educational platform providing recorded video classes and virtual learning resources on sustainable landscaping, native plants, climate-conscious gardening, and integrated pest management for home gardeners in Northern Virginia.
• Demonstration Gardens A network of physical public garden sites across Arlington and Alexandria (including Glencarlyn Library Community Garden, Jerome 'Buddie' Ford Native Garden, Organic Vegetable Garden, Simpson Park Demonstration Garden, Quarry Shade Garden, Small Space Garden, Sunny Garden, and others) used for educational purposes and community outreach.
• EMG Help Desk and Plant Clinics A diagnostic and advisory service staffed by Extension Master Gardener volunteers providing plant identification, pest diagnosis, and sustainable gardening guidance to home gardeners via in-person consultations, phone, email, and plant clinics at farmers markets and libraries.
• Youth Education Program (YEP!) Educational programming for children and youth including the 4-H Junior Master Gardener Program, school garden support through FOUA, and demonstration garden scavenger hunts.
• Native Plants Fact Sheets An extensive collection of native plant fact sheets for the Mid-Atlantic region, organized by plant type including annuals, bulbs, ferns, grasses, sedges, ground covers, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vines, used by home gardeners for plant selection.
• VCE Speakers Bureau A roster of trained Master Gardener speakers available to present educational programs on gardening topics to community groups, clubs, and organizations.
• Seed Project A program promoting seed saving and sharing, including the Glencarlyn Garden Seed Library, to preserve plant diversity and support community gardening.
• Climate Change Gardening Resources An educational content series addressing climate change impacts on gardening, including adaptive strategies, carbon footprint reduction, water management, and sustainable landscaping practices for home gardeners.
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Resources Educational materials and guides covering pest identification, organic and chemical control methods, and wildlife management for home gardeners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of pounds of produce donated to Arlington Food Assistance Center annually from the Organic Vegetable Garden
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech, Virginia State University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the USDA, and local governments. Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia is the Arlington/Alexandria unit of VCE. This affiliation provides research-based resources, soil testing through Virginia Tech's lab, and the Extension Master Gardener training curriculum.
• Landscape for LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape for Life is based on the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES™), led by American Society of Landscape Architects, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and United States Botanic Garden. MGNV uses the Landscape for Life curriculum for sustainable landscaping education.
• Arlington County LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Arlington libraries including Duncan Library (garden) and Glencarlyn Library (community garden, seed library, educational videos, Wednesday Garden Talks program).
• Fairlington Community CenterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFairlington Community Center at 3308 S Stafford St, Arlington, VA houses the Master Gardener Help Desk office and serves as a primary location for programming.
• Plant NOVA NativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional native plant education campaign covering Northern Virginia. MGNV collaborates with Plant NOVA Natives for native plant resources, fact sheets, vendor lists, and Spanish-language materials (Plant NOVA Native Español).
• Virginia Native Plant SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVNPS propagating beds at Green Spring Gardens accept plastic pots for recycling and serve as educational resources. MGNV shares educational content and resources with VNPS.
• Arlington Food Assistance CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFAC receives produce donations from the Master Gardeners' Organic Vegetable Garden at Potomac Overlook Park. The OVG produces hundreds of pounds of vegetables annually that are donated to support food security in Arlington.
• Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMGNV collaborates with FOUA on school gardens initiatives and shares the FOUA YouTube channel for educational content related to urban agriculture and school gardens.
• Fairlington Community CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fairlington Community Center for Help Desk operations, membership meetings, and Brown Bag presentations for Master Gardeners.
• 4 THE SOILminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Cooperative Extension and VCE Master Gardeners are organizational partners of 4 THE SOIL, which promotes soil health through four principles: keep soil covered, minimize soil disturbance, maximize living roots, and energize with diversity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Penn State Extension Master Gardeners: One of the largest and most established Master Gardener programs in the U.S., run through Penn State Extension. Comparable as a land-grant-affiliated volunteer horticulture education program with similar Help Desk, demonstration garden, and public class offerings.
• Virginia Cooperative Extension: MGNV's parent organization and the broader Extension umbrella across Virginia. Directly comparable as the statewide network that MGNV operates within; serves the same audience with overlapping horticultural education and master gardener volunteer programs.
• American Horticultural Society: National nonprofit promoting horticulture education and gardening across the U.S. Comparable as a higher-tier horticultural education organization with overlapping mission in sustainable gardening, plant science, and community gardening programs.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: National native plant research and education institution, co-leader of the Sustainable Sites Initiative that underpins MGNV's Landscape for Life curriculum. Comparable in mission (native plant education and sustainable landscaping) at a national scale.

Direct peers

• Plant NOVA Natives: Northern Virginia's regional native plant education coalition that MGNV partners with directly. Highly comparable in audience (regional homeowners), topic (native landscaping), and delivery (volunteer-led education and resources).
• Virginia Native Plant Society: Statewide nonprofit focused on native plant conservation and education, with whom MGNV shares resources and educational content. Comparable in mission (native plant promotion) and target audience (Virginia gardeners and naturalists).
• Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA): Arlington-based nonprofit advancing urban agriculture and school gardens, with whom MGNV collaborates on youth programming. Comparable as a hyper-local community gardening nonprofit serving overlapping Northern Virginia audiences.
• University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners: Maryland's equivalent Master Gardener program run through the state's land-grant Extension. Mirrors MGNV's research-backed horticultural education and volunteer structure while serving the adjacent Mid-Atlantic region.
• Fairfax County Master Gardeners: Another VCE-affiliated Master Gardener unit in Northern Virginia. Operates with the same volunteer-based Help Desk, demonstration gardens, and public education programming, making it a near-twin to MGNV in structure and mission.
• Loudoun County Master Gardeners: A fellow Virginia Master Gardener unit within VCE serving Northern Virginia. Identical model of volunteer-driven horticulture education, demonstration gardens, and Help Desk services in an adjacent county, making it the most directly comparable peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/mgnv-extension.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC11Fnc3rfFGAq5HpT4NYOQg?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/VCEAAMasterGardeners
• Instagraminstagram.com/mgnvsocialmedia/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/master-gardeners-of-northern-virginia-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia