Master Gardeners - Marin County

What Master Gardeners - Marin County does

UC Marin Master Gardeners is a volunteer-driven community education program operating under UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) as part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system. Established in 1986 and headquartered in Novato, California, the organization delivers free, research-based horticulture education to home gardeners across Marin County through a network of University of California-trained and certified volunteer Master Gardeners. The legal entity is The Regents of the University of California, and the program is classified as a public/government-extension entity rather than a private company.

The program's service portfolio consists of educational outreach rather than technology products. Core offerings include diagnostic Plant Clinics (including at the Marin County Fair), topic-specific workshops hosted at San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Larkspur Libraries, an online Help Desk for individualized advice, The Leaflet email newsletter, a YouTube channel, and regular Marin Independent Journal columns. There is no proprietary software, app, API, or SDK; the underlying "technology" is the UC ANR research knowledge base and the trained volunteer workforce that operationalizes it. Topic coverage spans sustainable landscape practices, irrigation efficiency, pest and disease management (e.g., powdery mildew), native and drought-tolerant plant selection, edibles (nuts, strawberries, blueberries, perennials), composting, and aesthetic pruning.

The economic model is non-commercial. All workshops, clinics, and resources are provided free of charge to Marin County residents. Funding flows are limited to two streams: allocations from UC ANR through the Cooperative Extension network and tax-deductible public donations solicited via the give.ucanr.edu platform. The organization reports 15 employees (a small staff coordinating a much larger volunteer base) and does not disclose revenue figures. GTM motion is community-led: awareness is generated through earned media, library venues, the Marin County Fair, and word of mouth; engagement is delivered through workshops and plant clinics; and the volunteer pipeline is refreshed annually via the formal UC Master Gardener training program. As of 2026, the program is in its 40th year of continuous operation, with no geographic or vertical expansion pursued beyond Marin County.

Name

Master Gardeners - Marin County

Legal name

The Regents of the University of California

Website

https://marinmg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UC Marin Master Gardeners is a University of California-trained volunteer program under UC ANR that provides free, research-based horticulture education to home gardeners across Marin County through plant clinics, library workshops, a Help Desk, and a newsletter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Horticultural Education Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Horticulture, Nursery & Greenhouse Operations (EDAOAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Pruning, Deadheading & Plant Health Maintenance (Non-tree) (HSAIAFAI), Tree & Shrub Fertilization & Plant Health Care (PHC) (HSAIAGAG)

Keywords

• Research-based gardening education
• Horticulture extension services
• Home gardening advice
• Sustainable landscaping guidance
• Community gardening programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Marin County

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Tax-Deductible Contributions: The program accepts tax-deductible donations from the public to support the Master Gardener program operations and educational initiatives.
2. University of California System Funding: As part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), the program receives funding through the University of California system's Cooperative Extension network which extends research and expertise into California communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UC Marin Master Gardeners provides free, research-based horticultural education and gardening advice to Marin County residents through trained volunteer Master Gardeners. Services include an online Help Desk, public library workshops, plant clinics, and a volunteer training program, all backed by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources research.

Product overview

UC Marin Master Gardeners is a volunteer educational organization under UC Agriculture and Natural Resources that provides research-based gardening knowledge and information to Marin County residents. The organization does not offer technology products but rather delivers educational services including Master Gardener training programs, plant clinics, community workshops, and educational publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program
• Gardening Help Desk
• Public Library Workshops
• Plant Clinics

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Marin Master Gardeners is an official program of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, operating under the UC Cooperative Extension system. UC ANR provides the research backbone, administrative support, and programmatic framework for the Master Gardener volunteer training and community education activities.
• San Rafael Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Rafael Public Library serves as a venue host for UC Marin Master Gardener workshops and educational events. The library provides meeting space for programs like 'Prepping for Spring' and the Civic Center Branch hosts events such as 'Native Ground Covers'.
• Mill Valley LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMill Valley Library partners with UC Marin Master Gardeners to host workshops including 'Intro to Pruning California Natives'. The library provides venue space and handles event registration through its LibCal system.
• Larkspur LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarkspur Library partners with UC Marin Master Gardeners to host educational workshops. The library served as sponsor and venue for the 'Backyard Composting' workshop presented by Master Gardener Joan Irwin.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Florida IFAS Extension Master Gardener Program: A large statewide land-grant extension Master Gardener program. Comparable cooperative-extension structure delivering research-based horticulture education via trained volunteers.
• Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener Program: A long-established statewide university-extension Master Gardener program outside California. Operates the same volunteer-researcher hybrid model at significantly larger scale across Oregon.

Direct peers

• UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Bay Area peer chapter under the same UC ANR umbrella. Comparable volunteer-driven education model targeting home gardeners with research-based sustainable landscaping and pest management content.
• UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo / San Francisco County: Adjacent UC Master Gardener program serving San Mateo and San Francisco counties. Closely comparable mission, funding, and volunteer-delivered community horticulture programming.
• UC Master Gardeners of Alameda County: Another Bay Area UC Master Gardener chapter delivering research-based horticulture education through volunteer networks. Directly comparable in structure, funding model (UC ANR + donations), and programming mix (plant clinics, workshops, help desk).
• UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County: A sibling UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program serving adjacent Sonoma County. Operates the same UC ANR-aligned model of volunteer-delivered horticultural education, plant clinics, and workshops — making it the closest comparable peer.

Emerging players

• San Francisco Botanical Garden: A public botanical institution offering horticultural education, workshops, and plant-related programming. Comparable educational mission around sustainable and regional horticulture, though operating as a garden venue rather than a volunteer-extension program.
• California Native Plant Society: A statewide nonprofit focused on California native plants, conservation, and education. Overlaps with UC Marin Master Gardeners' native plant and drought-tolerant gardening education content.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UCMarinMasterGardeners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/master-gardeners---marin-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 - Marin County