By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The Arkansas Master Gardeners — a group of volunteers committed to beautifying communities throughout the state — celebrated achievements and recognized award winners at its state conference.
GATHERING OF GARDENERS — Arkansas Master Gardeners from around the state gathered to celebrate their achievements and recognize awardees at the Arkansas Master Gardener Conference, held in Hot Springs May 30-June 1. (Division of Agriculture photo.)
The conference, held in Hot Springs May 30-June 1, included education sessions, local garden tours, a garden market, speakers and more.
"We are proud of all of our award recipients and their accomplishments this year," said Randy Forst, extension consumer horticulture educator and Master Gardener coordinator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. "Arkansas Master Gardeners truly make a difference in their communities, and it's important for us to recognize their hard work and the impacts they've made all over the state."
The awards were divided by club size, with smaller clubs having 50 or fewer members and larger clubs having 51 or more.
2024 Master Gardener Award Winners
Rookie of the Year (50- members): Sally Sullivan Cooke, Mississippi County
Rookie of the Year (51+ members): Diann Arington, Garland County
Mimi Cox Mentors of the Year (50- members): Anita Williams, Lonoke County
Mimi Cox Mentors of the Year (51+ members): Patsy Louk, Washington County
Agent of the Year (50- members): Darrin Henderson, Madison County
Agent of the Year (51+ members): Sherri Sanders, White County
Agent of the Year (51+ members): Timothy Wallace, Jefferson County
Individual Friend of the Year (50- members): Mark Tenison, Prairie County
Individual Friend of the Year (51+ members): Mike Carter, Pulaski County
Individual Friend of the Year (51+ members): Gilbert Alvis, Washington County
Business Friend of the Year (50- members): Terri Taylor, owner of the Cozy Nook Studio & Gallery in Lonoke County
Business Friend of the Year (51+ members): Larry and David Freyaldenhoven, owners of Freyaldenhoven Greenhouse in Faulkner County
Newsletter of the Year (50- members): “Growing in Madison County,” Madison County
Newsletter of the Year (51+ members): “Garden Thyme,” Washington County
Excellence in Education (50- members): Manila Elementary School Garden, Mississippi County
Excellence in Education (51+ members): Detention Center Learning Greenhouse, Garland County
Project of the Year (50- members): Plant Sales Events, Madison County
Project of the Year (50+ members): Pioneer Village, White County
2024 Janet B. Carson Scholarship Awards: $2,000 each
The annual scholarships are named in honor of Carson, author and retired extension horticulture specialist. They are awarded to students who plan to attend a college or university in Arkansas and study plant-science related field.
Arkansas County: Carter Hearn, plant and soil science major at Arkansas State University
Saline County: Ian Price, agriculture, plant science major at Arkansas State University – Beebe
Pope County: Taryn McGee, agriculture, business horticulture major at Arkansas Tech University
Greene County: Shaylee Smith, plant and soil science major at Arkansas State University
Master Gardeners of the Year
Angela Ryland from Lonoke County was named Master Gardener of the Year for small programs, and Don Casteel from Benton County was named Master Gardener of the Year for large programs.
Ryland first became a Master Gardener in St. Francis County in 2006, where she was active for seven years. She moved to a community without a Master Gardener program, then joined the Lonoke County program in 2021. In 2023, Ryland completed more than 600 project hours and 95 educational hours, totaling more than $21,000 in volunteer service.
An active leader in her program, Ryland stepped up when her county’s Master Gardener president, vice president, secretary, Facebook page co-editor, and newsletter editor all resigned within two weeks of each other. She currently serves as vice president, project chair for the Lonoke County Extension Office and project chair for the City of Cabot welcome signs, along with several other positions.
“Angela maintains gardens where three to five students join her for planting and harvesting,” Ryland’s nominators wrote. “One of the student’s mothers says her son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and this garden work is therapy for him. Parents are grateful that Angela gives of her time to educate the youth and parents on gardening.”
Ryland works as principal broker for her private real estate firm.
Casteel, Master Gardener of the Year for large programs, joined the Benton County Master Gardeners in 2019. Soon after, he enrolled in the University of Arkansas and earned a master’s of science in agriculture and extension education, graduating in 2021.
In 2023, Casteel completed more than 700 combined volunteer and education hours. Casteel’s nominators describe him as both a team player and a leader who looks for opportunities to step up.
“When the state cancelled the spring training class in 2023 after it had been advertised for several months, Don didn’t want to disappoint the people who had already applied,” Casteel’s nominators wrote. “He spent hundreds of hours setting up a 40-hour class in Benton County that met all state requirements. Not only did he field inquiries from candidates who wanted to take the class, he found and scheduled instructors, gathered materials, coordinated classroom space, invited hospitality to feed the trainees and even taught a few classes himself.”
As a result of that spring training and Casteel’s continued recruitment efforts, the Benton County Master Gardeners had a record-breaking year, with 66 new members joining in 2023.
Friend to Master Gardeners, friend to University of Arkansas System
One Master Gardener received special recognition from Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System. Mike Carter, superintendent of the Pulaski County Cammack Fruit Demonstration Garden, is one of two winners of the 2023 Individual Friend of the Year award for large programs.
Cammack Garden is situated on 40 acres on the grounds of Bobbitt’s private residential home.
“The Master Gardeners have always been extremely kind to share their skills and talents with us at the UA System Cammack Campus, and we have enjoyed a wonderful relationship over the years that I’m grateful to be a part of,” said Bobbitt, who lives on the property with his wife, Susan. “Mike Carter faces a daunting task in managing the Cammack Campus due to its size and the diversity of foliage on the campus. With the help of the Master Gardeners and his positive, hard-working and kind demeanor, he consistently gets the job done. We’re lucky to have Mike and our relationship with the Master Gardeners, and we’re proud that the friendship is being recognized.”
The garden, first developed in 1998, includes fruit varieties developed by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It is maintained by 16 Pulaski County Master Gardeners who meet twice monthly under Carter’s leadership.
“Mike has been a huge supporter of the garden project for 23 years and has demonstrated his vision of the property for educational and cultural purposes,” Carter’s nominators wrote. “He has been a total contributor to the Cammack Project and the surrounding neighborhood, where visitors are always welcomed during the business hours of the administration.”
Carter holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Harding University and is an Arkansas Certified Nurseryman.
To learn more about the Arkansas Master Gardener program, visit uaex.uada.edu/Master-Gardeners, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.