The idea began with a program in Snohomish County, Washington, in 1972. The Farm Advisor was unable to handle all the incoming calls from home gardeners and initiated the use of trained volunteers. The Master Gardener Program in California was started in 1979 with pilot projects in Sacramento and Riverside. There are now over 6,000 trained Master Gardeners in California and approximately 60,000 Master Gardeners in 45 States and Canada. The Fresno County Master Gardener Program, serving Fresno and Madera Counties began in 1982 and currently has 250 active Master Gardeners.