Joyce Riney was recently named Kentucky’s Outstanding Master Gardener of the Year. State extension offices award the accolade statewide to individuals who have demonstrated passion, hard work, and contributions to the gardening community.
The Master Gardener program offers three annual award categories: Outstanding Master Gardener Project, Outstanding Master Gardener Organization, and Outstanding Master Gardener. Nominees are selected by their local Master Gardener organizations and submitted to a state board for consideration.
Riney has been an integral part of the Daviess County Master Gardeners and expressed her humility when receiving the award.
“It’s kind of humbling, to be honest,” Riney said. “When you work side by side with people who are just as dedicated, it feels like it’s not just my award but something the entire chapter can share.”
Riney grew up in the city and began her gardening journey after marrying her husband, Jim, who introduced her to gardening during their early years together.
“We had our first garden at his grandparents’ house while we were waiting for job calls,” Riney recalled. “It became something that just got into my blood.”
The Master Gardener program requires volunteers to log both educational and volunteer hours each year, which are tracked through an app called Track it Forward. These hours are then reported to the Extension Service, providing a measure of the value volunteers contribute to the community. Riney and other volunteers have participated in various projects, from partnering with the Daviess County Public Library to operating a seed library and conducting soil tests.
Riney also supports the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden near her home and works on UK test plots. She described the process of nurturing a seed into a thriving plant as magical.
“We used to grow flowers and evaluate them for recommendations on what grows best in our area,” she said. “It’s good information and great practice for us. It also makes you appreciate creation.”
As for the award, Riney’s gratitude remains grounded in the community of gardeners she works with.
“You can’t do one thing by yourself,” she said. “When you take the award back to your chapter, it really feels like you’re handing it off to them.”
