Ron Matlock likes to garden as a hobby. He also likes to help others who garden as he works in his job as staff chair and county agent for agriculture at the Saline County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
Matlock, of Benton, has been named the State Master Gardener Agent of the Year for programs of 51 members or more. He received the honor during the 2018 Master Gardener Conference on May 31 through June 2 at the Fort Smith Convention Center.
“If you live long enough, you’ll get some kind of honor,” Matlock said, smiling, when asked about the recent award.
“I do appreciate it. I enjoy working with the Master Gardeners. The Master Gardener program is one of my favorite programs. The club has really grown,” he said.
“Ron Matlock is truly deserving of the title Master Gardener County Agent of the Year,” said Beth Phelps, director of the Ouachita District Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
“Ron has grown the Master Gardener volunteer program in Saline County,” Phelps said. “Through his leadership and training, there are now over 84 Master Gardeners working on 22 garden projects beautifying public areas throughout Saline County and providing regular gardening programs in the library.
“The Saline County Master Gardeners nominated Ron for the 2018 Agent of the Year because of his knowledge, hands-on leadership and dedication to the Master Gardener program.”
Matlock said he enjoys his job.
“I do livestock, as well as agriculture,” he said, adding that he works with local cattle producers, although there are not many in Saline County.
“The biggest thing Saline County is growing these days is people and houses,” he said.
“I do a lot more home service now than I have ever done,” Matlock said. “I get a lot of home landscape calls, too. I don’t mind going out to people’s houses and trying to help them. Sometimes, I can figure it out over the phone, but if there is any doubt, I’ll go out and take a look.
“I also help with 4-H projects. I help with the 4-H livestock judging team and the shooting sports team.”
Matlock said new members are always welcome in the Saline County Master Gardeners program, which is offered by the U of A Cooperative Extension Service to help increase the availability of horticulture information and improve quality of life with horticulture projects. Master Gardeners are volunteers who must successfully complete a 40-hour training class and pursue 40 working hours and 20 education hours in addition to the training class.
“We are getting ready to start online training and Zoom training this fall. I have resisted it until now; I like in-your-face training,” Matlock said.
“Online training is just that. … The trainees sit in front of their computers, at home, and do the class. In the Zoom training, the trainees come into a conference room and watch the training on TV,” he said.
“We still hold our traditional training with Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery and Grant counties because we have to have a minimum of 20 people in the class,” Matlock said. “We do this in January and February.
“People can call our office if they are interested in the Master Gardener program.”
For more information, call (501) 303-5672. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Matlock said local Master Gardeners’ projects include maintaining landscape beds at the Saline County Courthouse, the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce and the Saline County libraries in Benton and Bryant, as well as the annual plant sale, which is also a fundraiser.
“We are always hoping to do more, but we get more requests than we can handle,” he said.
“I grew up in west Kentucky and graduated from North Marshall High School in Calvert City, Kentucky,” Matlock said. “I grew up on a farm. We had cattle and hogs.”
Matlock is a son of Fannie Lienhart, who now lives in Benton, and the late Hubert Matlock Jr., and has one sister, Rita Matlock, who lives in Lonoke and is retired from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
“After high school, I went to Murray State University and graduated in 1971 with a degree in general agriculture,” Ron Matlock said. “I was also in ROTC, so when I graduated, I received a commission in the Army.”
Matlock did his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, then was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.
“I got married in between there. I decided that [a career in the Army] might not be conducive to family life, so I served my three years and got out. My wife, Debbie, was from Arkansas, so we moved to Arkansas … Stuttgart … where I got a job with Hart Seed Co. and then Riceland Foods,” he said.
“Then I decided to go for my master’s degree, and we moved to Fayetteville with two kids and no jobs. I got my master’s degree in general agriculture from the University of Arkansas in 1987 and went to work in poultry science. I was looking at going into the poultry industry; then I got an opportunity to work with the Extension Service,” Matlock said.
“I worked eight years in Russellville as an assistant agent in 4-H and agriculture,” he said. “Then we moved to Arkadelphia, where I was staff chair for three years.
“An opportunity opened up in Pine Bluff, which is Jefferson County, and I worked there as staff chair for three years.”
Matlock was offered the job in Saline County in 2000.
“I came here as staff chair and have been here now 18 years,” he said. “We have two agents, Kris Boulton, who is our agent for family and consumer science, and Stephany Rogers, who is our 4-H agent. Our crackerjack secretary is Jennifer Pruitt. She keeps us in line.”
Matlock said he enjoys spending time with his family.
He and his wife have been married 45 years and have two adult daughters.
The Matlocks’ older daughter, Aimee Hemmer, 45, lives in Benton with her husband, Michael, and their blended family: Madison Green, 16, Jake Green, 14, Payton Green, 13, and Cahill Hemmer, 15.
The Matlocks’ younger daughter, Robin Larsen, 42, lives with her husband, Ryan, in
Benton, with their blended family: Laci Larsen, 15, Luke Larsen, 14, Mallory Shackelford, 14, and Kaitlyn Shackelford, 11.
“I am so blessed,” Matlock said. “All the grandkids live about two minutes from me.”
Matlock told visitors recently that he is planning a vacation trip to Florida.
“All the grandkids are coming, too. We’ve rented a house,” he said.
“My wife is crazy about the ocean,” Matlock said. “I give in every once and awhile and go there with her. We trade off — in September, she will go to Pigeon Forge, [Tennessee], with me to the National Quartet Convention.
“I enjoy listening to Southern gospel music. I go to singings as often as I can. I think my appreciation for the Bible and God’s word led me to gospel singing. I don’t really have a favorite song — it’s all good. I like all of it.”
Matlock said he does not have much spare time to belong to civic groups. The family attends Spring Creek Missionary Baptist Church.