Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Sheri Crabtree
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Many people are not able to attend Kentucky State University horticulture extension events for a variety of reasons- work schedules, family obligations, distance to travel; or may have difficulty participating in field tours due to mobility, health issues, or sensitivity to heat or cold. At the KSU September 2019 Third Thursday Thing, with the topic of horticulture and pawpaws, we utilized technology to help mitigate these issues. For the first time, the entire event was videoed and live s
Author: Bethany Pratt
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Gardening does so much more than produce food. At Volunteers of America (VOA), incarcerated adults participated in gardening to help in their recovery. Led by Extension volunteer and UK alumnus, Dave, over the course of the summer, sixty different people got to experience some aspect of seasonal gardening. About 80% of the participants had some previous gardening experience and the other 20% got to experience gardening for the first time. Working out in the garden allowed experienced partic
Author: Robert Amburgey
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The extension office has been working closely with the Bath County Farmer's Market group to provide more marketing opportunities, increased farm revenue and growth in the number of local producers who are participating. Over the past 2 years a number of initiatives have taken place. The farmer's market developed their own Facebook page, maintained by members of the market, where updates can be made almost instantly. The page has allowed local consumers to view what prod
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Liberty Place is a women’s drug rehabilitation center located in Madison County, Kentucky. Residents live at the facility. The average stay is nine months.For the past four years, the Madison County Cooperative Extension Agent for Horticulture has worked with residents on a gardening project at the facility. The Agent does an initial gardening class for interested participants in March. After the classroom portion of the meeting, residents get hands on experience by planting seeds and plan
Author: Paul Sizemore
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Growing fruit trees and producing fruit at home has not only been a hobby of many locals in this region for many years but is also provides healthy and nutritious food in the long run. Fruit trees bought can range in price from $20 to $30 each plus shipping and handling charges. Growers can graft fruit trees onto roots that are better adapted to this area for as little as $1 to $2 per tree. The Owsley County Extension Office has provided fruit tree grafting workshops for years. In the last three
Author: Lori Bowling
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Horticulture Therapy is defined as the art of cultivating plants to promote the well-being of humans. It is the use of horticulture activities that are used to enhance therapy and rehabilitation efforts but it is also useful to help enhance overall health and individuals overall well-being. The Horticulture agent and the Nutrition Education Program (NEP) Assistant in Boyd County partnered together to offer a Recovery Garden program with the residents of Sanibel House, an addiction re
Author: Heather Graham
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Several studies have been done to show the effect flowers have on people and stress. A study from Rutgers University shows that flowers improve emotional health. Harvard University Medical School has a study that shows the "home ecology" of flowers- the effects of flowers in the home on personal well-being.Having a floral design class seemed like a great opportunity for people to come together, learn about their own flower gardens, how to best cut and keep fresh flowers, as well as how
Author: Shane Bogle
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Farmers often have questions they want demonstrated instead of simply answered, which can be best implemented on their own farms rather than on university research plots. As they watch the demonstration unfold on their own farms, they can gain more valuable information from such experience-based learning than can be delivered in a workshop or meeting. These real-world experiences can then be passed on to neighbors and friends through farm tours and field days, with hands on learning activities.
Author: Bethany Pratt
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Jefferson Co. Agent for Horticulture Education collaborated with the Urban Conservationist with Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District and local non-profit, Louisville Grows to host the Urban Homesteading Workshop Series. The goal of the program was to introduce the art of self-sufficiency via homegrown food production for people living in an urban environment. Classes met twice a month, March.-Oct. of 2019 with a celebration in November. 2019 was the second year t
Author: Glenna Wooten
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In the spring of 2019, the Perry County Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences agent offered a class on Gardening Options for Everyone. This lesson covered gardening basics such as soil, light, and drainage as well as spacing, planting depth, and caring for plants. Since many people in southeastern Kentucky now have only one or two in the household, a large garden is no longer the best option for them. Smaller container gardens or raised bed gardens are better opti
Author: Jessica Hopkins
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
With an increased interest in home and consumer horticulture, WUKY (91.3 FM), the University of Kentucky’s public radio station, approached the Agricultural Communications Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. The station wanted a gardening program to broadcast on Sunday mornings. Jeff Franklin, Agriculture Communications specialist reached out to Horticulture Extension Agents within central Kentucky to assist with this request. A partners
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Due to an increased interest in home and consumer horticulture from their listeners, WUKY (91.3 FM), the University of Kentucky’s public radio station, approached the Agriculture Communications Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment about creating a gardening program for their station. Jeff Franklin, Agriculture Communications Specialist, contacted the horticulture agents in central Kentucky to see if they would be willing to record sessions to be aired on the stati
Author: Chris Ammerman
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
According for Feed America, Kentucky has a food insecurity rate of 18% for children and 15% for the overall population. Grant County has a 37% population that are below the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program threshold of 130% of poverty. The county had a strong need for gardening and food preservation. The Grant County Nutrition Education Program in conjunction with Grant County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences, Grant County Community Action Agency and Grant County Master Gardeners
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Madison County Horticulture Agent offered a class in December teaching how to make a holiday centerpiece using greenery that can be harvested from your landscape. The Agent worked with two master gardeners, each with a background in floral design, who taught the class. The master gardeners demonstrated basic concepts in floral design. After their demonstration, the participants had the opportunity to make their own centerpieces using greenery that the Agent and master gardener club had
Author: Carol Hinton
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Another successful year in the booksA young farmer entrepreneur completed his third year raising poinsettias. We stay in constant contact during the growing season with his tobacco plants which leads right into planting his poinsettias in the middle of August. During the first two years of growing we ran into issues with Pythium root rot that I diagnosed on site with a DINOLITE. After reviewing his production practices and working with the UK Plant Pathologist t we narrowed dow
Author: Michele Stanton
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Kenton and the surrounding counties are growing; woodlands, farms and pastures are being turned into subdivisions. Many newer residents are not aware of the area’s agricultural heritage, nor do they know that much farming still occurs here. Fewer and fewer children or their parents understand where their food comes from, and many have never been to a farm. In an effort to connect more residents with both the county’s agriculture and its agricultural heritage, Kenton County Exten
Author: Bethany Pratt
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Horticulture Agent has been leading a weekly gardening program at the Women’s Healing Place since the Spring of 2016. The leadership of the program has undergone some changes since 2016, but since 2019 the need to develop a stronger leadership structure that is less dependent on Extension has become apparent. Starting in the winter of 2019, the Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer began working with the garden meeting participants to develop a more sustainable leadership st
Author: April Wilhoit
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Plant Camp- Collaboration with Fleming County ANR and 4-H Agents, Robertson County ANR/4-H Agent, and Nicholas County ANR/4-H Agent. Through this cross-cultural “garden to table” experience, youth members had the opportunity to observe international gardening techniques, learn about fruits and vegetables from across the globe, and compare and contrast food preparation methods. Through this program, Cooperative Extension Agents reached a
Author: Carol Hinton
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Breckinridge County population is comprised of approximately 20% seniors (over the age of 65). Many are dealing with life changes which can include loss, reduced mobility, and change in living situations. The Breckinridge County Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Breckinridge County Master Gardeners partnered with the Breckinridge Memorial Nursing Facility to conduct a horticulture therapy program. The partners worked to install several raised beds, made at an
Author: Curtis Judy
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
A new disease, laurel wilt, was diagnosed in southwestern Kentucky in the summer of 2019, and it has the potential to rapidly kill sassafras trees. The area around Trenton in southern Todd County appears to be the area worst affected at this time. Laurel wilt is a fungal disease caused by the invasive pathogen Raffaelea lauricola. The disease is transmitted by the wood-boring redbay ambrosia beetle; which prior to the diagnosis of laurel wilt in this area, was only known to exi
Author: Keith Center
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Eastern Kentucky has the highest food insecurity in the United States. In Elliott County 1,610 individuals (21.0%) of the county population are not sure where their next meal will come from. There is a steady increase in interest from clientele wanting to know how they can become more self-sufficient by growing their own food. Furthermore, Elliott County is a rural county that has at least a 30 minute drive to a city with a large supermarket. With that being said there are 363 farms in Elliott C
Author: Keith Hackworth
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
According to the needs and at the direction of our leadership, Extension has been collaborating with the local County Conservation District on several programs and events during the year. The first one is a soil testing program. We have been educating our clientele about the importance of testing. Another program is our annual Gardening – Seed Give Away Program. Attendees learn some of the basics of gardening, visits educational booth and exhibits, and receive vegetable seeds for planting.
Author: Lorin Fawns
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Coronavirus pandemic has caused our program needs to shift toward online education to meet the requests of our clients. Even though the pandemic has caused us to change the way we offer programs it has not changed our will to teach our community. The horticulture agent and program assistant for Mason County modified programs to have them available through Facebook & Zoom and offers packets of information for those who cannot join online. Classes are offered once a week for adults and chi
Author: Ricardo Bessin
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
With the arrival of the sugarcane aphid, growers face loosing their entire crop to this new invasive pest.The first years it was in Kentucky, some growers did realize total losses of their crops. While sweet sorghum is grown on approximately 2,000 acres in the country, we are the leading state and it may generate as much as $10,000,000. Since 2016, working with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, we have annually petitioned the EPA to allow our growers to use the insecticide Sivanto Prime un
Author: Roger Mollette
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Martin County Extension Service works with The Grow Appalachia organization and together they address food insecurity for families focused on organic gardening practices.The Grow Appalachia program has successfully created opportunities for fresh produce to be grown and used/preserved by families in the program. This program allowed the Extension Service to assist thirty-five families to produce and preserve food produced from their gardens. Many of these families could not have had a
Author: Bryce Roberts
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
After moving into our new educational facility in 2013, the Spencer County Cooperative Extension Council decided in 2017 to start the process of developing the 10 acres around our office. In the spring of 2018, a University of Kentucky Landscape Architecture student used our facility as his senior project and he presented his ideas for the development at a council meeting later that spring. After the initial
Author: Laura Maggard
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
COVID-19 has posed challenges for Extension Outreach. Agents have had to think outside the box in terms of programming, supporting our clientele, and staying safe and healthy ourselves. The Lawrence County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) decided to keep things positive in the community and direct peoples attention from the news to how they can learn to be more self-sufficient. During times like these, communities are looking for hope and comfort, and also how to becom
Author: Chadwick Conway
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In the efforts to help our community, the Knott County Extension Agricultural and Natural Resource (ANR) Agent provides an annual gardening programs in the spring. However, with this year's spring season, the COVID-19 Pandemic caused the traditional home gardening workshops to be canceled and then revised. As the pandemic has affected the food demand, and the rising cost of food, many folks in our area are making plans to begin gardening or to expand their existing gardens. As the agent saw
Author: Lori Bowling
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In February the Boyd County Master Gardeners made up 850 grab bags of garden seed that had been donated by the local Rural King store for a large tri-state Home and Garden Show that is host to over 50 vendors and approximately 75,000 visitors during the 3 day event. Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the cancellation of this event, the extension office was left with all of these grab bags full of seed and no events were being held to hand them out. With spring garden season only a month
Author: Susan Fox
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In coping with the COVID-19 crisis home horticulture educational programs were moved to online formats. A fruit tree and blueberry pruning demonstration was presented using Facebook Live. Seven people watched the presentation live, two people stated that Daniel Becker presented excellent information. On Facebook 369 people were reached with 78 engagements and 172 views.A home strawberry production class also taught by Daniel Becker, was conducted using Zoom. Seven people watched online. Four var
Author: Ricardo Bessin
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Worrking with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the IR-4 project, I initiated the submission of the first state local needs requests to provide pesticides tools to Kentucky hemp producers to control common insect pests. Kentucky is the first state to acquire these 24(c) pesticides which helps to gain our producers an advantage. Prior to this, no pesticides had been available to produce hemp. These prepresented the first state locals needs registrations in the country. We now have 5 pest
Author: Andrea Stith
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Horticulture agents, headed by Andrea Stith and Amy Aldenderfer, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons. The live webinars are Wednesdays at 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET and. Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30-minute lesson to the general public, with time at the end for questions. All the presentations are re
Author: Chelsey Anderson
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
After many discussions with the Family and Consumer Science agent, it was decided that we needed to offer some educational programming on an online platform. Currently the Family and Consumer agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources agent, and SNAP-ED assistant were organizing take out bags for folks to pick up once a week with activities in them, but this would be for a different group of clientele. With that, it was determined that we would do two online series through Google Classroom. The fi
Author: Bonnie Sigmon
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
East KY Plant SalesEastern Kentucky has very few resources for locally grown fruit plants at a reasonable price. The Extension Agents of 22 counties and Wise County Virginia come together to each year to do a bulk order of strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, asparagus and candy onion transplants. The combination of that many orders makes it possible for deep discounts to the customer. For example if a customer only wants 50 strawberry plant and orders directly
Author: David Koester
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The non-commercial Boone County Horticulture Advisory Council requested we continue our programs of teaching classes on specific vegetable and fruit crops and provide attendees cultivars of plants discussed in class. The council recommended we cover onions, strawberries, and blueberries for spring 2020. A fee was charged for each class to cover the wholesale cost of plants and materials.The reason for selecting these 3 crops was people continually plant the wrong type of onion for Kentucky
Author: Faye Kuosman
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In the past five to 10 years, researchers estimate that pollinator populations have declined between 30 to 60%, depending on the pollinator. While much of the attention has focused on dwindling honeybee populations due to colony collapse disorder, native bee populations, butterflies including the monarch, and many other pollinator species, are also on the decline. Habitat loss due to urban and suburban sprawl is one of the main reasons.In an effort to help offset the loss of habitat for pollinat
Author: Faye Kuosman
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The COVID-19 Pandemic demonstrates the fragility of our food system. Although plenty of food is being produced, there is a bottleneck in distribution. As a result, Kentuckians are coming together to not only support local agriculture but also have an increased interest in growing their own food in home or community gardens. As a response to this interest, the Woodford County Horticulture and Family and Consumer Sciences Agent partnered to distribute Family Garden Kits, Container Garden Kits, and
Author: Jason Phillips
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Simpson County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development work jointly to provide new programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. One such programming opportunity has been the “Drive Thru Container Garden Kits”. This year, many people have been interested in growing their own produce to provide for their families, enjoy a fun and educational family activity and make the most of additional time they may have on their hands. This prov
Author: Jessica Hopkins
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In the spring of 2020, with the ongoing threat of COVID-19, in an effort to control the virus, Extension Offices, along with countless other places of business were forced to close their doors to foot traffic, in-person meetings, and classes for over two months. With so much traditional face-to-face interaction with clientele, this made the job of an extension agent quite challenging. During this time agents were encouraged to use virtual means to communicate with and provide virtua
Author: Jay Hettmansperger
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Garrard County ANR agent has been conducting a fruit tree grafting class every spring for several years. Many of the participants have attended several of the programs. A survey of these repeat participants shows that they have been very successful in grafting and growing the apple trees they received from the program. The survey showed that 85 percent have 6 or more trees surviving in their home orchard. They have used the knowledge gained from the program to care for and harves
Author: Clay Stamm
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The spring of 2020 brought about quite a bit of change and turmoil in the Clark County Cooperative Extension Office. The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way we reach our clientele to say the least, and agents were forced to make key changes to their program or be left behind. While this was happening, I had another special set of circumstances I was forced to adapt to. My longtime co-worker and horticulture agent David Davis left Clark County Cooperative Extension to take a job elsewhere. With his
Author: Jeremy Williams
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
With the coronavirus pandemic bringing a closure of Extension offices to the public and clientele being Safe at Home, continuing to provide programming for residents was at the upmost concern for agents and staff. Agriculture and Natural Resources Agents in Harlan and Letcher County, Kentucky and Wise County, Virginia collaborated to bring a series of programs via an online format. Timely, information brought by agents, volunteers and specialists from Kentucky and Virginia met the ne
Author: Jamie Dockery
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Recent COVID events created an environment where it was more challenging to reach clients with our gardening advice. The shelter in place protocol left the Fayette County extension horticulture program facing a new normal. Our path forward was clear, as we had struggled to find time to adopt the social media strategy we knew we wanted. The agent is not terribly tech savvy and our younger, capable horticulture technician wasn't an active social media user. We jumped in head first one day
Author: Kimberly Leonberger
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
According to the USDA – NASS the value of vegetable and fruit production in Kentucky totaled $7.8 million in 2012. In addition, there were 29, 963 farms in Kentucky with sales of less than $2,500 each year, which makes up 39% of total farmers in the state. These small-scale growers are faced with many of the same challenges as large-scale commercial producers, such as diseases, insects, and weeds. These pests can negatively impact yield, reducing farmers’ income and access to local f
Author: Kimberly Leonberger
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Kentucky agriculture and natural resources (ANR) and horticulture (Hort) county Extension agents report that more than 80% of their time is spent assisting homeowners. While inquiries for homeowners can vary greatly, often the most challenging for agents are related to tree health. Questions can require knowledge of plant health, plant diseases, insects, and abiotic issues, as well as the ability to assess the basic risk of structural failure of trees. Extension professionals in the Department o
Author: Kimberly Leonberger
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Saving seeds from the previous season is common practice in Kentucky. However, these seed can harbor numerous pathogens that are harmful to plants and limit grower success and yield. The Taylor County Agent for Horticulture, Kara Back, identified a need for stakeholder education on seed treatment as a way to reduce seed-borne diseases. Surveys indicated that 80% of individuals were saving seed, but none of the participants were treating seed prior to planting. As a result, a UK Plant Pathology E
Author: Whitney Carman
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
It is no secret that COVID-19 has played a huge role in how the Grayson County Extension service has been able to do programming during the spring of 2020. This time of year usually is busy with programming efforts for horticulture and agriculture, none of which were able to be completed in person. However, with this challenge has come great opportunities to reach out and be creative in how programming and information is expelled. For example, the Grayson County ANR agent worked with the Master
Author: Keith Hackworth
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Extension has been working with local clientele on topics related to home food production. Over 1500 individuals have been aided by educational programs, materials, information, and site visits. These clients produced some or all of the food consumed by their family. This is a considerable benefit to those family that are low-income or on a fixed-income. In addition, several sold excess amounts of their crops which added to their family income.Educational programs were conducted on topics of pro
Author: Keith Hackworth
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
At the direction of our leadership, Extension has been collaborating with several community groups over the years. One such group is the Saint Vincent’s Mission Grow Appalachian Program. The program works with lower income and beginning gardeners by assisting them in the production of fruits and vegetables to feed their family. Participants are encouraged their second year of the program to market some of their excess produce and products at various venues, the farmers market being one. &n
Author: Jessica Hopkins
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Volunteers play integral roles in 4-H programs, performing a variety of duties, functions, and tasks and possessing varied and rich knowledge, skills, and backgrounds (Radhakrishna & Ewing, 2011). The success of Extension programming is due, in part, to the dedication of a large cadre of volunteers (Smith, Dasher, & Klingborg, 2005). Although highly valued, volunteer involvement does not guarantee achievement of Extension's goals and fulfillment of learners' needs (Bolton, 1992).
Author: Bryce Roberts
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Due to Covid-19, the Spencer County Extension Agents had to learn how to change our ideas on programming to reach our community. FaceBook Live, FaceBook, and the office website have served as tools to make the Pavilion Projects To Go a huge success in Spencer County.Over 2,000 projects have been given to members of the community through the pavilion projects. 950 kits have been distributed to students through our partnerships with Taylorsville Elementary School, Spencer County Middle
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
With an increased interest in home and consumer horticulture, WUKY (91.3 FM), the University of Kentucky’s public radio station, approached the Agricultural Communications Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. The station wanted a gardening program to broadcast on Sunday mornings. Jeff Franklin, Agriculture Communications specialist reached out to Horticulture Extension Agents within central Kentucky to assist with this request. A partners
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
A timely monthly newsletter is a great way to provide information to clientele. Newsletters are used for advertising events that occur at the Extension office, in the community and other state wide events. A large part of the Mercer County Horticulture newsletter is comprised of timely topics for homeowners as well as commercial producers. However, as much as you plan these topics there are always surprises (insect, disease, and other samples) that occur throughout the month. Waiting till the fo
Author: Nicole Rhein
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The COVID-19 pandemic, while tragic, has created an opportunity for agents to reach new audiences by utilizing new methods of communication. During the pandemic, remote workstations were used by agents and in-person programs were cancelled in order to minimize the spread of the virus. Throughout her career, Marshall County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Nikki Bell, has hypothesized the quantity and quality of responses a recorded video program posted on social media could attract.
Author: Robert Smith
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
COVID 19 forced us to be creative on how we continued to deliver our research-based educational opportunities. So we ramped up some old techniques and introduced several new ones. In 2012 we partnered with one of the local radio stations to begin a twice-monthly radio show called "Extension Today". Throughout the pandemic, we transitioned to a weekly show and provided insight (as best we could) on how to cope with the situation at hand. This show reaches
Author: David Koester
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
252 horticulture related soil samples were submitted to the Boone County Extension Service in the past year. Submitting and receiving a soil sample report is oftentimes the first and only contact our urban clientele have with our office. Soil sample results can be confusing and misapplication is quite possible. People don't always understand rates or fertilizer formulations. In an effort to encourage people submitting soil samples to become life long extension clientele we strengthened
Author: Bethany Wilson
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
With the nation at a standstill for several months during early 2020, all Extension programs were cancelled or postponed. To stay relevant, the Pulaski County Horticulture Agent developed two Grab N Go curbside pickup programs and developed a YouTube channel. Earth Day Grab N Go bags were distributed to 50 Pulaski County residents. According to the survey results, 67% had not participated in an Extension program before. All respondents planned on plan
Author: Erika Wood
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Since December 2019, gardening 101 videos have been created and posted on online social media sites such as Facebook as a way to expand horticulture education beyond traditional in-person classes. Twenty-eight gardening videos have been created to date and include topics such as houseplant identification and care, terrarium and to-go gardening bag demonstrations, tree and shrub identification and maintenance, and annual and perennial flowers. With the switch to online learning durin
Author: Reed Graham
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
According to the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, (CEDIK), the percentage of adults in Breathitt County who are obese is 39.8% with the state average being 32.9%. Research shows that eating fresh vegetables and exercising can reduce obesity rates. Gardening increases both physical activity, as well as, access to fresh vegetables. As a way to combat obesity rates, Breathitt County Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent Reed Graham conducted a gardening program
Author: Jamie Dockery
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Fayette County horticulture program offers homeowner gardening classes to address all the interest in food production and landscape management. We call this program Gardener's Toolbox. Last year we delivered information to over 4000 contacts. Here is a testimonial from one of those attendees:"I have been coming to your classes for two years now and appreciate your expertise and sharing of knowledge! We have had 2 small gardens (8' square) for about a decade. We
Author: Charles May
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
To assist parents with bored children at home with nothing to do besides play video games all day, the Perry County Extension Service ANR Agent started a neighborhood gardening club.This involved getting children in one neighborhood interested in growing their own garden. First, with some parent’s assistance, they had to clear off an overgrown area to make a site for a garden. This involved two days of hard work but the children seemed to enjoy it especially when they saw what a nic
Author: Erika Wood
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In the summer and fall of 2019, a gardening class series was conducted at the Hopkins County Extension Office. Based on high public demand from survey results, the gardening series focused on growing different kinds of herbs. The series was split into four classes (one class per month) and discussed three herbs per class for a total in depth study of twelve herbs. The herbs discussed were the following: Sage, Mint, Lavender, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Cilantro, Parsley, Chives, Mar
Author: Bonnie Sigmon
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In March of 2020 Kentucky declared a state of emergency because of a global pandemic and we were told to shelter at home. Due to this order traditional Extension programming had to be put on hold, but the need for research based information was greater than ever. In addition to answering phone calls and communicating through social media, the Laurel County Cooperative Extension offered 10 programs in To-Go Bags. Families were offered a different bag and topic each week. T
Author: Paul Andrew Rideout
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Horticulture Webinar WednesdaysDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Horticulture agents, headed by Andrea Stith and Amy Aldenderfer, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons. The live webinars are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. CT. Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30 minute lesson to the general public, with time at the end for questions. A
Author: Sharon Flynt
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Growing Asparagus in the Home GardenIn order to overcome statewide social distancing mandates during the COVID 19 pandemic, Growing Asparagus in the Home Garden was produced and presented in April by the Scott County Horticulture agent for the statewide Horticulture Webinar Wednesday Horticulture series of classes. For the initial on-line live webinar, 123 attended, with 79 responding to the initial follow-up survey. Of the 79 that responded to the follow up survey, 100% said it was v
Author: Jamie Dockery
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In response to a survey Fayette County Residents indicated they would like more educational classes about gardening and food production from Cooperative Extension. In an effort to meet this need, the Fayette County Horticulture program dramatically expanded our Gardener’s Toolbox series of classes to include over twenty educational programs on a variety of sustainable living and gardening topics. Wherever possible, classes were designed to feature demonstrations or actual hands-on activiti
Author: Sharon Flynt
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Horticulture agents, working together, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons. The live webinars are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. CT. Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30-minute lesson to the public, with time at the end for questions. All the presentations are recorded, then posted to the Kentucky
Author: David Hull
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Early on during the COVID-19 situation, many grocery stores exhibited some food shortages in many of the aisles. This in turn, led to panic-buying which only exasperated the situation. These food shortages had a lot to do with the resurgence in the popularity of home vegetable gardening.As a result of this, the Gallatin County Extension Service has been inundated with requests for information on home vegetable gardening. In response to these requests, the ANR Agent assembled packets of informati
Author: Kristin Hildabrand
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Warren County Extension Service has worked with the Farm and Home Show for 20+ years as a platform for other Extension Agents and Specialists to share research based information from the University of Kentucky. This educational, 5 minute show shares seasonal topics related to the farm and the home and is broadcast on the WBKO TV Station to residents across the South Central Kentucky viewing area. When the coronavirus struck, the TV station informed the office that they could no longer a
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Horticulture agents started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons. The live webinars are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET /1 p.m. CT. Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30-minute lesson to the general public. All the presentations are recorded, then posted to the Kentucky Hort News website along with the slides, notes, and
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Each year, several counties across the state participate in the bedding plant trials. These trials consist of new varieties of flowering annuals that have just been released onto the horticulture market. The purpose of the trials is to see how well these new varieties of plants perform in a garden or landscape setting. For the trial garden, there are 20 different varieties of annual bedding plants with ten plants per variety for a total of 200 plants. The Christian County trial
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Since 2015, a team of Kentucky Horticulture Extension Agents have produced a 4 to 6-page newsletter every two months that is distributed to all Agriculture and Natural Resource Agents and Horticulture Agents across Kentucky. Agents utilize the newsletter in two ways – either sending it out to their clientele in its entirety or using articles (contributed by agents and specialists) in their own newsletters or social media. Over twenty editions of the Kentucky Hort Newsletter have been produ
Author: Shawn Wright
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Horticulture Webinar WednesdaysDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Horticulture agents, headed by Andrea Stith and Amy Aldenderfer, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons. The live webinars are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. CT. Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30 minute lesson to the general public, with time at the end for questions. A
Author: Kara Back-Campbell
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Normal life has changed so much in the last few months. Busy meeting rooms have went from bustling to empty. The methods often used for education have had to be adjusted for these changing times. Before the pandemic the horticulture agent had been holding horticulture classes at the local public library. The classes were held on the 2nd Friday of the month in the morning, and the class was repeated the following Monday in the evenings. Thus, allowing more people to participate. Topics ranged fro
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Extension Agents for Horticulture Education, headed by the Barren County and Hardin County agents, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons during the shelter in place order. Agents, specialists, and other experts were recruited to present a 30 minute lesson to the general public across the Commonwealth with time at the end for questions. Live webinars were Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1
Author: James Morgeson
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Each year the Gardener’s Wheelbarrow Series is by far the most popular educational programs the Horticulture Agent does. The 2019-2020 program was no different! Although this series began as normal with each class being taught face to face twice with morning and evening sessions it abruptly changed when the Covid-19 pandemic began.When we could no longer meet in person the Horticulture Agent decided to take the Wheelbarrow Series Virtually to meet the needs of Washington County Gardeners.
Author: Anthony Tackett
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Bourbon County Extension Service serves local communities through a wide variety of outreach activities. These outreach efforts are designed for both groups and individuals. In response to local consumer requests the Bourbon Extension Horticulture program has delivered over 550 direct one-on-one educational consultations during the past year. These direct educational opportunities included a variety of activities including phone calls, emails, office visits, a
Author: James Morgeson
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Kentucky Horticulture agents, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons. The live webinars are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. CT. Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30 minute lesson to the general public, with time at the end for questions. All the presentations are recorded, then posted to the Kentucky Hort News
Author: Anthony Tackett
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the past year the Bourbon Extension Service worked with Master Gardeners and other volunteers in establishing a heritage themed educational garden at a local retirement center. Local administrators at the facility had relayed that there was a need for more garden related therapy opportunities for residents. Possible benefits cited included increased exercise and stimulation for residents. A local master gardener decided to help develop the project as part of their ongoin
Author: Roger Mollette
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought new challenges to home gardeners. The Martin County Extension Service has over 50 families enrolled in the gardening program with many families being first time gardeners needing much supervision. The challenge is how to assist these gardeners and maintain social distancing. Seed, plants and gardening supplies were distributed by placing the items on tables with the family name attached and have one family at a time stop at the Farmers’ M
Author: Andrea Stith
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Barren River Area Extension Master Gardener Association volunteers went every 3rd Saturday to set up an informational booth at the Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market. The volunteers covered many different topics such as soil testing, seed starting, and many others. They offered a children’s activity each month when they visited. To expand this partnership, as the Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market moved indoors, the Master Gardeners offered an educational series, “Around the
Author: Levi Berg
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In the spring on 2020, COVID-19 was found in KY, and extension agents had to find new ways of reaching clientele. Due to safety reasons, in person classes were postponed, and this brought up how the Henry County Extension Office could assist clientele remotely. After numerous discussions with volunteers and receiving numerous gardening questions from clients, the Henry County Extension Office focused on gardening as a way to help the residents of Henry County. This focus took a two way path; the
Author: Vicki Shadrick
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In March 2020, a global pandemic changed how families interact, how businesses operate, how students attended classes and how basic needs were purchased. Basically, Covid-19 changed everything.“The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service provides practical education you can trust to help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future”.
Author: Kristin Hildabrand
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Warren County Extension Master Gardener Educational Committee identified a spring vegetable gardening program was needed in the community to assist home gardeners be more proactive about getting the garden ready for the spring season. Therefore, the Warren County Extension Agent for Horticulture offered an educational program entitled “Can you dig it? Getting the Garden Ready for Spring!” at the Warren County Extension Office facility in February 2020.During this evening program,
Author: Nicole Gauthier
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The way that we solicit and consume information has changed during recent years. With the availability of online platforms and access using cellular devices, websites and applications enable immediate and interactive information exchanges. As stakeholder behaviors have changed, Extension has changed with them. Conventional audiences such as farmers and gardeners are using Extension in new ways, and new stakeholders are discovering Extension for the first time through these dig
Author: April Wilhoit
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Since 2018, the Buffalo Trace Counties have hosted a Apple Tree Grafting/Pruning Workshop annually for folks to attend to learn more about selecting apple varieties, grafting techniques, pest control, and pruning to maintain good plant vigor. The hands on learning has provided over 130 folks with the opportunity to learn more about fruit tree care and production over the past 3 years. One of the attendee's that attended the 2018 session stated that their apple trees had improved
Author: Amy Aldenderfer
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays https://kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/ During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Horticulture agents, headed by Andrea Stith and Amy Aldenderfer, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons. The live webinars are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. CT. Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30 minute
Author: Catherine Webster
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Community Container Garden KitsThe Simpson Co. Extension Office saw an increase in requests for information from families wanting to grow their on vegetable garden during the pandemic. Some families feared a food shortage while others wanted the assurance of a safe food supply. As a result the Extension Agents for 4-HYD and ANR worked together to create a new program to meet this need, Community Container Garden Kits. Agents recorded a video demonstrating how to grow a tomato c
Author: David Embrey
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Due to current events many families found themselves faced with empty store shelves in 2020. As a result many families had a new or renewed interest in home gardening. The Edmonson County Agriculture & Natural Resource (ANR) Agent and the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent partnered together to create a home gardening kit for families in Edmonson County. The kits contained 21 varieties of seed, seed starting trays, soil, SNAP publications on gardening, Plate it Up KY Proud
Author: Amy Aldenderfer
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Gardener's Toolbox Series is a part of the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service’s horticulture classes to address a gardener's need for more information.The classes vary in their length and subject matter. This year topics included:Composting, Conifers for KY Gardens, Worms Eat my Garbage, Holiday Wreath Making, Veggies 101, Advanced Composting, Making a Bee Hotel, At the end of class, all attendees receive a "starter pack” of seeds, plants or
Author: Rebecca Konopka
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Extension Offers Helps Provide Access to Nutritious Foods In Carter County 17.6% of seniors and 27.1% of families with children are below the poverty level. With limited grocery stores in Carter County, many families have little access to nutritious foods. The Carter County Extension Office uses a variety of methods to help meet this community need. To encourage local citizens to grow their own food the Carter County Extension Office participates with other countie
Author: Amy Aldenderfer
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the COVID-19 outbreak which caused schools to close their doors during the 2019-20 school year, keeping youth engaged proved to be difficult for many families. The UK Extension Service in Hardin County made a conscious effort to ease that burden by creating and making available to-go type projects in-a-bag that were accessible in our Extension Office foyer since the office was closed to foot-traffic. Three Hardin County Extension agents and two Extension program assistants re
Author: Amy Aldenderfer
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
When the "stay at home" order came, the Hardin County Horticulture Agent had many classes planned for a face-to-face format. Since that was no longer an option, webinars, podcasts and Facebook posts became the norm for disseminating horticulture information to clients. For classes that had materials already purchased like "Making a Bee Hotel", the participants were given the materials to make the item and directed to a Youtube channel to receive directions on asse
Author: Lori Bowling
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Boyd County Extension Horticulture programs have increased the use of social media in the past year to reach a more diverse audience. The program started with increasing facebook posts about upcoming programs and then posting pictures of community involvement in the programs after they occurred. This resulted in an increase in interest and participation in programs. As the events of the Covid-19 crisis started to affect how the Extension service was able to continue w
Author: Chadwick Conway
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Drive-Thru “Plant and Grow Container Garden Kit" Give-A-WayContinuously looking for ways to support clients' success in raising various crops, the Knott County Extension Agent for Agriculture had to take a different approach this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agent had to get creative in order to meet the guidelines and regulations derived from the current situations. In doing so, the Agent also had to make sure that the needs and wants did not go unnoticed and with an i
Author: Chadwick Conway
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Mushrooms GaloreExtension has always been a place for new innovative techniques for agriculture. Over the years, one of the most exciting and diverse crops that we have taught clients about is Shitake mushroom production. The Knott County ANR Agent has expanded his mushroom class the last couple of years to include growing other types of mushrooms such as white button mushrooms. The Mushrooms Galore Classes has been a huge success, with over 50 families attending the workshop h
Author: Stephen Lewis
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
2020 has been a challenging year as an emerging virus pandemic has altered the way that society has traditionally functioned. Our social norms have been turned upside down and everyday occurrences that we have taken for granted are being re-evaluated in a new light. Social distancing guidelines have put a strain on how extension agents are able to interact with their clientele, as in-person meetings have been put on hold indefinitely. Therefore, agents must come up with innovative ways to remain
Author: Samantha Anderson
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
With family lifestyles getting busier and COVID19 closing many places and parks, it has put a strain on many families. According to Harvard Graduate School of Education, "studies show gardens support and encourage healthful eating as a key component of children's physical wellbeing, which can aid their academic and social success, too." Through the efforts of the McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service, families in McCracken County started their own vegetable gard
Author: Sharon Flynt
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
In March 2020, Kentucky Cooperative Extension began working remotely no in person meetings. Thus began the exploration of ways to engage clients in horticulture activities at home. The Scott Co. cooperative Extension Horticulture agent created video information, webinars and hands-on packets and plants to pick up at home.How to Grow an Easter Basket: A step-by-step PowerPoint video in time for the Easter Holidays, 2020.Garden in a Sack with SNAP Education Assistant - pac
Author: Sarah Fannin
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
COVID-19 is an unprecedented health crisis that threatens the physical and mental well-being of everyone, but especially children. To address this issue, Morgan County Extension Agents collaborated to provide “Grab-n-Go” kits containing educational materials, instructional lessons and supplies. Offered the same days as weekly school lunch pickups, more than 2,500 packets were safely distributed to county residents outside the Extension Educational Center for a 3 month period. &
