Success Stories By MajorProgram FY2020Jul 1, 2019 - Jun 30, 2020





Virgin Islands

Author: Austin Wright

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Virgin Islands

TITLE: CANNAVAL Conference & Virgin Island Small Farms VisitThe Area: The current population of the United States Virgin Islands as of Thursday, August 1, 2019. The United States Virgin Islands population is equivalent to 0% of the total world population. The United States Virgin Islands ranks 199 in the list of countries population. The total land area is 135 square miles. 97.5% of the population is urban (102,326) in 2019 The median age in the United States Virgin Islands is 41.4

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County Agriculture Investment Program (CAIP) for new and beginning Farmers

Author: Danny Adams

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Wayne County farmers applied and received $150,000.00 in CAIP funds for 2019. I worked with new and previous applicants to complete their applications for cost-share funds. Ninety four farmers applied and seventy eight received cost share for 2019 in the amount of $2,000.00 each.I helped several new applicants do their updated Water Quality Plans, help them with their applications if they had questions on their application. If they got approved this should allow farmers to up grade their farming

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First and Second Generation Home Owners were approved for home repairs with USDA 504 Loan and Grant Housing Program, in Lincoln County, Kentucky. Kentucky State University, Area Agent for Small Farm Program, Provides Technical Assistances to home owners

Author: Edwin Chavous

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

First and Second Generation Home Owners were approved for home repairs with USDA 504 Loan and Grant Housing Program, in Lincoln County, Kentucky.  Kentucky State University, Area Agent for Small Farm Program, Provides Technical Assistances to home owners

The Kentucky State University (KSU) Small Farm Program is an Extension program designed to help farm families with decision-making skills to solve farm and home problems. It includes educational programs that emphasize farm production, farm management, and marketing.  It also includes the use and understanding of local county programs and USDA agencies and their programs, plus providing technical assistance in completing applications for the programs and the entire application process. &nbs

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Just Say "Cheese!"

Author: Laura Rogers

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Just Say "Cheese!"

Through the Kentucky State University Small Farm Program, KSU Small-Scale Farmer Grant Program, and the KSU Beginning Farmer Grant, in collaboration with the University of Kentucky Extension, a limited resource dairy farmer received much-needed materials to process and sell cheese that was produced on the farm.Area Small Farm Extension Agent, Laura Rogers, organized a workshop in Laurel County, at the Laurel County Extension Office, on the KSU  Small-Scale Farmer Grant Program. Clara of Wil

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Madison County Farmer Receive Technical Assistance from Kentucky State University, Area Agent for Small Farm Program

Author: Edwin Chavous

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Madison County Farmer Receive Technical Assistance from Kentucky State University, Area Agent for Small Farm ProgramThe Ballew family have nearly 500 acres of farm land in Madison County, Kentucky. The late Ballew grandfather and late Ballew father paved the way for the family farm.  The Ballew brothers Leroy and Lonzo are the third family generation farmers. Leroy and Lonzo Ballew are involved with different USDA agencies to mention a couple Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Kentu

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Soybean Cyst Nematode soil tests helps Wayne County farmers choose the right soybean varieties to plant in their fields

Author: Danny Adams

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Soybean Cyst Nematodes reduces soybean yields for KY farmers in their fields. University of Ky's Dr. Carl Bradley with the help of Ky Soybean Association provided grant funds to conduct five free SCN soil test in KY's counties with 5000 or more soybean acres. Fifteen years ago I sampled Wayne County's soybean farmers fields and found 0 to low risk of SCN's in Wayne County's soybean fields. Because of good crop rotation and an area that hasn't had a problem with SCN i

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Limited-Resourced Farmer began as a city-dweller but has since began farming.

Author: Tehran Jewell

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Limited-Resourced Farmer began as a city-dweller but has since began farming.This agent has worked with a Warren County KY farmer in cooperation with Kentucky State University’s (KSU) Small Farm Program. Initially we worked work with this farmer in order to explain and introduce this her to land owners needing a tenant-farmer agreement to produce profit on-farm.  The tenant-farmer has lived in the Mayfield, KY for over 20 years.  Fast forward to today and having begun a farming l

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The Fourth Wednesday Night Small Farmer Beef Cattle Workshops

Author: Marion Simon

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Many small and minority farmers in Kentucky raise beef cattle with most selling weaned calves at their local stockyards.  Although some farmers use up-to-date and Extension recommended production methods such as deworming, vaccinations, and implants, most of the small farmers do not have handling facilities to work the cattle, are not aware of up-to-date practices, or feel that the costs are too high or they are too small to do the recommended practices.In May of 2018, the  Kentucky St

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Thinking outside of the "Bee Box" in Kentucky

Author: Laura Rogers

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Thinking outside of the "Bee Box" in Kentucky

The old Kentucky saying …one may have heard…"When people are without a purpose they perish” means that when individuals are without a purpose, they fail.  Unfortunately, some may try to develop a purpose by turning to substance abuse which alienates them from family, friends, and community, and often results in incarceration.Most of the time, when someone ends up in the prison system, or drug rehabilitation, they have hit rock bottom. Most are separated from their f

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The Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative may be dissolved and its assets distributed back to farmers

Author: Danny Adams

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

  The Burley Tobacco Growers Co-op was formed in 1921 by a group of farmers trying to achieve better prices for their tobacco. Starting in 1940 the BTGCA helped administer a Tobacco Program that stabilized prices by controlling production. The program worked extremely well for more than 60 years. The Tobacco Program helped small farmers feed and education their families for generations.     In 2004 there was a Tobacco Program buyout of all quota holders and growers. Which all

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A Mother in Franklin County, Kentucky, Emailed KSU Area Agent for Small Farm’s Requesting USDA Rural Housing Technical Assistances for Her Son In Shelby County, Kentucky

Author: Edwin Chavous

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

A Mother in Franklin County, Kentucky, Emailed KSU Area Agent for Small Farm’s Requesting USDA Rural Housing Technical Assistances for Her Son In Shelby County, Kentucky

A Mother in Franklin County, Kentucky, Emailed KSU Area Agent for Small Farm’s Requesting USDA Rural Housing Technical Assistances for Her Son In Shelby County, Kentucky The Kentucky State University (KSU) Small Farm Program is an Extension program designed to help farm families with decision-making skills to solve farm and home problems. It includes educational programs that emphasize farm production, farm management, and marketing.  It also includes the use and understanding of

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Farmer uses Kentucky Farm Record Book to lessen tax lien

Author: Tehran Jewell

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

This agent has worked with a Warren County KY farmer in cooperation with Kentucky State University’s (KSU) Small Farm Program. Initially we worked work with this farmer in order to construct a whole-farm plan.  As a beginning farmer, the farmer has successfully finished a farming season and having partnered with KSU Area Agents on the Small Farm Program in cooperation with Russellville Urban Gardening Project in Bowling Green & Russellville to connect with limited-resourced landow

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"Going for the Gold"

Author: Laura Rogers

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

"Going for the Gold"

Kentucky State University’s Small Farm Program and Beginning Farmer Project, in collaboration with the University of Kentucky and Cedar Ridge Ministry, worked together to distribute seven tons of Yukon Gold seed potatoes to the beginning and minority farmers across Kentucky to plant in the spring of 2019.  Susan and George Miller, Lincoln County, wanted to produce potatoes to sell at the farmers’ market.  They had funds to purchase seed potatoes to plant, but money for this

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Remote Sessions Lead to Successful "Third Thursday" workshops in a Pandemic

Author: Marion Simon

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

With the COVID-19 causing havoc with planned Extension programs and people’s lives, we began trying to determine a way to remotely offer the popular “The Third Thursday Thing” sustainable agriculture program.  The Marc 2020 ”Third Thursday” workshop was cancelled due to time and reorganization.Then we settled on a recorded Zoom meeting for April’s “Third Thursday with the Louisville, KY branch of AgSafe with te topic of Safety related to COVID-19 on

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A new beef cattle farmer had problems with calving during the covid -19 pandemic.

Author: Danny Adams

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

During the covid 19 pandemic a new beef cattle farmer with approximately 10 head of cattle called and said he had a heifer cow having a calf and it was hung at the hips in the heifer. He had never had experience in delivering a calf from a cow. He told me he had tried pulling the calf with no success and nothing was working. I asked him how he was pulling the calf and he said straight back. I told him to pull the calf down toward the cows feet and give me a call back if that doesn't work.&nb

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Farmers Grows 30 000 Vegetable Transplants on the First Try

Author: Tehran Jewell

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Farmers Grows 30 000 Vegetable Transplants on the First TryThis agent has worked with a Warren County KY farmer in cooperation with Kentucky State University’s (KSU) Small Farm Program. Initially we worked work with this farmer in order to construct a whole-farm plan.  Although that process is ongoing and arduous, the farming season has come on in full swing!  The farmer has started the farming season and having partnered with KSU Area Agents on the Small Farm Program in cooperat

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using drones

Author: William Rogers

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Back in the 1950s, Farmers never dreamed of using technology on their farms. However, in 2020 this is no longer the case. Today Farmers are using more and more technology in their everyday operation.  Drones, GPS tractors, and computers are just a few examples of new technology present.  Results are farmers depend heavily on these new devices now more than ever in the history of our country.                 Due to the dependence, I have taug

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KSU Area Agent for Small Farm’s Provided Technical Assistances Information to Limited Resource Minority Small Farmers for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Coronavirus Food Assistance Program in Kentucky

Author: Edwin Chavous

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

The Kentucky State University (KSU) Small Farm Program is an Extension program designed to help farm families with decision-making skills to solve farm and home problems. It includes educational programs that emphasize farm production, farm management, and marketing.  It also includes the use and understanding of local county programs and USDA agencies and their programs, plus providing technical assistance in completing applications for the program and the entire application process. &nbsp

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Farmers Learn Zoom To Participate in Technology Focus Group

Author: William Crawford

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Online meetings have become the norm for Cooperative Extension personnel and many other professionals across the country during this unprecedented time of COVID-19.  Meetings traditionally held in person with stakeholders too have shifted to this virtual landscape.  The role of extension associates, agents and assistants has expanded to include not only the dissemination of content specific information, but also to teach the skills necessary to receive said information. Farmers, small

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E-Commerce Comes to Kentucky

Author: Laura Rogers

Major Program: KSU Small Farm Program

Kentucky State University’s Small Farm Program and Beginning Farmer Project, in collaboration with the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Highlands of London, KY, worked together to provide a virtual zoom class on May 12, 2020. , This virtual zoom meeting taught web design with Ken Bates, Sandra Birch (KSU specialists), and Shelton Ansley of Kentucky Highlands. 14 Stakeholders participated with 10 signing up to continue with the additional classes to receive from Go Daddy for two years, a

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