Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Ted Johnson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Home gardening and recommended fruit and vegetable production practices has been a major focus for the Lee County Extension staff for several years. Lee County ranks in the bottom 10 percent of most statics when it comes to unhealthy citizens. We have focused our efforts on developing education demonstration and programs towards eating healthier and producing and preserving local foods. Many demonstrations, programs and farm visits have been conducted in the past several years addressing this is
Author: Kendal Bowman
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Growing up out in the country sports wasn’t much of an option for me. There was to much work to do on the farm. I remember seeing my friends with their ribbons and trophies and wanted one so bad. Fast forward a few years I became involved in 4H and found my place, the place where I belonged. I finally was able to use my life skills and get recognized for my hard work. I remember oh how I loved our county fair, I would load the pickup truck down with all my projects to show my little town a
Author: Mary Dossett
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Information from McCracken County/ Paducah Chamber of Commerce , September 2021: 35% of residents rent their homes. There is a need to show residents how to grow a garden without damaging the landscape. Residents who rent were offered the opportunity to learn how to grow vegetables, herbs and flowers outdoors without disturbing the soil from the McCracken Extension Demonstration and Research Garden. A tour of the garden was offered to the public by the horticulture assista
Author: Adam Leonberger
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Continuing efforts to meet the public desire for horticultural educational classes in the ever-changing climate of the post pandemic world, horticulture agents in 7 counties of Central Region collaborated in the Fall of 2021 to offer the Everyday Gardener Webinar Series once again. The series, taught by agents and specialist, provided educational classes related to horticulture under the fields of: Insects: The Good , the Bad and the Ugly, Wildlife and Woodlands, and Season to Season Horticultur
Author: Adam Leonberger
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Gardening provides a number of health benefits including, mental health management and anxiety reduction. As a result, many individuals are interested in expanding their knowledge and skills related to home gardening. As a way to provide a variety of educational opportunities on the various aspects of gardening, Extension partnered with Extension Master Gardener volunteers to create a series of hands-on and classroom programs. Master Gardner volunteers have a diverse set of skills and experience
Author: Peggy Jones
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
2021 How did your Garden Grow with the Free Seed for your Garden During spring of 2021 and after a yearlong of Covid-19, the Rowan County Extension FCS Agent team up with the Rowan County ANR Instructor at the High School. This year we want to increase the knowledge of our youth on the importance of growing healthy vegetables with their family and the importance of learning how to survive from the earth. The Extension Office purchased 150 pounds of Trucker Sweet Corn, 150 pounds
Author: Roger "Darrell" Simpson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The influx of fall armyworms in late summer resulted in calls to County Extension Service Offices throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Darrell Simpson, Muhlenberg County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Kelly Jackson, Christian County Extension Agent for Horticulture developed a short video for homeowners regarding calibrating a lawn sprayer. The goal of the video was to teach homeowners a simple sprayer calibration method while helping them treat for fall armyworms
Author: Robert Amburgey
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The Bath County Extension ag program worked with the extension district board and the Farmer's market executive committee to develop an opportunity to extend the marketing season for locally grown and locally produced products. The district board agreed to provide the market pavilion to the farmer's market from October to December to allow local producers and artisans the opportunity to sell their products inside through the holiday season. The extended indoor market not only
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Insects are all around us, whether you like them or not! Insects play a major role in our lives when it comes to food production and the environment. The Mercer County Extension Agent for Horticulture started a new summer day camp called insect quest. This day camp was designed to teach youth about the importance of insects while at the same time gain the skills to properly identify insects for entomology projects for the county and state fair.The camp was two full days with a month between each
Author: Faye Kuosman
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Continuing efforts to meet the public desire for horticultural educational classes in the ever-changing climate of the post pandemic world, horticulture agents in 7 counties of Central Region collaborated in the Fall of 2021 to offer the Everyday Gardener Webinar Series once again. The series, taught by agents and specialist, provided educational classes related to horticulture under the fields of: Insects: The Good , the Bad and the Ugly, Wildlife and Woodlands, and Season to Season Horticultur
Author: Jessica Hopkins
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The Everyday Gardener Webinar Series II Continuing efforts to meet the public desire for horticultural educational classes in the ever-changing climate of the post pandemic world, horticulture agents in 7 counties of Central Region collaborated in the Fall of 2021 to offer The Everyday Gardener Webinar Series once again. The series, taught by agents and specialists, provided educational classes related to horticulture under the fields of: Insects: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Wildli
Author: Alexis Amorese Sheffield
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Continuing efforts to meet the public desire for horticultural educational classes in the ever-changing climate of the post pandemic world, horticulture agents in 7 counties of Central Region collaborated in the Fall of 2021 to offer the Everyday Gardener Webinar Series once again. The series, taught by agents and specialist, provided educational classes related to horticulture under the fields of: Insects: The Good , the Bad and the Ugly, Wildlife and Woodlands, and Season to Season Hortic
Author: Anthony Tackett
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Continuing efforts to meet the public desire for horticultural educational classes in the ever-changing climate of the post pandemic world, horticulture agents in 7 counties of Central Region collaborated in the Fall of 2021 to offer the Everyday Gardener Webinar Series once again. The series, taught by agents and specialist, provided educational classes related to horticulture under the fields of: Insects: The Good , the Bad and the Ugly, Wildlife and Woodlands, and Season to Season Horticultur
Author: Heather Graham
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Both Wolfe County SNAP assistants and the ANR agent partnered to deliver a program to all students at Bethany Christian School about healthy eating, exercising, and growing their own food. Each session began with the children learning about the life cycle of plants and included an activity for the kids to be a growing seed/plant. Then the students made their own milk jug greenhouse. They learned how to care for their lettuce, how greenhouses help extend the growing season, and were given a growt
Author: Sharon Flynt
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Continuing efforts to meet the public desire for horticultural educational classes in the ever-changing climate of the post pandemic world, horticulture agents in 7 counties of Central Region collaborated in the Fall of 2021 to offer the Everyday Gardener Webinar Series once again. The series, taught by agents and specialist, provided educational classes related to horticulture under the fields of: Insects: The Good , the Bad and the Ugly, Wildlife and Woodlands, and Season to Season
Author: James Morgeson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
During horticulture program evaluations and surveys conducted by the horticulture agent it was apparent that there was a need and interest in Washington County for a Horticulture How To workshop on making wreaths with fresh greenery. During the workshop participants learned about the types of greenery to use, how to cut it for use, care for fresh greenery, and lastly each participant made a wreath with materials provided. There were 22 participants in the workshop with the following inform
Author: Thomas Mann
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
As the new agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) in Carroll County, I wanted to find a way to introduce myself to community members and express my gratitude for what had been a warm welcome to the county. Additionally, I hoped to advertise the fact that the once-vacant ANR position had been filled. To address those goals, I arranged a giveaway of paperwhite narcissus bulbs. Paperwhites are traditionally forced to bloom during the holiday season because—unlike
Author: Laura Maggard
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The Lawrence County Agriculture and Natural Resource (ANR) Extension Agent and the Lawrence County Master Gardeners have been offering a hands on workshop for the community during the holidays. Individuals come in and make wreaths using live greenery harvested from a local KY Proud tree farm. Individuals learn to construct wreaths for the personal enjoyment and also as a way to use live greenery they have at home and possibly a way to make some extra money through the holidays. The program takes
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Everyday Gardener Webinar Series IIContinuing efforts to meet the public desire for horticultural educational classes in the ever-changing climate of the post pandemic world, horticulture agents in 7 counties of Central Region collaborated in the Fall of 2021 to offer the Everyday Gardener Webinar Series once again. The series, taught by agents and specialist, provided educational classes related to horticulture under the fields of: Insects: The Good , the Bad and the Ugly, Wildlife and Woodland
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Teaching youth how to garden provides them with life-long skills and the appreciation of growing food. Gardening also encourages them to eat the vegetables they grow. The Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service Office partnered with Girls, Inc. during the 2021 summer session. The horticulture agent provided gardening hands on growing instructions and explored the parts of a seed. Twelve participants planted four raised beds with tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and cucumbers at thei
Author: Jamie Dockery
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
As a result of pandemic related issues and work from home arrangements, many of Lexingtons residents developed an interest in gardening. Subsequent ecomonic conditons have led even more people to delve into food production at home. The Fayette County Extension Office adapted by offering more fruit and vegetable topics to our programming the last two years. We often encourage people to put what they have learned into practice by providing seeds or plants for them to plant at home afterwards
Author: Keith Hackworth
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
At the direction of our leadership, Extension has been collaborating with several community groups again this year. We have increased the collaboration project with the Floyd County Health Department, local daycare centers, and Extension Master Gardeners. Grant funding through the health department has allowed us to increase from three daycare centers to five this year. The goal of the program is to provide education and nutritious fruits and vegetables to daycare age youth and their parents. Ra
Author: Bethany Pratt
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In order to expand Extension’s audience and build new community partnerships and educational content, Jefferson Co. Extension partnered with Jefferson Co. Soil & Water Conservation District and Kentuckiana Backyard Farms to host 6 classes (4 online and 2 in-person) on various aspects of urban agriculture. The class topics were selected based on an interest survey developed and distributed by the three organizations to determine how to best utilize their collective knowledge to meet com
Author: James Morgeson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
During the Covid 19 pandemic the popular Gardener’s Wheelbarrow Series was forced to go virtual for the safety and health of our community. In July of this year the Horticulture Agent sent out a survey to participants to find out if they were ready to return to in person classes and if the virtual programming was useful. Of those responding 94% did indeed want to return to in person programming and 83% of them found the virtual programming somewhat to very useful during remote only learnin
Author: Brian Jeffiers
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Despite a decades-long history of apple production, Johnson County no longer has any commercial operations. With the recent establishment of a major orchard just across the line in Martin County, there is new interest in exposing youth to apple production as a potential career. The science department at a private school invited the ANR agent to conduct a workshop with his students to teach them about grafting apple trees from cuttings. Nine students from grades 5 through 12 participated, learnin
Author: Jacob Ison
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In the months of February and March the Elliott County Extension Office took up orders for fruit and vegetable starter plants to allow members of the local community to have access to plants that will eventually provide nutritious fresh foods right off the vine at a very low cost. On Wednesday, April 6th the Elliott ANR Agent Jacob Ison picked up the plants and brought them back to the Extension office to be dispersed. The next day, the orders were separated and became available for pick up. The
Author: Rebecca Konopka
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Based on the 2017 Census of Agriculture, Kentucky grows and sells over $51 million worth of floriculture crops annually. The Carter County Agriculture & Natural Resources agent has recently offered two workshops to allow clientele the opportunity to learn more about floriculture and to design their own floral arrangements. The Extension Office received donations of centerpieces and vases that were used for the workshops. The first workshop focused on winter greene
Author: Roger Mollette
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
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 in its fourth year has allowed the Extension Service to assist seventy families to produce and preserve food produced from their gardens. Many of these families c
Author: Kristin Hildabrand
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In order to reach clientele with the various programs and resources offered through the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, the horticulture extension agent works diligently throughout the fiscal year to share research based information on multiple media outlets in Warren County. Here is a brief description explaining more about each marketing channel used and the successes noticed from each of them. Farm and Home Show TV is an educational, 5 minute show shares seaso
Author: Susan Fox
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Several underserved audiences were reached with horticulture programs this spring. A raised bed and containers for vegetables were installed at the Lyon County Head Start. Several people donated time, topsoil was donated to make this happen. The 16 preschoolers helped to plant seeds in the dirt and were read a gardening book. Subsequently, squash has been harvested, tomatoes are growing well and bush green beans have been planted. Vegetables have been shared with families as they pick up their k
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Lisa walker recovery center is a 16 bed facility for women recovering from a variety of addictions. Women usually stay for about a month at this facility before moving on to other assisted living areas until they can get back on their feet. The Mercer County NEP assistant has been heavily involved with Lisa Walker residents for the past few years with nutrition classes.With the help of the Mercer County NEP assistant the Mercer County Horticulture Agent was introduced to the facility manag
Author: Chelsey Anderson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
According to the 2019 Health Profiles, Cumberland County has an obesity rate of 36% percent which is above the state level of 34%. Also, Cumberland County has a physical inactivity rate of 33% which is also above the state percentage which is 29%. As an effort to increase student’s awareness and improve behaviors related to good nutrition, the Cumberland County Family and Consumer Sciences agent and the Cumberland County Agriculture and Natural Resources agent partnered with Kindergarten t
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
When there is a vacancy in a county, the district director/area extension director asks agents in the surrounding counties to fill any gaps until the position can be filled. Selected agents work with the staff in that county to see what needs need to be met. Phone calls and emails are forwarded to the agent. They are also asked to review soil test results and make recommendations to share with clients.The Horticulture Agent in Madison County has covered, at different times over the last few year
Author: Brandon George
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
On Saturday, June 4th, from 10-12 pm, 17 people came out to meet at the corner of East 4th Street and Greenup Street in downtown Covington, KY to learn about the trees growing in the historic Licking Riverside neighborhood of Covington. Cassandra Homan, the former Covington city forester, and Patrick Moore and I, the current city forester lead the two-hour tour through the streets of this neighborhood to discuss the importance of tree identification and species diversity while stopping and talki
Author: Chris Ammerman
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
All students in the Grant County School District qualify for the USDA school lunch program. Over the past few years interest in locally grown produce has continued to climb. The art of gardening has skipped a couple generations as the nation's food supply has made it easier to purchase than grow. Students, teachers, and family resource agents from Sherman Elementary School partnered with the agents from the Grant County Extension Service have started a project t
Author: Paul Sizemore
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
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 $30 to $50 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 2022, 55 parti
Author: Jamie Dockery
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
My name is Bryan Kennedy and I work at The Learning Center(TLC) in Lexington, Kentucky. TLC is an alternative school that focuses on at risk students that struggle with social and emotional health in most instances because of intense trauma. During my first year teaching at TLC (five years ago), I was tasked with reviving the garden that was built in place of an old playground. I was completely overwhelmed, but excited to tackle this job. One of the first emails I sent was to UK Cooperative Exte
Author: Carrie Spry
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
More than 6% of Kentuckians live with limited access to a supermarket or grocery store. Combine that fact with the ever increasing cost of groceries, and more people are not only wanting to grow their own food, but some need to out of necessity. The Clark County Extension Agent for Horticulture held a 2 part class on Vegetable Gardening for Beginners to better enable and equip the counties citizens in how to grow their own food. In a survey of the attendees performed afterwards, 100% of responde
Author: Jonathan Larson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
I worked with Kim Leonberger, Plant Pathology Extension Associate, to produce a multi-part Zoom based educational opportunity for county Extension personnel. The Plant Pathology team had found that Kentucky agriculture and natural resources and horticulture county Extension agents reported 74% of time was spent assisting homeowners. When dealing with homeowners, a majority of their questions centered on ornamental plants, which includes thousands of trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals. Due to
Author: Lori Bowling
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The Garden Shed Herb is a long running program which began in 2001. Attendance at this educational program has grown throughout the years with a record number in attendance in 2021 of 250 participants and 25 Master Gardener Volunteers. With this being the largest number in attendance since it began and those participating coming from as far away as Cleveland, Ohio to learn about growing herbs and the many uses they have. When the participants that had traveled from such a great
Author: Lori Bowling
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The local television station hosts an annual Home and Garden Show which draws residents from Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia to attend. The Master Gardeners and Extension Agents from Boyd County, Kentucky and Cabell County, West Virginia work together to distribute extension information on home horticulture. The Extension Agents, along with university specialists deliver educational programs over a 2 of the 3 days during the event and set up kids horticulture activities on the 3rd d
Author: Benjamin Rudy
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The pandemic has brought many new challenges to families in Fulton County and in 2021 we started with the Garden to Go Kits and with there success we continued those into 2022. One of the more positive outcomes has been a revival of home gardening and importance of family togetherness. The Fulton County Cooperative Extension Service Agents for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Science, 4-H and Youth Development all partnered together to distribute forty beginner garden
Author: Charles May
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
This spring, the Perry County Extension Service in cooperation with the Perry County Conservation District conducted its’ annual fruit and vegetable grower’s workshop. Since beginning this program, nine years ago, the workshops have continued to grow to the point people had to be turned away the last six years because of space limitations. More than 70 people attended this years’ workshop. The Perry County Conser
Author: Jeremy Williams
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Due to spikes in the pandemic, demand for Extension programing, on a virtual level, continued during the fall and winter of 2021 and 2022. Agents in Harlan and Letcher Counties, along with agents in Wise, Virginia, Johnson, Tennessee and North Carolina, felt the need to continue their Mountain Zoom series that began in March 2020. Programs, two evenings per week, centered on agriculture, community development, horticulture, beekeeping and small livestock. Agents were able to pa
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
One positive outcome of the pandemic was an increased gardening interest with younger audiences. This was initially thought to be short-lived while people were isolated at home. As businesses reopened and people returned to work, the interest in gardening remained. It can be difficult to reach audiences who aren't familiar with 4-H or other Extension programs. To appeal to a new, younger audience the Extension office partnered with the Master Gardeners and the Hopkinsville Brewing Company to
Author: Samuel Cofield
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The Trigg County Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with the Trigg County Senior Citizens Center have worked to provide our community members with many opportunities to improve their quality of life by encouraging healthy habits. One of these projects is a community garden located by the pavilion at the senior center.2022 will be the seventh year of the garden project started at the Trigg County Senior Citizens center. The project began with an idea and a trailer load
Author: James Morgeson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Since the pandemic there has been an increase in interest in Washington County on developing life skills that may have been forgotten in our current world. One such request was a workshop on how to grow corn and mill it at home. During the workshop we discussed corn variety selection for meal corn, how to grow it, details on harvesting, drying, and storage as well. There was hands on grinding and sifting sessions and how to make and fry cornbread.A survey of participants was conducted and 80% st
Author: James Morgeson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Many gardeners have a limited amount of expertise in diagnosing and identifying problems on plants whether it is an insect, disease, or cultural problem. These gardeners tend to reach out to farm stores and nurseries where the business is motivated to sell products such as fertilizers and pesticides. Many times, the recommendations are not needed and it’s a waste of money and can be damaging to the environment. The Washington County Extension Horticulture program provides servic
Author: Chuck Flowers
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In order to stay in contact with clients during Covid in 2021 the Ag and FCS agents decided to offer Garden to Go Packets. This allowed clients to come back in the office after being out so long due to Covid. We continued in 2022 with the packets since they were such a hit. In the packets, clients were provided ID-128 publication on gardening techniques, variety, disease and other practices for gardens. Clients were given Plate It Up recipes. Each packet contained H
Author: Sharon Flynt
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Horticulture Webinar Wednesday virtual programming continues to see interest and growth in its third season. Since February 2022, when the 3rd season started, through June 30, 2022, a total of 522 attendees have participated in the twenty live weekly webinars. Additionally, the zoom based “lunch and learn” horticultural program continues draw in participants not only at the weekly Wednesday webinars at 12:30 ET-11:30 CT, but also through the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays YouT
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Horticulture Webinar Wednesday virtual programming continues to see interest and growth in its third season. Since February 2022, when the 3rd season started, through June 30, 2022, a total of 522 attendees have participated in the twenty live weekly webinars. Additionally, the zoom based “lunch and learn” horticultural program continues draw in participants not only at the weekly Wednesday webinars at 12:30 ET-11:30 CT, but also through the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays YouTube ch
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Due to the pandemic, a different way to reach people with local science-based gardening information was needed. Therefore, a partnership between the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service and the Daviess County Public Library was developed. Gardening programs were presented by the horticulture agent through PowerPoint during Facebook Live and recorded by the library. During the second year of the partnership, eight presentations were delivered on topics such as Dividing Perennials;
Author: Erika Wood
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In the past several years, the Pennyroyal Master Gardener Association has held a spring and fall plant swap at the Hopkins County Farmers Market. The purpose of the spring plant swap was to give the community an opportunity to come swap plants with one another. Participants brought plants they were willing to give away and then could pick from plants donated by other participants to take home. A wide range of plants were brought to the swap and included the following: herbaceou
Author: Anthony Tackett
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The Bourbon County Extension Service serves local communities through a wide variety of outreach activities. We continued to face challenges during the past year due to the ongoing COVID-19 related ussies. Despite these hurdles the Bourbon Extension Office has never been closed and we have continued our work in new and innovative ways to help keep everyone safe. Outreach efforts continued but, in some cases, looked different this year. Direct educational field outreach c
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Horticulture Webinar Wednesday virtual programming was developed by Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents for Horticulture Education in March of 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic to reach citizens of the Commonwealth. The Daviess County Horticulture Agent serves as one of those team members. Webinars were presented live through the virtual format of Zoom on Wednesdays and recorded. The format includes a question-and-answer period after the live presentati
Author: Willie Bowling
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Clay County is a very rural area, with many residents living a substantial distance from grocery stores. Additionally, many people in the county have relatively low incomes, with a substantial portion of county residents living below the poverty line. The combination of these two factors increases the risk of food insecurity.To help address this need, the Clay County Cooperative Extension Service (Clay CES) partnered with Grow Appalachia to initiate a Grow Appalachia Garden Grant site in the Bul
Author: Bethany Wilson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Blueberries can be a hard fruit to grow since it has very exact soil requirements that must be met. Many Pulaski County gardeners have tried and failed to grow blueberries successfully, evident from the many phone calls and plant samples received over the years at the Pulaski County Extension Service office. More often than not, no soil test was completed before planting, setting many people up for failure. Small fruits in general (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc) are popular crops
Author: Bethany Wilson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
COVID was an opportunity for Extension to find new ways to reach people. Webinars and grab bag kits, although not face-to-face, attracted non-traditional clients to their local Extension offices. Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays, a weekly webinar on horticulture topics, presented by Horticulture Agents and UK Specialists, continued into 2021-22. The Pulaski County Horticulture Agent presented 4 webinars. These webinars are live but are also posted to the YouTube channel. Metrics
Author: Brian Jeffiers
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Proper care of the soil after harvest is essential for the long-term health and productivity of gardens. In the final monthly session of the summer-long Grow Appalachia program, its 26 participants listened to a presentation by the ANR about the options for winter, including cover crops and the use of heavy vinyl covers. The $13,000 grant that supported the program included funding for purchase of, among other supplies, cover crop seed mixes. After the presentation, gardeners received a bag of m
Author: Kimberly Leonberger
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Kentucky agriculture and natural resources and horticulture county Extension agents reported 74% of time was spent assisting homeowners. A majority of questions are related to the area of ornamental plants, which includes thousands of trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals. Due to the large number of plants including in this area, agents frequently spend several hours trying to diagnose issues and provide management recommendations. As a way to educate agents on common disease and insect issues
Author: Sheri Crabtree
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Empowering clientele to propagate and produce their own fruit treesWith supply chain issues causing shortages in the nursery and food industries, and inflation and transportation costs rising dramatically, driving many products' prices higher including plant material and fresh produce; purchasing trees from nurseries may be an economic hardship for many limited resource clientele. Food deserts and increasing food prices also are an impediment to purchasing fresh produce for many individuals.
Author: Adam Huber
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Gardening and farmers markets are a staple in small rural counties in Kentucky and it’s no different in Allen County. One thing that we can all agree on is that knowing how to grow your own food can be very important, especially in times when and inflation and the price of goods at the grocery store are going are going up. That’s why it is important to start young and learn how to be an entrepreneur! The Seed to Sell program is designed to teach youth gardening and entrepreneurs
Author: Carol Hinton
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
The Community Garden program has been running with the assistance of Master Gardeners and the cooperation of the staff at each location. The program helps to put in and maintain raised and/or accessible gardens for community. We had request to increase the program at each site and to set up a couple new places where people gather. The residents even requested their own kind of tomatoes and peppers to raise. Buy in has been fantastic for the community. They are now
Author: Philip Konopka
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In the fall of 2021, the Lewis County ANR Agent and Program Assistant was approached by the Tollesboro Elementary School to do a hands-on gardening project. The goal of the project was to have the have the 4th grade students to grow a garden at the school so they could learn the following objectives: the importance of soil, growing vegetable to eat, where their food comes from, and an appreciation of growing their own food. Lessons were taught to the students by the ANR Agent and Program A
Author: Amy Aldenderfer
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
What began as a short-term stopgap for in person programming during the 2020 Pandemic, has become a much-attended weekly horticulture program. Due to the continuing popularity of the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays program a team of Kentucky Horticulture agents have continued to present weekly Wednesday webinars at 12:30 ET (11:30 CT) as a “lunch and learn” horticultural program. This team also includes agents, specialists, and other experts who present a 30–45-minute horticult
Author: Amy Aldenderfer
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
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: Beginning Vegetable Gardening, Growing Culinary Herbs, Attracting Bird to the Backyard, Growing Flower Bouquets, How to Grow: Tomatoes, Knowing Your Veggie Pests, New Plants for a New Year, Propagating and Repotting Houseplants,
Author: Jessica Hopkins
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In the spring of 2022, the Horticulture Agent and Harrison County Extension offered a “Free Gardening Giveaway” program for the community. On the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Fridays of February, March and April, people could stop by the extension office to pick up that week’s packet of free giveaways. Each week focused on a different plant category. Each week’s giveaway included free seeds as well as growing information. Fifty packets were made for ea
Author: Regina Utz
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In May of 2022, Tri County Community Action Agency reached out to the Trimble County Cooperative Extension Services to help senior citizens with their gardening questions. When the new Agriculture and Natural Resources agent started on June 1st, we set a date for the program to take place. Regina Utz put together a brochure of the common pests, diseases and ticks seen in the Trimble County area. The pests included: aphids, Japanese beetles, corn earworm, and cucumber beetles. The diseases t
