Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Emma Lee
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
On Friday September 9th, the Estill County Extension Office had their open house which highlighted each of the program areas in our office and the services that we provide. I had a table set up with information about Agriculture and Natural Resources. I spoke with many different people who attended and informed them of services we offer that they did not know about. Many of them said that they would be in contact with me in the future to take advantage of these services. I also gave away publica
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Repeated exposure to loud noises can damage the structures inside your ears, causing hearing loss. Hearing loss can negatively impact a person’s quality of life by limiting their ability to communicate with others. This limitation can lead to issues with mental health and personal safety. There have also been studies that have shown hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of dementia and social isolation.Hearing loss is especially prominent in the farming community due to hazardo
Author: Linda Hieneman
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Dairy Station conducted by Greenup County FFA Students Aerial view of McConnell House Station Drone footage collect by E-911Greenup County Agriculture Day is an event about recognizing and celebrating the contribution of agriculture in our everyday lives. It is a great way to educate local youth about the importance of agriculture, even when they don’t realize it.This year’s annual Agriculture Day attracted twelve fourth grade classes from both Greenup County Schools and R
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Spent the day with 25 individuals from Scott County while we toured agriculture businesses and entities. These people were either new to Scott County or are upcoming informal leaders in the community. We started off at the Extension Office where I gave a presentation over what ANR Extension is and what I do as an agent. I answered various questions related to extension and agriculture in Scott County.I then joined them for the rest of the day as we went to the Stockyards, Evans Orchard, and Home
Author: Stacy White
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
In today's difficult economic climate many farmers are under tremendous stress which can lead to a declines in both physical and mental health. In an effort to support and encourage the local agriculture community, the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service in conjunction with the Whitley County Farm Bureau, the Whitley County Small Farms group, and the Whitley County Cattlemen's Association hosted a farmer appreciation event on July 9th, 2022. This was funded via a Ken
Author: Phillip Long
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Since we use these stories as a resource for multiple requests, don’t restrict Success Stories only to traditional Extension appointments and activities. Any accomplishments and efforts that are noteworthy may be included.The Community Engagement component of my Urban Extension Fellows project has been difficult to implement. Even though I’ve contacted the Metro Council members whose districts are where the neighborhoods are located, the responses have been quite limited. S
Author: Megan Wetenkamp
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Integrating into a community as a new County Extension Agent can be a challenging task. Especially when inheriting the position from a long line of well-respected agents. Thankfully, growing up in Henry County affords me the benefit of not being a total stranger to my producers. Nonetheless, it requires significant effort to engage and build a reputation amongst tight-knit communities like Henry County. My efforts to engage the community as a new agent is a multi-pronged approach. My goal h
Author: Douglas Shepherd
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Farm-City Day 2022 was the first in a new format. Previously Extension representing the rural segment, and Chamber of Commerce representing the urban segment, hosted the event in alternating years. Chamber's Executive Director didn't see the value in continuing the program and basically backed out of participating. As a result, leadership contacted county government officials as well as the mayors of the incorporated cities and all stated the program was important and v
Author: Jay Stone
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Agriculture Awareness ranks as a top priority for the Hopkins County Ag Advisory Council. Among the methods of reaching people, the use of social media rose to the top this year as a means of engaging both Ag and Non-Ag sectors of our population. A social media plan was developed and implemented by the Hopkins County Extension Agent for Agriculture. Social media has been identified as an important delivery method because you must engage people where they are. And most of the 98% of non-farmers a
Author: Ricky Arnett
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
A little over five years ago, the Green County Cooperative Extension Service put together a program for its community leaders over the struggles of our small town. This program gave statistics and brought truth to our leaders about the ageing population of Green County, the minimum amount of jobs, our low tax base, and our low income families. No one wants to talk about these issues, but they are real concerns for Green County. Shortly after this meeting, the Green County Cooperative Extens
Author: Raul Villanueva
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The “2022 PUBLIC LANDS DAY“ took place at Fort Campbell’s Lake Kyle on Saturday, Sept. 10 2022. This event was designated to teach children and adults about Fort Campbell area wildlife, history, and recreation opportunities through hands on activities. The entomology program showed a collection of insects as well as the use of sweep nets. The event had near 400 visitors including children and adults. The UK-entomology stand was one of the most visited sites.
Author: Clinton Hardy
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Daviess County Agricultural Visionaries Committee was created in fall 2022. The Daviess County Extension Agent for Agriculture/Natural Resources was tasked with serving as chair of the committee which implmented the first of it's kind Daviess County Agricultural Hall of Fame. The mission of the Daviess County Agricultural Hall of Fame is to – Recognize visionaries, founders, servants, and innovators of agriculture in Daviess County.
Author: Beau Neal
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
In the fall we held the annual Fayette County Youth Livestock and Country Ham sale. The last few years I've happily taken this challenge on as part of my job responsibilities. I saw a need for improvement to how the sale was being conducted, and getting the community and volunteers engaged more than they had been in the past. In coordinating the youth show/sale committee, I was able to help transition the sale to another location to give it a "face lift". We
Author: Matthew Chadwick
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Alpha Upsilon chapter of Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority, of Murray State University, hosts their annual Bale Buddies philanthropy event every year in the spring. 2023 is the second year the Calloway County Extension Office has participated. The proceeds for this event are donated to Bright Life Farms in Princeton, KY. Bright Life Farms is a nonprofit organization that provides housing and learning opportunities for mentally or developmentally challenged adults learning to liv
Author: Amanda Sears
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Madison County, Kentucky has a long history of agriculture. Tobacco was historically the largest agriculture commodity though it has been replaced with cattle and forage production.While there is an appreciation of farming in our community, the general population knows very little about the agriculture that surrounds them every day. The county has changed greatly over the years. The county population has grown over 20% since 2000. Nearly 80% of Madison County is considered farmland yet onl
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
March 31st Northern Elementary hosted an Agriculture Day. Here students got to learned about different entities within in the agriculture industry. One of those stations were maned by the Scott County Agriculture and Natural Resource agent. At her station students had the opportunity to learn about one of America's most grown crops, corn. Students learned about the different types of corn, what it was used for, and how it is grown. They also talked about the importance of soil layers and how
Author: Emma Lee
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
On March 23rd at 11:00 am, I attended the Estill County Senior Citizens Center to provide an educational program about birds. There were 11 people present. I first discussed our local birds and how to identify them. Then, I instructed them on how to make a bird feeder using a pinecone, peanut butter, and birdseed. They enjoyed making the feeder and I followed up with them 2 weeks later. They stated how the birds loved the feeder and they have been checking it every day. They learned how to ident
Author: Jason Vaughn
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The responsibility of keeping kids safe is a community effort. In recent years, multiple accidents have involved kids in the community. The Powell County Extension office partnered with agencies to address the need for safety education. The Powell County Safety Day was an outdoor event held at the Lion’s Club Fairgrounds. 3rd and 4th-grade classes from each school in the county attended totaling 325 kids. The extension office rel
Author: Vicki Shadrick
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Collaboration is “the act of working together with other people or organizations to create or achieve something” (Cambridge English Dictionary). When people or groups of people come together with the same purpose it can have a positive change on the expected outcome.In 2010 Webster County Cooperative Extension and the newly formed Webster County Cattlemen’s Association come together to plan, implement and evaluate the 1st annual Webster County Extension/Cattlemen’s
Author: Kelsey Marcum
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Casey County is a very rural county in comparison to many other Kentucky counties. Agriculture is one of the most dangerous professions and it is important that those living in a rural community understand why. This is why Casey County Extension started Ag Safety Day for Casey County 5th graders. Casey County Extension partnered with the Casey County Conservation District, Casey County Farm Bureau, and Casey County School District to make it happen. Volunteers joined to teach different stat
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Russell County landscape is home to an assortment of terrains. The county is home to large amounts of farmland, woodlands, streams, rivers and a large lake. Russell County Extension Office held its annual Progressive Farm Safety Day in conjunction with the Progressive Ag Foundation and hosted approximately 220, 3rd grade students from the county. The farm safety day was also attended by approximately 40 teachers, and community volunteers to help make the day a success.This
Author: Trent Adkins
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion. Pulaski County Extension Agents: Jennifer Cole, Erica Spurgeon & TJ Adkins collaborated together to host a Progressive Ag and 4-H Safety Day for nearly 675 Pulaski County 8th graders at the Hal Rogers Fire Training Center. Students from Northern and Southern Middle Schools attended and Science Hill Independent attend
Author: Christopher Schalk
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Barren County has had a county agriculture extension agent since 1920. I am the fourth, so needless to say folks in this position stay. The South Central Kentucky Cultural Center holds an annual program entitled, Harvest of History. The Harvest of History is held general close to Halloween, and is features local historical figures portrayed by community members. The program takes place in the historic Glasgow Municipal Cemetery. In the 2022 Harvest of History I was
Author: Joseph Ray
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Boyle county is a growing community in terms of population and industries. From 2020 to 2025 Boyle County's population is expected to grow 2.2% according to a recent population projection by Kentucky State Data Center. The Boyle County Chamber of Commerce annual leadership program introduces participants to many different industries in the county through site visits with local professionals. With new professionals moving into the county this program lets participants learn the industrie
Author: Tad Campbell
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Buffalo Trace Area Extension Services and Maysville Community and Technical College partnered to host the community event, Farm Family Night. The event is geared to offer educational programs to all facets of the farm family. With many topics providing research-based information from the University of Kentucky, local educators offering specialized expertise, vendor network development, and youth educational events participants had the opportunity to a diverse offering of educatio
Author: Jessica James
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
I have gone to these three places to teach kids how to do some different things. I have tied some of the lessons into Agriculture. For example, I taught them how to make a mini greenhouse and plant a tomato seed. While making the greenhouses, I also talked about the crops that they are seeing being planted in fields around them and what it takes to grow any crops or vegetables. I have helped teach them how to make a healthy smoothie. I will also be going to teach them how to make a trail mix rec
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Scott County has deep agricultural grass roots. It's heritage is made up of tobacco, beef, and grain farmers. However, Scott County has been drastically changing and growing in recent years. With the influx of commerce, people, and development the dynamic of the county is shifting. This has lead to people becoming more removed from agriculture and the rural way of life. While, farmers are diversifying their products and management strategies to meet the needs of the new environment that they
Author: Ricky Arnett
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
.In Green County, the cooperation of the Green County Cooperative Extension Service and other local agencies and groups makes lasting impacts on our community. No better example can be found than the 20+ year relationship between the Green County Cooperative Extension Service and the Green County Cattlemen’s Association.Since 2000, both organizations have worked hand in hand to improve the Green County beef industry. Through education, marketing of cattle, administering cost-share pr
Author: Stacy White
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
In the last 10 years there have been several Mennonite families move into Whitley County to establish a new community. Families came from Glasgow, Kentucky, central Tennessee, and British Columbia, Canada. Members of this new community began coming into the Whitley County Extension office for various programs and services. The ANR agent assisted some of these clients and started working relationships with them. Being new to the county, the Mennonite families' lifestyl
Author: Matthew Futrell
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Youth in every county are always looking for more activities to do outside so what better way then offering a program during spring break for “Outdoor Cooking”. This was a partnership between one of the Christian County 4-H Youth Development Agents and the Agricultural Natural Resource Agent. We wanted to create a program for youth in Christian County to learn the safety of cooking outdoors, how to start and put out a fire, lighting charcoal, outdoor handwashing skills, cooler packin
Author: Carol Hinton
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Coming out of COVID we were not ready for the influx of request to get the Breckinridge County Extension programs back into the schools or back to normalcy.We began working with the Chief Curriculum Specialist to work in Farm Safety Days and Ag Awareness, Grow It, Wear It, Eat It. The teachers and students and presenters were engaged in every step of the way. The programs filled so many needs in those classes. The presenters every year learn so many things from the
