Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Chelsey Anderson
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Cumberland County Extension Office hosted a Farm to Fork event on July 21st, 2023, at the Morgan Farm in Burkesville, KY. This event was to raise awareness of local KY Proud produce and meat and fundraise for Feed My Sheep Food Pantry. The county received partial funding through Kentucky Department of Agriculture to host the event. Roughly, 110 individuals participated in the event, including Sharon Spencer from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. A KY Proud meal made up of items from Cherry
Author: Jessica Barnes
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
UK Engagement Academy comes to Harrison CountyExtension success is measured, in part, by its collaborative efforts with community leaders, other entities, and stakeholders. What’s been a major component in Extension’s purpose for years, but being emphasized now more than ever, is the Extension’s ability to partner and share resources with other efforts in the community to meet needs and increase quality of life. A tremendous honor was held by Harrison County Extension when the
Author: Trent Adkins
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The 2023 City to Farm Tour was held on September 19th, 2023 with well over 70 local business leaders/ Pulaski county chamber members in attendance. Extension partnered with the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce to plan the bi-annual event now for the past 12 years. The event is to help educate our community about the changes that have occurred in agriculture over the past decades. This behind-the-scenes look at local agriculture allowed community leaders the opportunity to meet the har
Author: Thomas Miller
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Like many rural counties in Kentucky, Ballard County has a problem with bridges on secondary roads and their ability to withstand larger and larger farm equipment, grain truck traffic and general decay from years of service.Tom Miller, Ballard County Agent for Ag and Natural Resources attended the Ky Soybean Board Promotion Day at Murray State University in January 2023. Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, gave a presentation on “Top 20 innov
Author: Dee Heimgartner
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Fair breakfast has become a favorite fair event of many in the community and it shows with over 90 people in attendance for the 2023 event. This event is a joint partnership with Lion’s Club, County Extension Council and 4-H Council. The breakfast serves a profitable fundraiser for the county’s 4H Council to help with youth programming efforts throughout the year. This event has great buy in from our elected officials, local school system, business community including Chamber of
Author: Chelsea Sapp
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Chelsea SappSuccess Story #2January 2024 Accommodating ClientsI work closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Office here in Lebanon along with the County Ag Investment Administrator. With our working relationship, I am to host and teach a variety of topics that meet education requirements for the CAIP program. This program is very popular in my county and benefits numerous farmers which allows them to make on-farm improvements. My role in this program is educating farmers in their r
Author: Lindsay Arthur
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
I am a dedicated advocate for mental health awareness within the farming community. I believe it is important to recognize that farming is not only physical work but mental as well. I strive to create an open dialogue about these issues and provide resources and tools to strengthen our farmers' resilience. In an effort to combat stigma, to assist in raising awareness and to provide access to resources for farmers, the 2022 Bourbon County Farmer Appreciation event was born. In cooperation wit
Author: Raul Villanueva
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
After the COVID pandemic an event for 3rd Grade students of Lyon County was conducted on September 28, 2023 with the participation of the entomology team of the UK-REC at Princeton. In this event roughly 200 students received information on insect pests and natural enemies in soybeans and corn fields. As well a display was presented on insect camouflage and mimicry. In the event also participated the LBL Nature station, the KY Soybean grower association, Soil Science and Forestry personnel. Thes
Author: Matthew Chadwick
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The problemAg Council had not had a meeting of all parties assembled together for several years, and had never fully bought into the need for assisting the agent in program design, development, and implementation. The educational program responseAgent removed inactive members from council and invited others that are active in extension programs, developed a brief informative "training" for the meeting, and explained the value of attending.The participants/target audienceProgram Pa
Author: Matthew Chadwick
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The problemNeed for the Development of a keystone program. Program impact or participant response.The Ag Council determined the need for a County specific program addressing the concerns associated with the long term sustainability of the family farm. The parameters of the meeting established at the Ag Council meeting were as follows: - Focus on problems facing all family farms - Not commodity specific-Estate planning -Community Focused and interestingA working group was form
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Volunteers in Extension programs are vital to growing the services we provide to our community. They help us determine community needs, develop plans to address them, assist with implementation of programs, and oversee the county office’s budget. Through these actions, the volunteers are helping us lay the groundwork for future generations to carry on the work we have undertaken. As crucial as volunteers are to our programming, the time and effort they contribute often goes unrecogniz
Author: Austin Brewer
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
In Franklin County, Kentucky, the arrival of Halloween were often accompanied by anxieties for parents. The educational value was absent and safety concerns were presented by most families in the case of traditional trick or treating. Realizing that there was a gap, the UK Franklin County 4-H Program along with the Kentucky State 4-H Program and Kentucky State University planned a mission to tailor the Halloween celebrations into an educational opportunity through the Halloween Extravaganza.The
Author: Lindsay Arthur
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
In the middle of National Heart Health Month, amidst the bustling atmosphere of an annual farm machinery auction at the fairgrounds, a unique initiative took place aiming to improve the wellbeing of farmers. Cardiovascular disease is a group of health conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 3 deaths that happen in the U.S. every year is due to cardiovascular disease—that's one cardiovascular-re
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Introduction: Sheep farming has been an integral part of Kentucky's agricultural landscape for centuries. These woolly creatures not only contribute to the state's economy but also play a significant role in its cultural heritage. However, the methods of sheep confinement raise important questions regarding animal welfare, environmental impact, and sustainable agricultural practices. This essay aims to explore the various aspects of sheep confinement in Kentucky, shedding light on the ch
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 annual community event, Farm Family Night. The event is geared to offer educational programs to all facets of the farm family while providing an environment for the entire 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 partic
Author: Gregory Drake
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
A community cannot thrive without good leadership. The Butler County Extension Service offered a leadership development workshop for leaders and potential leaders who wanted to increase their knowledge of parliamentary procedure, the duties of the secretary, and taking secretary minutes. Leadership development programming continues to be an area extension leadership identifies as an important need for our community. A presentation about Robert’s Rules of Orde
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
In the heart of rural Russell County, Kentucky, lies a community deeply rooted in agriculture. With fields stretching as far as the eye can see and families relying on farming for their livelihoods, safety in this environment is paramount. Recognizing the importance of educating the next generation on farm safety practices, Russell County hosts an annual Farm Safety Day. This event brings together 250 eager students and 50 dedicated adult volunteers to learn, share, and cultivate a culture of sa
Author: Evan Tate
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Small farms who raise niche crops and small scale produce are often at a disadvantage when marketing their products on a regional scale. Additionally, small operations often do not have the facilities to further process crops toward a market ready value added convenience item to further drive sales and profitability.The Hancock Co Cooperative Extension Service has invested significant time in gathering resources for small farm operations so that these entities could move further toward sustainab
Author: Benjamin Rudy
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Fulton County Agricultural and Natural Resources Agent has worked with the Fulton County Long-term Recovery Committee in assisting the families of the Cayce Community in rebuilding their homes that were damaged or destroyed by the December 10th, 2021 tornado. The Fulton County Long Term Recovery Committee as work with numerous vendors, organizations, churches, and charities. Seven homes had to be completely rebuilt, 4 modular homes brought in, along with 50 house repaired. E
Author: Jason Phillips
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
According to the latest census of agriculture only 2% of Americans feed the other 98% of the population. It becomes increasingly important to educate the public about local foods systems, agritourism and generally increase awareness about agriculture. Therefore, the Simpson County Ag Advisory Council identified the need to host a farm tour focusing on education for Simpson County residents. The farm tour took place on a Saturday to accommodate the majority of resident's wor
Author: Chelsea Sapp
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Marion House Adult Daycare Agriculture DayMay 31,2024 The problemThe Marion House Adult Daycare is lacking funds to have meaningful and impactful educational programs for its participants. The educational program responseThey requested more agriculture programming and nutrition programming. Our office NEP assistant and I have collaborated to deliver both agriculture programming and nutritional programming at their adult daycare location in Lebanon. The participants/target au
Author: Robert Kirby
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
According to the University of Kentucky Community Needs Assessment Survey results, strengthening/supporting the local food and agriculture industry is listed as a top priority indicator. To address this need, Knox County community members were educated of the importance and development of local food/local grown products/markets and the agriculture industry, the agriculture agent and FCS agent provided 3 educational opportunities with transportation provided to visit a local dairy farm, app
Author: Garrard Coffey
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The Rockcastle Cooperative Extension partnered with the Conservation District, Farm Bureau, Rockcastle Cattleman’s, and the Rockcastle County School Board to provide an Agriculture awareness lunch for school board employees. Members form each organization help to cook and serve the lunches and raise awareness of local farmers and agriculture organizations.Six hundred meals are served this day and each individual is exposed to agriculture in our community. Kentucky Cattle
Author: Joseph Ray
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
To help the Cooperative Extension Service reach new audiences, the ANR Agent developed a hands-on educational workshop for Sausage Making after receiving many inquiries about meat and processing. The Boyle County ANR Agent spoke on many topics before the workshop such as food safety, types of sausages, and the functions of ingredients, along with the recipe for the workshop. Participants made pork breakfast sausage using equipment and methods suitable for the home while actively following food s
Author: Beau Neal
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The public's connection to agriculture is being lost more and more each year. The younger generation isn't as "tied" to the land as they once were, and their knowledge of agriculture and our food/fiber supply will continue to regress if we don't educate them. For this reason, we planned a Farm Day for the Young Leadership group from Woodford County High School. Partnering with teachers at WCHS, we planned a farm day consisting of two educational farm stops in the comm
Author: Regina Utz
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
On March 7th, 2024, Regina Utz hosted the first Celebrating Women in Agriculture at the Trimble County Extension Office. The purpose of this event was to help encourage, educate, and introduce women throughout the county and surrounding areas. There are a lot of women getting more and more involved in agriculture. During this program, we had two speakers that talked about their journeys in agriculture. They spoke of hardships, goals, and how they overcome challenges to make themselves better.The
Author: Jason Vaughn
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The problem: Children need hands-on activities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) to reinforce classroom lessons. The educational program response- A series of hands-on activities were focused on the science of tools and automation. Employees from Toyota presented an exhibit focused on Karakuri, a Japanese term for mechanic devices to assist with tasks with limited or no electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic power sources. Also the students used a hand crank
Author: Lindie Huffman
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
### Success Story: The Impact of the Pendleton County Farm Tour in Its Second YearIn its inaugural year, the Pendleton County Farm Tour welcomed 167 curious visitors who embarked on a journey through the heart of our agricultural community. The success and enthusiasm generated by that first tour laid a strong foundation, which only grew in its second year, attracting 178 individuals eager to experience the diversity and richness of Pendleton County's farming landscape.The slight increase in
Author: Stacy White
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
With a full staff, the Whitley County Extension office needed more space for meetings and storage. An adjoining 10 acre property with a brick house and two large metal buildings became available. Due in part to the relationship between the ANR agent and the property owner, an opportunity to purchase the property was presented to the Whitley County Extension District Board. An agreement was reached and the deal closed. The Whitley County Extension office gained three meeti
Author: Adam Thomas
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
The gap between the average consumer and their connection to production agriculture has grown to three to four generations removed from the farm. In recent years production agriculture has become under scrutiny for common practices and its environmental impact. As a result the need to advocate for agriculture has become a focus for many commodity organizations at the local, state, and national level. LaRue county has become a high growth area due to economic development with in
