Extension
It Starts With Us
Author: Christopher Schalk
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The problemPumpkin production is on the increase in South Central Kentucky. The current demand of local grown agriculture products, and the booming agritourism industry have opened up a market for locally grown pumpkins. Pumpkins, as with all cucurbits, present unique challenges during the heat and humidity of Kentucky’s growing season. The weather related challenges and the lack of current production recommendations led W8 Agriculture Agents to bring this twilight pump
Author: Timothy Estes
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The problemPumpkin production is on the increase in South Central Kentucky. The current demand of local grown agriculture products, and the booming agritourism industry have opened up a market for locally grown pumpkins. Pumpkins, as with all cucurbits, present unique challenges during the heat and humidity of Kentucky’s growing season. The weather related challenges and the lack of current production recommendations led W8 Agriculture Agents to bring this twilight pump
Author: Alexis Amorese Sheffield
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
"Hort Culture," a new weekly podcast created by the Boyle and Bourbon County Horticulture Agents and Experts from the Center for Crop Diversification at the University of Kentucky. With a library of 68 episodes and an impressive 6.75K downloads, this podcast has become a beacon of knowledge and inspiration for agriculture enthusiasts and aspiring farmers alike.What sets "Hort Culture" apart is its unwavering dedication to educating listeners about the multifaceted world of fa
Author: Gary Bell
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Pumpkin production is on the increase in South Central Kentucky. The current demand of local grown agriculture products, and the booming agritourism industry have opened up a market for locally grown pumpkins. Pumpkins, as with all cucurbits, present unique challenges during the heat and humidity of Kentucky’s growing season. The weather related challenges and the need for production recommendations to be addressed led W8 Agriculture Agents to bring this twilight
Author: Adam Huber
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Pumpkin Filed Walk Pumpkin production is on the increase in South Central Kentucky and Allen County ranks #1 in the state for vegetable and melon production, therefore we have a lot of growers in our county and many of them are pumpkin growers. The current demand of locally grown agriculture products, and the booming agritourism industry have opened a market for locally grown pumpkins. Pumpkins, as with all cucurbits, present unique challenges during the heat and humidity of Kentucky&
Author: Anthony Tackett
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
"Hort Culture," a new weekly podcast created by the Boyle and Bourbon County Horticulture Agents and Experts from the Center for Crop Diversification at the University of Kentucky. With a library of 68 episodes and over 6700 downloads to date, this podcast has become a ongoing source of knowledge and information for both home gardeners and commercial producers.What sets "Hort Culture" apart is its unwavering dedication to educating listeners about the multifaceted world
Author: Kristin Hildabrand
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Services in Butler and Warren Counties partnered together to offer a fall field day program to feature the Hunt’s Family Farm. Their farm is a diversified operation highlighting specialty cuts of beef and cut flowers.The horticulture agent in Warren County worked specifically on providing the cut flower educational track that was offered at the field day. This track highlighted Fredia T’s Flowers and the SOKY Floral Exchange which are
Author: Kara Back-Campbell
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The Taylor County Farmers’ Market has struggled for several years in customer attendance. The horticulture agent has implemented several events and programs throughout the season to attract more customers. One of the events that was new for the season was a summer bash. It consisted of various activities for kids and families such as: 4th of July crafts, planting activities, and free food samples. As a result of the summ
Author: Anthony Tackett
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Recognizing the need to diversify the agricultural production and increase the income of local farmers, the Extension leadership identified the need for a series of programming efforts on crops such as garlic production and microgreens cultivation. These programs involved demonstrations, classroom style labs, and field day presentations, where participants learned about the benefits, challenges, and best practices of growing these crops. Over 70 local residents attended these program
Author: Mary Dossett
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The Horticulture Agent hosted a local florist, Lindsay Bowles, at the Extension Service to give a presentation on floral arrangements. The agent saw there was a need when several community members mentioned they wanted to learn more about what types of flowers you can use, how to grow these flowers, where to purchase them, and how to arrange them. On January 2nd, 2024 the florist spoke to about fifty participants and gave them educational information about floral arranging. The participants were
Author: Tyler Miller
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Each year I plan and organize a produce production meeting with the local Amish that I work with throughout the year. At this year’s meeting, there were four Extension Specialist that attended the morning session to give updates and information to our local growers. These topics include disease challenges from 2023, cole crop production tips, and fruit production management. I also had educational publications from the university to handout to growers. I talked about how the extension offi
Author: Alexis Amorese Sheffield
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Since its establishment in 2013, the collaborative efforts of the Danville Tree Planting Committee, consisting of the Boyle Co. Horticulture Agent, the City of Danville, the local garden club, and dedicated community members, have significantly transformed the landscape of Danville. With a clear goal to enhance the city's environment by planting trees that provide shade, assist in stormwater management, and enhance aesthetics, this group has achieved remarkable milestones. Through strategic
Author: Gary Bell
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
No doubt that one positive result of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown was an increase interest in gardening and home food production. Many home owners planted fruit trees in an attempt to produce some high quality fresh fruit at home. West 8 Agriculture Agents have been getting requests for more programming on fruit tree care and pruning. In February 2024 a fruit tree pruning workshop was held on the farm of the Dennison family. The Dennison family are long time f
Author: Tyler London
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
A positive result of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown was an increase interest in gardening and home food production. Many home owners planted fruit trees in an attempt to produce some high quality fresh fruit at home. West 8 Agriculture Agents have been getting requests for more programming on fruit tree care and pruning. In February of 2024 a fruit tree pruning workshop was held on the farm of the Dennison family. The Dennison family are long time fruit producer
Author: Steven Mobley
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Although the demand for freshly cut flowers has risen in the last few years, very few local producers have acquired the specialized skills needed to grow flowers for commercial sale.Recognizing a new opportunity to expand locally grown agricultural products in our area, the Laurel County Horticulture agent collaborated with agents from Clay, Jackson, Rockcastle, Whitley, Rockcastle, Bell, and Leslie Counties, to organize a series of workshops geared toward commercial cut flower production.The in
Author: Thomas Miller
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
In December 2023, a small landowner came to the Ballard County Extension Office looking for information on starting a Christmas tree farm. Ballard County ANR agent Tom Miller gave her several publications available from the horticulture and forestry departments as a starting point. It just so happens that an episode of “From the Woods Today” in December featured Tara Watkins, a Commercial Ornamentals Extension Associate for Nursery Crops, Christmas Trees, & Cut
Author: Robert Amburgey
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The problemBath County farmers and Kentucky farmers in general, have been successful in producing a variety of agricultural products. Where many of our farmers fall short is their ability to add value to the products they produce and to establish a marketing plan to realize the true value of what they have available.The educational program responseTo assist our local farmers meet both of these challenges, the Bath County ag program works and the Bath County Extension Office provide produce
Author: Kara Back-Campbell
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The Taylor County Farmers’ Market has previously had low vendor and customer numbers for several years. Last year there was a considerable increase in the numbers of vendors with a total of ten. This season the numbers of customers and vendors have increased even more to a total of 15 vendors and over one thousand customers as of June twenty-ninth. This has improved the financial well-being of the vendors and allows customers to buy locally grown produce. One vendor sta
Author: Adam Barnes
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Livingston County ANR played a pivotal role in resolving a critical issue at Sugar Creek Flower Farm, a commercial flower farm operating in the county. The owner reached out with an urgent problem: thousands of zinnias, just beginning to bloom, were showing deformed flowers. Despite the rest of the plant appearing healthy and no visible bugs, the flowers were abnormal, and there were small piles of fine dirt around the plants. Desperate for a solution, she contacted Livingston County ANR for hel
Author: Gary Bell
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Edmonton is the seat of Metcalfe County and has only two small grocery stores selling fresh produce. The produce on offer at the groceries is often poor in quality, limited variety, and costly. The Metcalfe County Farmers Market (MCFM) started in 2008 by the Metcalfe County Extension Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences and Agriculture Education in response to repeated requests from community members for access to purchasing locally grown produce. MCFM operates on Extension
Author: Adam Huber
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
South Central Kentucky has many producers that operate commercial and home orchards, specifically apples and peaches. In response to the growing number of fruit producers and the need for fruit tree pruning education, the West 8 Agriculture Agents put together a hands-on workshop to help growers with tree care and proper pruning methods. In February 2024 a fruit tree pruning workshop was held on the farm of the Dennison family in Hart County. The Dennison family are long time fruit producer
Author: Daniel Becker
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Lynn Grogan of Pea Ridge Farm participated in the Kentucky Horticulture council Small Fruits Initiative. She was wishing to expand her high tunnel strawberry operation and incorporate vertical "stacker" pots. Her interest in this production system was due to a desire to utilize vertical space more effectively and as a way to reduce joint strain during harvest. Her participation in the grant program and with help from the extension associate (Daniel Becker) acting as a technical advisor
Author: Daniel Becker
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Phillip McCartney is interested in growing blueberries but his site is not conducive to production. His soil pH is near neutral; blueberries require a soil pH between 4.5-5.2 to survive. The soil is also clayey and poorly drained which would cause root rot issues for blueberries. However, he lives near several major metropolitan areas (Louisville and Covington) where there is substantial demand for fresh market produce. Through conversation with the Extension Associate (Daniel Becker) and exchan
Author: Robert Kirby
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a person should consume fruits and vegetables daily as part of a healthy eating pattern to reduce their risk for chronic diseases such as, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and obesity. According to the CDC, children are eating more fruit, but their fruit and vegetable intake is still too low. Recommendations by the USDA range from 1-2 cups for fruits and 1-3 cups for vegetables. In Knox County, Kentucky, the
Author: Kristin Hildabrand
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Social media presents an incredible marketing opportunity for farmers. The Warren County Extension Agents for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Horticulture developed a social media series targeting farmers' market vendors, agritourism operators, KY Proud partners, and on-farm business owners. Utilizing University of Kentucky resources and industry standards, they created a three-part series that consisted of classroom instruction, hands-on activities, one-on-one coaching, and after-clas
Author: Delia Scott
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The Beginning Farmer Irrigation Basics Webinar and In-Person Workshop Series was created in response to discussions and feedback received from producers at the 2023 KY Fruit and Vegetable Conference. I worked with UK Dept. of Horticulture faculty to develop this series for those new to irrigation. The series consisted of a webinar followed by an in-person workshop held at the UK Horticulture Research Farm. The webinar and in-person workshop were free and open to beginning farmers, county a
Author: Glen Roberts
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Participants: Young farmer and her husband, Extension ANR Agent and Assistants.The supply of local produce does not meet the demand in May and throughout the month of June at our Farmers Market. USDA grants through the Natural Resources and Conservation Service offer potential to help in this area. One roadblock to this is an NRCS rule that the recipient of the grant has to agree not to use artificial heat for the first few years. A potential solution to this is to build
Author: Glen Roberts
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The problemThe ANR Agent along with support from all program areas has entered into a partnership with the local school food service program to provide fresh sweet corn. The sweet corn is grown on the school campus and is processed by volunteers and students. Silking the sweet corn is the greatest labor requirement. The educational program responseWe found out from an ANR Agent in another county in Kentucky that her family had a sweet corn silking machine that they used to add
Author: Shawn Wright
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The problemThe lead editor for the publication has left academia for a public sector position and we had nobody willing to take lead on the regional publicationThe educational program responseI have coordinated the fall meeting where we will determine if and how the regional publication will continueThe participants/target audienceCommercial fruit producers across the MidwestOther partners (if applicable)Multiple universities.Program impact or participant response. The publication will hope
Author: Brett Wolff
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
In 2015, the Center for Crop Diversification team hired me as an Extension Staff member. Part of my task for the first year was to overhaul the considerable website and make it more accessible, trackable, and user-friendly. We launched the site on January 1, 2016 and have seen tremendous growth and sustained interest between then and now. Between 2016 and 2023, we saw:1.12 million publication downloads1.23 million pageviews306,339 visitors491,513 sessions20018 user hours on site (834 Days)A
Author: Rachel Rudolph
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Water Use Efficiency is the ratio between effective water use and actual water withdrawal (FAO). Drip irrigation is estimated to be 90-95% efficient, while surface irrigation is 60% efficient, and sprinkler irrigation is approximately 50% efficient. Although drip irrigation is by far the most efficient and is the recommended form of irrigation for vegetable production, many new Kentucky growers do not use drip irrigation and do not know how to set up a drip irrigation system.A Beginning Farmer I
Author: Rachel Rudolph
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
In late May 2024, a commercial applicator applied herbicides to a field adjacent to a 10-acre commercial field containing squash and melon. It was a windy day and the product drifted and damaged the entire cucurbit field. Although unintentional, this was an off-label application of several products and is not permitted. The grower contacted UK Extension, starting with his county agent. That agent contacted KDA to document the damage as well as UK Extension Vegetable Specialist, Rachel Rudolph. R
