Success Stories By MajorProgram FY2025Jul 1, 2024 - Jun 30, 2025
Celebrating Agriculture 2024: A Growing Legacy
Author: Chuck Flowers
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Describe the Issue or Situation.With a staggering $1 billion impact and $359,967,000 in products sold across 960 farms, WAVE AG Day 2024 once again spotlighted the vital role of agriculture in Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman Counties. Held for the seventh year, the event took place on August 1 at Columbus Belmont State Park, running from 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM. The familiar theme, "Let’s Grow With It," continued to inspire the agricultural community.Describe the Outreach or E
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CPC Livestock & Dairy Evaluation Contest
Author: Christopher Schalk
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Describe the Issue or Situation.Each year CPC hold an annual field day for over 15 years a youth livestock judging contest has been a part of the event. 2024 saw the addition of a dairy cattle evaluation contest as well.Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).The participants show a very wide range of skills and overall readiness for such an event. Some students were well prepared by parents, extension agents, and agriculture teachers prior
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Bath County Agricultural Fair
Author: Alexandra Sallie
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Describe the Issue or Situation.Parents of young children struggle at times finding fun, safe and educational activities through the summer. There is also a need for kids to showcase their 4H projects and talents in a nurturing and productive way. Both of these groups can benefit from 4H summer programs that focus on healthy competition and recognition of their hard work and ways that 4H and extension can provide fun, educational activities during the summer that will help them becom
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Bad Weather Has a Silver Lining for 14th Annual Market in the Park
Author: Sarah Fannin
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Morgan County Extension Council volunteers are actively engaged in organizing and supporting “Market in the Park” to inspire a “grow local, eat local, buy local” mentality that celebrates our community’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, while fostering economic growth within Morgan County.Traditionally, conducted the first Saturday in August at West Liberty’s Old Mill Recreational Park, the event brings together over fifty Farmers Market members, local a
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Youth Livestock Judging Contest
Author: Adam Thomas
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Describe the Issue or Situation.Each year CPC holds an annual field day and a youth livestock judging contest has been a part of the event. 2024 saw the addition of a dairy cattle evaluation contest as well.Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).The participants show a very wide range of skills and overall readiness for such an event. Some students were well prepared by parents, extension agents, and agriculture teachers prior to the event
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CAIP/YAIP Advertisement
Author: Jessica James
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
I noticed that there wasn't very many producers applying for Cost Share funds in Henderson County. The ones that were applying were the same ones year to year it seemed and although that is great, I decided to have an educational session on applying for Cost Share Funds in hopes to get more participants. The Ag Development Council recommended doing a program similar to this with the goal of having more producers apply for cost share funds. I reached out to farming families. I also had repres
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Madison County Home, Farm, and Garden Expo Success
Author: Brandon Darst
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Madison County Extension Agents want and need to bring attention and awareness to the local community to keep Extension from being the "Best Kept Secret." Madison County Extension Council decided to host an event that will help bring attention and awareness to the unique resources available through the Madison County Extension Office.The Madison County Extension Home, Farm, and Garden Expo utilized various venues for outreach to share about the event including billboards, radio announc
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Bonnie Sigmon Farmers Feast 2024
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Bonnie Sigmon Farmers Feast: Addressing the Need for Agricultural Investment in YouthLaurel County faced a pressing challenge: insufficient funding for programs aimed at promoting agricultural practices among the youth. Specifically, local FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapters at North and South Laurel High Schools lacked the necessary resources to enhance their efforts in preparing the next generation of agricultural leaders.Partners and Collaboration Recognizing the importance of inves
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Agriculture Leadership Makes a Difference
Author: Roger "Darrell" Simpson
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Describe the Issue or Situation.The problem: Agriculture, like any industry needs leaders to promote it so that it continues to grow.The educational program response: In 2012,Muhlenberg County corn and soybean farmer Brent Gatton, approached this agent about participating in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Food and Environment program known as (KALP) Kentucky Ag Leadership Program. His nomination to participate in the two year leadership program was successful.The particip
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Connecting livingston County Farmers
Author: Adam Barnes
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Connecting Livingston County Farmers with Grant Opportunities Livingston County Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR) hosted a successful Grant Informational Meeting in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. This event, organized by Livingston County ANR, provided an invaluable platform for local farmers to learn about various grant opportunities and assistance programs available to them.The meeting brought together representatives from several organizations, including the Kentucky Center for Agricult
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Leadership Development
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Extension programs that thrive have one thing in common . . . great leaders! Extension Council members are trained so they may understand their responsibilities as leaders of an umbrella group guiding Extension programming. To help promote local producers, the Extension Council developed approximately 1000 Taylor County Direct Sales brochures promoting local goods. To help understand the community, the Extension Council on-the-move has been implemented where each year different
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County Extension Council Expands Their Knowledge of Local Businesses
Author: Dee Heimgartner
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
The Crittenden County Extension Council (CEC) plays a vital role in shaping the county’s programs and initiatives. To deepen their understanding of the local economy and the challenges businesses face, the CEC has begun meeting at local businesses. These visits provide valuable insights as business owners and managers share the story of their enterprises, the services they provide, the history behind their operations, and the obstacles they encounter.So far, the CEC has visited three busin
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Pulaski County ANR Newpaper Articles
Author: Trent Adkins
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
One of the task that was ask by the producers of Pulaski county of the new Agriculture and Natural Resources agent was to start running articles in the local paper like the horticulture and FCS agent does.To honor this request we started a weekly newspaper article that runs in the Sunday paper, and online at the commonwealth journals website and the ANR page of the extension website. These articles try to reach a wide variety of topics, while also hitting topic that are related at the time
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Leadership Boyle County
Author: Kaitlin Farlee
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
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 industries pre
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Phone Call Starts a Path of Leadership
Author: Thomas Miller
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
A phone call from Laura Knoth, Executive Director of the Ky Small Grain Growers Association set in motion a tremendous track of leadership for a Ballard County Producer. In December 2021, Laura Knoth called Tom Miller, Ballard County ANR Agent to inquire if he knew of any wheat growers that would be a good addition to the Ky Small Grain Growers Association. Mr. Miller thought he had a great prospect in Neil Denton, son of Lynn Denton and partner in Denton Farms, one of the larger op
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35% Women in Agriculture Conference
Author: Jessica James
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Success Story35% Women in Agriculture ConferenceThe 2022 US Ag Census reported that women make up 35% of the total producers in Kentucky. In response, ANR agents from Henderson, Union, Webster, and Crittenden counties collaborated to plan, implement, and evaluate the "35% Women in Agriculture Conference," held on March 14th, 2025, at the Union County Fairgrounds.The conference featured five hands-on sessions led by extension specialists, emergency management services, and local produce
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Raising Awareness: Alpha-Gal Syndrome and Tick Bite Prevention in Greenup County
Author: Linda Hieneman
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Relevance: While still considered “rare” relative to other medical issues in the state, Kentucky is one of the states with the most cases of alpha-gal syndrome in the US, according to the CDC, with some Kentucky counties presenting the highest cases per capita in the country. This condition is developed in some people after a bit from a lone star tick. There is no known treatment for alpha-gal syndrome. Instead, lifestyle changes can be made that help manage and reduce the sympt
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Wave Ag Leadership Ballard County Day
Author: Thomas Miller
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
The 4-H Agents of the 4 river counties took the lead in starting a WAVE Ag Leadership Program for teens from the four River counties of Ballard, Carlisle, Hickman and Fulton. They have a day of programming in each county to teach the young leaders leadership skills and about agriculture and its impact in our area.The 4-H leaders partnered with WAVE Ag, a group started in the 4 river counties to make ag a priority and focus the efforts of the 4 counties in promotion and outreach for agricul
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Sowing Seeds of Success: Logan County's Youth Agriculture Incentive Program
Author: Leann Martin
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Sowing Seeds of Success: Logan County's Youth Agriculture Incentive ProgramThe Kentucky Agriculture Development Board introduced the Youth Agriculture Incentive Program in 2018 to encourage youth involvement in production agriculture. Since its inception in 2018, the Logan County YAIP program has been transforming the lives of local youth by empowering them to explore the diverse and rewarding opportunities of agriculture. Spearheaded by the Logan County Extension Agent for Agriculture &
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