Agriculture and Horticulture
Advancing Agriculture & Horticulture in Mercer Co.
Linda McClanahan, Jessica Bessin
Home & Consumer Horticulture
Commercial Horticulture
Beef
Soils
Mercer County has a diverse combination of both commercial agriculture, horticulture, and home horticulture, all being viable industries in Mercer County. Farmers, community leaders, farm organizations, Mercer County Ag Development Council, Mercer County Farmers Market, Mercer County Ag Advisory Council, and Mercer County Horticulture Advisory Council have identified important agricultural and horticultural issues and needed programs. Farm profitability, diversification, increasing value of property, promoting local foods, and marketing opportunities are some of the top priorities. Leaders have also identified the need to have extensive programs in the area of agricultural awareness. With less than 2% of the population involved in food production there is a great need for education about where and how food and other agricultural products are produced.
*Increased interest in agriculture and horticulture production.
*Homeowners will save more money on home landscape.
*Increased diversification of crops produced in county.
*Homeowners will add value to their property through education programs on maintaing landscapes
*Farmers market will continue to grow as intrest in local food increases
*Youth will exhibit skills, share knowledge with others, including family members, and may decide to raise some of their own food
*Farmers will improve production practices
*Farmers and homeowners will understand pesticide safety
*Increased interest in local foods
*Students will learn about UK and career opportunities in agriculture.
Initial Outcome: Increased interest in Agriculture and Horticulture Programs
Indicator: Increased numbers of participants for agriculture and horticulture programs
Method: Counting participants attending the programs
Timeline: on-going
Intermediate Outcome:
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Long-term Outcome:
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Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Master Gardener Program
Content or Curriculum: UK Master Gardener Manual
Inputs: UK CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialists, Mercer County HORT agent, UK Publications and other resources, Master Gardener volunteers
Date: Spring
Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Horticulture topics,instructor, newsletter, radio
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture Department
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer County Hort Agent, UK publications, Master Gardeners
Date: On-going
Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Gardening Through the Seasons
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture Department
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer County Hort Agent, UK publications,
Date: On-going
Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Holiday Greenery Workshop
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture Department
Inputs: CES Facilities, Mercer County Hort Agent, UK publications,
Date: December
Audience: Clients with Beekeeping Interest
Project or Activity: Beekeeping Club
Content or Curriculum: KDA State Apiarist, Hands on demonstrations
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer County Hort Agent, UK publications, KDA
D
Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Community Garden
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture Department
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer County Hort Agent, UK publications,
Date: On-going
ate: On-going
Audience: Farmers Market Clients
Project or Activity: Garden Flavors
Content or Curriculum: UK Vegetable Production and fruit production guides, Plate it Up!
Inputs: UK publications, Master Gardeners, Mercer Agents,
Date: On-going
Audience: Children
Project or Activity: Plant Camp
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture Department
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer County Hort Agent, UK publications,
Date: On-going
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Annual Mercer County Agriculture Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Chosen by Field Day Committee - from UK Specialists and Ag Industry
Inputs: Host farm, volunteers, CES Staff, Partners/Sponsoring Organizations
Date: September
Audience: Mercer County citizens
Project or Activity: Annual Farm/City Dinner
Content or Curriculum: National Farm City Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, content relevant to educational objective set by committee
Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, collaborating agencies, sponsors, speakers
Date: March
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Beef Quality Assurance/ Cattle Handling & Care Certification
Content or Curriculum: KY BQA Curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, KY Cattlemen's Association, host location
Date: Spring/Fall
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Private Pesticide Applicator Training
Content or Curriculum: KY Pest Management Curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, UK Extension publications
Date: spring
Audience: Elementary school youth
Project or Activity: FarmSCool Week
Content or Curriculum: UK CES, KY Beef Council, KY Horse Council, KY Soybean Association, KY Dept of Ag
Inputs: Extension Staff, Extension resources, Mercer County School system, Burgin School System
Date: Fall
Audience: Mercer County citizens, farmers
Project or Activity: Services
Content or Curriculum: Soil Testing, Plant Disease Diagnosis, Hay Testing, Ration Balancing, Farm & Home Visits, Insect Identification, Weed Identification, Water Testing, Plant Identification, Snake Identification, Forage & Grain Moisture Testing
Inputs: UK CES Facilities, Extension Staff, UK Publications, UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, UK Soil Lab, UK Extension Specialists
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Equine clientele
Project or Activity: Equine Express newsletter, Horse College, special equine topic programs, State Equine Farm & Facilities Expo, Equine RCPP Grant/Demo Farm
Content or Curriculum: Horse College, UK Equine
Inputs: UK CES facilities, ANR Agents, UK Extension Specialists, UK publications, UK news releases/exclusives
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County clientele with agriculture or horticulture interest
Project or Activity: demonstration plots and demonstration programs
Content or Curriculum: UK, industry companies
Inputs: UK CES Specialists & resources, new practices, chemicals, local farms for demonstrations, host locations for programs
Date: ongoing
Audience: Extension clientele/followers on social media
Project or Activity: facebook pages, website
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: UK CES agents, UK CES staff, Ag Comm news releases, UK publications/information
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County crop producers
Project or Activity: crop production practices and meetings including regional
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: UK CES Specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County Cattle producers
Project or Activity: cattle production practices, newsletters and meetings (KY Beef Conference, KY Stocker Conference, county winter meetings, regional meetings, dairy month kickoff breakfast, dairy monthly newsletter, cattlemens quarterly roundup newsletter, Master series (Master Cattlemen, Master Marketer, Master Stocker)
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: UK CES specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County young and beginning farmers
Project or Activity: support for both young and beginning farmers, Farm Safety Dinner Theater
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: UK CES specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County farmers and clientele
Project or Activity: collaboration with agriculture organizations
Content or Curriculum: UK CES, agriculture organizations
Inputs: Farm Bureau, Soil Conservation, Cattlemens Association, Goat Association, Backcountry Horsemen, Master Gardeners, Fair Board, Beef Festival
Date: ongoing
Audience: general public
Project or Activity: Beef Bash
Content or Curriculum: meat science
Inputs: Dr. Gregg Rentfrow, UK Meat Dept, Mercer County Cattlemens Association, Mercer County Extension, homemakers, KY Fort Harrod Beef Festival
Date: spring
Audience: county fair attendees and participants
Project or Activity: Mercer County Fair & Horse Show
Content or Curriculum: CES guidelines, rules & regulations set by various show committees
Inputs: CES Staff, Mercer County Fair & Horse Show facilities/funds, community sponsors, county fair participants
Date: July
Author: Linda McClanahan
Major Program: Equine
In an effort to increase equine extension programming, the ANR agent served on a planning committee for the biennial Equine Summitt Committee. Previous summits have focused on research and teaching. Through discussion with equine faculty and agents, plans were developed to host 2 Equine Summits focused on equine extension work. The intent was to highlight some of the great work already happening in KY, determine current challenges and opportunities for equine extension work and
Author: Linda McClanahan
Major Program: Equine
The 2012 KY Equine Survey reported Mercer County ranking 10th in equine income and home to 580 equine operations. The ANR agent continues to issue a quarterly newsletter (Equine Express) that is now mailed to 153 people and meets regularly with the Fort Harrod Backcountry Horsemen. In addition ANR agents in the district collaborated to host the Annual Pastures Please! Workshop. Numerous survey responses indicated over the years this conference has led to increased profitab
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Extension Master Gardener Program is part of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and is designed to expand horticultural knowledge among the community through the use of trained volunteers. Extension Master Gardeners are required to complete 40 hours of approved volunteer service related to horticulture within one year after completing the training as well as attend 20 hours of continuing education. In the spring of 2019, the Mercer and Boyle county horticulture agents off
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Farmer's Markets
The Mercer County Horticulture program has offered a new exciting program aimed at the back yard gardener who may have grown a little too much produce. “So you want to join the farmers market” was a series of classes for those who are on the fence about selling their extra produce at the local farmers market. The idea for this series of classes was thought up by an engaged community member who also happens to be a Master Gardener that partnered with the Mercer County Horticultu
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Bees/Beekeeping
Beekeeping continues to increase in popularity as more people become interested in helping protect our pollinators. As the popularity continues to grow the Fort Harrod Beekeeping club has been there to help the residents of Mercer County and those other counties that surround it.The Fort Harrod Beekeeping club started in the winter of 2015 by the Mercer County Horticulture agent. The club originally initially had only 10 members and now has grown to over 60. The club meets monthly for a short bu
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Gardening through the seasons has become a popular series of classes the Mercer County Horticulture agent started offering in 2017. The classes cover a variety of topics from early season spring crops to what can be grown in the late fall. Each class goes through production requirements, insect/disease issues, harvesting and variety recommendations. At the end of the class participants go home with either seeds or transplants.In the spring of 2019 an apple care class was offered as a part of thi
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture
One of the biggest concerns of extension agents when working with Farmers Market members is the consideration that what is being produced is safe and healthy for consumers. One method to help ensure that this happens is by offering the Produce Best Practices Training (PBPT). PBPT is a training developed by the UK Cooperative Extension Service, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and the Food Systems Innovation Center. Completion of the training program allows producers to r
Author: Linda McClanahan
Major Program: Beef
The Mercer County Agriculture Advisory Council continues to place a high priority on beef programming and work that helps producers incorporate best management practices to improve profitability. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, of the 1108 farms in Mercer County 619 have cattle. In addition, almost 75% of farm income is from livestock sales. Due to economic importance of cattle production in this area a number of educational programs were held throughout the year t
Author: Linda McClanahan
Major Program: Community Engagement
Livestock are a major part of the agricultural economy in Mercer County. As such, livestock shows in our county are usually some of the largest in the state. In addition, community and economic development is a driver in programming conducted through the Mercer County Extension Office. The Mercer County Fair & Horse Show, the oldest continuous running county fair in the United States, has livestock shows including dairy, sheep, pig, goat and beef. The ANR agent works