Agriculture and Horticulture

Agriculture and HorticulturePlan of Work

Back to Plans for the County

Mercer County CES

Title:

Agriculture and Horticulture

MAP:

Advancing Agriculture & Horticulture in Mercer Co.

Agents Involved:

Linda McClanahan, Jessica Bessin

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Home & Consumer Horticulture

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Commercial Horticulture

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Beef

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Soils

Situation:

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.

Long-Term Outcomes:

*Increased interest in agriculture and horticulture production.
*Homeowners will save more money on home landscape.
*Increased diversification of crops produced in county.

Intermediate Outcomes:

*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

Initial Outcomes:

*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.

Evaluation:

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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Method:
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Long-term Outcome:
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Learning Opportunities:

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

Success Stories

Building Kentucky Equine Extension

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