Extension
It Starts With Us
Strengthening Agriculture Production, Management, and Marketing Skills
Strengthening Agriculture Production and Economy
Traci Missun, Kelly Woods
Beef
Local Food Systems
Farm Management
Ag Marketing
Farms make up one-half of Oldham County. Farms here include a wide variety of enterprises, including grain crops, livestock, horses, hay and pasture, nurseries, greenhouses, poultry, fish and shellfish. With growth of Farmers Markets and Community Supported Agriculture locations, there has also been growth in vegetable, sheep and poultry production over the last 10 years, according to the 2012 Ag Census.
The Oldham County Extension Council and Ag Advisory Councils reviewed county needs and identified Agriculture Production, Business Management and Marketing as top priorities in educational programming. These skills are necessary for producers to be financially viable individually, and also to support the county's economy as a whole. Production programs also meet the needs of many residents who desire to produce their own food.
Participants will experience long-term viability in farming.
Participants will reduce expenses and/or increase profits of farm operations.
Youth will pursue a career in a horse related program or study.
Participants will implement recommended production practices to successfully produce food and agriculture products.
Participants will write farm business plans, keep and analyze records, and use these to make sound business decisions.
Participants will use information about local market opportunities to sell products.
Youth apply a practice or technique discovered during their horse educational sessions.
Participants will indicate understanding of research-based production practices.
Participants will recognize the importance of farm business plans and record-keeping.
Participants will have increased awareness of new marketing opportunities.
Youth will build equine knowledge and complete six hours of horse educational sessions.
Long-term Outcome: Participants will experience long-term viability in farming. Participants will reduce expenses and/or increase profits of farm operations.
Indicator: Number of producers indicating reduced expenses and/or increase in profits.
Method: Producer Survey
Timeline: May 2019
Long-term Outcome: Youth will pursue a career in a horse related program or study.
Indicator: Number of youth who set a goal and accomplished it.
Method: Youth survey
Timeline: August 2018
Intermediate Outcome: Participants will implement recommended production practices to successfully produce food and agriculture products. Participants will write farm business plans, keep and analyze records, and use these to make sound business decisions. Participants will use information about local market opportunities to sell products.
Indicator: Number of producers who create farm business plans, implement record keeping, identify new markets, and implement changes in production practices.
Method: Producer Survey
Timeline: May 2019
Intermediate Outcome: Youth demonstrate a skill or technique discovered during a horse educational session.
Indicator: Youth demonstrate a riding skills or technique mastered.
Method: Youth survey
Timeline: August 2018
Initial Outcome: Participants will indicate understanding of research-based production practices. Participants will recognize the importance of farm business plans and record-keeping.Participants will have increased awareness of new marketing opportunities.
Indicator: Producers indicate new knowledge in farm business and production practices.
Method: Completion of educational classes; producer survey
Timeline: 2018 - 2019; surveys May 2019
Initial Outcome: Youth build equine knowledge and complete six hours of horse educational sessions.
Indicator: Youth complete six hours.
Method: Horse Education Hours Logged
Timeline: All year
Audience: 4-H Members age 9 to 18
Project or Activity: Horse educational session
Content or Curriculum: Content identified by 4-H Club
Inputs: CES Staff, Participant fees
Date: April 2019
Audience: 4-H Members age 9 to 14
Project or Activity: Vegetables, Flowers, and Butterflies, Oh My! Project Group
Content: Jr. Master Gardener and 4-H Butterfly Curriculum
Inputs: Horticulture Assistant, 4-H Agent
Date: Summer 2018
Audience: Beef Producers
Project or Activity: Beef Finishing School
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Beef Production Curriculum
Inputs: UK Extension Specialists, Local Agriculture Agents, Beef Producers
Date: November - December 2018
Audience: Horse Producers (Adults & Youth)
Project or Activity: Horse Seminar (possibly multi-session)
Content or Curriculum: Extension Equine materials, plus information learned on UK Equine Study Tour
Inputs: Agriculture Agent, UK Horse Specialist, Local Experts
Date: Fall 2018
Audience: Producers and Consumers
Project or Activity: Oldham County Ag Connection (Agriculture Education for producers and consumers; concentration on local food, plus all Oldham County Agriculture Activity)
Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Extension materials; Producer Stories
Inputs: Agriculture Agent, Local Producers, Local Experts/Guest Speakers
Date: November 2018 kickoff meeting; monthly
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Marketing/Local Market Opportunities classes and notification to producers
Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Extension materials; Louisville Farm to Table resources
Inputs: Agriculture Agent, UK/KSU Specialists, Louisville Farm to Table Director, La Grange Farmers Market Director
Date: Ongoing; 2018-2019
Audience: Farmers/Residents
Project or Activity: Vegetable Gardening Workshop
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension materials
Inputs: Agriculture Agent, Horticulture Assistant, possibly Extension Specialists
Date: January or February 2019
Audience: Farmers/Residents
Project or Activity: Beekeeping Workshop
Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Extension Beekeeping materials
Inputs: Agriculture Agent, Local Beekeepers, possibly Extension Specialists
Date: November or December 2018
Audience: Cattle Producers
Project or Activity: Beef Quality & Care Assurance Certification/Cattle Handling and Care Certification
Content or curriculum: UK Extension materials and videos
Inputs: Agriculture Agent
Date: Multiple Sessions, August 2018 - January 2019
Audience: Small Poultry Flock Producers
Project or Activity: Chickens 101 (Topics identified from March 2018 participants evaluations)
Content or curriculum: UK Extension materials
Inputs: Agriculture Agent, Local Producer
Date: Ongoing; Fall 2018 - Spring 2019
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Private Pesticide Applicator Training/Certification
Content or curriculum: UK Extension materials
Inputs: Agriculture Agent
Date: Multiple sessions, December 2018 - February 2019
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Produce Best Practices Training
Content or curriculum: UK Extension materials
Inputs: Agriculture Agent
Date: February 2019
Audience: Farmers Approved for CAIP Cost-Share
Project or Activity: Video Training Required for CAIP Cost-Share Reimbursement
Content or curriculum: UK Extension Videos and Resources
Inputs: Agriculture Agent
Date: Multiple sessions; August 2018 - December 2018
Author: Traci Johnson
Major Program: Beef
Educational programs that strengthen agriculture production skills are a continued priority identified by the Oldham County Extension and Agriculture Councils. In Oldham County, pasture makes up one-third of available farmland and provides grazing for livestock. Livestock are important to Oldham County’s economy, with cattle alone representing over 2.4 million dollars in sales in 2012, according to the last Census of Agriculture. Cattle numbers have remained steady since
Author: Traci Johnson
Major Program: Equine
Educational programs and services that strengthen agriculture production skills are a continued priority identified by Oldham County’s Extension and Agriculture Councils. Horse production is a vital part of Oldham County and Kentucky agriculture. The most recent Kentucky Equine Survey was taken in 2012 and revealed the following data:Oldham County ranked #4 in Kentucky in Value of Equine Sold at $7.2 million (compared to $23.4 billion for the entire state)Oldham County ranked #
Author: Traci Johnson
Major Program: Woodland Education
Educational programs that strengthen agriculture production skills are a continued priority identified by Oldham County’s Extension and Agriculture Councils. An agriculture commodity that is sometimes overlooked is woodlands. Wooded areas are not only important for habitat, but managed correctly, these can also be an economically important part of any farm operation.The most recent Kentucky Forest Inventory, taken in 2016 by the U.S. Forest Service and the Kentucky Division of
