Home HorticulturePlan of Work

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Barren County CES

Title:
Home Horticulture
MAP:
Improving Consumer Horticulture Skills for Adults and Youth
Agents Involved:
Stith, Schalk, FCS Agent (TBA), Tarry
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Home & Consumer Horticulture
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Master Gardener
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Integrated Plant Pest Management
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Pesticide Safety – Plant Pests
Situation:

Due to the high volume of phone calls and office visits received at the Cooperative Extension Service, many Barren County homeowners and residents have inquired for more information related to consumer horticulture subjects such as home vegetable gardening, home fruit production, landscape tree and shrub care, and home lawns. Those same clients have also requested for more environmental friendly and sound practices in those identified areas. The adults wish to pass along the same basic knowledge onto youth, so they understand more about how plants are grown and produced in order to have fruits, vegetables, flowers, and landscape plants to beautify their community.

Long-Term Outcomes:

*More reports of homeowners utilizing environmental friendly practices used in consumer horticulture areas

*Increase in home fruit plots and vegetable gardens from home gardeners and residents

*Increase in amounts of fresh fruit and vegetable availability in the community

*Increased consumption for fresh fruit and vegetable

*Reduction in the amount of miles that food travels to reach the consumer’s plate, so it helps aid in the local food economy

*More beautification noticed in their community

*Decrease in obesity in the community


Intermediate Outcomes:

Youth and citizens practice the best growing practices in all consumer horticulture areas such as performing a soil test before planting, applying fertilizers according to UK soil recommendations, planting recommended plant varieties for various horticulture plants, utilizing specific growing practices for the crop being grown, and implementing pest management strategies for multiple pests in the garden and landscape.

Initial Outcomes:

Youth and citizens will gain more basic knowledge about home and consumer horticulture skills and production.

Evaluation:

Long-term Outcome: More beautification of homes and gardens in and around the Glasgow and Barren County community, more environmentally friendly practices

Indicator: Reports of increased fruit and vegetable harvests, better care for ornamental trees and lawns, pest management strategies

Method: Evaluations, group discussion, personal interviews, and surveys

Timeline: 3-6 months following educational programs


Intermediate Outcome: Participants applying the practices learned from the educational Extension programs.

Indicator: Number of participants noting that they changed practices to be a better gardener

Method: Evaluations, group discussion, personal interviews, and surveys

Timeline: July-June


Initial Outcome: Participants gaining knowledge and skill in consumer horticulture areas.

Indicator: Total number of participants noting knowledge or skills gained after an educational program

Method: Pre- and post-meeting evaluations, group discussion, personal interviews, and surveys

Timeline: Immediately after educational programming


Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Horticulture Enthusiasts

Project or Activity: Horticulture/Gardening Workshops

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Specialists, Agents, publications, Home Vegetable Gardening Guide, ID-128

Inputs: Agents, Specialists

Date: late July until December and January to May 


Audience: Barren County Youth (both 4-H and FFA)

Project or Activity: Educational Classes and Workshops

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum

Inputs: Agents, Specialists

Date: Spring and Summer


Audience: Barren County Farm and Garden Newsletter

Project or Activity: Timely and seasonal articles

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum

Inputs: Agents, Specialists

Date: Bi-monthly


Audience: Adult and youth

Project or Activity: Raised Bed Demonstration Gardens

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum

Inputs: Agents, Specialists

Date: May-October


Audience: Adult and youth

Project or Activity: Local Media Outlets (Facebook, radio, TV, newspaper)

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum

Inputs: Agents, Specialists

Date: July-June


Audience: Adult

Project or Activity: KY Extension Master Gardener Program

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum

Inputs: Agents, Specialists

Date: Fall/Winter



Success Stories

Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training Class

Author: Andrea Stith

Major Program: Master Gardener

Barren, Metcalfe, and Monroe Counties are home to a combined population of over 60,000 residents. Discussions with homeowners, program councils, and current Extension Master Gardener volunteers indicate that there is a growing interest in home & consumer horticulture.Barren, Metcalfe, and Monroe County Cooperative Extension Services hosted a joint Extension Master Gardener volunteer training class over 14 weeks in the fall of 2018. Agents as well as University of Kentucky Specialist’s

Full Story

Beginner Gardening

Author: Andrea Stith

Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture

Barren County is home to a population of over 40,000 residents. This class was developed after several calls and visits with homeowners, meetings with the horticulture advisory council, and seeing how many people have an interest in growing their own vegetable garden. Knowing how to grow our own food is becoming more and more important as generations move farther away from farms. Many children do not know where their food comes from so it is great to offer these classes for interested community

Full Story
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