McLean County CES

Title:

Home Horticulture/ Commercial Horticulture

MAP:

Improving Home Horticulture Practices

Agents Involved:

David Fourqurean

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Home & Consumer Horticulture

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Farmer's Markets

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Sustainable Agriculture

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Commercial Horticulture - Crop Marketing

Situation:

The demand for home horticulture information continues to increase as more and more home owners are wanting to produce their own food sources, purchase locally grown foods, increase property value through lawn/landscape and focus more on the environmental issues.

In the same token commercial vegetable producers are looking at different ways to market products as well as provide a sustainable source of income in today's volatile agriculture atmosphere. 

Long-Term Outcomes:

Increase number of vendors, variety of local food products and profits at county Farmers' Market.

Fruit/Vegetable producers partner with local school system to provide fresh, local produce for school lunches.

Increase number of home owners planting, maintaining and harvesting their own gardens and/or increase participation in community garden projects.

Increase the number of commercial producers marketing their products using different marketing methods.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Increase participation in county Farmers' Market.

Diversify types and varieties of produce grown.

Create communication lines between producers and community through social media.

Increase number of home owners utilizing extension programming and publications concerning home gardening/lawn care/landscape.

Create gardens plans.

Implement best management practices for commercial producers.

Increase number of home owners doing soil sampling.

Initial Outcomes:

Create awareness of county Farmers' Market and its benefits to producers and consumers.

Introduce Farm to Fork program to producers and the community.

Increase awareness of extension educational programs and publications concerning home horticulture practices.

Identify benefits of home gardening.

Create awareness of benefits of soil sampling for home lawn/landscape and gardens as well as commercial production fields.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Home owners will be able to understand where and how they can access information about home gardening.

Indicator: Increase in participation of extension related educational programs and number of clients utilizing extension service for home gardening/lawn care and landscape issues.

Method: Observation, Self-Reporting

Timeline: 6-12 months

Intermediate Outcome: Home owners will create a garden/lawn care/landscape plant.

Indicator: Increase in number of home owners working with extension to create plans for their gardens/lawns/landscapes.

Method: Self-Reporting, Evaluations, Program Participation

Timeline: 1-2 years

Long-term Outcome: Community members will taste and see the benefit of locally grown produce through Farm to Fork program. 

Indicator: .Increase in locally grown produce sales at the farmers market. 

Method: Self-Reporting, Evaluations, Visual Observation During Client Visits

Timeline: 2-4 years

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Home Owners

Project or Activity: Horticulture Educational Programs

Content or Curriculum: Home Gardening, Best Management Practices.

Inputs: Agents, Specialist, Extension Pubs, Research Trials

Date: Continuous

Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: County Farmers' Market & Market Promotional Days

Content or Curriculum: Promoting market & purchasing locally grown produce, Farm to Fork Dinner, SNAP-Ed Educational Materials

Inputs: Agents, Farmers' Market Vendors, Extension Pubs,

Date: July 2018-2020

Audience: Commercial Producers

Project or Activity: Commercial Horticulture marketing and sustainability programs

Content or Curriculum: Marketing pubs, Best Management Practices and sustainability programming

Inputs: Agents, specialist, Extension Pubs.

Date: Continuous