Extension
It Starts With Us
Home and Consumer Horticulture, Master Gardeners
Home and Consumer Horticulture
Heisdorffer
Home & Consumer Horticulture
Master Gardener
Urban Environments (water issues)
Pesticide Safety – Plant Pests
The horticultural industry is experiencing the popularity of gardening again. Gardening trend reports indicate that millennials are interested in growing some of their own fruits and vegetables. With the Millennials living in urban areas and the Baby Boomers downsizing, raised bed and container gardens allow them to grow fresh produce in small spaces.
Another trend is to protect pollinators. This was one of the issues identified by the County Extension Council as important and needs to be addressed in our community. When needed, understanding how to use pesticides correctly is a step in the right direction to help protect pollinators and the environment. In addition, interest in beekeeping is increasing.
Growing succulents is another trend. These plants can be grown in containers or in the ground. They also take less water to thrive.
- Clientele will make informed decisions in the area of implementation of cultural practices and proper pesticide usage to manage food production and maintain the landscape to minimize environmental impact.
- Extension Master Gardeners continue to be a valuable resource of science based information for the community as volunteers for the Cooperative Extension Service.
- Insect pollinators will be protected and preserved in the community to ensure pollination of flowers to encourage a diversity of species in the community and to maintain fruit and vegetable production in home gardens.
- Pesticides will be used properly and handled carefully.
- Homeowners participating in the program will manage storm water on their properties with rain barrels.
-Participants will grow succulents to enjoy and reduce the amount of water needed in the garden.
- Pest management decisions will be made to protect the environment.
- Extension Master Gardeners will adopt at least 2 practices from the Master Gardener training in their own garden and landscape.
- Extension Master Gardeners will conduct a soil test and understand the results on the report.
- Participants in programs will protect pollinators in their landscape and garden.
- Individuals will grow plant species that benefit insect pollinators and honey bees.
- Participants will grow succulents.
- Individuals participating in the rain barrel program will build a rain barrel.
- Extension Master Gardeners will learn how to collect soil for a soil test and will gain knowledge on how to understand the results.
- Extension Master Gardeners will learn how to read and comprehend directions for applying pesticides.
- Participants will recall the different parts of a pesticide label.
- Individuals will learn how to protect pollinators.
- Participants in programs will gain knowledge on how to develop a pollinator garden.
- Individuals will gain knowledge on how to manage plant pests including diseases and insects in the vegetable garden and landscape.
- Participants will learn about the benefits of using a rain barrel and how to make one.
-Participants will learn about growing succulents.
- Participants will learn about beekeeping.
Evaluation:
Indicator: Initial
Outcome: Participants in the "Growing Succulents" program will gain knowledge about succulents, ways to grow them, and ones to include in the garden.
Method: Pre-post test written survey
Timeline:February/March 2020
Evaluation:
Indicator: Initial
Outcome: Participants will receive a passing score of 70% on the Extension Master Gardener final exam.
Method: Homework and final exam
Timeline: September - December 2019
Evaluation::
Indicator: Intermediate
Outcome: Extension Master Gardeners Interns will adopt at least 2 practices from the Extension Master Gardener Training in their own garden.
Method: Self reporting survey, observation
Timeline: May 2020
Evaluation:
Indicator: Intermediate
Outcome: Over half the reporting participants of the Rain Barrel Workshop will use their barrels.
Method: Post program survey
Timeline: August/September 2019
Audience: Home Gardeners and Extension Master Gardeners
Project or Activity: Managing Disease and Insect Pests in the Vegetable Garden and Landscape while protecting the environment and pollinators.
Content or Curriculum: UK home vegetable gardening information, handling pesticides safely, reading a pesticide label, Extension Master Gardener Manual, and ENTFACTS.
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Specialists, and Horticulture Technician
Date: Summer/Fall 2019, Winter/Spring 2020
Audience: Homeowners
Project or Activity: Rain barrel workshop
Content or Curriculum: UK publication
Inputs: Specialists, Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Technician, and Representative from Regional Water Resource Agency
Date: April/May 2020
Audience: Gardeners and Homeowners
Project or Activity: Gardening to encourage and sustain pollinators.
Content or Curriculum: Information from UK Entomologists
Inputs: Horticulture Agent
Date: February/March 2020
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: UK Flower Trial Demonstration Garden
Content or Curriculum: UK Information
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Extension Master Gardeners, and Horticulture Technician
Date: May through September 2019
Audience: Home Gardeners
Project or Activity: "Growing Succulents"
Content or Curriculum: Extension information
Inputs:Horticulture Agent and Extension Master Gardener
Date: Winter/Spring 2020
Audience: General Public
Project: Growing vegetable transplants and raised bed gardening
Content or Curriculum: UK information
Inputs: Use Master Gardener seed library, Horticulture Agent, and Extension Master Gardeners
Date: January/February/March 2020
Audience: Extension Master Gardeners
Project or Activity: Continuing Education on Horticulture topics
Content or Curriculum: UK Information
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Technician, Master Gardeners, and Community Gardeners
Date: July 2019-June 2020
Audience: New Extension Master Gardener Intern volunteers
Project or Activity: Conducting a soil test and learning how to interpret the results.
Contest or Curriculum: UK Publication, Extension Master Gardener Manual, and Extension Master Gardener Class
Inputs: Extension Master Gardener training, Horticulture Agent, and Horticulture Technician
Date: Fall 2019
Audience: Volunteers with an interest in the Extension Master Gardener Program, who will assist the Extension Agent
Project or Activity: Conduct and teach the Extension Master Gardener Program
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Master Gardener Training Manual and Extension publications
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Specialists, Extension Master Gardeners, and Horticulture Technician
Date: September - December 2019
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Master Gardener
Gardening is a popular hobby. The Extension Master Gardener volunteers provide the horticulture Extension agent with the ability to reach more people with gardening interest in the community with science-based information. The 2019 Extension Master Gardener Class was conducted in the fall over 14 weeks. It was taught by the Daviess County Extension Agent for Horticulture Education and University of Kentucky Extension specialists. Soil testing is one of the topics and an i
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Master Gardener
Green River Area Extension Master Gardener Association plays an integral role in Daviess County. In the fall of 2019, we conducted an evaluation of individual and community-level impacts of GRAEMGA. We found that individuals participating not only increased their garden and environmental education competency, but they also gained leadership skills in teamwork, communication, and working with diverse populations. They also developed new social networks with organizational partners and fellow volu
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Extension Agents for Horticulture Education, headed by the Barren County and Hardin County agents, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons during the shelter in place order. Agents, specialists, and other experts were recruited to present a 30 minute lesson to the general public across the Commonwealth with time at the end for questions. Live webinars were Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1
