Crops and LivestockPlan of Work

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Simpson County CES

Title:
Crops and Livestock
MAP:
Ag Production, Profitability and Awareness
Agents Involved:
Jason Phillips, Catherine Webster
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Forages
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Beef
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Sustainable Agriculture
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Agriculture 4-H Core Curriculum
Situation:
Situation: According to the most recent Agriculture Census, Simpson County has 467 farm operations on 101,530 acres, which represents 67.7% of total county land. In comparison, Kentucky’s farm operations make up 51.6% of the state’s total land area. The majority of Simpson County producers remain reliant on income from traditional commodities such as grain crops, tobacco and livestock production. Public Awareness about agriculture production is increasingly important due to a growing population of citizens without an agricultural background or knowledge about the food production process. The Simpson County Extension Council and Ag Advisory Council identified the importance of providing programming to improve practices and profitability for crop and livestock producers as well as promoting agricultural awareness in these areas.
Long-Term Outcomes:
Long-term Outcomes: Clientele will improve crop and livestock production systems by minimizing costs of production and efficiently utilizing resources. Implementation of these practices along with improved marketing skills will increase profitability. Through increased profitability for local farm families and the local economy, the quality of life for residents in Simpson County will improve. In addition, increased agricultural awareness will allow local citizens to understand the dynamics of our food production systems. This will allow families to make more informed decisions about food consumption and purchases, understand the impact of regulations affecting agricultural production, provide a better overall understanding of production systems, and provide a positive source of information for the public about food production in the U.S. Youth will be advocates for agriculture and healthy & sustainable food systems.
Intermediate Outcomes:
Intermediate Outcomes: Clientele will implement a variety of improved crop and livestock production practices and marketing techniques utilizing knowledge gained through Extension training, workshops, field days, publications, newsletters, newspaper articles and radio programs. Awareness programs will result in accurate and agriculture friendly discussions, social media posts and community leadership. Youth can explain the role of agriculture in daily life to others.

Initial Outcomes:
Initial Outcome: Clientele will be better equipped with knowledge to take, follow and implement Extension soil test fertility management recommendations; scout for weeds, insects and diseases; select disease resistant and higher yielding varieties; make timely plantings; research new technologies; enter into sustainable crop lease agreements; improve their marketing decisions; make better management decisions to optimize their individual cropping system; understand how to take a fact-based approach when assessing agriculture and food related information. Youth will gain knowledge and skills in the production of food and animal sciences.
Evaluation:
Initial Outcome: Producers will increase their knowledge, make practice changes and increase overall profitability while improving the public perception of agriculture and the long-term sustainability of our food systems.
Indicator: The number of producers indicating knowledge, practice, profitability and awareness as a result of information presented at Extension sponsored events. Participants in youth programs will demonstrate a skill that was learned or improved.
Method: Post-meeting evaluations
Timeline: Evaluations will be given immediately following programs and one to twenty four months following training sessions.



Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Current & prospective crop producers, agribusiness

representatives

Project or Activity: Grain day

Content or Curriculum: Grain production education

Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, facilities, UK specialists, UK publications

Date: Winter 2018


Audience: Current & prospective grain & forage producers, Agribusiness

representatives

Project or Activity: Promoting UK Performance Trials

Content or Curriculum: small grain, soybean, corn hybrid and forage

performance variety trial information and education; host state corn performance trial

Inputs: radio programs, newsletters, one-on-one consultations

Date: 2017-2018 program year


Audience: Extension Agents, current & prospective crop producers,

landowners, agribusiness representatives

Project or Activity: UK Skype for Business Program Series

Content or Curriculum: Timely grain production information accessible by

agents and clients anywhere there is an internet connection

Inputs: Agent time, paid staff, UK specialists, Computers, Extension pubs

Date: July, August, November, December of 2017; January, February,

March, June of 2018


Audience: Crop and Livestock Producers

Project or Activity: Phase I Programming for Crops/Livestock

Content or Curriculum: Educational information pertaining to crop and

livestock production

Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, newsletters, Governor’s Office of

Agricultural Policy, UK resources

Date: Winter 2017


Audience: Current & Perspective Tobacco Producers, Agribusiness

Representatives

Project or Activity: Tobacco Production & Disease Control

Content or Curriculum: variety selection, pest management, fertility,

tillage, sucker control, GAP training

Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, UK specialists, Extension publications,

newsletters, radio programs

Date: January 2018


Audience: Current beef producers

Project or Activity: Master Cattleman

Content or Curriculum: UK curriculum

Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, UK specialists, Extension publications,

radio programs, newsletters

Date: Fall 2017


Audience: Current & Perspective beef producers, agribusiness

representatives

Project or Activity: Educational Beef Meetings

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Cattleman’s Association, UK, industry

educators, Beef Council

Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, meeting facilities, UK specialists,

Industry specialists, Radio programs, Newsletters

Date: 2017-2018


Audience: General public, current and prospective beef producers

Project or Activity: Beef Month Promotion

Content or Curriculum: beef educational information, mass media

awareness, food safety

Inputs: Agent’s time, media outlets, paid staff, newsletters

Date: May 2018


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Ag Awareness Breakfast

Content or Curriculum: agriculture promotion and awareness, showcase

local food products

Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, newsletters, radio programs, local food

producers, Ag Advisory Council

Date: November 2017


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Teach Ky Ag

Content or Curriculum: agriculture promotion and awareness for school age children

Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, newsletters, radio programs, presenters,

UK publications, Ag Advisory Council

Date: August 2017-May 2018


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Franklin-Simpson Boofest

Content or Curriculum: showcase past and present agricultural production

methods and agencies supporting agriculture

Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, media promotion, newsletters, Ag Advisory Council

Date: October 2017


Audience: 4th Grade

Project or Activity: Explore Agriculture

Content or Curriculum: Explore Agriculture

Inputs: Extension Agents, School District, Explore Agriculture Staff,

FFA Members, 4-H Teens, Homemakers, Simpson County Farm Bureau

Federation

Date: March 2018









Success Stories

Agriculture Awareness

Author: Jason Phillips

Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture

Agriculture will continue to face many challenges both presently and in the future.  A decreasing portion of the population has exposure to agriculture and how their food is produced.  This certainly creates misconceptions and lack of education about food production in the United States.  Long-term this will most certainly lead to increasing political and social challenges for agriculture.  Amid these challenges, it is projected that current agricultural production must doubl

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Master Cattleman

Author: Jason Phillips

Major Program: Beef

Kentucky is the largest cow and calf producing state east of the Mississippi River. Simpson, Allen, Warren and Logan Counties rely heavily on income from cattle with just shy of 60,000 beef cows located in this four county area according to the most recent county estimates from the USDA. Cattle producers in these four counties voiced a need for in-depth beef cattle educational programming to help increase profitability.  Therefore, Extension Agents for Agriculture in the aforementioned coun

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Beef Processing Demonstration

Author: Jason Phillips

Major Program: Beef

Beef provides essential nutrients that support a heart-healthy lifestyle including protein, zinc, iron and vitamin B.  However, beef costs continue to increase making traditional muscle cuts cost prohibitive for regular consumption for many families.  As a result, the Simpson County Extension Agent for Agriculture and the Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences collaborated with the Simpson County Cattlemen's Association and Western Kentucky University Meats Professor, Dr. Hunter Ga

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Agriculture Appreciation Breakfast

Author: Jason Phillips

Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture

2017 marked the 3rd Annual Agriculture Appreciation Breakfast which is held to raise awareness of National Farm-City Week in Simpson County.  This event was presented by the Simpson County Extension Service in conjunction with the Simpson County Farm Bureau Federation, the Franklin-Simpson Chamber of Commerce and local farmers.  It is held in November during National Farm-City week in downtown Franklin at the Franklin First United Methodist Church.  This breakfast serves as an opp

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