Extension
It Starts With Us
McCracken County Horticulture Education Outreach
Horticulture Education
Wimberley, Anderson, Osborne, FCS
Master Gardener
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Local Food Systems
Chemical Management
Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Horticulture Agent is regularly asked about issues encountered in the landscape and garden.
Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) are needed as community volunteers to help with horticulture education due knowledge gained through training and experiences in the EMG program.
There are needs and demands for locally-grown food.
4. CES is responding to the needs to prevent the misuse of pesticides to protect the environment and the health of the applicators.
Individuals participating in McCracken County CES will apply knowledge gained to benefit themselves, families, and environment. This will have a direct impact on the community.
An increased number of McCracken County residents participate in Cooperative Extension Service programs and services.
Youth and Adults recognize the services offered by McCracken CES.
Long-term Outcome:
Indicator: The number of individuals and families and individuals with Commercial Pesticide Licenses (CPA) report that they have implemented what they have learned from McCracken CES outreach.
Method: Surveys, personal interviews, virtual interaction, reports
Timeline: July to June
Intermediate Outcome:
Indicator: The number of residents and workers with CPA licenses, including active volunteers who participate in or gain information from McCracken CES programs increases.
Method: Personal interviews, interviews of and meetings with volunteers
Timeline: July to June
Initial Outcome:
Indicator: The number of residents, CPA license holders, and schools that contact McCracken County Cooperative Extension for programming needs and education increase.
Method: Call log records, calendars, record of office visits, record of virtual interaction
Timeline: Ongoing
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Consumer questions and answers
Content or Curriculum: Agent training, UK/KSU publications
Inputs: All agents, volunteers and UK Specialists, virtual trainings and meetings
Date: July to June
Audience: McCracken County residents, Paducah/McCracken County Schools (non-commercial), commercial horticulture producers
Project or Activity: Soil-sampling coupons as described by Extension District Board
Content or Curriculum: Soil sampling coupons for McCracken County residents to get up to 7 free basic soil tests with an assigned value limited to $50.00 per resident, soil sample analysis, UK/KSU publications.
Inputs: Agents, UK/KSU Specialists, virtual trainings and meetings
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Adults and Youth
Project or Activity: Educational Programs, including but not limited to: Toolbox Series, Virtual Flower Show
Content or Curriculum: Agent training, UK/KSU publications
Inputs: UK and KSU Agents, volunteers and UK /KSU Specialists
Date: July to June
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Training of EMG of 12 sessions of approximately 2 hours in length. Sessions taught by Agents, Specialists or local experts, EMG
Curriculum:•Cooperative Extension/ Volunteerism •Basic Botany. •Soils and Fertility. •Plant Pathology. •Entomology•Pesticides, IPM and Pesticide safety.
Additional Topics defined by the McCracken County Agent
•Annual & Perennial Flowers
•Woody Plants•Fruits
•Vegetables
•Landscape Design•Interior Plants
•Organic Gardening
•Water Quality
•Turfgrass
•Others; Hands-on activities
•Plant Identification
•Insect and Disease identification
•Field trips as appropriate
Content or Curriculum: County Offices and Ky Cooperative Extension
Inputs: •Staff time – Extension Agents, Specialists
•Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
•Funding – Fees from training and other courses; local grants and in-kind support
•Training materials—KY EMG Training Manual; PowerPoint Presentations; purchased books and resources; Extension publications; Tests and quizzes shared by county agents
•Internet access through eXtension and potential access and use of eXtension’s Ask an Expert
•Social media tools including blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Google Maps; State, regional and national EMG conferences and tour opportunities
Date: Ongoing
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
Major Program: Master Gardener
Due to closures of traditional UK Cooperative Extension programs from the Covid-19 Pandemic, the standard flower show of the county fair was canceled. The idea from McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service County Manager prompted creation of a virtual flower show. All participants were able to do this while safer at home. McCracken Horticulture Agent and advisor to McCracken County Extension Master Gardeners (MCEMG) asked for their input on the idea. MCEMG created a committee to deve
Author: Samantha Anderson
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
With family lifestyles getting busier and COVID19 closing many places and parks, it has put a strain on many families. According to Harvard Graduate School of Education, "studies show gardens support and encourage healthful eating as a key component of children's physical wellbeing, which can aid their academic and social success, too." Through the efforts of the McCracken County Cooperative Extension Service, families in McCracken County started their own vegetable gard
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
Major Program: Soil testing
From a program aimed at farmers to offer free soil testing, the McCracken County Extension District Board partnered with County Manager and Horticulture Agent to include all residents of the county. Efforts to allow up to 7 free soil tests for the current fiscal year aimed at saving stakeholder's dollars and also reducing the overuse of fertilizers. excessive NPK in the home setting contribute to pollution in the waterways. With the fact that Paducah is an MS4 community, this is an important
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Due to the Covid -19 pandemic, the month of July of 2020 saw an increase in the number of people who asked questions about their lawn and garden. People were staying at home more this July. Numbers of people who asked questions about thiner lawn and gardens in 2019 was 32. The month of July 2020 showed a total of 72 inquiries by McCracken residents. This comparison of the month of July 2019 and July 2020 as a target of activity showed a 225 percent increase in households seeking i
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
Major Program: Master Gardener
Current Horticulture Agent is a lifetime master gardener from another state came to McCracken County Extension in 2009 with the idea of smaller programs to provide educational information in horticulture to the county. The plan was to add friendlier, easier outreach. One new idea was to build the volunteer numbers. For each year, over the next 10 years, the master gardener training was offered. This brought new volunteers to PAMGA, at an average of 5 people per year. Some stayed
Author: Samantha Anderson
Major Program: Water and Soil Quality and Conservation
According to the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, planting trees provides a multitude of benefit to local ecosystems. These benefits include protecting soil from rill and sheet erosion, protecting water quality by filtering excess nutrients and chemicals from surface runoff, increasing infiltration rates and providing long term wildlife habitats. In partnership with the McCracken County Soil Conservation District, McCracken County Agent for Agricult
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
Major Program: Master Gardener
Need: Due to Covid pandemic guidelines in early months of 2021, the Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Assistant, and the McCracken County Extension Master Gardeners (MCEMG) were faced with the challenge of how to conduct the annual flower show in Floral Hall of the county fair. Planning begins in January of each year for the June edition of the County Fair. An alternative to the usual was needed to fit last-minute decision by the Fair committee to hold the 2021 Fair. Agent and Assista
Author: Mary Dossett
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Participation in the McCracken County Floral Show held at the Fairgrounds Need: The Covid pandemic was far from being over, so the restrictions were still in full force. The horticulture agent, horticulture assistant, and the Master Gardeners (MCEMG) had to make a quick decision regarding the fair. The fair takes place in June so the planning beginning in early January. To abide by the states Covid regulations it was decided to have an alternative to the usual fair. Ho
