Green and Sustainable LivingPlan of Work

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Fayette County CES

Title:
Green and Sustainable Living
MAP:
Green and Sustainable Living
Agents Involved:
Doggett,Lindsay, Dockery, Wells, Neal
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Health
Situation:

Each decision individuals make has an impact on the health and safety of their family, community, and environment. Understanding how daily choices can impact our environment is vital to conserving and preserving our natural resources and ensuring a healthy environment for and future generations. The average Kentuckian uses 67 gallons a water today, youth struggle to understand basic concepts regarding the natural world, the proliferation of invasive plant species has reached near epidemic levels, and beyond the excessive use of water, the community is working through issues related to storm water and pollution of local streams.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Improve the built and natural environment in Fayette County to develop community environmental awareness

Intermediate Outcomes:

Residents will increase practices related to green living and environmental education through the development of energy and water conservation practices, increased use of Best Management Practices (BMP), and youth environmental education endeavors.


Initial Outcomes:

Change, knowledge, opinions, skills and / or aspirations in understanding of issues related to going green, water and energy conservation, and environmental education

Evaluation:

Outcome: Environmental conditions will improve in Fayette County

Indicator: increased participation in recycling programs, reduction in pollutants entering streams, increased participation in environmental education programs, participation in BMP for local land use, decrease in water use

Method: attendance rosters, farm visits, program survey, environmental agency and local governmental reports.

Timeline: on-going



Intermediate Outcome: Residents will increase practices related to green living

Indicator: Increased recycling, increased on-site water management, increase in use of green spaces

Method: program survey, local government and environmental agency reports

Timeline: on-going


Initial Outcome: Residents will become knowledgeable about green living practices

Indicator: increased demand for natural resource, environmental education, and healthy environment programming

Method: program evaluation, surveys, increased participation

Timeline: on-going

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Gardener’s Toolbox

Content or Curriculum: Greener Gardening

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: ongoing


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Environmental Camping Programs

Content or Curriculum: Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Project WILD, Forestry Project, Entomology Project, Project Archeology,

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: Fall and Spring


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: In-school Enrichment Programs

Content or Curriculum: Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Project WILD, Forestry Project, Entomology Project, Project Archeology,

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: Fall and Spring


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Environmental Day Camp Programs

Content or Curriculum: Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Project WILD, Forestry Project, Entomology Project, Project Archeology,

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: Fall and Spring


Audience: Adults and Youth

Project or Activity: Master Gardeners

Content or Curriculum: Master Gardener Curriculum

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: Fall and Spring


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Farm to School Program

Content or Curriculum: Project Food, Land, and People; Farm to School Curriculum

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: Fall and Spring


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Phone calls, e-mails, and office visit customer service opportunities

Content or Curriculum: Available resources through CES publications, specialists, and listed curricula

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: On-Going


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Natural Resource Project Days

Content or Curriculum: UK 4-H Forestry Project Guide; UK 4-H Entomology Project Guide; UK 4-H Geology Project Guide

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: spring, summer, fall


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Pasture Management for the Horse Owner

Content or Curriculum: Curriculum and Resources through UK College of Agriculture

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: Winter


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Private Applicator Pesticide Training

Content or Curriculum: Curriculum and Resources through UK College of Agriculture

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: winter


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Soil Test

Content or Curriculum: Soil Testing Facility Guidelines

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies.

Date: On-Going


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Healthy Homes Program/ Going Green Program

Content or Curriculum: Healthy Homes curriculum

Input: KY Cooperative Extension Agents, Specialist, CES Publications, Bluegrass Green Source, Energy Star

Date: On-Going


Audience: Families

Project or Activity: Bluegrass Green Source

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Specialists, Volunteers, Bluegrass Green Source; local, state and federal govt.,CEC publications


Audience: Adults & Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Shooting Sports and Hunter Safety Education

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Project Manuals, Publications

Inputs: Extension Agents, 4-H Program Assistants, Certified Volunteers

Date: On-going


Audience: Adults

Project: Pesticide training, Dead Animal Removal

Content: Best management practices, Pesticide safety trainings.

Date: On going


Audience: Agriculture community

Project: Pesticide container recycling.

Date: Twice Annually July, October.



Success Stories

Kentucky Beef Conference

Author: Beau Neal

Major Program: Beef

In order to prepare producers to be efficient and profitable, Central Kentucky County Extension Agents for Agriculture & Natural Resources have collaborated with Beef and Agricultural Economic Extension Specialists to present the Kentucky Beef Conference annually for over 20 years. The assistance of long time business community sponsors has allowed producers to hear from nationally known experts in cattle marketing. COVID-19 restrictions forced the team to re-evaluate how to continue pr

Full Story

Green alternatives

Author: Jamie Dockery

Major Program: Water and Soil Quality and Conservation

Homeowners have few unbiased resources when looking for solutions to lawn and garden problems. Many automatically turn to applications of chemicals or fertilizers that may not be necessary for treatment or consult local businesses that are motivated to sell products. Excess products ultimately become groundwater contaminants contributing to pollution concerns. Greener gardening practices was identified as an area where Fayette County residents need education in a recent county assessment. T

Full Story

Growing Community

Author: Jamie Dockery

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Each year the Fayette County Extension horticulture program host a Growing Community event where we provide resources and information to individuals to encourage back yard food production. The pandemic brought food insecurity to many residents in our community and we specifically market this program in food insecure areas to reach as many people as possible. We dramatically increased our supply of garden kits to help offset this need for 2021. Saturday May 1st, our horticulture team with support

Full Story

Fayette County Conservation Program

Author: Beau Neal

Major Program: Water and Soil Quality and Conservation

Feeding horses and livestock during the winter in Kentucky can prove to be difficult due to wet and muddy conditions.  These conditions lead to soil erosion and disruption of soil structure, in-turn decreasing its ability to sustain adequate forage growth in future years.  This program was developed for Fayette County farmers to educate them on matters of soil structure breakdown and particular farm practices they can put in place for prevention of that degradation.  Decreased soi

Full Story

Fayette County Cattlemen's Florida Education Trip

Author: Beau Neal

Major Program: Beef

Trip was planned for the Fayette County Cattleman's Association to tour cattle operations in Florida. Twelve participants flew to Sarasota, FL or two days.  The first stop was University of Florida Beef and Forage Research Farm in Ona, FL.  We also toured BlackBeard Ranch and Daken Dairy.  These diversified operations allowed our producers to see different perspectives on cattle farming and learn new management techniques that may be well suited for Kentucky producers as well.

Full Story

Natural Resources

Author: Kevin Lindsay

Major Program: Natural Resources

The Fayette County 4-H program currently has 8 members participating in the Natural Resources and Environmental Science Academy. From these 8 participants, 2 members have recently been selected to be Natural Resource Ambassadors. We also have 4 youth participating in Master Naturalist Program group. Natural resources programming continues to play a major role in 4-H programming in Fayette County. We also have several youth participating in our Nature Club. Members of our Natural Resource and Env

Full Story
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