Extension
It Starts With Us
Agriculture and Horticulture
Advancing Agriculture & Horticulture
Linda McClanahan, Jessica Bessin, Dana Anderson
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Horticulture, Commercial
Beef
Farm Management, Economics and Policy
Mercer County has a diverse combination of both commercial agriculture, horticulture, and home horticulture, all being viable industries in Mercer County. Farmers, community leaders, farm organizations, Mercer County Ag Development Council, Mercer County Farmers Market, Mercer County Ag Advisory Council, and Mercer County Horticulture Advisory Council have identified important agricultural and horticultural issues and needed programs. Farm profitability, diversification, increasing value of property, promoting local foods, and marketing opportunities are some of the top priorities. Leaders have also identified the need to have extensive programs in the area of agricultural awareness. With less than 2% of the population involved in food production there is a great need for education about where and how food and other agricultural products are produced.
*Increased interest in agriculture and horticulture production.
*Homeowners will save more money on home landscape.
*Increased diversification of crops produced in county.
*Homeowners will add value to their property through education programs on maintaing landscapes
*Farmers market will continue to grow as intrest in local food increases
*Youth will exhibit skills, share knowledge with others, including family members, and may decide to raise some of their own food
*Farmers will improve production practices
*Farmers and homeowners will understand pesticide safety
*Increased interest in local foods
*Students will learn about UK and career opportunities in agriculture.
Initial Outcome: Increased interest in Agriculture and Horticulture Programs
Indicator: Increased numbers of participants for agriculture and horticulture programs
Method: Counting participants attending the programs
Timeline: on-going
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Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Master Gardener Program
Content or Curriculum: UK Master Gardener Manual
Inputs: UK CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialists, Mercer Extension Staff, UK Publications and other resources, Master Gardener volunteers
Date: Fall
Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Horticulture topics, instructor, newsletter, radio, Facebook page, videos,
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture Department, Horticulture organizations, Ag communications
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer County Hort. Agent, UK publications, Master Gardeners, Volunteers
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Gardening Through the Seasons
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer Extension Staff, UK publications
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Clients with Beekeeping Interest
Project or Activity: Beekeeping Club
Content or Curriculum: KDA State Apiarist, Hands-on demonstrations, KY State
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer Extension Staff, UK publications, KDA, KY State
Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest
Project or Activity: Community Garden
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture Department
Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer Extension Staff, UK publications, NEP
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Mercer County Horticulture Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Chosen by Hort Field Day Committee - from UK Specialists and Hort Industry
Inputs: Host farm, volunteers, CES Staff, Partners/Sponsoring Organizations, Mercer Extension Staff
Date: Summer/Fall
Audience: Farmers Market Clients
Project or Activity: Fresh To Table
Content or Curriculum: NEP_Plate it Up, Veggie vouchers, Recipes
Inputs: UK publications, Volunteers, Mercer Extension Staff, Partners/Sponsoring Organization
Date: On-going
Audience:Homeowners and Farmers
Project or Activity: Pesticide Safety Training/ Pesticides 101
Content or Curriculum: KY Pest Management Curriculum, hands on demonstrations
Inputs: UK Specialist, Extension Publications, Mercer Extension Staff
Date: Spring/Summer
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Annual Mercer County Agriculture Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Chosen by Field Day Committee - from UK Specialists and Ag Industry
Inputs: Host farm, volunteers, CES Staff, Partners/Sponsoring Organizations
Date: September
Audience: Mercer County citizens
Project or Activity: Annual Farm-City Dinner
Content or Curriculum: National Farm-City Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, content relevant to the educational objective set by the committee
Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, collaborating agencies, sponsors, speakers
Date: March
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Beef Quality & Care Assurance Certification
Content or Curriculum: KY BQA Curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, KY Cattlemen's Association, host location
Date: Spring/Fall
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Private Pesticide Applicator Training
Content or Curriculum: KY Pest Management Curriculum
Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, UK Extension publications
Date: spring
Audience: Farmers and first responders
Project or Activity: Grain Bin Rescue Safety Orientation and Safety Training
Content or Curriculum: KY Department of Agriculture & KY Fire Commission certification program
Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, KDA, Farm Bureau
Date: July and November
Audience: Elementary school youth
Project or Activity: FarmSCool Week
Content or Curriculum: UK CES, KY Beef Council, KY Horse Council, KY Soybean Association, KY Dept of Ag
Inputs: Extension Staff, Extension resources, Mercer County School system, Burgin School System
Date: Fall
Audience: Mercer County citizens, farmers
Project or Activity: Services
Content or Curriculum: Soil Testing, Plant Disease Diagnosis, Hay Testing, Ration Balancing, Farm & Home Visits, Insect Identification, Weed Identification, Water Testing, Plant Identification, Snake Identification, Forage & Grain Moisture Testing
Inputs: UK CES Facilities, Extension Staff, UK Publications, UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, UK Soil Lab, UK Extension Specialists
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Equine clientele
Project or Activity: Equine Express newsletter, Horse College, special equine topic programs, State Equine Farm & Facilities Expo
Content or Curriculum: Horse College, UK Equine
Inputs: UK CES facilities, ANR Agents, UK Extension Specialists, UK publications, UK news releases/exclusives
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County clientele with agriculture or horticulture interest
Project or Activity: demonstration plots and demonstration programs
Content or Curriculum: UK, industry companies
Inputs: UK CES Specialists & resources, new practices, chemicals, local farms for demonstrations, host locations for programs
Date: ongoing
Audience: Extension clientele/followers on social media
Project or Activity: Facebook pages, website, videos, podcasts
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: UK CES agents, UK CES staff, Ag Comm news releases, UK publications/information
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County crop producers
Project or Activity: crop production practices and meetings including regional
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: UK CES Specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County Cattle producers
Project or Activity: cattle production practices, newsletters, and meetings (KY Beef Conference, KY Stocker Conference, county winter meetings, regional meetings, dairy month kickoff breakfast, dairy monthly newsletter, cattlemens quarterly roundup newsletter, Master series (Master Cattlemen, Master Marketer, Master Stocker)
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: UK CES specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County young and beginning farmers
Project or Activity: support for both young and beginning farmers
Content or Curriculum: UK CES
Inputs: UK CES specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources
Date: ongoing
Audience: Mercer County farmers and clientele
Project or Activity: collaboration with agriculture organizations
Content or Curriculum: UK CES, agriculture organizations
Inputs: Farm Bureau, Soil Conservation, Cattlemens Association, Goat Association, Backcountry Horsemen, Master Gardeners, Fair Board, Beef Festival
Date: ongoing
Audience: county fair attendees and participants
Project or Activity: Mercer County Fair & Horse Show
Content or Curriculum: CES guidelines, rules & regulations set by various show committees
Inputs: CES Staff, Mercer County Fair & Horse Show facilities/funds, community sponsors, county fair participants
Date: July
Author: Linda McClanahan
Major Program: Economic Development
In light of COVID-19, Mercer County Cooperative Extension Agents and staff teamed up with Mercer County Fair & Horse Show Board and Mercer County FFA to develop a plan that would allow Mercer County to continue with its long standing, rich tradition of the county fair. Mercer County 4-H and ANR agents worked diligently with Mercer County FFA advisors to develop a set of guidelines which would allow the livestock shows to happen safely for exhibitors and staff alike. Then they wor
Author: Linda McClanahan
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
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Local Food Systems
The Mercer County farmers market had big plans for the 2020 market season. Multiple events were scheduled at the market throughout the whole summer. Then COVID arrived, however the market was still able to pursue one of their most successful programs even with COVID restrictions. Fresh to Table program is a program that brought multiple groups within the Mercer County community together to provide fresh produce to low income families. The Mercer county horticulture agent had planned a veggi
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
In an effort to adapt to changes in program delivery brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Horticulture Agents in 6 counties of District Four (Central Kentucky) collaborated to offer the Everyday Gardener Webinar Series. This 6 week series taught by agents provided educational classes related to horticulture. Over 100 participants registered and attended the classes.Those completing the evaluation survey expressed appreciation of the:wide variety of programs offered, including entomology,
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Beekeeping
The topic of beekeeping is a popular subject among homeowners and commercial horticulturalist in the central Kentucky area. Many counties have beekeeping clubs or associations for members to be part of, however with the restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many groups were unable to meet for several months and many horticulture agents had not held a beekeeping program for over a year. While staying within COVID guidelines and following University of Kentucky recomm
Author: Jessica Bessin
Major Program: Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General
Despite global pandemic circumstances, Mercer County Cooperative Extension Agents and staff continued the collaborations with Mercer County Fair & Horse Show Board and Mercer County FFA to develop plans to continue with its long standing, rich tradition of the county fair. Extension Agents worked diligently with the Mercer County Health Department and Mercer County Judge Executive to develop a plan approved to hold Open Class and 4-H Floral Hall events, as well as Livestock Shows. &nbs
Author: Linda McClanahan
Major Program: Beef
The Mercer County Cattlemen's Association teamed up with the Mercer County Ag Agent and NEP assistant to celebrate National Beef Month. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, some traditional activities could not take place. So an alternate plan was created with special activities to promote beef. A social media campaign was held on the MCCA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MercerCattlemensAssociation, where people entered to win a cooler bag filled with grilling supplies and recipes.#MCCABeef
Author: Linda McClanahan
Major Program: Dairy
The Mercer County Extension Office partnered with the Mercer County Farm Bureau Federation to celebrate Kentucky Agriculture Week and National Agriculture Day. Each year, the American Farm Bureau Federation selects an accurate agriculture book of the year and typically this book gets read in elementary school classrooms. Due to COVID-19 restrictions volunteers could not enter the schools to read. So, we took the books to the students virtually. The extension office worked with county farm bureau
