Agricultural Marketing
Promoting Commodities
May, Gibson
Beef
Forages
Horticulture, Commercial
Volunteer Development
Agricultural Leaders in Perry County have always been concerned that in order for Perry County’s Agricultural Industry to have any significant economic impact in the County, new and alternative markets would have to be established. This situation has never been of more importance now because of the down turn in the economy as a result of the loss of coal industry jobs, nearly 70%.This has led to an employment rate of 9.5% which places Perry County in the top 10 in the state for high unemployment. Loss of jobs has also led to residents leaving the County to find work. The County has seen a population decline of 8.1%. (Zimmerman, KY By The Numbers, October 2019) Many of those remaining residents are looking for ways to support their families without having to move out of the area to find work. In fact according to Perry County’s response to the 2019 KY Extension Community Assessment, the number 1 priority indicated is the need for “More jobs paying good wages and benefits”.
This situation has stimulated a renewed interest in Agriculture in the County. Agricultural receipts are up nearly 300%. There is a push under way to produce and buy local. Only 21% of the zip codes in Perry County have access to healthy food outlets or Farmer's Markets. Perry County is considered one of the unhealthiest Counties in the State. It's been deemed a "Rural Food Desert".
The Perry County Cooperative Extension Service will play a major role in this effort by serving as a catalyst working with clientele and other organizations to deliver programming on alternative markets, local food production, farmer’s market support, forestry, beekeeping and agritourism.The community Assessment indicated that youth and adults also needed support in career readiness. A better appreciation of the abundance of natural resources and the ever developing technology to increase value of these assets is another area for increased education.
Producers will take advantage of alternative markets, become more profitable and will diversify and expand their operations.
Youth will be environmentally literate and be advocates for environmental sustainability and stewardship.
Youth will innovate in addressing social problems an situations using STEM.
Producers realize the potential of working together to market their products and see an increase in farm profits. New alternative markets will be discovered. Producers will become more diverse.
Youth will utilize and practice life-skills, incorporating new methods and technology.
Youth will explain the importance and role of natural resources in daily life.
Agricultural groups will work cooperatively to develop strategies and goals that will forge a path to new marketing opportunities. New partnerships and coalitions will be formed. The Extension Service and Extension leadership will construct an Extension Annex Complex.
Youth will develop valuable life-skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving., effective communication, and leadership.
Outcome: Number of new marketing opportunities. Increase in farm profits. More diverse farming operations to become more competitive in a global economy.
Indicator: number of participants taking advantage of new marketing opportunities and increase profits and sales.
Number of participants attending workshops.
Number of people who report change in knowledge.
Number of youth who use skill and knowledge learned in 4-H project program.
Number of youth who indicated that in 4-H they have been allowed to figure out things for themselves.
Method: Evaluations of programs, clientele surveys.
4-H Common Measurers survey.
Timeline: All year
Audience: Beef Cattle Producers
Project or Activity: Beef Cattle workshops and trainings.
Content or Curriculum: Marketing and herd health
Inputs : Agents, Specialist, Producers, Veterinarians
Date: All year
Audience: Mountain Cattlemen Association Members
Project or Activity: Mountain Cattlemen Association Educational Meetings
Content or Curriculum: Educational Programs to teach management, health and marketing skills
Inputs: Agents, Specialist, Veterinarians, On Farm Demonstrations
Date: Quarterly
Audience: Fruit and Vegetable Growers
Project or Activity: Fruit and Vegetable Growers training meetings
Content or Curriculum: Training will be provided on Best Management Practices, Marketing, Pest and Disease control, Processing and Cover Crops
Inputs: Agent, Specialist, UK Publications and Resources
Date: Spring and Summer months
Audience: Farmer Market Vendors
Project or Activity: Perry County Farmer’s Market Support
Content or Curriculum: Work with the Perry County Farmer’s Market Board to promote, support and provide training to the Farmer’s Market Vendors
Inputs: KDA, Agent, Specialist, UK Publications and Resources
Date: All year
Audience: Beekeepers, Perry County Beekeepers Association, and General Public
Project or Activity: Beekeeping Program
Content or Curriculum: Conduct workshops, work with the Perry County Beekeepers Association and coordinate the annual Beekeeping School to increase interest in Beekeeping and explore potential markets for bee products.
Inputs: State Apiarist, Agent, Local Beekeepers, UK Publications and Resources
Date: All Year
Audience: Forage Producers and Livestock Owners
Project or Activity: Hay Testing, Hay, and Pasture Management
Content or Curriculum: Provide education on the importance of Forage Testing and how to establish and manage forage crops
Inputs: Agent, Specialist, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Date: Summer MonthsAudience: Timber Owners
Project or Activity: Workshops and training
Content or Curriculum: Provide training to timber owners and Master Loggers on forest management and marketing.
Inputs: Agent, Specialist, KDA
Date: All Year
Audience: Southeast KY Sheep Producers Association
Project or Activity: Education workshops and meetings
Content or Curriculum: Provide support to the newly formed Southeast KY Sheep Producers Association through educational workshops and trainings and membership meetings.
Inputs: Agent, Specialist, Producers
Date: All year
Audience: School-aged youth – 6-9 graders
Project or activity: Environmental Resources 4-H Academy
Content or Curriculum: Project WET, Projects Food, Land, People, Project Learning Tree, Flying Wild, Stream Team, WHEP, Kentucky’s Useful Forest, Project underground, 4-H Fishing curric..
Inputs: Robinson Forest Camp, Youth scholars, Teen ambassadors, Agents, Program assistants, supplies for hands-on projects, Field trips for exploring environment.
Date: 2021-2024
Audience; School aged youth – 5-6 graders
Project or Activity: County 4-H Forestry Field Days
Content or Curriculum: KY 4-H Forestry Field Day materials, geology.
Inputs: Youth, teachers, buses, contest supplies, Biltmore sticks, compasses, tree walk, county Park and shelters, KDF personnel, RCARS personnel, USDA personnel, recognition items.
Audience: Science Teachers
Project or Activity: National 4-H Science Experiment, 4-H physics Zoo, NEED Energy Fair.
Content or Curriculum: NSE curricula and kits, Zoo kit, NEED kit
Inputs: Curricula kits, passports, youth, teachers, supplies.
Author: Charles May
Major Program: Hay testing
This years’ forage testing and contest has been challenging to say the least. With COVID-19 fears and a switch from KDA doing the testing to UK, left agents and specialist scrambling to put, basically a new program together.A committee was formed comprising of agents and specialist to work out the details of this new era for the East KY Hay Testing program and contest. Several Zoom meetings were held and as a result, what was developed, may be one of the best more accur
Author: Jan Gibson
Major Program: Natural Resources
The economy of EKY is seeking to diversify from its historically coal-producing industry. It is Kentucky’s privately-owned forests that provide the majority of the timber processed into many useful products used not only locally but world-wide. Perry County is in the heart of the basically deciduous forest that accounts for the 684 million board feet of hardwood logs that were harvested in 2019, … total employment of 54,266, total contribution of $13.3 billion. &nb
Author: Jan Gibson
Major Program: Agriculture
Taking the program materials that have been used in the classroom in a agriculture/natural resource core, 93 seventh graders are currently working remotely to integrate the concepts into a plan to provide resources to their "city" using clean energy for food production and delivery, employment, transportation, water. As part of the food production these youth created posters and submitted them to the KY Dept of Agriculture's Pollinators Contest to help educate the public
Author: Charles May
Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy
Perry County is one of the Counties that receives very little of the Phase I Tobacco Settlement funds that was established by House Bill 611. Perry County only receives around $8000 every two years. We usually have to set on the money until enough is accumulated to run a cost-share program. On average we run a program every two or three years and only have around $10,000 to put toward a grant. Most of the grants that have been run are only for $1000 producer maximum and are a 50/50
Author: Charles May
Major Program: Beekeeping
Virtual East Kentucky Beekeeping School was a great success with experience committee The 11th Annual East Kentucky Beekeeping School was held virtual in January 2021, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. As plans begin in the summer it became evident by the planning committee that in person beekeeping school was not possible, so plans move forward to continue the very popular beekeeping school virtual through Zoom. Be a virtual event became challenging with technology issues, but the
Author: Charles May
Major Program: Beekeeping
The Perry County Beekeepers Association was like all Beekeeping and other Associations I suspect and not able to meet in-person since the winter of 2020. But with the introduction of the COVID vaccine, declining COVID case numbers and the state beginning to allow in-person events, the Perry County Beekeepers Association along with the Perry County Cooperative Extension Service decided to celebrate the getting back to normal by hosting a Beekeeping Field Day. More than 3
Author: Charles May
Major Program: Forest Education: Health, Management, and Utilization
The Kentucky Master Logger WebTV Program was hosted by Perry County Extension Service and 30 additional Kentucky County Extension Offices spread out throughout Kentucky to reduce drive time and travel for the logging workforce by providing relevant and timely information delivered close to home. All of the content was delivered live from the UK Forestry and Natural Resources Departments Webinar Studio housed in the Thomas Poe Cooper Building on Campus and streamed to Perry Co