Agriculture Production, Management, and Environment
Agriculture Production, Management, and Environment
Hardy, Heisdorffer
Farm Management, Economics and Policy
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Grains
Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
Equity in farm business has been on a path of decline since approximately 2014, as net revenues have fallen due to inventory supply expansion and demand destruction related to trade policy and COVID-19-induced economic recession. Rapid increase in farmland values have leveled from the 2006 to 2013 period, while at the same time, revenues from grain and livestock receipts have declined, forcing many to acquire farm operating loans based on collateral rather than cash flow lending standards, further eroding equity in their land holdings. COVID-19 has arrived to bring further trouble to the agricultural economy. Restrictions on travel have reduced motor vehicle travel and subsequent ethanol consumption, the sink for nearly 40% of the U.S. corn crop, during a period when South America is capitalizing on Chinese agricultural tariffs of imported agricultural commodities from the United States. In the past two years, nearly 20% of net farm income has been comprised of government subsidies. This non-recurring income has kept farms going but has become essential for survival, rather than the safety net as designed. Continuation or curtailing quantitative easing could be how the future of some businesses are determined.
In 2018 the National Gardening Survey indicated that 77% of American households garden in some way. Recent trends indicate that more and more Americans are growing their own food (35% of households), while interests in ornamentals remains high, particularly in the area of gardening to support pollinators and other ecological uses of plants. American gardeners will continue to look to Cooperative Extension for specific answers to their gardening questions while protecting the environment
Maintain or increase ag profit or reduce expense and/or risk
Minimize environmental impact
Sustain family farms
Minimize environmental impact by following recommended use of pesticides, herbicides, and/or fertilizers
Implement one or more best practices
Practice one or more recommendations
Make decisions based on Extension information
Evaluate their home or farm operation to determine which recommendations are appropriate
ROI safely
Use Integrated Pest Management practices
Observe best practices related to production and financial management
Identify three practices to protect environment, such as water, chemicals, or pollinators
Increase their knowledge of horticulture and best practices in soil health, water conservation, chemical use, plant selection for pollinators, selection of trees, and maintenance of the landscape
Recognize the value of diagnostic testing
Gain knowledge of native plants
Initial Outcome: Participants will identify three native plants that attract pollinators and butterflies.
Indicator: Number of people who can identify three native plants that attract butterflies
Method: Self-reporting survey after meeting
Timeline: Late winter and Spring 2021
Intermediate Outcome: People will use Extension information to maintain gardens properly
Indicator: Number of people using Extension information to maintain gardens properly
Method: Follow up self-reporting survey
Timeline: Summer and fall 2021
Long-term Outcome: Maintain or increase ag profit or reduce expense and/or risk
Indicator: Financial reporting
Method: Observation of KFBM summaries
Timeline: Summer 2022
Audience: Public
Project or Activity: Putting Your Garden to Bed
Content or Curriculum: Extension publications
Inputs: Agent, virtual meeting, Daviess County Public Library
Date: August/September 2020
Audience: Newspaper and Newsletter Audience and Gardeners
Project or Activity: Best Management Practices to Protect the Environment, such as: Rain gardens, IPM, and protecting pollinators
Content or Curriculum: Extension publications
Inputs: Agent, Extension Master Gardeners
Date: Winter 2020 and Spring 2021
Audience: Grain Farm Business Managers
Project or Activity: Ag Expo
Content or Curriculum: Research-based discussion of production challenges
Inputs: Extension Specialists and Curriculum
Date: January 2021
Audience: Beef Farm Business Managers
Project or Activity: CPH 45 Feeder Calf Marketing
Content or Curriculum: Beef IRM committee recommendations
Inputs: Extension Specialists and Local Sale Committee
Date: 2021
Audience: Agronomists, Seed Dealers, Grain Producers
Project or Activity: Daviess County Grain Research and Demonstration Plots
Content or Curriculum: Provide unbiased data supporting the efficacy of seed brands promoted in our area
Inputs: Seed companies and local plot planning committee
Date: 2021
Audience: Gardeners, General Public
Project or Activity: Vegetable Gardening
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications
Inputs: Agent, Extension Master Gardeners
Date: Winter 2021 and Spring 2021
Audience: Gardeners, General Public
Project or Activity: Gardening to Attract Pollinators and Butterflies
Content or Curriculum: Extension Publications
Inputs: Agent, Extension Master Gardeners
Date: January 2021 and February 2021
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Horticulture Webinar Wednesday, developed by Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Agents for Horticulture Education in March of 2020, continued as a way to reach clientele with science-based information during the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinars were presented live through the virtual format of Zoom on Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. ET throughout the Commonwealth. Thirty-minute long presentations were followed by a question-and-answer period. All presentations were recorded and posted to Kentuc
Author: Clinton Hardy
Major Program: Grains
Crossing Through This: Managing Farm and Family in 2020 Through this COVID-19 period, agriculture has continued the normal seasonal activities but has not been without feeling the effect of how life has changed because of COVID. Home school, internet church, personal isolation and countless businesses closed has changed how life is lived and we do not yet know what normal will become. Certainly, vaccine to treat and protect
Author: Clinton Hardy
Major Program: Grains
Law in Kentucky requires private pesticide applicator training every three years. In the era of covid, meeting in person is limited so the January Ag Expo educational program adopted a Zoom format that allowed participants to renew certification from the comfort and safety of their own home. Increasing grain prices since harvest has created a lot of excitement for the upcoming growing season, with CFAP round three set to deposit, 2021 could be another profitable year in grain and liv
Author: Clinton Hardy
Major Program: Tobacco
Tobacco remains an important crop economically to hundreds of farms in Daviess County. Due to unknown reasons, dark air-cure tobacco contracts were reduced 48% in the spring of 2020 cutting the gross income by nearly half for our most lucrative tobacco type. To offset less tobacco income, some growers adopted a new type of tobacco for our area. Nearly 100 acres of Connecticut broadleaf cigar wrapper tobacco was grown in Daviess County in 2020 for the first time ever. Exte
Author: Clinton Hardy
Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy
No one will forget 2020. Covid-19 didn’t care where you work or live, what church or school you attend. Everyone was affected, if not infected in one way or another. Agriculture has certainly has its ups and downs during the past 18 months. 2020 began with boost of confidence as trade agreements were established and plans were made for a rebound in demand for agricultural products. By mid-summer the commo
Author: Clinton Hardy
Major Program: Forages
Daviess County Extension Service had the opportunity to host one of two University of Kentucky Fencing Schools in May 13. UK specialists and fencing industry experts used a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on demonstration to teach the basics of a well-built livestock fence. Participants learned that poor fence condition increases risk of liability to a farm business as animals are more likely to gain access to public roads, greatly increasing risk of a motor vehi
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Managing trees and shrubs on city property can be time consuming and costly, especially if not managed properly. The Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service and City of Owensboro partnered to offer the Certified Arborist Preparation Training at the request of the City Grounds Manager. The grounds manager wanted to become a Certified Arborist and to teach the employees he supervises how to properly prune and manage trees in parks, along streets, and in sports complexes owned by t