2021 Agriculture and Horticulture Economic Support ProgramsPlan of Work

Back to Plans for the County

Kenton County CES

Title:
2021 Agriculture and Horticulture Economic Support Programs
MAP:
2021 Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Practice
Agents Involved:
Dan Allen, Linda Brown-Price, Kathy Byrnes, Mary Averbeck, Hort Agent, Denise Donahue, Diane Kelley
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Beef
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Small Farm Management
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Small Farm Diversification
Situation:

Kenton County has a very diverse cross section of farm and horticulture ventures. These agriculture and horticulture enterprises contribute to the total household income. Based on input from advisory council, County Extension Council and Community Needs Assessment there is a need for continued education in research based, and best management practices in horticulture and agriculture to ensure that these small farms can continue and be more profitable.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Increased agriculture and horticulture production and efficiency. By using University of Kentucky research and other reliable sources these residents will be able to implement ongoing practices that translate to bottom line profitability.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Transition from current practices to adoption of best management practices to enhance existing enterprises and exploration of other revenue streams from these agriculture and horticulture practices.

Initial Outcomes:

Kenton County Extension offers innovative and research-based programs that are relevant and timely so as to increase productivity in areas like, variety selection, good livestock husbandry, marketing basics, time saving techniques, and crop production.


Evaluation:

Outcome: Ag & Hort producers implement best management practices. 

Indicator: Class participation and follow-up surveys in 6 to 10 mos. 

Method: Online and mail surveys, farm visits, and phone calls 

Timeline: 6 months to a year 


Outcome: Increase household incomes due to better productivity and successful new economic ventures 

Indicator: Positive feedback given to agents 

Method: Follow up surveys, and one-on-one surveys 

Timeline: 6 months to a year 


Outcome: Acceptance of good sustainability practices 

Indicator: Feedback provided to agents, farm visits, and interaction with producers. 

Method: In person and mailed surveys 

Timeline: Ongoing


Learning Opportunities:

Audience: All Residents

Project or Activity: Quarterly Agriculture Econ and Marketing Committee

Content or Curriculum: Forum designed by volunteer leaders and agent

Inputs: Local businesses in nontraditional enterprises

Date: Quarterly year round


Audience: Residents Interested in Agritourism
Project or Activity: Preparing your farm for Visitors
Content or Curriculum: UK and other University Research
Inputs: Publications and Agent Designed program
Date: Jan 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 


Audience: Farmers Markets and CSA Operators
Project or Activity: PBPT
Content or Curriculum: UK Program
Inputs: UK video series, FCS and Ag Agent
Date: March 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 


Audience: Beginning Beekeepers
Project or Activity: Where Do I Start With Beekeeping?
Content or Curriculum: UK and Agent Designed
Inputs: UK and State of Kentucky, local beekeeper supplier
Date: December 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 


Audience: Farmer’s Market Growers
Project or Activity: Extending the Season
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture program
Inputs: Building a cold frame season extender
Date: October 2021, 2023 


Audience: Farmers Market Growers
Project or Activity: Exploring New Vegetable Varieties
Content or Curriculum: UK local research
Inputs: publications, agents and specialists
Date: February  2022


Audience: Cow Calf Operators
Project or Activity: Calving and Calf Care
Content or Curriculum: UK Materials, online or in person
Inputs: UK Specialists, Ag Agent
Date: Jan. 2021,  2022, 2023, 2024

Audience: Cow Calf Operators
Project or Activity: Choosing the Right Bull
Content or Curriculum: UK Beef IRM Online or In person
Inputs: Prerecorded Distance learning Program
Date: March 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 


Audience: Goat and Sheep Producers
Project or Activity: Nutrition for Small Ruminants
Content or Curriculum: KSU Materials and Research
Inputs: Agent and KSU Specialists
Date: Feb 2022, Feb 2023


Audience: Backyard and Small-Scale Egg Producers
Project or Activity: Nutrition and Breed Selection for Egg Production
Content or curriculum: UK Specialist Small Flock Content
Inputs: Agent and UK Small Flock Specialist
Date: March 2021, Feb 2024 


Audience: Cow Calf Operators
Project or Activity: Freezer Beef Pilot Program
Content or Curriculum: UK Beef IRM Content and UK Research
Inputs: Local Agents and UK Specialists
Date:  February 2021 and March 2021


Audience: Small Ruminant Producers
Project or Activity: Education Tour
Content or Curriculum: UK Materials
Inputs: Local Agents and UK Specialists
 Date: Fall 2021, Fall 2024


Audience: Trail and Pleasure Horse Owners
Project or Activity: Healthy Horse 101
Content or Curriculum: UK Equine Program
Inputs: Local Agents and UK Specialists
Date: Fall 2021, Fall 2023 


Audience: Horse Stable Owners
Project or Activity: The Business of Running a Stable
Content or Curriculum: UK Equine Program
Inputs: Local Agent and UK Specialists
Date: Spring 2022, Spring 2023 

Audience; Small Scale Swine Operators

Project of Activity: Raising a Hog for the Freezer

Content or Curriculum: UK Swine research

Inputs: Local Agent and UK Specialists

Date: March 2021, Mar 2023


Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Successful Planter Gardens
Content or Curriculum: UK and other university research
Inputs: Agent designed, and specialist input where needed
Date: Spring 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 


Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Successful Home Vegetable Gardening
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications
Inputs: UK Home Vegetable Guide
Date: Late Winter, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 


Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Grandma's Kitchen Garden
Content or Curriculum: Agent Designed
Inputs: UK and other research-based information
Date: Spring 2021, 2023 


Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Raising Berries and Fruits in the Backyard
Content or Curriculum: Agent designed and UK research
Inputs: Agent, Specialist
Date: Spring 2022, 2024 

Audience: Homeowners
Project or Activity: Renewing Your Home Landscape
Content or Curriculum: Agent designed
Inputs: UK publications on plant selection, pruning, maintenance, etc.
Date: February, 2021,  May  2022, May 2023, May 2024


Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Fall Vegetable Gardening
Content or Curriculum: UK Vegetable Gardening Guide
Inputs: Agents, specialists
Date: August 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 


Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Hardscapes in the Landscape
Content or Curriculum: Agent Designed
Inputs: Agent and local specialists in landscape construction
Date: Spring  2022


Audience: Silage Feed Producers
Project or Activity: Silage Field Day
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Publications and Research
Inputs: Agent and UK Specialists, publications and state soil test lab
Date: Fall 2021, 2023 


Audience: Beef Cattle Operators
Project or Activity: Getting the Most from my Pasture
Content or Curriculum: UK Beef IRM and agronomic publications
Inputs: UK Specialists, and Agent
Date: Fall 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Spring 2021, 2023 


Audience: Livestock Operators
Project or Activity: Why Do I Rotate my Grazing (online learning)
Content or Curriculum: UK Research
Inputs: UK Specialists, AG Agent, and Research results
Date: May 2021 


Audience: Hay Producers
Project or Activity: Marketing Hay
Content or Curriculum: UK Research
Inputs: UK Budget worksheets, specialists, ag agent
Date: March 2021


Audience: Horse Owners
Project or Activity: Save My Horse Pasture!
Content or curriculum: Pastures Please Program, UK research
Inputs: UK publications, specialists
Date: Fall 2021 


Audience: Hay Producers
Project or Activity: Alfalfa Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Research, publications, etc.
Inputs: UK Specialists
Date: September 2020


Audience: Grain Growers
Project or Activity: Weed Control (online distance learning)
Content or Curriculum: Published research, UK research
Inputs: UK Weed Specialist
Date: Spring 2021, 2022, 2023 


Audience: Crop, hay and Pasture growers
Project or Activity: Why Do I Soil Sample? (online distance learning)
Content or Curriculum: Published research, UK research Inputs: UK soils lab, ag agent
Date: Ongoing as needed


Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: Is it Time to do Another SWOT Analysis?
Content or Curriculum: UK Ag Leadership’s SWOT Curriculum
Inputs: UK publications, AG and FCS Agent
Date: 2021 


Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: Am I Planning for Retirement?
Content or Curriculum: UK FCS curriculum, Annies Project UK Research
Inputs: UK publications, specialists and agents
Date: Fall 2021 


Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: How do I Write a Business Plan?
Content or Curriculum: UK Annie’s Project, KLP
Inputs: UK specialists, and agents
Date: Spring 2022 


Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: What do I Know About Insurance?
Content or Curriculum: UK FCS and ANR publications and programs
Inputs: UK and KSU Agents
Date: Fall 2021 


Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: Who Gets Grandpa’s Old Cane?
Content or Curriculum: Farm Transitions, Annie’s
Inputs: FCS Agent and Ag Agent
Date: 2022


Audience: Kenton County youth age 9-18 years
Project or Activity: 4-H Agriculture Programs
Content or Curriculum: KY 4-H curriculum and kits
Inputs: 4-H volunteers, agents, county program funds
Date: September 2020 through August 2020


Audience: Kenton County Livestock Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H County, District, State Fairs and Shows
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Rules and guidelines
Inputs: 4-H Animal Science materials; Dept. of Agriculture materials
Date: July 2020 through June 2021


Audience: Kenton County youth
Project or activity: Horse Bowl contest
Content or curriculum: 4-H Horse Bowl manual
Inputs:
Date: September 2021 through June 2022


Audience: Kenton County 4-H Horse club members
Project or activity: 4-H Horse education classes
Content or curriculum: KY 4-H Horse manuals and kit, Achievement book series
Inputs:
Date: September 2021 through April 2022


Project or Activity: KEHA lesson, Backyard Butterflies-Zoom session
Content: UK Hort publications, KEHA Housing Plan of Work
Inputs: Boone Co. Natural Resources Agent designed, Area Homemaker Chairmen
Date: August 2020


Audience: Kenton County residents
Project or Activity: 4-h Farm to Table Dinner
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Council
Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Assistants & Council
Date: September 2020


Audience: Kenton Co Livestock Youth
Project or Activity: Judging, Skillathon, Quiz Bowl
Content: 4-H Livestock Curriculum
Inputs: Livestock kits and materials
Date: Oct 2020-August 2021


Audience: Kenton Co. Dog Program
Project or Activity: Dog training
Content: 4-H Dog Curriculum
Inputs: Agent & Certified Leader
Date: Oct 2021-August 2022



Success Stories

Observable cognitive skills and life skill development

Author: Diane Kelley

Major Program: Agriculture

Observable cognitive skills and life skill development

The 4-H Livestock Program provides Kenton County youth the opportunity to enhance a variety of observable cognitive skills.  Youth experience raising, caring for, training, and exhibiting a livestock species.  The 4-H program facilitates the development of life skills through animal agriculture.  Raising an animal has an impact on individuals and families participating.  The 4-H Youth Development Agent (Kelley) responsible for livestock programs has conducted a survey of pare

Full Story

Equine Conference No Horsin' Around!

Author: Daniel Allen

Major Program: Equine

According to a 2011 Purdue University study of recreational horse owners, nearly 54% of expenses associated with horse care was maintenance.  Maintenance included feed, bedding, stable supplies, veterinary and farrier service, medications, and boarding.  The Northern Kentucky Horse Network worked with Northern Kentucky Agriculture Agents and UK equine specialists on the fourth annual Equine Conference.  This program was designed to bring the latest research and support available t

Full Story
Back to Plans for the County