Natural Resources and the Environment Plan of Work

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Bullitt County CES

Title:
Natural Resources and the Environment
MAP:
Natural Resources & the Environment
Agents Involved:
Samantha Gamblin, Tori Carter, Lorilee Kunze, Nathan Rider, Ruth Chowning
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Farm Management, Economics and Policy
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Natural Resources
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Cook Wild Kentucky
Situation:

Bullitt County is a rapidly urbanizing county with diminishing traditional agriculture. This continual rapid increase in the suburban population has led to a large non-rural population that has limited knowledge of rural environments, natural resources, and sustaining those for future generations. Local leadership identified a need for educational programming in this area to help protect and beautify our county's natural resources.

This continual rapid increase in the suburban population in Bullitt County is resulting in a steady decrease in the agricultural utilization of its land. As a result, education and information in the fields of small farming, farm succession, home horticulture and urban gardening is severely lacking in suburban areas. Due to this dynamic there is an increasing need for educational assistance on natural resources and environmental issues throughout Bullitt County.


Long-Term Outcomes:

Participants will practice sustainable gardening and agriculture production practices and have less negative impact on the environment.

Participants will gain gardening skills to promote health and wellness.

Participants will improve herd/flock management and livestock quality and wellbeing.

Participants will be able to teach others how to properly fish, hunt, and cook wild game in Kentucky.

Participants will improve forest land management and improve livelihoods through working forests.

Participants will improve curb appeal and energy efficiency of their homes through their landscape.

Participants will improve overall health and wellness by being more active in outdoor activities.

Participants will test soil and continue monitoring soil health to improve production and sustainability.

Youth will be advocates for agriculture and healthy and sustainable food systems.



Intermediate Outcomes:

Participants will increase access to healthy food via local Farmer’s Market, food retailers and home gardens.

Participants will use fewer pesticides, improve pesticide safety, and become certified applicators.

Participants will implement herd/flock management techniques.

Participants will implement improved pasture/forage crop management techniques.

Participants will implement hunting and fishing skills on private or public land and cook wild game at home.

Participants will learn about opportunities to generate income from forest land while maintaining healthy forest ecosystems.

Participants will improve their current landscape by practicing learned skills.

Participants will improve production of homegrown fruits and vegetables.

Participants will test their soil.

Participants will increase involvement in local beekeeping association.

Participants will increase the number of hives in county.

Participants will decrease number of hives lost to disease and other factors.

Youth will practice and apply skills and knowledge in the production of food.



Initial Outcomes:

Students will improve food and nutrition-related knowledge and skills through simple gardening.

Participants will increase knowledge of grazing and producing high quality cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, and other livestock.

Participants will increase their awareness of fishing, hunting, and cooking wild game.

Participants will increase their awareness of tapping maple trees for sap, improving timber stands, and promoting healthy forest ecosystems.

Participants will gain skills about gardening.

Participants will gain knowledge about proper use and handling of pesticides and pesticide safety.

Participants gain knowledge about soil health and soil testing.

Participants will gain knowledge about identifying insects.

Participants will reduce stress through gardening.

Participants will increase their knowledge of beekeeping.

Participants will increase their knowledge of agricultural best management practices.

Youth will gain an understanding of healthy and sustainable food systems.

Youth will practice and apply skills and knowledge in the production of food.



Evaluation:

Outcome:  Growing food at home

Indicator:  Number of students who report using knowledge and skills to plant, care for and grow vegetables

Method:  Self-reported survey; parent reported behaviors

Timeline:  Pre- post program and 3-month follow-up


Outcome:  Increase agriculture production and profitability

Indicator:  Higher production and increased profits

Method:  Self-reporting, observation

Timeline: Pre and Post program, year-to-year over the next 5 years


Outcome:  Increase livestock health and wellbeing and improve pasture/forage crop management

Indicator:  Higher production and increased profits

Method:  Self-reporting, observation

Timeline: Pre and Post program, year-to-year over the next 5 years


Outcome:  Increase knowledge of fishing and hunting in KY

Indicator:  Increase in people fishing and hunting in Bullitt County

Method: Self-reporting, observation

Timeline: Pre- and Post- trainings, 1-year follow-up


Outcome:  Increase knowledge of forest ecosystems and opportunities in working forests

Indicator:  Increase in people tapping trees, sustainably harvesting timber, protecting forest ecosystems

Method: Self-reporting, observation

Timeline: Pre- and Post- trainings, 1-year follow-up


Intermediate Outcome: Participants follow through with soil test and amend soil properly

Indicator: Soil test submission and follow up phone call

Method: Written and oral

Timeline: 1July 2022 - June 2023


Long Term Outcome: Participants continues to monitor soil health and use integrated methods to improve soil health

Indicator: Repeated soil testing and follow up

Method: Written and oral

Timeline: July 2022 - June 2023


Intermediate Outcome: Participants will be able to select tree varieties for home plantings. They will gain better fruit tree management skills.

Indicator: Tree plantings and health of est. trees

Method: Observed and verbal

Timeline: July 2022 - June 2023


Intermediate Outcome: Participants gain knowledge of how to plant more functional and efficient landscapes and gardens

Indicator: Pre/post survey

Method: Written, verbal

Timeline: July 2022 - June 2023


Initial Outcome: Participants gain knowledge about identifying insects

Indicator: Pre/Post Test

Method: Written

Timeline: July 2022 - June 2023


Initial Outcome: Participants gain knowledge about beekeeping

Indicator: Pre/Post survey

Method: Verbal

Timeline: July 2022 - June 2023


Outcome: Youth will practice and apply skills and knowledge in the production of food 

Indicator:  Helping adults or parents maintain a garden, maintaining own garden

Method: Written evaluation, youth and parent testimonials

Timeline: On-going



Learning Opportunities:

Audience: General Public

Project or Activity:  Gardening class for Tomatoes and Peppers

Content or Curriculum: UK horticulture publications, SNAP Ed resources, Organ Annie curriculum 

Inputs: Volunteers, community partners, SNAP Ed Toolkit, FCS Agent

Date: Fall 2022, Spring 2023


Audience: Livestock Producers 

Project or Activity: Small Ruminant Profit School Continuing Education

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, Guest Speakers

Inputs: ANR Agent, Extension Specialist, Community Partners

Date: July 2022 - June 2023


Audience: Livestock Producers 

Project or Activity: Master Grazer Program

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, Guest Speakers

Inputs: ANR Agent, Extension Specialist, Community Partners

Date: July 2022 - June 2023


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Hook and Cook, Field to Fork

Content or Curriculum: KY Fish and Wildlife Programs, Field to Fork, Home Meat preparation, Cook Wild KY

Inputs: KY Fish and Wildlife Staff, ANR Agent, FCS Agent, Extension Specialists, UK Resources

Date: July 2022 to June 2023


Audience: Bullitt County General Public

Activity: Gardening Season Series

Content:  UK Publications, gardening curriculum

Inputs: Various plants and demonstrative materials, volunteers, agents, specialists

Date: July 2022 - June 2023


Audience: Producers, General Public

Activity: Fruit Production Series

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, local expert

Inputs: UK Publications, grafting equipment, root stock, specialists

Date: July 2022 - June 2023


Audience: General Public

Activity: Homeowners’ Toolbox Series

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications

Inputs: KY Dept. of Forestry Publications, UK Publications

Date: July 2022 to June 2023


Audience: General Public

Activity: Biodiversity Series

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications

Inputs: KY Dept. of Forestry Publications

Date: July 2022- June 2023


Audience: General Public

Activity: Beekeeping Series Classes

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, local experts

Inputs: KY Dept. of Forestry Publications, UK Publications, state and local associations, Hort Agent, Ag Agent

Date: July 2022 - June 2023


Audience: Youth- All Ages

Activity: School Garden and Nutrition Initiative

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, local expert

Inputs: KY Dept. of Forestry Publications, UK Publications, state and local associations, Extension Staff

Date: July 2022 - June 2023


Audience: Forest Landowners

Project or Activity: Master Logger, Maple Syrup Class, Mushroom Production Class

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, Master Logger curriculum

Inputs: KY Dept. of Forestry Publications, UK Publications, state and local associations, Hort Agent, Ag Agent and Extension Specialists

Date: July 2022 - June 2023




Success Stories

Bullitt Advanced Math and Science Mentoring Program

Author: Lorilee Kunze

Major Program: Natural Resources

Bullitt Advanced Math and Science Mentoring Program

The Bullitt Advanced Math and Science (BAMS) Program seeks to help the gifted students of Bullitt County reach their full potential through inquiry experiences, a rigorous and relevant curriculum, and educational outreach.  The Bullitt County Horticulture Program has collaborated with BAMS for many years helping them to gather data about the soil in Bernheim Forest and Arboretum.  Previously, Extension mentors helped students to understand the soil sampling process, testing process and

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Farmers Host Sheep and Goat Producers for Hands-On Continuing Education

Author: Nathan Rider

Major Program: Small Ruminants (includes sheep, goats) and Exotic animals

Farmers Host Sheep and Goat Producers for Hands-On Continuing Education

Throughout 2022, sheep and goat producers from 37 farms across 13 counties gathered monthly to participate in the Small Ruminant Profit School hosted by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Office in Bullitt County. The classes utilized a Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office curriculum to teach local producers about all aspects of small ruminant husbandry. After the course came to a close, producers were eager to continue meeting for more opportunities to learn from each other.

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Major Program: Camping

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Seeds of Change for Bullitt County

Author: Lorilee Kunze

Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy

Seeds of Change for Bullitt County

This year the Bullitt County Horticulture Program was gifted an expansive seed donation.  It was such a large donation that we struggled with how to sort it, store and how it could best serve our community.  Many of the seeds were distributed in the last couple of classes in the Vegetable Gardening Series.  Then we decided that if any school in Bullitt County should want to start a school garden, that we would provide them the seeds for one.  We made one box for each school t

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Backyard Maple Tapping Provides Farm Diversification Opportunities

Author: Nathan Rider

Major Program: Forest Education: Health, Management, and Utilization

Backyard Maple Tapping Provides Farm Diversification Opportunities

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Beginning Farmers, Market Gardeners, and Landowners Series

Author: Nathan Rider

Major Program: Small Farm Management

Beginning Farmers, Market Gardeners, and Landowners Series

Beginning farmers, market gardeners, and landowners frequently find themselves overwhelmed by all of the aspects of getting started. Imagine someone bought a 5-10 acre home lot where they dream of homesteading and selling produce from a large garden. Maybe, they are retiring, inherited land, and suddenly became the steward of a much larger property. Possibly they are a young farmer leasing land for the first time to establish their business.  Regardless of their experiences, they tend

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Birding Class Combines Scientific Observation, Engagement with Nature, and Mindfulness for Youth

Author: Nathan Rider

Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - ANR

Birding Class Combines Scientific Observation, Engagement with Nature, and Mindfulness for Youth

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Sunrise Home

Author: Lorilee Kunze

Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy

Horticultural therapy is a proven method for relieving stress, improving wellbeing, building confidence, learning steam subjects and building relationships.  This program partners Extension with the Sunrise Home for boys.  The Extension service offers hands on demonstration and cooperation planning, planting and maintaining a therapeutic garden space for 18 young boys in the Sunrise home. Working together the boys formed bonds that help them develop better communication skills, they le

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Market Gardeners Consider High Tunnels for Season Extension and Increased Production

Author: Nathan Rider

Major Program: Small Farm Diversification

Market Gardeners Consider High Tunnels for Season Extension and Increased Production

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Bullitt County Beekeepers' Association

Author: Lorilee Kunze

Major Program: Beekeeping

Bullitt County Beekeepers' Association

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Make and Take Mushrooms

Author: Lorilee Kunze

Major Program: Local Food Systems

Make and Take Mushrooms

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