4-H AgriculturePlan of Work

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LaRue County CES

Title:
4-H Agriculture
MAP:
Enhancing Life Skills and Fostering Youth & Family Development
Agents Involved:
Misty Wilmoth
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Agriculture
Situation:

Kentucky Agricultural Facts:

Kentucky has much to offer in the way of agriculture. Of Kentucky’s total acreage (25.4 million acres), over 50% (12.9 million acres) is farmland (NASS, 2019). Kentucky farms produce a variety of agricultural products. The top five agricultural commodities (based on sales) in the Commonwealth include broilers, all other animals and products, soybeans, corn, and cattle and calves (USDA ERS, 2020). Kentucky agricultural sales in 2018 were reported at $5.9 billion (USDA ERS, 2020). Of the 75,966 farms in Kentucky, over 90% are individually or family owned. The average age of a Kentucky producer is 56.2 years old, with over 55% of producers 55 years old or older (NASS, 2019).

Situation:

Wendell Berry (1990), Kentucky novelist, poet, environmentalist, and farmer, stated that “…eating is an agricultural act” (p.1). Unfortunately, for many, there is a disconnect between the food we eat and where that food comes from. Today’s society lacks understanding regarding agricultural production and processing (Spielmaker and Leising, 2013). The Kentucky 4-H Youth Development Program strives to increase agricultural literacy among youth in Kentucky. The Agricultural Education in Secondary Schools Committee established by the National Research Council (1988) described an agriculturally literate person as one who’s “…understanding of the food and fiber system would include its history and its current economic, social, and environmental significance to all” (p. 8). The National Agriculture Literacy Logic Model defines an agriculturally literate person as one “…who understands and can communicate the source and value of agriculture as it affects our quality of life” (Spielmaker et al., 2014, p. 2). One of the key initiatives in Kentucky 4-H is to increase a young person’s awareness of the impact agriculture has on his/her daily life. 

Long-Term Outcomes:
Intermediate Outcomes:
Initial Outcomes:
Evaluation:
Learning Opportunities:

Learning Opportunities/Programs

          -      4-H Project Clubs offered in livestock, horse, poultry, rabbit, and dog.  The 4-H Country Ham project is offered each year with an auction at the conclusion of the project.

          -      4-H Gardening Club is offered for youth with an interest in gardening.  Exhibits encouraged to be entered at the county fair.


References:

Berry, Wendell. (1990). The Pleasures of Eating: In what are people for?. Center for Ecoliteracy. North Point Press.

National Research Council. (1988). Understanding Agriculture: New Directions for Education. National Research Council. https://doi.org/10.17226/766 

Spielmaker, D. M., and Leising, J. G. (2013)National agricultural literacy outcomes. Utah State University, School of Applied Sciences and Technology. http://agclassroom.org/teacher/matrix

Spielmaker, D. M., Pastor, M., and Stewardson, D. M. (2014). A logic model for agricultural literacy programming. Proceedings of the 41st annual meeting of the American Association for Agricultural Education, Snowbird, UT. https://www.agclassroom.org/get/doc/logicmodel_handout.pdf

USDA Economic Research Service (USDA ERS). (2020). Kentucky Data Fact Sheet. USDA ERS. https://data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?StateFIPS=21&StateName=Kentucky&ID=17854#P61c7c85317364f0a88d64410cc9ccda2_3_527iT18R0x0

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). (2019). 2017 Census of Agriculture – Kentucky State and County Data. USDA NASS. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_State_Level/Kentucky/kyv1.pdf



Success Stories

4-H Country Ham Project

Author: Misty Wilmoth

Major Program: Agriculture

The 4-H country ham project has involved one-hundred and seventy youth participants in LaRue County over the past ten years.  With interest in the country ham project, grant money was secured in the amount of $1,000 from the Kentucky 4-H Foundation and $2,500 from Agriculture Development Funds to build a ham house in LaRue County for project participants to use.  All participants are required to present their ham speech at the county level for competition. This has helped them prepare

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4-H Council Helps to Continue Fair Tradition

Author: Misty Wilmoth

Major Program: Agriculture

When the continuation of the longest running county fair in Kentucky was threatened in 2019, the LaRue County 4-H Council stepped up to continue to offer 4-H and open floral hall exhibits, as well as all the traditional livestock shows.  A fair committee was formed and the committee worked to recruit superintendents for each of the livestock shows.  The 4-H Council took over the financial aspects of the exhibit and show premiums.  Sponsors were also secured to help with the expens

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