Extension
It Starts With Us
Increasing Agricultural Production and Opportunities
Increasing Agricultural Production and Opportunities
Chadwick, Rudolph
Soil testing
Local Food Systems
Plant Disease ID
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Kentucky is home to 85,500 farms, tied with Oklahoma as the 4th ranking state in the number of farms (National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2012). The average farm size in Kentucky is 164 acres, compared to the national average of 421 (National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2012). Between 2007 and 2012, the Bluegrass State had a 6.7% decrease in the number of acres of farmland, which is the greatest percentage decrease any state in the country (Census of Agriculture, 2012). A farm is defined by the United States government as “any place that produced and sold, or normally would produce and sell, $1,000 or more of agricultural products during the census year.” While Kentucky’s population is increasing, the number of people living on farms is decreasing. Therefore, the need exists to educate people, particularly youth, about the impact that it makes on their daily lives, as well as the importance of agriculture to the commonwealth. The top agricultural products produced on Kentucky farms are changing. In 2012, the Top 10 agriculture products in Kentucky were: Broilers, Corn, Horses & Mules, Soybeans, Cattle & Calves, Tobacco, Dairy Products & Milk, Wheat, Hay and Chicken Eggs (United States Department of Agriculture – Kentucky, 2012). Youth need to know where their food comes from and producers need help from the Extension Service to access services to produce their crops effectively.
Youth will engage in entrepreneurial enterprise
Youth will gain and maintain employment resulting from life skill development through 4-H
Youth will be advocates for agriculture and healthy and sustainable food systems
Producers will increase agricultural production and opportunities
Producers will participate in yield contests
Youth will practice and apply skills and knowledge in the production of food and fiber in the areas of plant sciences, horticulture and animal sciences
Youth will adopt and practice skills that contribute to employability
Youth can explain the role of agriculture in daily life to others
Youth will set a goal and accomplish it
Youth can influence the purchase of Kentucky Proud products
Youth can practice entrepreneurship skills related to agriculture and food systems
Producers will implement best practices from agricultural tests and education
Youth will gain knowledge and skills in the production of food and fiber in the areas of plant sciences, horticulture and animal sciences
Youth will gain an understanding of healthy and sustainable food systems
Youth will develop valuable life-skills, including decision-making, communications, recordkeeping, leadership and service
Producers will access services and education provided by the Extension Office
Outcome: Youth will participate in agriculture education
Indicator: Youth will complete an agricultural project
Method: 4-H Common Measures
Timeline: Ongoing projects
Outcome: Producers will implement best practices
Indicator: Producer testing and actions
Method: Producer interviews
Timeline: Ongoing
Outcome: Producers will participate in yield contests
Indicator: Producer performance
Method: Yield contest results
Timeline: Ongoing
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Agriculture Projects
Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventure, Livestock Curriculum, Dog Curriculum, Rabbit Curriculum, Poultry Curriculum
Inputs: Volunteers, 4-H Agent, Community Partners
Date: Ongoing projects
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Livestock Club
Content or Curriculum: Livestock Curriculum
Inputs: Volunteers, 4-H Agent, Community Partners
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Horse Club
Content or Curriculum: Horse Curriculum
Inputs: Volunteers, 4-H Agent, Community Partners
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Dog Club
Content or Curriculum: Dog Curriculum
Inputs: Volunteers, 4-H Agent, Community Partners
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Chick Incubation
Content or Curriculum: Poultry Curriculum
Inputs: Volunteers, 4-H Agent, Community Partners
Date: Available continually
Audience: Agricultural producers
Project or Activity: Extension testing services
Content or Curriculum: Soil testing, hay testing, plant testing, plant disease identification, poultry litter sampling
Inputs: Ag Agent, Labs, Extension, Specialists
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Agriculture producers
Project or Activity: Winter ag conferences
Content or Curriculum: Grain production, best management practices, economic updates and outlooks
Inputs: Ag agent, Specialists, Community partners
Date: Ongoing
Author: Miranda Rudolph
Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy
According to the USDA, the average age of U.S. farm producers in 2022 is 58.1 years, and the number of producers aged 65 and older showed a 12% increase, which is consistent with the continued trend of an aging farm population. Along with this comes the unfortunate reality of people inheriting land that has been in their family for generations, or people buying land that had been sold off of generational farms. This is very true for Graves County. Over the last several months, there has been a s
