Extension
It Starts With Us
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Agriculture and Environment
Davidson, Easley, Williams
Farm Management, Economics and Policy
Local Food Systems
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Established and new agriculture producers are looking for ways to increase farm income in order to offset the increasing price of farm inputs, high land rent, and lower prices. It is important to educate producers on best management practices to : keep costs down, optimize income through management and marketing, be good stewards of the land and practice good animal welfare. Educational programs are targeted to provide producers with tools necessary to be profitable and sustainable. Kentucky's population is increasing, the number of people living on farms is decreasing. Therefore, need exists to educate people, including youth, about the importance of agriculture and its impact on their daily life, the local economy and environment. Understanding how daily choices can impact our environment is vital to conserving and preserving our natural resources and ensuring a healthy environment for present and future generations. In 2008, Kentucky ranked 18th in total energy consumption and 7th in energy consumption per capita. In 2010, the statewide household participation rate for all curbside garbage collection types was 86.6%. In 2010, Kentuckians recycled 35.7% of all municipal solid waste and 29% of common household recyclables. The average Kentuckian used 67 gallons of water per person per day.
Sustain Kentucky agriculture • Social • Economic • Environmental
- Minimize environmental impact
- Support new and beginning agriculture producers
- Public and youth will be advocates for agriculture and sustainable fiber and food production.
- Public and youth will be agriculturally literate
- Public and youth will be advocates for environmental sustainability and stewardship
Youth will explain the importance and role of natural resources and agriculture in daily life
Youth will adopt practices to conserve and protect natural resources.
Youth will utilize and practice life-skills in 4-H agricultural projects and clubs, and life situations
Participants will have used Extension resources in making decisions related to production agriculture and environmental issues.
Implement best practice to: improve soil health, conserve soil and/or water, pesticide applications and safety, IPM management strategies, pollinator protection, farm management strategies, input costs and marketing strategies to increase income, increase sustainability
Youth will gain knowledge and skills in the production of food and fiber in the areas of animal and food science, plant and soil science, environmental sciences and natural resources content
Youth will gain an understanding of sustainable agriculture systems, environmental sustainability and stewardship
Youth will develop valuable life-skills including decision making, crtitical thinking, communication, record-keeping, wise use of resources, and leadership
Participants will increase their knowledge: of horticulture and best practices in soil health, water conservation, and chemical use, gain IPM practices, environmental sustainability, pollinator protection, utilizing different testing and diagnostic services in order to improve management and production, record keeping and financial management, animal best management practices and resources, crop productions practices and resources, and marketing strategies and resources.
Initial Outcome: Participants will gain knowledge and skills in the production of food and fiber in the areas of animal and food science, plant and soil science, environmental sciences and natural resources content
Indicator: increased ability and confidence in communicating, demonstrating and making decisions that pertain to agriculture, environment and resources
Method: verbal communication, formative and summative evaluations, competitions
Timeline: year round
Intermediate Outcome:Implement best practice to: improve soil health, conserve soil and/or water, pesticide applications and safety, IPM management strategies, pollinator protection, farm management strategies, input costs and marketing strategies to increase income, increase sustainability
Indicator: increased implementation of best practices, increased income and recordkeeping
Method: competitions, verbal communication, 6 month post program evaluations,
Timeline: year round
Long-term Outcome:Participants will increase their knowledge: of horticulture and best practices in soil health, water conservation, and chemical use, gain IPM practices, environmental sustainability, pollinator protection, utilizing different testing and diagnostic services in order to improve management and production, record keeping and financial management, animal best management practices and resources, crop productions practices and resources, and marketing strategies and resources.
Indicator: decreased environmental issues, cleaner water, less pollution, increased environmental and agricultural health of Laurel County, increased farm income and decreased farm inputs
Method: increased farm revenue, verbal communication,
Timeline: year round
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Animal Sciences
Content or Curriculum: 4-H livestock certification kit; 4-h project books
Inputs: local school system, volunteers, extension Agents and staff
Date: Sept-August
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: : 4-H Skill-A-Thon and Judging Clinics
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Livestock Certification Kit
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, KDA staff, volunteers, fairgrounds, fair board, school systems
Date:September - July
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Laurel County Agricultural Fair
Content or Curriculum: 4-H and AG materials, community resources
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, volunteers, FFA Alumni, FFA, Fair Grounds, Fair Boards
Date: July
Audience: Youth
Activity: 4-H Horse Club
Content or curriculum: 4-H Horse program curriculum
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, volunteers,
Date: Monthly: September - August
Audience: Youth
Activity: 4-H Eco Edventures Day Camp
Content or Curriculum: Project Wet, Project Wild, Science curriculum
Inputs: Extension Agents, Staff, volunteers
Date: yearly: September - November
Audience: Youth
Activity: 4-H Shooting Sports Club
Content or Curriculum: Penn State Shooting Sports curriculum; UK resources
Inputs: Extension Agents, Staff, Volunteers
Date: February- September
Audience: Youth, Adults
Activity: Beekeepers Association
Content or curriculum: local beekeepers
Inputs: Extension Agents, Staff, Volunteers, Extension Office, UK specialists, KDA,
Date: monthly, March-October
Audience: Adults
Activity: Gardeners Toolbox Workshop Series
Content or curriculum: UK publications and specialists
Inputs: Extension Agents, staff, Extension Office, community garden, Extension specialists,
Date: monthly
Audience: Families
Activity: Victory Garden
Content or curriculum: UK publications
Inputs: community garden, families Extension agents and Staff,
Date: May-October
Audience: Adults, Youth
Activity: Animal Health Demo
Content or curriculum: Extension
Inputs: WTA handling facility, Animals, volunteers, cattleman, Extension Agents and staff, FFA, School System
Date: seasonal (March and October)
Audience: General Public
Activity: Kiwanis Farm City Tour
Content or curriculum: local resources
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, Volunteers, local farm owners, farm industry, Kiwanis,
Date: Spring
Audience: Farmers
Activity: Reproduction Study Beef Cows
Content or Curriculum: UK Agricultural Specialists
Inputs: Cows, WTA handling facility, Farmers, Ky Beef Network
Date: Spring and Fall
Audience: Youth
Activity: FFA Livestock Club Programs
Content or Curriculum: School System
Inputs: School system, FFA, Extension Agents and staff, Volunteers, Livestock
Date: August - May
Audience: Adults Youth
Activity: Gardening
Content or curriculum: UK publications and resources, 4-H project books, Jr. Mater Gardener curriculum
Inputs: community garden, extension agents and staff, Specialists, Master Gardeners, Farm owners, volunteers
Date: April- August
Audience: Public
Activity: Local Foods Catalog
Content or Curriculum: Farmers Market and Master Gardeners
Input: Extension Agents and staff, Volunteers,
Date: Fall and Spring (yearly)
Audience:Youth
Activity: Youth Farm Field Days
Content or curriculum: UK publications, resources
Inputs: Extension agents and staff, Volunteers, farm owners, school systems
Date: spring, summer, fall
Audience: Farmers
Activity: Farm Pond Management Workshop
Content or curriculum: UK publications
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, KSU specialists, farm owners, equipment rental
Date: Fall and Spring
Audience: Farmers
Activity: Farm Record book Workshop
Content or curriculum: UK publications
Inputs: Extension Agent and staff, farm record books and CD's, Volunteers, CPA,
Extension Office
Date: Winter
Audience: Adults
Activity: Community Garden
Demo and Teaching Garden
Content or curriculum: UK publications
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, specialists, volunteers, community garden
Date: May-October
Audience: Farmers
Activity: Produce Best Management Training
Content or curriculum: KDA, UK
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, Extension office
Date: Spring
Audience: Adults
Activity: Integrated Pest Management
Content or curriculum: UK Publications
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, extension Office, Volunteers
Date: Spring
Audience: Farmers
Activity: Private Pesticide Applicator Training
Content or curriculum: UK publications; Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, extension office,
Date: ongoing
Audience: Adults Youth
Activity: Urban Forestry
Content or curriculum: UK publications and specialists
Inputs: City of London, London Tree Board, Extension Agents and staff, school system, Farmers Market
Date: February-March
Audience: Farmers
Activity: Pregnancy Check Clinic
Content or Curriculum: UK specialists and Agents
Inputs: Cows, Extension Agents and staff, WTA handling facilities, Cattleman, Volunteers
Date: Spring and Fall
Audience: Adults, Youth
Activity: Leadership Training Agricultural Advocate
Content and Curriculum: UK Agents, Farm Bureau
Inputs: Extension Agents and staff, Media specialist, Farm Bureau, Volunteers
Date: Winter
Audience: Farmers
Activity: A.I. School
Content and Curriculum: UK specialists publications
Inputs: Cows, Specialists, WTA handling facilities, Volunteers Extension Agents and staff
Date: Fall and Spring
Audience: Farmers homeowners
Activity: Rinse and Return Program
Content and curriculum KDA and UK publications
Inputs: Extension agents and staff, KDA
Date: September
Audience: Woodland Owners
Activity: East Ky Woodland Owners Shortcourse
Content and curriculum: UK publications, KY Foresty Dept., KY Fish and Wildlife, NRCS
Inputs: Extension Agents, KY Foresters, KY Fish and Wildlife Officers, NRCS Conservationists
Date: August
Audience: general public
Activity: Household Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Content and curriculum: Household Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Inputs: Extension Agents, City Recycling department
Date: ongoing using social media
Audience: Farms to Restaurants
Project or Activity: Connect Restaurants with Farm Products
Content or Curriculum: Databases, PBPT
Inputs: UK Pubs, Agents, Farmers and Chefs
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: FCS materials
Inputs: Extension Agents,Staff
Date: Summer
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Small Ruminants (includes sheep, goats) and Exotic animals
As the number of sheep producers in Southeastern Kentucky continues to increase, so does the demand for local marketing opportunities. To accommodate the need for local sales and to highlight the quality of sheep raised in our area, the Southeast Kentucky Sheep Producers planned and hosted their first annual Breeding Sheep Sale in July of 2023. The sale was held at the Wilderness Trail Area Marketing Alliance, which provides a centralized grouping, sorting, and sale facility for loca
Author: Steven Mobley
Major Program: Local Food Systems
According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, the number of young farmers in Laurel County is in steady decline. The report showed that the percentage of Laurel County’s farmers that were aged 25 and under was 11% in 1969 but that number had decreased to 4% by 2017. The largest increase in an age group was with farmers aged 65 and over, which grew from 18% in 1969 to 40% in 2017. This clearly indicates that fewer young people are choosing the occupation of agricultural pro
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development
According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, the number of young farmers in Laurel County is in steady decline. The report showed that the percentage of Laurel County’s farmers that were aged 25 and under was 11% in 1969 but that number had decreased to 4% by 2017. The largest increase in an age group was with farmers aged 65 and over, which grew from 18% in 1969 to 40% in 2017. This clearly indicates that fewer young people are choosing the occupation of agricultural pro
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Beef
The Wilderness Trail Area ANR agents met in the spring of 2023 to begin planning a series of chute side beef programs. These programs were designed with the intentions to allow producers to stand alongside agents at the working chute. Live demonstrations of beef quality care and assurance practices, reproduction procedures, weighing cattle, freeze branding and general management practices would be conducted chute side. The agent team discussed the fact that many times these pra
Author: Elizabeth Easley
Major Program: Agriculture & Natural Resources
4-H Animal Science Projects Culminates with Agricultural Fair:Importance of ProgramAccording to the American Farm Bureau Federation, most Americans are three generations removed from the farm, and only 2% of the population are involved in farming. The CEDIK Ag and Food Profile highlights that 32% of land in Laurel County is used by 955 farm operations. Youth who raise market animals learn how to raise wholesome and nutritious food as they take on the responsibility of raising an animal that will
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Beef
With the recent closure of the stockyards in Laurel County, area producers have been faced with limited options for selling their animals. Many have been transporting livestock to markets in other areas, which is a costly option due to fuel prices and loss of weight of the animals due to the stress of the transport. In 2002, Extension agents in the eight county Wilderness Trail Area worked together to construct the WTA Marketing Alliance, which provided producers a location to group, sort,
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Small Ruminants (includes sheep, goats) and Exotic animals
Sheep production in Southeast Kentucky has increased rapidly in recent years. The 2022 Census of Agriculture shows that Laurel County ranks 39th in the state for sheep and goat production, up from a rank of 49th in 2017. With more producers starting small animal production operations, the Laurel County agriculture agent realized a need for more research based educational opportunities for producers to learn about animal health, grading, pasture management, marketing, and other relate
Author: Steven Mobley
Major Program: Beef
The Wilderness Trail Area ANR agents met in the spring of 2023 to begin planning a series of chute side beef programs. These programs were designed with the intentions to allow producers to stand along side agents at the working chute. Live demonstrations of beef quality care and assurance practices, reproduction procedures, weighing cattle, freeze branding and general management practices would be conducted chute side. The agent team discussed the fact that many
Author: Steven Mobley
Major Program: Master Gardener
The Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program was created to meet an increase in requests from home gardeners for horticultural information. This increase derives primarily from the urban and transient nature of modern American life. As the population of Laurel County and the number of larger subdivisions has increased, so has the need for additional resources to provide gardening-related assistance to our community. To meet this need, the Laurel County Horticulture agent, Steve Mobl
Author: Steven Mobley
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Although the demand for freshly cut flowers has risen in the last few years, very few local producers have acquired the specialized skills needed to grow flowers for commercial sale.Recognizing a new opportunity to expand locally grown agricultural products in our area, the Laurel County Horticulture agent collaborated with agents from Clay, Jackson, Rockcastle, Whitley, Rockcastle, Bell, and Leslie Counties, to organize a series of workshops geared toward commercial cut flower production.The in
Author: Steven Mobley
Major Program: Small Ruminants (includes sheep, goats) and Exotic animals
SEKSPA First Annual Breeding Sale As the number of sheep producers in Southeastern Kentucky continues to increase, so does the demand for local marketing opportunities. To accommodate the need for local sales and to highlight the quality of sheep raised in our area, the Southeast Kentucky Sheep Producers planned and hosted their first annual Breeding Sheep Sale in July of 2023. The sale was held at the Wilderness Trail Area
Author: Victor Williams
Major Program: Beef
Implementing Breeding Soundness Exams (BSE) on a small cattle producers’ farm is a large hurdle for East Kentucky producers. With a shortage of large animal veterinarians, it is a large expense as well as difficult to find time for the Vet to make a farm call. As Extension Agents, we wanted to share the importance of having annual exams conducted on breeding age bulls as a protection against open cow herds. To help combat this concern, and bring better management to the forefront, we hoste
