Extension
It Starts With Us
Commodity Production and Instruction
Agriculture and Science Sustainability Education
Brewer, Faris, Flynt, Redmon
Forages
Beef
Grains
Local Food Systems
Kentucky is home to 73,500 farms (National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022). The average farm size in Kentucky is 176 acres. 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. In order to provide agricultural education to youth, counties will either plan and conduct an Ag Day Program, field days, expos designed to educate participants on the value of agriculture and horticulture to Kentucky’s economy and the impact that agriculture and horticulture has on their daily lives or teach Ag in the Classroom to elementary school students.
- Youth and adults will engage in entrepreneurial enterprise.
- Youth will gain and maintain employment resulting from life skill development through 4-H.
- Youth and adults will be advocates for agriculture/horticulture and healthy and sustainable food systems.
- Increased farm income
- Increase the agricultural/horticultural productivity
- Increase conservation practices on the farm
- Maintain green space in our community
- 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.
- Clientele utilize direct farm sales and marketing
- Clientele incorporate sound management practices
- Clientele exhibit proper animal husbandry
- Clientele utilize alternative feed sources
- 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, record-
- keeping, leadership and service.
- Clientele learn how to sell through direct means
- Clientele learn how to incorporate sound management practices
- Clientele learn proper animal husbandry
Outcome: Youth engage in agricultural programs and increase profitability
Indicator: Community agriculture events, Record books
Method: Sign in sheets, Evaluations, Record Books, Interviews
Timeline: All year
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will participate in agriculture events and practice sound agricultural practices
Indicator: Livestock meetings, Community Agriculture events, County Fair, Community Gardens
Method: Sign in sheets, Evaluations, observation
Timeline: Throughout the year
Initial Outcome: Youth will learn basic principles of agriculture and where their food comes from
Indicator: Livestock meetings
Method: End of program evaluation
Timeline: Throughout the year
Outcome – Increase farm income, productivity and maintain green space
Indicator – Farm income, Acres of farms
Method – Ag statistics, Pre and post surveys
Timeline – Yearly
Outcome: Utilize futures and options trading, sound management and animal husbandry
Indicator: Farm income, acres of farms
Method: Pre and post, interviews
Timeline: yearly
Outcome: Increase knowledge in futures and options, sound management practices, and animal husbandry
Indicator: Changes in knowledge regarding the above
Method: Evaluation
Timeline: Yearly
Audience: Youth
Activity: 4-H Small Animal Projects
Content or Curriculum: OSU Publications, UK Publications, specialists
Inputs: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: All Year
Audience: Youth
Activity: Chick Incubation
Content or Curriculum: OSU Publications, UK Publications, National CCS curriculum
Inputs: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers, Scott County Schools
Date: Spring
Audience: Youth
Activity: Youth Gardening Workshops
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Gardening, 4-H Publications, UK Publications
Inputs: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Summer
Audience: 4-H/Youth
Activity: Livestock/Animal Project Groups/Country Ham
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Year Round
Audience: Youth
Activity: School programs, clubs and projects
Content or Curriculum: Agriculture
Inputs: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers, Scott County Schools
Date: Throughout the year
Audience: 4-H Leaders
Activity: Volunteer Livestock and Horse Certification
Content or Curriculum: KY 4-H Livestock/Horse Certification Curriculum
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Spring and Fall
Audience: Youth
Activity: Horse Club
Content or Curriculum: Horse Certification Materials
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Dates: Throughout the year
Audience: General Public
Activity: Farmer’s Market
Content or Curriculum: Direct Consumer Sales
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Summer
Audience: General Public
Activity: Master Gardeners
Content or Curriculum: Continued Volunteer Training; Education on Gardening
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Throughout the Year
Audience: General Public
Activity: Home Horticulture Series
Content or Curriculum: Gardening, Fruit Production
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Dates: Spring and Summer
Audience: General Public
Activity: Community Garden
Content or Curriculum: Gardening
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Dates: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Garden Expo
Content or Curriculum: Horticulture, UK specialists,
Inputs: staff, materials, office equipment
Date: Spring
Audience: General Public
Activity: Master Gardener Classes
Content or Curriculum: Master Gardener Curriculum
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Dates: Fall and Winter
Audience: Adult
Activity: Recovery Garden
Input: Staff, equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers, grants
Date: Spring through fall
Audience: General Public
Activity: Pastures Please! & Farm and Facilities Expo for Horse Owners
Input: Staff, equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Winter program, Summer field day
Audience: General Public
Activity: Farm Commodity Production Updates
Input: Staff, equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Winter programming, Summer- on farm demonstrations/ field walks
Audience: General Public
Activity: Beef and Stocker Cattle Conference
Input: Staff, equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Fall programs
Audience: General Public
Activity: Ag Lenders Conference
Input: Staff, equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Winter
Audience: General Public
Activity: Grain Crop Production Updates
Content or Curriculum: Agriculture & Natural Resources
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Fall, Winter
Audience: General Public
Activity: Agriculture Economics Training
Content or Curriculum: Agricultural Economics
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Fall
Audience: General Public
Activity: Farm City Banquet
Content or Curriculum: Agriculture and Natural Resources and Horticulture
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Fall
Audience: General Public
Activity: Farm City Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Agriculture and Natural Resources and Horticulture
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Summer
Audience: General Public
Activity: Ag Tour
Content or Curriculum: Learning more about existing enterprise in the county & touring new to add to farm income
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Summer
Audience: Beef Producers
Activity: BQCA & Livestock Handling & Care Training
Content or Curriculum: BQCA management practices to improve production and handling
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Throughout the Year
Audience: Beef Producers
Activity: Master Cattlemen/Marketer/Stocker Programs
Content or Curriculum: Cattle Management
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Fall and Spring
Audience: General Public
Activity: Forage Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Forage fertilizer management.
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials, volunteers
Date: Summer
Audience: General Public
Activity: Meat of the Season
Content or Curriculum: Meat production, processing, and cooking.
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials,
Date: Seasonally
Audience: Farmers
Activity: Private Applicator Trainings
Content or Curriculum: Pesticide trainings for Restrict Use Pesticides.
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, and materials
Date: Through out the year
Audience: General Public
Activity: Beef Conference
Content or Curriculum: Beef economics.
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials,
Date: Fall
Audience: Farmers
Activity: Farm Estate Planning
Content: Estate planning information, grief information
Inputs: Staff, materials, publications
Date: Fall
Audience: General Public
Activity: Homesteading Series
Content or Curriculum: Extension publications, resources, community partners.
Input: Staff, office equipment, curriculum, materials,
Date: Fall
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: New agritech
Content or Curriculum: Using drones on your farm
Inputs: Staff, materials, drones/equipment
Date: Fall
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Forages
With inflation and extreme weather farmers are having to learn how to adapt and change. Many farmers in the Bluegrass region rely on forages. Whether they raise livestock, bale hay, or use cover crop techniques forages can be involved. Farmers have had to adapt new management strategies and perspectives to raise quality livestock and still make a living. In response to these problems, the Scott County Extension Office and the Scott County Beef Improvement Association partner together
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Hay testing
Understanding a producer’s forage quality is the backbone of providing a balanced nutrition plan. Hay testing can provide data that producers and Cooperative Extension Agents use to ensure the nutritional needs of the animal are being met. Without a test, farmers are blindly feeding leading to wasted resources. The Central Kentucky Hay Contest was created to generate friendly competition among producers and educate producers about forage test analysis and the economic imp
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Hay testing
Hay and horses are two of the most common agricultural products in Scott County. Both products work hand in hand, however, they also have their own set of challenges. I got to see these challenges on a first-hand basis in March when a horse owner called wanting her hay tested. The owner was concerned about the nutritional value of the hay they had just purchased because they have metabolic horses. I scheduled a farm visit with the owner and explained the need and importance of a hay test. After
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Beef
A large portion of Scott County farms are cow calf operations. These operations rely on effective management practices to ensure that farmers make an annual profit. With the advancements in technology bull breeding soundness exams are becoming an essential practice on these farms. However, with the limited large animal food veterinarians in Central Kentucky it becomes difficult and costly for producers to implement this practice.To combat with problem I partnered with a local vet clinic an
Author: Brittany Brewer
Major Program: Beef
With recent changes and adaption to technology in the beef industry producers want to be made aware of best standard practices for their farms. Agriculture remains a very controversial industry to the public, so animal husbandry is always at the forefront of every producers mind. To combat these issues we hosted a Chute Side BQA. Here producers go to hear from industry professionals, and get hands on experience implementing new management tactics. 43 producers attended the Chute Side
