Extension
It Starts With Us
Management and Marketing
Enhancing Livestock and Crop Profitability
Pat Hardesty
Beef
Grains
Grains
Forages
Agriculture producers must continue to improve management/marketing skills to remain profitable and sustain a strong agricultural economy. Beef, dairy, grains and tobacco generate approximately $29 million. With these production systems, protecting the environment is also a responsibility producers are challenged with! With guidance from the Extension Council, the Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association directors and dairy committee, educational programs are planned which highlight management/marketing skills, protecting the environment and providing local foods.
Producers will sustain profitability through enhanced management and marketing skills by the implementation of technology, marketing strategies, BMP’s and management of expenses.
Producers will enhance profitability through the adoption of best management practices and marketing skills while controlling costs.
Producers will gain knowledge of how new technology improved practices and marketing strategies will enhance profitability.
Initial Outcome: Producers shall begin to enhance profitability through gained knowledge of improved management and marketing skills
Indicator: Producers are motivated to adopt best management of production and marketing.
Method: Surveys, Observation
Timeline: Throughout the year
Intermediate Outcome: Producers adopt recommended practices that were learned through educational programs.
Indicator: Producers will implement management practices
Method: Surveys, Observation
Timeline: Throughout the year
Long-term Outcome: Producers will improve profitability through enhanced management and marketing skills and adoption of new technology.
Indicator: Profitability is enhanced by using technology, enhanced management and marketing
Method: Ag. statistics, savings, observation
Timeline: Throughout the year
Audience: Tobacco Producers
Project or Activity: Tri-County Tobacco Meeting
Content or Curriculum: Fertility, GAP Training, Disease Management
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications
Date: February 2024
Audience: Dairy Producers
Project or Activity: Tri-County Dairy Shortcourse
Content or Curriculum: Nutrition, Calf Barns, Dry Cow Management
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications, Leaders
Date: February-March 2024
Audience: Grain Producers
Project or Activity: Tri-County Grain Meeting
Content or Curriculum: Persistent Weeds, Technology, Farm Bill, GPS, Ag. Apps
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications
Date: December 2023
Audience: Commercial Applicators - Category 1, 10, 12
Project or Activity: Tri-County Pesticide Certification
Content or Curriculum: Pesticide Safety and Proper Usage
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications
Date: November 2023
Audience: Grain Producers
Project or Activity: Grain Marketing Group
Content or Curriculum: Marketing Strategies
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications, Commodity Challenge
Date: Quarterly throughout the year
Audience: Beef Producers
Project or Activity: Pasture to Plate
Content or Curriculum: Feeding techniques from weaning to finish, carcass evaluation, consumer preference
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications, Leaders
Date: Throughout the year
Audience: Beef Producers
Project or Activity: Taylor County Cattlemen's Association Meetings
Content or Curriculum: Management and Marketing Topics
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications, Leaders
Date: September 2023- April 2024
Audience: Beef Producers
Project or Activity: Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Livestock Handling, Feeding, and Equipment
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Leaders
Date: Summer 2023
Audience: Goat Producers
Project or Activity: Goat Production
Content or Curriculum: Management & Marketing Topics
Inputs: Specialists, Agents
Date: February 2024
Author: Kara Back-Campbell
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
The Taylor County Farmers’ Market has previously had low vendor and customer numbers for several years. Last year there was a considerable increase in the numbers of vendors with a total of ten. This season the numbers of customers and vendors have increased even more to a total of 15 vendors and over one thousand customers as of June twenty-ninth. This has improved the financial well-being of the vendors and allows customers to buy locally grown produce. One vendor sta
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Beef
With approximately 12,000 beef cows, beef cattle income ranks second in the county. To improve profits and sustainability, beef educational meetings were conducted in cooperation with the Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association.To promote beef in the county, the Association cooked at the C & S, Mission Store customer appreciation, Murakami employee appreciation, Kentucky Christian School fundraiser, Bluegrass Stockyards customer appreciation, Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Diversity
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Small Ruminants (includes sheep, goats) and Exotic animals
Goat and sheep production are on the rise with many producers new to agriculture. To address this growing demand, a Small Ruminant Meeting with approximately 70 producers in attendance was held. Participants learned about nutrition, parasite management, foot rot, mastitis and marketing. Participants have requested more educational meetings to be specie specific.
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Forages
Taylor County has approximately 20,000 acres of pastureland and 9,000 homes with lawns. The Taylor County Extension Office, Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association, and Taylor County Master Gardeners hosted a Hayfield and Lawn Walk Field Day with 42 participating. Participants learned how to control weeds in hayfields and lawns through proper identification, cultural and chemical control options. As a result of hosting the field day, the host has taught a weed identification
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy
In 2000, the General Assembly through House Bill 611 allocated 50% of Kentucky’s Master Settlement Agreement. The Taylor County Cooperative Extension Service became administrator of the county Agriculture Development Council to help facilitate the development of short- and long-term plans for agriculture, evaluate and prioritize projects and distribute funds.Through this partnership, projects provided opportunities to increase profitability and promote diversification away from tobac
