Extension
It Starts With Us
Agriculture Awareness and Sustainabilty
Agricultural & Environmental Awareness & Sustainability
Corinne Belton, Regina Browning, Candice Hollingsworth
Agritourism Planning
Plant Disease ID
Local Food Systems
Agriculture
Over the last 15 years, Shelby County has experienced a large influx of growth from Louisville Metro and surrounding counties. This growth has led to a large non-rural population that has limited knowledge of rural environments, natural resources, and sustaining those for future generations. Local leadership identified a need for educational programming in this area to help protect and beautify our county's natural resources. Agents, paraprofessionals and volunteers are pivotal in influencing policies, systems and environments and in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.
Local food continues to be in demand from consumers, restaurants, retail outlets and institutions (including schools). However, there is a disconnect between the production, processing, marketing, and distribution segments of the local food system, especially for small and minority farmers. With sales from Kentucky food products expected to increase from $14 million (2014) to $24 million in 2020, Extension has resources to educate agricultural producers in production, value added opportunities, business planning and marketing strategies to expand the local food system for the demand.
The majority of Kentucky agriculture is produced on small farms. Over the past 20 years, the College of Agriculture through Animal and Food Sciences, the Center of Crop Diversity and the Food System Innovation Center have contributed to improving access to local, healthy food by training and certification of farmers, gardeners, and food entrepreneurs. Food processing can begin with washing produce, home baking or home canning and evolve to commercial production. The local food movement contributed to the increase in farmers markets (160 in 110 counties with 2,700 vendors in 2019).
*Increase access to local foods in restaurants, retail outlets, school and other institutions
*Maintain or increase consumer confidence/demand in local foods
*Develop an Ag Plan using decision making tools
*USDA GAP Certification
*Market agricultural products locally
*Use diagnostic services to identify insects, livestock diseases, plant diseases and weeds
*Increase number of people who access local foods
*Increase number of youth and adults who plant, harvest and/or preserve produce
*Producers diversify types and varieties of produce grown and sold
*Producers apply food safety practices and/or procedures
*Producers earn certification for Home Based Microprocessing
*Review types and varieties of produce
*Interpret food safety handling procedures
*Understanding IPM (triggers, thresholds, etc)
*Increase KOSA in healthy eating, food safety and food resource management
*Increase awareness of availability of fresh, local produce
*Increase KOSA in growing food
*Increase food safety handling procedures
*Understand procedures for safe food processing
*Identify production methods and agricultural food products that extend the growing season
*Explain local food needs and purchasing procedures
Initial Outcome: Producers develop KOSA about types of produce, food safety, chemical handling, storage, clean-up and safety, livestock diseases, antibiotic resistance.
Indicator: Increased KOSA about types of produce, food safety, chemical handling, storage, clean-up and safety, livestock diseases, antibiotic resistance.
Method: Self-reporting, end-of-program evaluation
Timeline: Annually and post-training
Initial Outcome: Increase KOSA in understanding sustainable, local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being. Increase KOSA in planting, harvesting and preserving foods.
Indicator: Number who gained KOSA in understanding sustainable, local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being. Increase KOSA in planting, harvesting and preserving foods.
Method: End of program evaluations and self-reporting
Timeline: Annually
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals will develop and utilize an ag plan, attain food safety certification, market more products locally, and apply recommended chemical and antibiotic application techniques
Indicator: Increase number of producers with a complete ag plan, with food safety certification, who are marketing more products locally and properly applying chemicals and antibiotics
Method: Self-reporting, surveys
Timeline: Annually
Intermediate Outcome: Individuals access more local foods. Individuals plant, harvest and/or preserve their own food. Individuals apply improved food preparation, management and food safety skills.
Indicator: Number of individuals purchasing, planting, harvesting and/or preserving, preparing local foods safely.
Method: End-of-program surveys, observation
Timeline: Annually
Long-term Outcome: Safe, wholesome, local foods are more widely available to consumers in a variety of marketplaces from sustainable crop and livestock production systems.
Indicator: Greater availability of local foods
Method: Observation, self-reporting
Timeline: Year-to-year over the next decade
Audience: Local producers and consumers
Project or Activity: Rooted in Shelby
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Proud, increasing awareness of local foods
Inputs: Kentucky Proud, local producers, local consumers, restaurants
Date: Year-round
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Rooted in Shelby Pop-up Markets
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Proud, increasing awareness of local foods
Inputs: Rooted in Shelby Members
Date: July, September 2023
Audience: Small Farmers
Project or Activity: Farming on Small Acreage
Content or Curriculum: small farm, diversification, small business planning
Inputs: UK publications, agents, specialists
Date: Winter 24-25
Audience: Ag and Horticulture producers
Project or Activity: Produce Best Practices Training
Content or Curriculum: PBPT materials
Inputs: Powerpoint, specialists, agents
Date: Year-round
Audience: Ag and Horticulture Producers
Project or Activity: Private-Use Pesticide Training
Content or Curriculum: Private-Use Pesticide materials
Inputs: Private-use Pesticide materials, video, specialists, agents
Date: January/February 2025
Audience: 4-H School Clubs
Project or Activity: Project Food Land & People (FLP) Sum of the Parts
Content or Curriculum: FLP Curriculum
Inputs: Agents and Staff
Date: Nov 2024
Audience: Farmers Market Vendors
Project or Activity: Marketing for All Classes
Content or Curriculum: CCD curriculum
Inputs: CCD staff, agents
Date: February 2025
Audience: Shelby County 5th Grade Students
Project or Activity: Ag and You Day
Content or Curriculum: Livestock and Agriculture, AG in the Classroom
Inputs: Agents, staff, Extension volunteers and community livestock producers
Date: May 2025
Updated 5/5/2023
