Agriculture and HorticulturePlan of Work

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Mercer County CES

Title:
Agriculture and Horticulture
MAP:
Advancing Agriculture & Horticulture
Agents Involved:
Linda McClanahan, Jessica Bessin, Dana Anderson
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Horticulture, Commercial
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Beef
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Farm Management, Economics and Policy
Situation:

Mercer County has a diverse combination of both commercial agriculture, horticulture, and home horticulture, all being viable industries in Mercer County. Farmers, community leaders, farm organizations, Mercer County Ag Development Council, Mercer County Farmers Market, Mercer County Ag Advisory Council, and Mercer County Horticulture Advisory Council have identified important agricultural and horticultural issues and needed programs. Farm profitability, diversification, increasing value of property, promoting local foods, and marketing opportunities are some of the top priorities. Leaders have also identified the need to have extensive programs in the area of agricultural awareness. With less than 2% of the population involved in food production there is a great need for education about where and how food and other agricultural products are produced.

Long-Term Outcomes:

*Increased interest in agriculture and horticulture production.

*Homeowners will save more money on home landscape.

*Increased diversification of crops produced in county.

Intermediate Outcomes:

*Homeowners will add value to their property through education programs on maintaing landscapes

*Farmers market will continue to grow as intrest in local food increases

*Youth will exhibit skills, share knowledge with others, including family members, and may decide to raise some of their own food

Initial Outcomes:

*Farmers will improve production practices

*Farmers and homeowners will understand pesticide safety

*Increased interest in local foods

*Students will learn about UK and career opportunities in agriculture.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Increased interest in Agriculture and Horticulture Programs

Indicator: Increased numbers of participants for agriculture and horticulture programs

Method: Counting participants attending the programs

Timeline: on-going


Intermediate Outcome:

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Long-term Outcome:

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Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest

Project or Activity: Master Gardener Program

Content or Curriculum: UK Master Gardener Manual

Inputs: UK CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialists, Mercer Extension Staff, UK Publications and other resources, Master Gardener volunteers

Date: Fall


Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest

Project or Activity: Horticulture topics, instructor, newsletter, radio, Facebook page, videos, 

Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture Department, Horticulture organizations, Ag communications  

Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer County Hort. Agent, UK publications, Master Gardeners, Volunteers 

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest

Project or Activity: Horticulture Classes  

Content or Curriculum: UK CES

Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer Extension Staff, UK publications

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest

Project or Activity: Special Interest Horticulture & Gardening Topics

Content or Curriculum: UK CES

Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Mercer Count Public Library, UK publications

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Clients with Beekeeping Interest

Project or Activity: Fort Harrod Beekeeping Club

Content or Curriculum: KDA State Apiarist, Hands-on demonstrations, KY State

Inputs: CES Facilities, UK Extension Specialist, Mercer Extension Staff, UK publications, KDA, KY State 


Audience: Farmers

Project or Activity: Mercer County Horticulture Field Day

Content or Curriculum: Chosen by Hort Field Day Committee - from UK Specialists and Hort Industry

Inputs: Host farm, volunteers, CES Staff, Partners/Sponsoring Organizations, Mercer Extension Staff

Date: Summer/Fall 


Audience: Farmers Market Clients

Project or Activity: Fresh To Table 

Content or Curriculum: NEP,  Plate it Up, Veggie vouchers, Recipes 

Inputs: UK publications, Volunteers, Mercer Extension Staff, Partners/Sponsoring Organization, Mercer County Farmers Market members

 Date: On-going


Audience: Mercer County citizens

Project or Activity: Homesteading Series

Content or Curriculum: UK publications, information from partner organizations

Inputs: UK publications, partner organizations/guest speakers, UK Extension Specialists, Mercer County Extension office, Extension Office staff

Date: Fall


Audience: Clients with Horticulture Interest

Project or Activity: Fort Harrod Garden Club

Content or Curriculum: horticulture publications and information

Inputs: Boyle & Mercer horticulture agents, CES facilities, local horticulture businesses

Date: ongoing


Audience: Homeowners and Farmers 

Project or Activity: Pesticide Safety Training/ Pesticides 101 

Content or Curriculum: KY Pest Management Curriculum, hands on demonstrations

Inputs: UK Specialist, Extension Publications, Mercer Extension Staff

Date: Spring/Summer 


Audience: Farmers

Project or Activity: Annual Mercer County Agriculture Field Day

Content or Curriculum: Chosen by Field Day Committee - from UK Specialists and Ag Industry

Inputs: Host farm, volunteers, CES Staff, Partners/Sponsoring Organizations

Date: September


Audience: Mercer County citizens

Project or Activity: Annual Farm-City Celebration

Content or Curriculum: National Farm-City Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, content relevant to the educational objective set by the committee

Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, collaborating agencies, sponsors, speakers

Date: March


Audience: Farmers

Project or Activity: Beef Quality & Care Assurance Certification

Content or Curriculum: KY BQA Curriculum

Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, KY Cattlemen's Association, host location

Date: Spring/Fall


Audience: Farmers

Project or Activity: Private Pesticide Applicator Training

Content or Curriculum: KY Pest Management Curriculum

Inputs: Extension staff, Extension resources, UK Extension publications

Date: spring


Audience: Elementary school youth

Project or Activity: FarmSCool Week

Content or Curriculum: UK CES, KY Beef Council, KY Horse Council, KY Soybean Association, KY Dept of Ag

Inputs: Extension Staff, Extension resources, Mercer County School system, Burgin School System

Date: Fall


Audience: Mercer County citizens, farmers

Project or Activity: Services

Content or Curriculum: Soil Testing, Plant Disease Diagnosis, Hay Testing, Ration Balancing, Farm & Home Visits, Insect Identification, Weed Identification, Water Testing, Plant Identification, Snake Identification, Forage & Grain Moisture Testing

Inputs: UK CES Facilities, Extension Staff, UK Publications, UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, UK Soil Lab, UK Extension Specialists

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Equine clientele

Project or Activity: Equine Express newsletter, special equine topic programs, State Equine Farm & Facilities Expo, Horses & Horsemen

Content or Curriculum: UK Equine

Inputs: UK CES facilities, ANR Agents, UK Extension Specialists, UK publications, UK news releases/exclusives

Date: ongoing


Audience: Mercer County clientele with agriculture or horticulture interest

Project or Activity: demonstration plots and demonstration programs

Content or Curriculum: UK, industry companies

Inputs: UK CES Specialists & resources, new practices, chemicals, local farms for demonstrations, host locations for programs

Date: ongoing


Audience: Extension clientele/followers on social media

Project or Activity: Facebook pages, website, videos, podcasts

Content or Curriculum: UK CES

Inputs: UK CES agents, UK CES staff, Ag Comm news releases, UK publications/information

Date: ongoing


Audience: Mercer County crop producers

Project or Activity: crop production practices and meetings including regional

Content or Curriculum: UK CES

Inputs: UK CES Specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources

Date: ongoing


Audience: Mercer County Cattle producers

Project or Activity: cattle production practices, newsletters, and meetings (KY Beef Conference, county winter meetings, regional meetings, dairy month kickoff breakfast, dairy monthly newsletter, cattlemens quarterly roundup newsletter, Master series (Master Cattlemen, Master Marketer, Master Stocker), beef month activities

Content or Curriculum: UK CES

Inputs: UK CES specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources

Date: ongoing


Audience: Mercer County young and beginning farmers

Project or Activity: support for both young and beginning farmers

Content or Curriculum: UK CES

Inputs: UK CES specialists, facilities, agents, publications and other resources

Date: ongoing


Audience: Mercer County farmers and clientele

Project or Activity: collaboration with agriculture organizations

Content or Curriculum: UK CES, agriculture organizations

Inputs: Farm Bureau, Soil Conservation, Cattlemens Association, Goat Association, Backcountry Horsemen, Master Gardeners, Fair Board

Date: ongoing


Audience: county fair attendees and participants

Project or Activity: Mercer County Fair & Horse Show

Content or Curriculum: CES guidelines, rules & regulations set by various show committees

Inputs: CES Staff, Mercer County Fair & Horse Show facilities/funds, community sponsors, county fair participants

Date: July


Audience: Mercer County farmers and clientele

Project or Activity: Homesteading Series

Content or Curriculum: UK CES, agriculture organizations

Inputs: UK/KSU specialists, UK publications, agents, facilities

Date: ongoing



Success Stories

State Wide Horticulture Agent In-Service Training

Author: Jessica Bessin

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Describe the Issue or SituationThe Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service sought to enhance the knowledge and skills of horticulture agents across the state to better serve their communities. This was achieved through a statewide in-service training that focused on the latest developments in horticulture, including new research findings, pest and disease management strategies, sustainable gardening practices, and emerging trends in the industry.Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Respon

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