Extension
It Starts With Us
Crops and Livestock
Ag Production, Profitability and Awareness
Jason Phillips, Catherine Webster
Forages
Beef
Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture 4-H Core Curriculum
Situation: According to the most recent Agriculture Census, Simpson County has 467 farm operations on 101,530 acres, which represents 67.7% of total county land. In comparison, Kentucky’s farm operations make up 51.6% of the state’s total land area. The majority of Simpson County producers remain reliant on income from traditional commodities such as grain crops, tobacco and livestock production. Public Awareness about agriculture production is increasingly important due to a growing population of citizens without an agricultural background or knowledge about the food production process. The Simpson County Extension Council and Ag Advisory Council identified the importance of providing programming to improve practices and profitability for crop and livestock producers as well as promoting agricultural awareness in these areas.
Long-term Outcomes: Clientele will improve crop and livestock production systems by minimizing costs of production and efficiently utilizing resources. Implementation of these practices along with improved marketing skills will increase profitability. Through increased profitability for local farm families and the local economy, the quality of life for residents in Simpson County will improve. In addition, increased agricultural awareness will allow local citizens to understand the dynamics of our food production systems. This will allow families to make more informed decisions about food consumption and purchases, understand the impact of regulations affecting agricultural production, provide a better overall understanding of production systems, and provide a positive source of information for the public about food production in the U.S. Youth will be advocates for agriculture and healthy & sustainable food systems.
Intermediate Outcomes: Clientele will implement a variety of improved crop and livestock production practices and marketing techniques utilizing knowledge gained through Extension training, workshops, field days, publications, newsletters, newspaper articles and radio programs. Awareness programs will result in accurate and agriculture friendly discussions, social media posts and community leadership. Youth can explain the role of agriculture in daily life to others.
Initial Outcome: Clientele will be better equipped with knowledge to take, follow and implement Extension soil test fertility management recommendations; scout for weeds, insects and diseases; select disease resistant and higher yielding varieties; make timely plantings; research new technologies; enter into sustainable crop lease agreements; improve their marketing decisions; make better management decisions to optimize their individual cropping system; understand how to take a fact-based approach when assessing agriculture and food related information. Youth will gain knowledge and skills in the production of food and animal sciences.
Initial Outcome: Producers will increase their knowledge, make practice changes and increase overall profitability while improving the public perception of agriculture and the long-term sustainability of our food systems.
Indicator: The number of producers indicating knowledge, practice, profitability and awareness as a result of information presented at Extension sponsored events. Participants in youth programs will demonstrate a skill that was learned or improved.
Method: Post-meeting evaluations
Timeline: Evaluations will be given immediately following programs and one to twenty four months following training sessions.
Audience: Current & prospective crop producers, agribusiness
representatives
Project or Activity: Grain day
Content or Curriculum: Grain production education
Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, facilities, UK specialists, UK publications
Date: Winter 2019
Audience: Current & prospective grain & forage producers, Agribusiness
representatives
Project or Activity: Promoting UK Performance Trials
Content or Curriculum: small grain, soybean, corn hybrid and forage
performance variety trial information and education; host state corn performance trial
Inputs: radio programs, newsletters, one-on-one consultations
Date: 2018-2019 program year
Audience: Extension Agents, current & prospective crop producers,
landowners, agribusiness representatives
Project or Activity: UK Skype for Business Program Series
Content or Curriculum: Timely grain production information accessible by
agents and clients anywhere there is an internet connection
Inputs: Agent time, paid staff, UK specialists, Computers, Extension pubs
Date: July, August, November, December of 2018; January, February,
March, June of 2019
Audience: Crop and Livestock Producers
Project or Activity: Phase I Programming for Crops/Livestock
Content or Curriculum: Educational information pertaining to crop and
livestock production
Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, newsletters, Governor’s Office of
Agricultural Policy, UK resources
Date: Winter 2018
Audience: Current & Perspective Tobacco Producers, Agribusiness
Representatives
Project or Activity: Tobacco Production & Disease Control
Content or Curriculum: variety selection, pest management, fertility,
tillage, sucker control, GAP training
Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, UK specialists, Extension publications,
newsletters, radio programs
Date: January 2019
Audience: Current beef producers
Project or Activity: Master Cattleman
Content or Curriculum: UK curriculum
Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, UK specialists, Extension publications,
radio programs, newsletters
Date: Fall 2018
Audience: Current & Perspective beef producers, agribusiness
representatives
Project or Activity: Educational Beef Meetings
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Cattleman’s Association, UK, industry
educators, Beef Council
Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, meeting facilities, UK specialists,
Industry specialists, Radio programs, Newsletters
Date: 2018-2019
Audience: General public, current and prospective beef producers
Project or Activity: Beef Month Promotion
Content or Curriculum: beef educational information, mass media
awareness, food safety
Inputs: Agent’s time, media outlets, paid staff, newsletters
Date: May 2019
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Ag Awareness Breakfast
Content or Curriculum: agriculture promotion and awareness, showcase
local food products
Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, newsletters, radio programs, local food
producers, Ag Advisory Council
Date: November 2018
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Teach Ky Ag
Content or Curriculum: agriculture promotion and awareness for school age children
Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, newsletters, radio programs, presenters,
UK publications, Ag Advisory Council
Date: August 2018-May 2019
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Franklin-Simpson Boofest
Content or Curriculum: showcase past and present agricultural production
methods and agencies supporting agriculture
Inputs: Agent’s time, paid staff, media promotion, newsletters, Ag Advisory Council
Date: October 2018
Audience: 4th Grade
Project or Activity: Explore Agriculture
Content or Curriculum: Explore Agriculture
Inputs: Extension Agents, School District, Explore Agriculture Staff,
FFA Members, 4-H Teens, Homemakers, Simpson County Farm Bureau
Federation
Date: March 2019
Author: Jason Phillips
Major Program: Farm Management
The Simpson County Ag Advisory Council identified agricultural awareness as a priority in Extension programming due to a distinct disconnect between the producer and consumer. They worked with the Extension Agent for Agriculture to develop, implement and evaluate a series of programs in 2018 that focused on agricultural awareness.One of these programs was the North Simpson Twilight Farm Tour. The tour focused on agriculture in the Northern tier of Simpson County and was intended to showcase the
Author: Jason Phillips
Major Program: Beef
Simpson, Allen, Warren, and Logan counties hosted the Master Cattlemen Program. Beef cattle operations are economic drivers for local farms and communities with just shy of 60,000 beef cattle represented in this area. The goal of the Master Cattlemen Program is to increase the overall profitability of beef producers through the highly intensive educational training.One-year follow up evaluations indicated that many of the participants have implemented practice changes as a direct result of the i
Author: Jason Phillips
Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture
According to research from HubSpot, YouTube is the second most trafficked website behind google, and four times as many people prefer watching video on YouTube rather than on social media platforms. The Simpson County Ag Advisory Council and local clientele indicated that they would benefit from credible educational videos about local timely topics pertaining to agriculture, horticulture and natural resources.Therefore, the Simpson and Allen County Extension Agents for Agriculture & Na
Author: Jason Phillips
Major Program: Beef
Black vulture predation has become an increasing problem in Kentucky for cattle producers and other small ruminant producers. Each year, Kentucky farmers lose around $300,000 to $500,000 worth of livestock to these native vultures, according to Joe Cain, Commodity Division Director for the Kentucky Farm Bureau.There have been many reported and several documented cases of black vultures killing newborn calves. Black vultures are protected through the Migratory Bird Act
