Strengthening Agriculture Production, Management, and Marketing SkillsPlan of Work

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Oldham County CES

Title:
Strengthening Agriculture Production, Management, and Marketing Skills
MAP:
Strengthening Agriculture Production and Economy
Agents Involved:
Traci Missun, Kelly Woods
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Beef
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Local Food Systems
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Farm Management
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Ag Marketing
Situation:

Farms make up one-half of Oldham County. Farms here include a wide variety of enterprises, including grain crops, livestock, horses, hay and pasture, nurseries, greenhouses, poultry, fish and shellfish. With growth of Farmers Markets and Community Supported Agriculture locations, there has also been growth in vegetable, sheep and poultry production over the last 10 years, according to the 2012 Ag Census.


The Oldham County Extension Council and Ag Advisory Councils reviewed county needs and identified Agriculture Production, Business Management and Marketing as top priorities in educational programming. These skills are necessary for producers to be financially viable individually, and also to support the county's economy as a whole. Production programs also meet the needs of many residents who desire to produce their own food.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Participants will experience long-term viability in farming.


Participants will reduce expenses and/or increase profits of farm operations.


Youth will pursue a career in a horse related program or study.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Participants will implement recommended production practices to successfully produce food and agriculture products.


Participants will write farm business plans, keep and analyze records, and use these to make sound business decisions.


Participants will use information about local market opportunities to sell products.


Youth apply a practice or technique discovered during their horse educational sessions.

Initial Outcomes:

Participants will indicate understanding of research-based production practices.


Participants will recognize the importance of farm business plans and record-keeping.


Participants will have increased awareness of new marketing opportunities.


Youth will build equine knowledge and complete six hours of horse educational sessions.

Evaluation:

Long-term Outcome: Participants will experience long-term viability in farming. Participants will reduce expenses and/or increase profits of farm operations.

Indicator: Number of producers indicating reduced expenses and/or increase in profits.

Method: Producer Survey

Timeline: May 2019


Long-term Outcome: Youth will pursue a career in a horse related program or study.

Indicator: Number of youth who set a goal and accomplished it.

Method: Youth survey

Timeline: August 2018


Intermediate Outcome: Participants will implement recommended production practices to successfully produce food and agriculture products. Participants will write farm business plans, keep and analyze records, and use these to make sound business decisions. Participants will use information about local market opportunities to sell products.

Indicator: Number of producers who create farm business plans, implement record keeping, identify new markets, and implement changes in production practices.

Method: Producer Survey

Timeline: May 2019


Intermediate Outcome: Youth demonstrate a skill or technique discovered during a horse educational session.

Indicator: Youth demonstrate a riding skills or technique mastered.

Method: Youth survey

Timeline: August 2018


Initial Outcome: Participants will indicate understanding of research-based production practices. Participants will recognize the importance of farm business plans and record-keeping.Participants will have increased awareness of new marketing opportunities.

Indicator: Producers indicate new knowledge in farm business and production practices.

Method: Completion of educational classes; producer survey

Timeline: 2018 - 2019; surveys May 2019


Initial Outcome: Youth build equine knowledge and complete six hours of horse educational sessions.

Indicator: Youth complete six hours.

Method: Horse Education Hours Logged

Timeline: All year





Learning Opportunities:

Audience: 4-H Members age 9 to 18

Project or Activity: Horse educational session

Content or Curriculum: Content identified by 4-H Club

Inputs: CES Staff, Participant fees

Date: April 2019


Audience:  4-H Members age 9 to 14

Project or Activity:  Vegetables, Flowers, and Butterflies, Oh My! Project Group

Content:  Jr. Master Gardener and 4-H Butterfly Curriculum

Inputs:  Horticulture Assistant, 4-H Agent

Date:  Summer 2018


Audience: Beef Producers

Project or Activity: Beef Finishing School

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Beef Production Curriculum

Inputs: UK Extension Specialists, Local Agriculture Agents, Beef Producers

Date: November - December 2018


Audience: Horse Producers (Adults & Youth)

Project or Activity: Horse Seminar (possibly multi-session)

Content or Curriculum: Extension Equine materials, plus information learned on UK Equine Study Tour

Inputs: Agriculture Agent, UK Horse Specialist, Local Experts

Date: Fall 2018


Audience:  Producers and Consumers

Project or Activity:  Oldham County Ag Connection (Agriculture Education for producers and consumers; concentration on local food, plus all Oldham County Agriculture Activity)

Content or Curriculum:  UK/KSU Extension materials; Producer Stories

Inputs:  Agriculture Agent, Local Producers, Local Experts/Guest Speakers

Date:  November 2018 kickoff meeting; monthly 


Audience: Farmers

Project or Activity: Marketing/Local Market Opportunities classes and notification to producers

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Extension materials; Louisville Farm to Table resources

Inputs: Agriculture Agent, UK/KSU Specialists, Louisville Farm to Table Director, La Grange Farmers Market Director

Date: Ongoing; 2018-2019


Audience: Farmers/Residents

Project or Activity: Vegetable Gardening Workshop

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension materials

Inputs: Agriculture Agent, Horticulture Assistant, possibly Extension Specialists

Date: January or February 2019


Audience:  Farmers/Residents

Project or Activity:  Beekeeping Workshop

Content or Curriculum:  UK/KSU Extension Beekeeping materials

Inputs:  Agriculture Agent, Local Beekeepers, possibly Extension Specialists

Date:  November or December 2018


Audience: Cattle Producers

Project or Activity: Beef Quality & Care Assurance Certification/Cattle Handling and Care Certification

Content or curriculum: UK Extension materials and videos

Inputs: Agriculture Agent

Date: Multiple Sessions, August 2018 - January 2019


Audience: Small Poultry Flock Producers

Project or Activity: Chickens 101 (Topics identified from March 2018 participants evaluations)

Content or curriculum: UK Extension materials

Inputs: Agriculture Agent, Local Producer

Date: Ongoing; Fall 2018 - Spring 2019


Audience: Farmers

Project or Activity: Private Pesticide Applicator Training/Certification

Content or curriculum: UK Extension materials

Inputs: Agriculture Agent

Date: Multiple sessions, December 2018 - February 2019


Audience: Farmers

Project or Activity: Produce Best Practices Training

Content or curriculum: UK Extension materials

Inputs: Agriculture Agent

Date: February 2019


Audience:  Farmers Approved for CAIP Cost-Share

Project or Activity:  Video Training Required for CAIP Cost-Share Reimbursement

Content or curriculum:  UK Extension Videos and Resources

Inputs:  Agriculture Agent

Date:  Multiple sessions; August 2018 - December 2018



Success Stories

Beef Producers Build Skills to Develop Herds

Author: Traci Johnson

Major Program: Beef

Educational programs that strengthen agriculture production skills are a continued priority identified by the Oldham County Extension and Agriculture Councils.  In Oldham County, pasture makes up one-third of available farmland and provides grazing for livestock.  Livestock are important to Oldham County’s economy, with cattle alone representing over 2.4 million dollars in sales in 2012, according to the last Census of Agriculture.  Cattle numbers have remained steady since

Full Story

Strengthening Extension's Service to the Horse Industry

Author: Traci Johnson

Major Program: Equine

Educational programs and services that strengthen agriculture production skills are a continued priority identified by Oldham County’s Extension and Agriculture Councils.  Horse production is a vital part of Oldham County and Kentucky agriculture.  The most recent Kentucky Equine Survey was taken in 2012 and revealed the following data:Oldham County ranked #4 in Kentucky in Value of Equine Sold at $7.2 million (compared to $23.4 billion for the entire state)Oldham County ranked #

Full Story

Program Equips Woodland Owners with Management Tools

Author: Traci Johnson

Major Program: Woodland Education

Educational programs that strengthen agriculture production skills are a continued priority identified by Oldham County’s Extension and Agriculture Councils.  An agriculture commodity that is sometimes overlooked is woodlands.  Wooded areas are not only important for habitat, but managed correctly, these can also be an economically important part of any farm operation.The most recent Kentucky Forest Inventory, taken in 2016 by the U.S. Forest Service and the Kentucky Division of

Full Story
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