Extension
It Starts With Us
Home Horticulture
Improving Consumer Horticulture Skills for Adults and Youth
Stith, Schalk, FCS Agent (TBA), Tarry
Home & Consumer Horticulture
Master Gardener
Integrated Plant Pest Management
Pesticide Safety – Plant Pests
Due to the high volume of phone calls and office visits received at the Cooperative Extension Service, many Barren County homeowners and residents have inquired for more information related to consumer horticulture subjects such as home vegetable gardening, home fruit production, landscape tree and shrub care, and home lawns. Those same clients have also requested for more environmental friendly and sound practices in those identified areas. The adults wish to pass along the same basic knowledge onto youth, so they understand more about how plants are grown and produced in order to have fruits, vegetables, flowers, and landscape plants to beautify their community.
*More reports of homeowners utilizing environmental friendly practices used in consumer horticulture areas
*Increase in home fruit plots and vegetable gardens from home gardeners and residents
*Increase in amounts of fresh fruit and vegetable availability in the community
*Increased consumption for fresh fruit and vegetable
*Reduction in the amount of miles that food travels to reach the consumer’s plate, so it helps aid in the local food economy
*More beautification noticed in their community
*Decrease in obesity in the community
Youth and citizens practice the best growing practices in all consumer horticulture areas such as performing a soil test before planting, applying fertilizers according to UK soil recommendations, planting recommended plant varieties for various horticulture plants, utilizing specific growing practices for the crop being grown, and implementing pest management strategies for multiple pests in the garden and landscape.
Youth and citizens will gain more basic knowledge about home and consumer horticulture skills and production.
Long-term Outcome: More beautification of homes and gardens in and around the Glasgow and Barren County community, more environmentally friendly practices
Indicator: Reports of increased fruit and vegetable harvests, better care for ornamental trees and lawns, pest management strategies
Method: Evaluations, group discussion, personal interviews, and surveys
Timeline: 3-6 months following educational programs
Intermediate Outcome: Participants applying the practices learned from the educational Extension programs.
Indicator: Number of participants noting that they changed practices to be a better gardener
Method: Evaluations, group discussion, personal interviews, and surveys
Timeline: July-June
Initial Outcome: Participants gaining knowledge and skill in consumer horticulture areas.
Indicator: Total number of participants noting knowledge or skills gained after an educational program
Method: Pre- and post-meeting evaluations, group discussion, personal interviews, and surveys
Timeline: Immediately after educational programming
Audience: Horticulture Enthusiasts
Project or Activity: Horticulture/Gardening Workshops
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Specialists, Agents, publications, Home Vegetable Gardening Guide, ID-128
Inputs: Agents, Specialists
Date: late July until December and January to May
Audience: Barren County Youth (both 4-H and FFA)
Project or Activity: Educational Classes and Workshops
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum
Inputs: Agents, Specialists
Date: Spring and Summer
Audience: Barren County Farm and Garden Newsletter
Project or Activity: Timely and seasonal articles
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum
Inputs: Agents, Specialists
Date: Bi-monthly
Audience: Adult and youth
Project or Activity: Raised Bed Demonstration Gardens
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum
Inputs: Agents, Specialists
Date: May-October
Audience: Adult and youth
Project or Activity: Local Media Outlets (Facebook, radio, TV, newspaper)
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum
Inputs: Agents, Specialists
Date: July-June
Audience: Adult
Project or Activity: KY Extension Master Gardener Program
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum
Inputs: Agents, Specialists
Date: Fall/Winter
Author: Andrea Stith
Major Program: Master Gardener
Barren, Metcalfe, and Monroe Counties are home to a combined population of over 60,000 residents. Discussions with homeowners, program councils, and current Extension Master Gardener volunteers indicate that there is a growing interest in home & consumer horticulture.Barren, Metcalfe, and Monroe County Cooperative Extension Services hosted a joint Extension Master Gardener volunteer training class over 14 weeks in the fall of 2018. Agents as well as University of Kentucky Specialist’s
Author: Andrea Stith
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Barren County is home to a population of over 40,000 residents. This class was developed after several calls and visits with homeowners, meetings with the horticulture advisory council, and seeing how many people have an interest in growing their own vegetable garden. Knowing how to grow our own food is becoming more and more important as generations move farther away from farms. Many children do not know where their food comes from so it is great to offer these classes for interested community
