Barren County CES

Title:

Home Horticulture

MAP:

Improving Consumer Horticulture Skills for Youth and Adults

Agents Involved:

Schalk, Tarry

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Home & Consumer Horticulture

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Master Gardener

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Integrated Plant Pest Management

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Pesticide Safety – Plant Pests

Situation:

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.

Long-Term Outcomes:

*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

Intermediate Outcomes:

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.

Initial Outcomes:

Youth and citizens will gain more basic knowledge about home and consumer horticulture skills and production.

Evaluation:

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

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Horticulture Enthusiasts
Project or Activity: Gardener’s Toolbox Class Series
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Specialists, Agents, publications, Home Vegetable Gardening Guide, ID-128
Inputs: Agents, Specialists
Date: January – May and end of July until December

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: Extension Master Gardener Program
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension related publications, materials, and curriculum
Inputs: Agents, Specialists
Date: Winter, Spring, or Fall

Success Stories