Extension
It Starts With Us
Home Horticulture
Improving Consumer Horticulture Skills for Adults and Youth
Stith, Schalk, Drake, 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, home lawns, pollinator safety and water quality. Those same clients have also requested for more environmental friendly and sound practices in those identified areas. There has been a growing concern with environmental education practices and storm water management/water quality options in the community. 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
*Installation of water management systems
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, installing rain barrels, building pollinator way stations 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.
Knowledge increase on horticulture topics.
More community interest in gardening and best growing practices.
Long-term Outcome: More beautification of homes and gardens in and around the Glasgow and Barren County community, more environmentally friendly practices; rain barrel, pollinator way stations, rain gardens, and others.
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, Water Quality materials from UK
Inputs: Agents, Specialists, City of Glasgow
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
Author: Andrea Stith
Major Program: Urban Environments (water issues)
Kentuckians use nearly 70 gallons of water per person per day. By reducing the amount of water we each use, we can conserve energy, save money, and better prepare for water shortages and drought situations. Rain barrels are an inexpensive means of conserving water by collecting and storing rainwater from rooftops. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, roughly 1,300 gallons of water can be saved during peak summer months by using a rain barrel. The City of Glasgow MS4 coordi
Author: Andrea Stith
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Horticulture agents, headed by Andrea Stith and Amy Aldenderfer, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons. The live webinars are Wednesdays at 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET and. Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30-minute lesson to the general public, with time at the end for questions. All the presentations are re
Author: Andrea Stith
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
The Barren River Area Extension Master Gardener Association volunteers went every 3rd Saturday to set up an informational booth at the Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market. The volunteers covered many different topics such as soil testing, seed starting, and many others. They offered a children’s activity each month when they visited. To expand this partnership, as the Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market moved indoors, the Master Gardeners offered an educational series, “Around the
