Extension
It Starts With Us
Agriculture Production and Management
Improving Agriculture Profitability
Curt Judy
Grain Crops
Sustainable Agriculture
Commercial Horticulture
Farm Management
The 2017 Census of Agriculture indicates there were 593 farms (167,953 acres) in Todd County that year, decreasing from 603 farms and 181,001 acres in 2012. These declines reflect both the state and national trends, where the number of farms has been on a long, steady decline. Average farm size in 2017 was 283 acres, down 17 acres from 300 acres in 2012. About 51 percent of county farmers (480) list farming as their principal occupation.
Farm products produced by Todd County farmers in 2017 ranked 7th statewide in cash receipts, generating over $175 million. This is down about 3 percent from the 2012 Census. Crop receipts accounted for almost $83 million (ranked 7th in Kentucky) and livestock receipts totaled almost $93 million (ranked 8th).
Major crops produced by Todd County farmers include corn, soybeans, wheat, dark fired tobacco, dark air-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, hay, barley, and canola. Major livestock enterprises include beef cattle (mostly cow-calf production), dairying, and hog and poultry production (including eggs).
The major challenge for producers at this time is low commodity prices for corn, soybeans, wheat, beef cattle, hogs, and milk. Costs of production have moderated some in the past 5 years, particularly for land rent and fertilizer. However seed and equipment costs have continued to rise. The tobacco buyout in 2005 brought about a significant restructuring of the tobacco business. Production is now almost completely limited to contract production, and producers have made significant new investments, particularly in dark-fired tobacco barns. Growers are being asked to meet higher standards for their tobacco crops in terms of quality and cleanliness, etc. Demand for dark and burley tobaccos is declining and some growers were not able to obtain dark and/or burley contracts for 2019. Other growers saw their contract amounts reduced.
In 2017, Todd County ranked 3rd in acres of vegetable production in Kentucky. Most are sold through the Fairview Produce Auction and the Miller Valley Produce Auction. Most producers receive their production education through the Fairview Auction (Extension education coordinated by the horticulture agent in Christian County). Direct support services for growers are provided by both Todd and Christian County Extension Offices.
Farm cooperators will improve their relative net returns or returns per unit of input resources in their agricultural enterprises.
Farm cooperators will adopt improved production, management, and marketing techniques in the areas of grain, beef, dairy, forage, tobacco, or horticulture production so that production is increased economically, or that costs are managed without sacrificing production.
Cooperators will gain knowledge on University of Kentucky recommendations relating to crop and livestock management, varying from beef cow herd management to tobacco and grain cultural management and pest control. They will also gain knowledge in the areas of livestock and crop marketing.
Initial Outcome: Cooperators will gain knowledge of University of Kentucky recommendations relating to crop and livestock management, varying from beef cow herd management to tobacco and grain cultural management and pest control. They will also gain knowledge in the areas of economic management, marketing, USDA programs, and farm-related regulations.
Indicators: Knowledge gained, skills acquired, etc.
Method: Producer reports, and/or agent observations, and/or surveys
Timeline: Annually
Intermediate Outcome: Farm cooperators will adopt improved production, management, and marketing techniques in the areas of grain, beef, dairy, forage, tobacco, or horticulture production so that production is increased economically, costs are managed without sacrificing production, or production and/or economic risks are reduced.
Indicators: Improved production, management, marketing techniques adopted
Method: Producer reports, and/or agent observations, and/or surveys
Timeline: Changes will be measured annually over the 4-year plan of work cycle
Long-term Outcome: Farm cooperators will improve their relative net returns or returns per unit of input resources in their agricultural enterprises.
Indicators: Net profitability, production costs, risk factors
Method: Producer reports, and/or agent observations, and/or surveys
Timeline: Accumulative changes will be measured over the 4-year plan of work
Audience: Farmers and homeowners
Project or Activity: Soil testing
Content or Curriculum: UK soil test recommendations
Inputs: Agent time
Date: Program year
Audience: Farmers and homeowners
Project or Activity: Pest diagnosis and control recommendations
Content or Curriculum: UK pest publications and control recommendations
Inputs: Agent time, UK plant disease and insect diagnostic services
Date: Program year
Audience: Tobacco farmers
Project or Activity: Winter tobacco production meeting
Content or Curriculum: UK tobacco publications and resource material
Inputs: Agent time, UK tobacco specialist time
Date: Program year
Audience: Grain farmers
Project or Activity: Grain production/marketing meeting(s)
Content or Curriculum: UK/UT grain production resource material
Inputs: Agent time, UK and/or UT specialist time
Date: Program year
Audience: Beef and Dairy farmers
Project or Activity: Beef production and/or forage meeting(s)
Content or Curriculum: UK beef/dairy/forage production resource material
Inputs: Agent time, UK specialist time
Date: Program year
Audience: County farmers
Project or Activity: Educational activities in support 2018 Farm Bill Signup
Content or Curriculum: UK and other resource material, or custom designed program
Inputs: Agent time
Date: Program year
Audience: County farmers
Project or Activity: Explore the use of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) in agriculture
Content or Curriculum: UK and other resource material, or custom designed program
Inputs: Agent time
Date: Program year
Audience: County farmers
Project or Activity: Newsletters, news articles, etc.
Content or Curriculum: UK and other resource material
Inputs: Agent time
Date: Program year
Author: Curtis Judy
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
A new disease, laurel wilt, was diagnosed in southwestern Kentucky in the summer of 2019, and it has the potential to rapidly kill sassafras trees. The area around Trenton in southern Todd County appears to be the area worst affected at this time. Laurel wilt is a fungal disease caused by the invasive pathogen Raffaelea lauricola. The disease is transmitted by the wood-boring redbay ambrosia beetle; which prior to the diagnosis of laurel wilt in this area, was only known to exi
Author: Curtis Judy
Major Program: Farm Management
The 2018 Farm Bill, which was enacted in December 2018, continued the grain and oilseed program that was created by the 2014 Farm Bill. The ARC (Agricultural Risk Coverage) and PLC (Price Loss Coverage) options are more complicated than the commodity programs that existed prior to 2014. The 2018 Farm Bill offered farmers opportunities to prove crop yields, and to choose price protection (PLC) or revenue protection (ARC) on a farm-by-farm, crop-by-crop basis. Durin
Author: Curtis Judy
Major Program: Ag Policy
Covid-19 changed nearly everything in the United States in the spring of 2020. It closed many businesses, most schools and churches, eliminated most travel, and turned many Americans into virtual hermits. It also affected agriculture, with some of the most significant effects falling on livestock producers as farm-gate prices declined due to the closure of many of the large beef and pork processing plants. Prices of other commodities such as corn, soybeans, and produce were als
