Home and Commercial HorticulturePlan of Work

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Knox County CES

Title:
Home and Commercial Horticulture
MAP:
Horticulture
Agents Involved:
Wayne Kirby, Danielle Barrett
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Commercial Horticulture
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Commercial Horticulture - Crop Marketing
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Farmer's Markets
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Home & Consumer Horticulture
Situation:

Local food, flowers and plants continues to be in demand from consumers, restaurants, retail outlets, schools, and the local people. It is anticipated that sales of Kentucky food products will from $14 million in 2014 to $24 million in 2020. Consumers and contract buyers lack year round safe access to locally produced products like produce, flowers and plants. Extension serves as resource to provide training to insure locally grown food is safe appropriate to meet local food demand and consumer demand.

Long-Term Outcomes:

*Increase in the number of vendors, variety of local food products, sales and/or profits at farmer’s markets, road side stands, or community supported agriculture


*Increase access to local foods in restaurants, retail outlets, school and other institutions


*Maintain or increase consumer confidence/ demand in local foods


*Maintain or increase economic stability of farm operations.

Intermediate Outcomes:

•Apply best management practices in marketing

•Apply food safety practices and/or procedures

Earn certification(s) for:

•Redeeming USDA script

•selling and /or providing samples at farmer’s markets

•Microprocessing

•Better Process Control School

•USDA GAP

Choose local food products when available

•Purchase local food and food products

•Advocate for local food producers (i.e. feature on menus)

•Amend purchasing procedure to accommodate local food purchasing

Initial Outcomes:

Contract buyers/ Consumers

•Identify/ locate local food producers and processors

•Explain local food needs and purchasing procedures (i.e. quantity, quality, deliver, etc.)

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Identify/ locate local food producers and processors

Indicator: Consumers will buy local produce at Farmer's Market/local vendors

Method: Observation

Timeline: Throughout year


Intermediate Outcome: Participants will choose local food products when available. Individuals will purchase local food and food products from local producers. Individuals will advocate for local food producers (i.e. feature on menus)

Indicator: Amend purchasing procedure to accommodate local food purchasing and selling

Method: Observation , year end profits from Farmer's Market, attendance at Farmers market

Timeline: 2019-2020


Long-term Outcome: *Increase in the number of vendors, variety of local food products, sales and/or profits at farmer’s markets, road side stands, or community supported agriculture. Increase community support

Indicator: Farmers Market continues to grow and consumer confidence is shown by supporting local foods. Local schools/business buy local produce.

Method: Observation, sales

Timeline: 2019-2021

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Farmers market vendors

Project or Activity: farmers market

Content or Curriculum: horticulture publications

Inputs: UK and KSU faculty, publications, research trials, CCD, Commodity growers

Date: Summer


Audience: Commercial growers

Project or Activity: Educational programs, demonstrations, field days

Content or Curriculum: Horticulture publication

Inputs: UK, KSU specialist, publications, research trials

Date: Throughout year


Audience: Non-Commercial growers

Project or Activity: Educational programs, demonstrations, field days

Content or Curriculum: Horticulture publication

Inputs: UK, KSU specialist, publications, research trials

Date: Throughout year


Audience: general public

Project or Activity: Farm visits, field scouting, workshops

Content or Curriculum: Horticulture publication

Inputs: UK, KSU specialist, publications, research trials

Date: Throughout year


Audience: General public

Project or Activity: educational programs, demonstrations

Content or Curriculum: Horticulture publications

Inputs: UK, KSU specialist, pubs

Date: Throughout year



Success Stories

Commercial Horticulture

Author: Robert Kirby

Major Program: Commercial Horticulture

With the tobacco buyout leaving farmers with machinery, greenhouses and the need to ease their dependency on tobacco several Knox County farmers have chosen Commercial Horticulture.  Through the Knox County Extension Service and resources from the University of Kentucky such as newsletters on farm demonstrations, variety trials, farm visits, field trips, educational programming and farm visits from University Specialist, producers have met their production needs and supplementing their farm

Full Story

Tomato Grafting Research

Author: Robert Kirby

Major Program: Commercial Horticulture

With most of the high tunnels in Knox County being NRCS grant funded, certain stipulations are agreed upon by producers when receiving the grant. One of the stipulations is that producers will agree to grow produce in the ground of the high tunnel for a minimum of four years.  Almost all producers in the county have selected tomatoes as their primary crop because of the profit potential but have struggled growing in the ground the second and third years because of nematodes. To address the

Full Story

High Tunnel Tomato Production Webinar Series

Author: Robert Kirby

Major Program: Commercial Horticulture

Thru efforts of the University of Kentucky Horticulture Specialist, a three night education webinar series on high tunnel tomato production was offered across the state for agents to host in their counties.  These webinars were hosted by our local Knox County Agriculture and Natural Resource agent where the series was well attended.  All participants have reported less disease and insect pressure as well as an increase of five or more pounds of tomatoes per plant production. Participan

Full Story
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