Enhancing Farm ProductionPlan of Work

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Grant County CES

Title:
Enhancing Farm Production
MAP:
Feeding the Family, Feeding the World
Agents Involved:
Price, Fowler, Ammerman
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Local Food Systems
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Commercial Horticulture
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
4-H Volunteer Programming
Situation:

Grant County farmers have experienced record high market prices and the increase in production costs associated with high prices. Since record highs have occurred market prices have returned more to the average while production costs have remained at all-time highs. To maintain agriculture as a viable income source for farms operators have realized the necessity to increase overall farm production from crop to remain profitable

Long-Term Outcomes:

Farmers will realize reduced expenses and increased profits from operations. Farmers will save money by making informed production decisions. Farmers recognize an increase in overall long term viability and sustainability of the farm.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Best management practices are embraced by the residents and land owners. These practices are sought after as the “norm” in stewardship of land ownership.

Initial Outcomes:

Implement practicum to control expenses and enhance production efficiency. Implement programs that optimize production. Better utilization of inputs.

Evaluation:
Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Cattle Owners

Project or Activity: Building Better Beef

Content or Curriculum: UK Beef IRM

Inputs: Agent and UK website

Date: Fall 2019-Winter 2020


Audience: Backgrounder and Stocker Operators

Project of Activity: Master Stocker

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: Fall 2019


Audience: Goat Producers

Project of Activity: Meat Goat Updates

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications, KSU specialists

Date: March 2019


Audience: Sheep and Goat Farmers

Project of Activity: Small Ruminant Workshop

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications KSU specialists

Date: March 2020


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Dairy Goat Club

Content or Curriculum: Getting your Goat, Stepping Out, Showing the Way

Inputs: Dairy Goat Club members and leader

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Market Goat Club

Content or Curriculum: Just Browsing, Growing with Meat Goats,

Inputs: Market Goat Club members and leader

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Poultry Club

Content or Curriculum: Scratching the Surface, Testing your wings

Inputs: Poultry Club members and leader

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Horse Club

Content or Curriculum: Horse Achievement Level 1, 2, 3, 4

Inputs: Horse Club members and leader

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Rabbit Club

Content or Curriculum: What’s Hoppening?, Making Tracks, All Ears

Inputs: Rabbit Club members and leader

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Sheep Club

Content or Curriculum: Sheep Resource Handbook

Inputs: Sheep Club members and leader

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Swine Club

Content or Curriculum: Swine Resource Handbook

Inputs: Swine Club members and leader

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Beef and Feeder Calf

Content or Curriculum: Market Beef Resource Handbook

Inputs: Beef Club members and leader, GC Cattlemen

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth

Project of Activity: Dairy Cow Club

Content or Curriculum: Cowabunga, Mooving Ahead, Rising to the Top

Inputs: Dairy Cow Club members and leader

Date: All year Long


Audience: 4H Livestock Youth and Adults

Project of Activity: Horse College

Content or Curriculum: UK Animal Science curriculum

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: April 2020


Audience: Hay Farmers

Project or Activity: Controlling Weeds in Pastures and Hayfields

Content or Curriculum: UK Agronomy

Inputs: Agent and UK website

Date: March 2020


Audience: Forage Grazers

Project or Activity: Pasture Renovation

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: Feb 2020


Audience: Hay Farmers

Project of Activity: Hay Storage to increase profits

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: Fall 2019


Audience: Cattle farmers

Project of Activity: Silage Production Update

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications

Inputs: UK publications,

Date: May 2020


Audience: Tobacco Farmers

Project of Activity: Tobacco Production Update

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: April 2020


Audience: Grain Farmers

Project of Activity: Early Bird Grain Meeting

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: Jan 2020


Audience: Grain Farmers

Project of Activity: Grain Production Trials

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists, Southern States Agronomists

Date: Fall 2019-June 2020


Audience: Tobacco Farmers

Project of Activity: Good Agriculture Practices

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: April 2020


Audience: Vegetable Farmers

Project of Activity: Extending the Growing Season

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: Feb - March 2020


Audience: Vegetable Farmers

Project of Activity: Good Agriculture Practices

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: Jan 2020


Audience: Farmer’s Markets

Project of Activity: SNAP-Ed, WIC and Senior Coupons

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: July - Sept 2019  and Jan-Sept 2020


Audience: Farmer’s Markets SNAP-Ed

Project of Activity: Sampling

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: 2020 growing season


Audience: Tobacco Farmers

Project of Activity: Tobacco Production Update

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists

Date: April 2020


Audience: 6,7, & 8 Graders

Project of Activity: GCMS Garden

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists, agent and volunteers

Date: March –Sept 2019


Audience: Adults

Project of Activity: Satellite Community Gardens

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists, agent and volunteers, City of Williamstown, Master Gardeners

Date: March – Sept 2019


Audience: 4-H Youth

Project of Activity: 4-H Horticulture Club

Content or Curriculum: UK/KSU Publications

Inputs: UK publications and specialists, agents and volunteers

Date: March – Oct 2019



Success Stories

Local Food, Local Hands and Local Hearts

Author: Chris Ammerman

Major Program: Local Food Systems

Individual life choices have moved demand for locally grown fresh produce, meat and eggs.  The consumers focus has drifted away from the grocery store and toward the farm stand.  Local farmers markets have become the consumer’s choice to provide safe, fresh and nutritious food for communities across the state, and Grant County is experiencing this trend as well.A farm to table dinner was planned as an effort to further raise awareness of local food systems and increase participat

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Focus on the Farm

Author: Chris Ammerman

Major Program: Local Food Systems

Vertical integration has caused turmoil across the dairy industry in Kentucky all the while the onslaught continues in attacks on animal agriculture both creating large amount of scrutiny among consumers in the grocery store aisle.  Distraught family farmers in empty barns and images of animal abuse have shared across social media platforms painting the all aspects of animal agriculture in a bad light.The Grant County Farm Bureau Federation and the Grant County Extension Service partnered t

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Grain Crops Improvement

Author: Chris Ammerman

Major Program: Grain Crops

Over the period of the last ten years grain production in Kentucky has been like riding a roller coaster.   Farmer’s experienced record market highs many new faces took up grain production while other enterprises expanded and invested into more land or upgraded equipment.  The last two years of downturn have honed the farmer’s margin to a razor thin line.  Northern Kentucky has a small number of grain producers many who entered when the market was great and since they

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Reaching Out from Under Lockdown

Author: Chris Ammerman

Major Program: Local Food Systems

As the impact of the pandemic is still being felt across the Commonwealth, the challenges of continuing to provide relevant data to the citizens of our community increased as the lockdown started.  Continuing to conduct farm visits and serve clientele was listed as essential business.  The opportunity to use individual client meetings to serve others in the form of social media posts became evident. Using a GoPro camera and hand held mount educational programs offered by the Grant

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