Commercial Agriculture- Education, promotion, and awareness.Plan of Work

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Marshall County CES

Title:
Commercial Agriculture- Education, promotion, and awareness.
MAP:
Agriculture
Agents Involved:
NB
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Beef
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Grain Crops
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Forages
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
ANR Biotechnology
Situation:

49.2 % of Marshall County land is used for farming operations. Todays Marshall County Farmers seek additional education on topics relating to their operations. When surveyed the Marshall County Producers indicated their desire for more learning opportunities. 100% of the participants of the Forage/hay School indicated that they would like more trainings related to hay/forages and livestock. 100% of the beef Meeting attendees indicated that they would attend more educational beef cattle production related trainings. Over 95% of the Grain Grower meeting participants said that they would like me to have a yearly event relating to furthering their education on grain crop topics.


Also, there is a nation wide need for more agriculture awareness and education. In today's world, there are many topics related to agriculture that are misunderstood. Credible scientific information is often misinterpreted or ignored. Discrediable sources are often believed and many times agriculture takes the blame. Topics such as biotechnology, genetically modified organisms, agriculture production techniques and agriculture's environmental impact are often misunderstood. The community needs more educational opportunity on these topics and the farmers need help becoming better advocates for american agriculture.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Farmers will have the confidence necessary to manage a sustainable business, and communicate agriculture production awareness with the public. The implication of university recommendations will likely lead to:

improved quality of products (grain, animal health, etc.)

reduced expenses

maximized profits

minimized environmental impact

improved economic status of farm

improved farm stability

increased long term viability


Non farmer participants will have a understanding of agriculture science. They will be confident in their opinions on agriculture related topics, and have the education needed to evaluate media information. They will use unbiased research based information to construct their opinions. They will share their opinions with their communities.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Participants/farmers will utilize the land grant research, incorporate the best management practices, adopt the recommended tools, apply the unbiased information presented, utilize the diagnostic laboratory, soil test on their farms, and communicate with the public.


This information will allow non farmers to make informed decisions and evaluate their personal positions on topics such as agriculture production awareness.

Initial Outcomes:

Participants/farmers will become aware of land grant research, recognize best management practices, be introduced to tools (such as risk management tools), be given unbiased resources and information, understand the amount of unbiased or falsified information out there.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:

Indicator:

Method: Evaluations, surveys, word of mouth, etc.

Timeline: 2020 


Intermediate Outcome: Participants/farmers will utilize the land grant research, incorporate the best management practices, adopt the recommended tools, apply the unbiased information presented, utilize the diagnostic laboratory, soil test on their farms, and communicate with the public.

This information will allow non farmers to make informed decisions and evaluate their personal positions on topics such as agriculture production awareness.

Indicator: 

Method: 

Timeline: 2020 and on-going


Long-term Outcome: Farmers will implement University of Kentucky recommendations and have the confidence necessary to manage a sustainable business, and communicate agriculture production awareness with the public. 

Indicator: Improved quality of products (grain, animal health, etc.), reduced expenses, maximized profits, minimized environmental impact, improved economic status of farm, improved farm stability and increased long term viability.

Method: Visual and verbal confirmation. 

Timeline: On-going

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Livestock/Forage Producers

Project or Activity: Beef meetings, field trips (Purchase Area Cattlemen's Association), UK masters programs (Master Grazer, Cattlemen, Stocker, or Marketer), BQA (Beef Quality Assurance), farm visits, social media, newsletter articles, etc.

Content or Curriculum: UK's unbiased researched based information and curriculums.

Inputs: Agent/Specialist time, training materials, advertising efforts, facilities, etc.

Date: FY 2020 and on-going.


Audience: Grain Growers

Project or Activity: Grain growers meetings, farm visits, social media, newsletter articles, field days, scouting, demonstration plots, etc.

Content or Curriculum: UK's unbiased researched based information and curriculums.

Inputs: Agent/specialist time, training materials, advertising efforts, facilities, etc.

Date: FY 2020 and ongoing.


Audience: Farmers/Everybody

Project or Activity: Agriculture awareness efforts (social media, non farmer programs, farmers trainings, informal day to day communications, youth programming, newsletter articles, etc.)

Content or Curriculum: UK's unbiased researched based information and curriculums.

Inputs: Agent/Specialist time, training materials, advertising efforts, facilities, etc.

Date: FY 2020 and on-going



Success Stories

Cow Calf Profitability Conf.

Author: Nicole Rhein

Major Program: Beef

According to the 2017 Ag Census, over 38,000 farms in Kentucky have beef cattle and over 64,000 head in the western counties of Caldwell, Calloway, Crittenden, Carlisle, Livingston, Lyon, and Marshall Counties. Cattle producers have experienced market volatility the past few years. The KY Department of Agriculture's Livestock and Grain Market Report shows 2019 prices below the five year average in many cattle categories. To address this volatility and showcase ways to improve profitability,

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Bull Evaluation Program

Author: Nicole Rhein

Major Program: Beef

In February of 2020, beef producers from Marshall, Calloway, Graves and Livingston counties participated in a two-part Bull Value Assessment Program or "BVAP." This University of Kentucky Extension Program encourages producers to reevaluate how they make bull buying decisions. Navigating complicated sale catalogs and evaluating Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) can be difficult and the auction itself can be very intimidating. The BVAP program provides a no risk, worry free environmen

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Farm Bill Training

Author: Nicole Rhein

Major Program: Farm Management

On February 6th, 2020 Extension agents from Marshall and Livingston Counties and the local Young Farm Educator collaborated to offer a farm bill training. The training was lead by Ballard County Extension Agent, Tom Miller. Tom has a knack for making the complex decisions that farmers face easy to understand. When surveyed one producer commented, "(Tom had) excellent explanations." The training was designed to help grain farmers make decisions related to the 2018 Farm Bill.  The m

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