Extension
It Starts With Us
Management and Marketing
Enhancing Livestock and Crop Profitability
Pat Hardesty
Beef
Grains
Grains
Forages
Agriculture producers must continue to improve management/marketing skills to remain profitable and sustain a strong agricultural economy. Beef, dairy, grains and tobacco generate approximately $29 million. With these production systems, protecting the environment is also a responsibility producers are challenged with! With guidance from the Extension Council, the Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association directors and dairy committee, educational programs are planned which highlight management/marketing skills, protecting the environment and providing local foods.
Producers will sustain profitability through enhanced management and marketing skills by the implementation of technology, marketing strategies, BMP’s and management of expenses.
Producers will enhance profitability through the adoption of best management practices and marketing skills while controlling costs.
Producers will gain knowledge of how new technology improved practices and marketing strategies will enhance profitability.
Initial Outcome: Producers shall begin to enhance profitability through gained knowledge of improved management and marketing skills
Indicator: Producers are motivated to adopt best management of production and marketing.
Method: Surveys, Observation
Timeline: Throughout the year
Intermediate Outcome: Producers adopt recommended practices that were learned through educational programs.
Indicator: Producers will implement management practices
Method: Surveys, Observation
Timeline: Throughout the year
Long-term Outcome: Producers will improve profitability through enhanced management and marketing skills and adoption of new technology.
Indicator: Profitability is enhanced by using technology, enhanced management and marketing
Method: Ag. statistics, savings, observation
Timeline: Throughout the year
Audience: Tobacco Producers
Project or Activity: Tri-County Tobacco Meeting
Content or Curriculum: Float Bed Management, Fertility, GAP Training
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications
Date: February 2021
Audience: Dairy Producers
Project or Activity: Tri-County Dairy Shortcourse
Content or Curriculum: Nutrition, Calf Barns, Dry Cow Management
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications
Date: February-March 2021
Audience: Grain Producers
Project or Activity: Tri-County Grain Meeting
Content or Curriculum: Persistent Weeds, Technology, Farm Bill, GPS, Ag. Apps
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications
Date: December 2020
Audience: Grain Producers
Project or Activity: Variety Research Trials
Content or Curriculum: Variety Selection
Inputs: Cooperator, Industry, Agents
Date: Summer 2020
Audience: Grain Producers
Project or Activity: Grain Marketing Group
Content or Curriculum: Marketing Strategies
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications, Commodity Challenge
Date: Quarterly throughout the year
Audience: Beef Producers
Project or Activity: Pasture to Plate
Content or Curriculum: Feeding techniques from weaning to finish, carcass evaluation, consumer preference
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications
Date: Throughout the year
Audience: Beef Producers
Project or Activity: Taylor County Cattlemen's Association Meetings
Content or Curriculum: Management and Marketing Topics
Inputs: Specialists, Agents, Publications
Date: September 2020- April 2021
Audience: Grain Producers
Project or Activity: State Water Hemp Control Research Plot
Content or Curriculum: Herbicide and Timing Selection
Inputs: Specialists, Agents
Date: Summer 2020
Audience: Farm Families
Project or Activity: Farm Family Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Beef, Grain, Farm Safety, 4-H, Family & Consumer Sciences
Inputs: Specialists, Extension Staff, Host Farm, Leaders, Sponsors
Date: May 2021 - August 2021
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Grains
Taylor County ranks 35th in the state for grain production. Due to previous successful fungicide application trials using a drone, some producers are adopting drone application instead of application with helicopter in corn. With some of our small tree lined fields with poor air drainage where disease pressure his high, a drone is a more effective application method. Of the approximately 13,500 acres of corn, approximately 9,000 acres are on books to be sprayed with a fungicide
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Grains
After the introduction of glyphosate in the mid 1970’s, it was primarily used as a burndown herbicide in corn and soybeans. Since the introduction of Roundup Ready crops in 1996, glyphosate has been used widely for burndown and in-crop weed control with the increase in use and many dropping pre-emerge herbicides from their weed control program weeds have become resistant. Two weeds, palmer amaranth and waterhemp, were identified as resistant in 2005. These pigweeds are v
Author: Patrick Hardesty
Major Program: Grains
Cereal rye in Kentucky is known as a cover or silage crop. On-farm research through the Kentucky Commercial Rye Cover Crop Initiative is being conducted to test agronomic practices to demonstrate if Kentucky can be a reliable source of rye for distillers, millers and bakers. Temperature and humidity are two climate parameters which greatly affect quality and yield during pollination and grain fill. To record these parameters, the Taylor County Extension Service purchased a wea
