Extension
It Starts With Us
2021 Agriculture and Horticulture Economic Support Programs
2021 Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Practice
Dan Allen, Linda Brown-Price, Kathy Byrnes, Mary Averbeck, Hort Agent, Denise Donahue, Diane Kelley
Beef
Small Farm Management
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Small Farm Diversification
Kenton County has a very diverse cross section of farm and horticulture ventures. These agriculture and horticulture enterprises contribute to the total household income. Based on input from advisory council, County Extension Council and Community Needs Assessment there is a need for continued education in research based, and best management practices in horticulture and agriculture to ensure that these small farms can continue and be more profitable.
Increased agriculture and horticulture production and efficiency. By using University of Kentucky research and other reliable sources these residents will be able to implement ongoing practices that translate to bottom line profitability.
Transition from current practices to adoption of best management practices to enhance existing enterprises and exploration of other revenue streams from these agriculture and horticulture practices.
Kenton County Extension offers innovative and research-based programs that are relevant and timely so as to increase productivity in areas like, variety selection, good livestock husbandry, marketing basics, time saving techniques, and crop production.
Outcome: Ag & Hort producers implement best management practices.
Indicator: Class participation and follow-up surveys in 6 to 10 mos.
Method: Online and mail surveys, farm visits, and phone calls
Timeline: 6 months to a year
Outcome: Increase household incomes due to better productivity and successful new economic ventures
Indicator: Positive feedback given to agents
Method: Follow up surveys, and one-on-one surveys
Timeline: 6 months to a year
Outcome: Acceptance of good sustainability practicesIndicator: Feedback provided to agents, farm visits, and interaction with producers.
Method: In person and mailed surveys
Timeline: Ongoing
Audience: All Residents Project or Activity: Quarterly Agriculture Econ and Marketing Committee Content or Curriculum: Forum designed by volunteer leaders and agent
Inputs: Local businesses in nontraditional enterprises
Date: Quarterly year roundAudience: Residents Interested in Agritourism
Project or Activity: Preparing your farm for Visitors
Content or Curriculum: UK and other University Research
Inputs: Publications and Agent Designed program
Date: Jan 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Audience: Farmers Markets and CSA Operators
Project or Activity: PBPT
Content or Curriculum: UK Program
Inputs: UK video series, FCS and Ag Agent
Date: March 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Audience: Beginning Beekeepers
Project or Activity: Where Do I Start With Beekeeping?
Content or Curriculum: UK and Agent Designed
Inputs: UK and State of Kentucky, local beekeeper supplier
Date: December 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Audience: Farmer’s Market Growers
Project or Activity: Extending the Season
Content or Curriculum: UK Horticulture program
Inputs: Building a cold frame season extender
Date: October 2021, 2023
Audience: Farmers Market Growers
Project or Activity: Exploring New Vegetable Varieties
Content or Curriculum: UK local research
Inputs: publications, agents and specialists
Date: February 2021, 2022
Audience: Cow Calf Operators
Project or Activity: Calving and Calf Care
Content or Curriculum: UK Materials
Inputs: UK Specialists, Ag Agent
Date: Jan 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Audience: Cow Calf Operators
Project or Activity: Choosing the Right Bull
Content or Curriculum: UK Beef IRM
Inputs: Prerecorded Distance learning Program
Date: March 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Audience: Goat and Sheep Producers
Project or Activity: Nutrition for Small Ruminants
Content or Curriculum: KSU Materials and Research
Inputs: Agent and KSU Specialists
Date: Feb 2021, Feb 2023
Audience: Backyard and Small-Scale Egg Producers
Project or Activity: Nutrition and Breed Selection for Egg Production
Content or curriculum: UK Specialist Small Flock Content
Inputs: Agent and UK Small Flock Specialist
Date: Feb 2022, Feb 2024
Audience: Cow Calf Operators
Project or Activity: Cattle Sense (5 mini courses online)
Content or Curriculum: UK Beef IRM Content and UK Research
Inputs: Local Agents and UK Specialists
Date: November 2020, November 2021, November 2022, November 2023
Audience: Small Ruminant Producers
Project or Activity: Education Tour
Content or Curriculum: UK Materials
Inputs: Local Agents and UK Specialists
Date: Fall 2022, Fall 2024
Audience: Trail and Pleasure Horse Owners
Project or Activity: Healthy Horse 101
Content or Curriculum: UK Equine Program
Inputs: Local Agents and UK Specialists
Date: Fall 2021, Fall 2023
Audience: Horse Stable Owners
Project or Activity: The Business of Running a Stable
Content or Curriculum: UK Equine Program
Inputs: Local Agent and UK Specialists
Date: Spring 2021, Spring 2023
Audience; Small Scale Swine Operators
Project of Activity: Raising a Hog for the Freezer
Content or Curriculum: UK Swine research
Inputs: Local Agent and UK Specialists Date: March 2021, Mar 2023
Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Successful Planter Gardens
Content or Curriculum: UK and other university research
Inputs: Agent designed, and specialist input where needed
Date: Spring 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Successful Home Vegetable Gardening
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications
Inputs: UK Home Vegetable Guide
Date: Late Winter, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Raising Fresh Culinary Herbs
Content or Curriculum: Agent Designed
Inputs: UK and other research-based information
Date: Spring 2021, 2023
Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Raising Berries and Fruits in the Backyard
Content or Curriculum: Agent designed and UK research
Inputs: Agent, Specialist
Date: Spring 2022, 2024
Audience: Urban Residents
Project or Activity: City Roots
Content or Curriculum: Weekly online urban gardening classes
Inputs: Agent Designed, specialist input
Date: 6 Weeks, April and May 2021
Audience: Homeowners
Project or Activity: Renewing Your Home Landscape
Content or Curriculum: Agent designed
Inputs: UK publications on plant selection, pruning, maintenance, etc.
Date: May 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Fall Vegetable Gardening
Content or Curriculum: UK Vegetable Gardening Guide
Inputs: Agents, specialists
Date: August 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Audience: Kenton County Residents
Project or Activity: Hardscapes in the Landscape
Content or Curriculum: Agent Designed
Inputs: Agent and local specialists in landscape construction
Date: Spring 2021, 2022
Audience: Silage Feed Producers
Project or Activity: Silage Field Day
Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Publications and Research
Inputs: Agent and UK Specialists, publications and state soil test lab
Date: Fall 2021, 2023
Audience: Beef Cattle Operators
Project or Activity: Getting the Most from my Pasture
Content or Curriculum: UK Beef IRM and agronomic publications
Inputs: UK Specialists, and Agent
Date: Fall 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Spring 2021, 2023
Audience: Livestock Operators
Project or Activity: Why Do I Rotate my Grazing (online learning)
Content or Curriculum: UK Research
Inputs: UK Specialists, AG Agent, and Research results
Date: May 2021
Audience: Hay Producers
Project or Activity: Marketing Hay
Content or Curriculum: UK Research
Inputs: UK Budget worksheets, specialists, ag agent
Date: March 2021
Audience: Horse Owners
Project or Activity: Save My Horse Pasture!
Content or curriculum: Pastures Please Program, UK research
Inputs: UK publications, specialists
Date: Fall 2021
Audience: Hay Producers
Project or Activity: Alfalfa Field Day
Content or Curriculum: Research, publications, etc.
Inputs: UK Specialists
Date: September 2020
Audience: Grain Growers
Project or Activity: Weed Control (online distance learning)
Content or Curriculum: Published research, UK research
Inputs: UK Weed Specialist
Date: Spring 2021, 2022, 2023
Audience: Crop, hay and Pasture growers
Project or Activity: Why Do I Soil Sample? (online distance learning)
Content or Curriculum: Published research, UK research Inputs: UK soils lab, ag agent
Date: Ongoing as needed
Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: Is it Time to do Another SWOT Analysis?
Content or Curriculum: UK Ag Leadership’s SWOT Curriculum
Inputs: UK publications, AG and FCS Agent
Date: 2021
Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: Am I Planning for Retirement?
Content or Curriculum: UK FCS curriculum, Annies Project UK Research
Inputs: UK publications, specialists and agents
Date:2021
Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: How do I Write a Business Plan?
Content or Curriculum: UK Annie’s Project, KLP
Inputs: UK specialists, and agents
Date: 2022
Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: What do I Know About Insurance?
Content or Curriculum: UK FCS and ANR publications and programs
Inputs: UK and KSU Agents
Date:2021
Audience: Small Agriculture or Horticulture Enterprise owners
Project or Activity: Who Gets Grandpa’s Old Cane?
Content or Curriculum: Farm Transitions, Annie’s
Inputs: FCS Agent and Ag Agent
Date: 2022
Audience: Kenton County youth age 9-18 years
Project or Activity: 4-H Agriculture Programs
Content or Curriculum: Ky 4-H curriculum and kits
Inputs: 4-H volunteers, agents, county program funds
Date: September 2020 through August 2020
Audience: Kenton County Livestock Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H County, District, State Fairs and Shows
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Rules and guidelines
Inputs: 4-H Animal Science materials; Dept of Agriculture materials
Date: July 2020 through June 2021
Audience: Kenton County youth
Project or activity: Horse Bowl contest
Content or curriculum: 4-H Horse Bowl manual
Inputs:
Date: September 2020 through June 2021
Audience: Kenton County 4-H Horse club members
Project or activity: 4-H Horse education classes
Content or curriculum: Ky 4-H Horse manuals and kit, Achievement book series
Inputs:
Date: September 2020 through April 2021
Project or Activity – KEHA lesson, Backyard Butterflies-Zoom session
Content –UK Hort publications, KEHA Housing Plan of Work
Inputs - Boone Co. Natural Resources Agent designed, Area Homemaker Chairmen
Date – August 2020
Audience: Kenton County residents
Project or Activity: 4-h Farm to Table Dinner
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Council
Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Assistants & Council
Date: September 2020
Audience: Kenton Co Livestock Youth
Project or Activity: Judging, Skillathon, Quiz Bowl
Content: 4-H Livestock Curriculum
Inputs: Livestock kits and materials
Date: Oct 2020-August 2021
Author: Daniel Allen
Major Program: Beef
According to the APHIS Veterinary Service and Michigan State University research, four percent of beef cows will lose a calf due to difficult births. Beef operators in Kenton County have expressed their concerns about calf loss consistent with environmental and difficult births. While best management practices like vaccine protocols and nutrition contribute to healthy calves, beef producers should be aware of the actual birth process to ensure delivery of healthy calves. The K
Author: Diane Kelley
Major Program: Agriculture
Kenton County 4-H Livestock sets dates for livestock education hours a year in advance and follows a planned schedule of meeting times. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the opportunity to meet in person changed in mid-November 2020 and resulted in the adaptation of lesson preparation, lesson materials, and planned programs. Fortunately, the Kenton 4-H Certified Livestock volunteers had discussed this potential eventuality since early in the pandemic 2020 and at their yearly re-certific
