Extension
It Starts With Us
McCracken County Horticulture Education Outreach
Horticulture Education
Wimberley, Anderson, Osborne, FCS, Hank
Master Gardener
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Local Food Systems
Chemical Management
Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Horticulture Agent is regularly asked about issues encountered in the landscape and garden.
Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) are needed as community volunteers to help with horticulture education due knowledge gained through training and experiences in the EMG program.
There are needs and demands for locally-grown food.
4. CES is responding to the needs to prevent the misuse of pesticides to protect the environment and the health of the applicators.
Individuals participating in McCracken County CES will apply knowledge gained to benefit themselves, families, and environment. This will have a direct impact on the community.
An increased number of McCracken County residents participate in Cooperative Extension Service programs and services.
Youth and Adults recognize the services offered by McCracken CES.
Long-term Outcome:
Indicator: The number of individuals and families and individuals with Commercial Pesticide Licenses (CPA) report that they have implemented what they have learned from McCracken CES outreach.
Method: Surveys, personal interviews, virtual interaction, reports
Timeline: July to June
Intermediate Outcome:
Indicator: The number of residents and workers with CPA licenses, including active volunteers who participate in or gain information from McCracken CES programs increases.
Method: Personal interviews, interviews of and meetings with volunteers
Timeline: July to June
Initial Outcome:
Indicator: The number of residents, CPA license holders, and schools that contact McCracken County Cooperative Extension for programming needs and education increase.
Method: Call log records, calendars, record of office visits, record of virtual interaction
Timeline: Ongoing
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Consumer questions and answers
Content or Curriculum: Agent training, UK/KSU publications
Inputs: All agents, volunteers and UK Specialists, virtual trainings and meetings
Date: July to June
Audience: McCracken County residents, Paducah/McCracken County Schools (non-commercial), commercial horticulture producers
Project or Activity: Soil-sampling coupons as described by Extension District Board
Content or Curriculum: Soil sampling coupons for McCracken County residents to get up to 7 free basic soil tests with an assigned value limited to $50.00 per resident, soil sample analysis, UK/KSU publications.
Inputs: Agents, UK/KSU Specialists, virtual trainings and meetings
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Adults and Youth
Project or Activity: Educational Programs, including but not limited to: Toolbox Series, Virtual Flower Show
Content or Curriculum: Agent training, UK/KSU publications
Inputs: UK and KSU Agents, volunteers and UK /KSU Specialists
Date: July to June
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Training of EMG of 12 sessions of approximately 2 hours in length. Sessions taught by Agents, Specialists or local experts, EMG
Curriculum:•Cooperative Extension/ Volunteerism •Basic Botany. •Soils and Fertility. •Plant Pathology. •Entomology•Pesticides, IPM and Pesticide safety.
Additional Topics defined by the McCracken County Agent
•Annual & Perennial Flowers
•Woody Plants•Fruits
•Vegetables
•Landscape Design•Interior Plants
•Organic Gardening
•Water Quality
•Turfgrass
•Others; Hands-on activities
•Plant Identification
•Insect and Disease identification
•Field trips as appropriate
Content or Curriculum: County Offices and Ky Cooperative Extension
Inputs: •Staff time – Extension Agents, Specialists
•Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
•Funding – Fees from training and other courses; local grants and in-kind support
•Training materials—KY EMG Training Manual; PowerPoint Presentations; purchased books and resources; Extension publications; Tests and quizzes shared by county agents
•Internet access through eXtension and potential access and use of eXtension’s Ask an Expert
•Social media tools including blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Google Maps; State, regional and national EMG conferences and tour opportunities
Date: Ongoing
Author: Mary Dossett
Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Garden Tour for Potting Shed Garden Club at The Nuckolls Barn Need: Due to the Covid19 pandemic we have had to halt programs because of state-wide guidelines. Since we have just started to schedule programs, we figured having programs outside would be the best way to stay safe since Covid is still present in our area. We have also been hard at work at the barn so we wanted a way to showcase our work to the public. Preparing the grounds: An extension staff at our offi
Author: Mary Dossett
Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Donated Food from Raised Wicking Bed at the Extension Office Need: The pandemic has caused many residents in the county to become out of work and thus making it harder to provide for their family. Local food pantries are overwhelmed with the number of residents needing help feeding their families. The horticulture assistant wanted to help feed residents and supply them healthy options. Impact: At the Barn located next to the McCracken County Cooperative Extension Office we ha
Author: Mary Dossett
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Information from McCracken County/ Paducah Chamber of Commerce , September 2021: 35% of residents rent their homes. There is a need to show residents how to grow a garden without damaging the landscape. Residents who rent were offered the opportunity to learn how to grow vegetables, herbs and flowers outdoors without disturbing the soil from the McCracken Extension Demonstration and Research Garden. A tour of the garden was offered to the public by the horticulture assista
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
Major Program: Local Food Systems
The Need: In 2021’s summer, 11,393 residents of McCracken County rented their home. McCracken County Horticulture and McCracken County Extension Master Gardeners (MCEMG) demonstrated how residents can grow vegetables, herbs and flowers without disturbing the soil using above-grade gardens. Gardens were July-October of 2021 at the McCracken County Extension Service on New Holt Road. The Program:14 McCracken County Extension Master Gardeners (MCEMG) used their knowledge gained as
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
Major Program: Master Gardener
Toolbox Class Oct 2021 on Houseplants The Need: The Covid-19 pandemic was still an issue when the Horticulture Agent, Assistant and McCracken County Extension Master Gardeners (MCEMG) recognized the need to help residents learn how-to prepare houseplants to winter indoors. Shortage of availability of professional potting mix at local retailers through the 2021 growing season indicated that residents are gardening at home more in these unusual times. MCEMG had a supply of 12 large and
