Shelby County CES

Title:

Agriculture Awareness and Sustainabilty

MAP:

Agricultural & Environmental Awareness & Sustainability

Agents Involved:

Corinne Belton, Regina Browning, Candice Hollingsworth

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Agritourism Planning

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Plant Disease ID

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Local Food Systems

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Situation:

Over the last 15 years, Shelby County has experienced a large influx of growth from Louisville Metro and surrounding counties. This growth has led to a large non-rural population that has limited knowledge of rural environments, natural resources, and sustaining those for future generations. Local leadership identified a need for educational programming in this area to help protect and beautify our county's natural resources.  Agents, paraprofessionals and volunteers are pivotal in influencing policies, systems and environments and in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.

Local food continues to be in demand from consumers, restaurants, retail outlets and institutions (including schools). However, there is a disconnect between the production, processing, marketing, and distribution segments of the local food system, especially for small and minority farmers. With sales from Kentucky food products expected to increase from $14 million (2014) to $24 million in 2020, Extension has resources to educate agricultural producers in production, value added opportunities, business planning and marketing strategies to expand the local food system for the demand.

The majority of Kentucky agriculture is produced on small farms. Over the past 20 years, the College of Agriculture through Animal and Food Sciences, the Center of Crop Diversity and the Food System Innovation Center have contributed to improving access to local, healthy food by training and certification of farmers, gardeners, and food entrepreneurs. Food processing can begin with washing produce, home baking or home canning and evolve to commercial production. The local food movement contributed to the increase in farmers markets (160 in 110 counties with 2,700 vendors in 2019).

Long-Term Outcomes:

*Increase access to local foods in restaurants, retail outlets, school and other institutions

*Maintain or increase consumer confidence/demand in local foods

Intermediate Outcomes:

*Develop an Ag Plan using decision making tools

 *USDA GAP Certification

*Market agricultural products locally

*Use diagnostic services to identify insects, livestock diseases, plant diseases and weeds

*Increase number of people who access local foods

*Increase number of youth and adults who plant, harvest and/or preserve produce 

*Producers diversify types and varieties of produce grown and sold

*Producers apply food safety practices and/or procedures

*Producers earn certification for Home Based Microprocessing  

Initial Outcomes:

*Review types and varieties of produce

*Interpret food safety handling procedures

*Understanding IPM (triggers, thresholds, etc)

*Increase KOSA in healthy eating, food safety and food resource management

*Increase awareness of availability of fresh, local produce

*Increase KOSA in growing food

*Increase food safety handling procedures

*Understand procedures for safe food processing

*Identify production methods and agricultural food products that extend the growing season

*Explain local food needs and purchasing procedures

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Producers develop KOSA about types of produce, food safety, chemical handling, storage, clean-up and safety, livestock diseases, antibiotic resistance.

Indicator: Increased KOSA about types of produce, food safety, chemical handling, storage, clean-up and safety, livestock diseases, antibiotic resistance.

Method: Self-reporting, end-of-program evaluation

Timeline: Annually and post-training

Initial Outcome:  Increase KOSA in understanding sustainable, local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being. Increase KOSA in planting, harvesting and preserving foods.

Indicator: Number who gained KOSA in understanding sustainable, local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being. Increase KOSA in planting, harvesting and preserving foods.

Method: End of program evaluations and self-reporting

Timeline: Annually

Intermediate Outcome: Individuals will develop and utilize an ag plan, attain food safety certification, market more products locally, and apply recommended chemical and antibiotic application techniques

Indicator: Increase number of producers with a complete ag plan, with food safety certification, who are marketing more products locally and properly applying chemicals and antibiotics

Method: Self-reporting, surveys

Timeline: Annually

Intermediate Outcome: Individuals access more local foods. Individuals plant, harvest and/or preserve their own food. Individuals apply improved food preparation, management and food safety skills.  

Indicator: Number of individuals purchasing, planting, harvesting and/or preserving, preparing local foods safely.  

Method: End-of-program surveys, observation

Timeline: Annually

Long-term Outcome: Safe, wholesome, local foods are more widely available to consumers in a variety of marketplaces from sustainable crop and livestock production systems.

Indicator: Greater availability of local foods

Method: Observation, self-reporting

Timeline: Year-to-year over the next decade

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Local producers and consumers

Project or Activity: Rooted in Shelby

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Proud, increasing awareness of local foods

Inputs: Kentucky Proud, local producers, local consumers, restaurants

Date: Year-round

Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Rooted in Shelby Pop-up Markets

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Proud, increasing awareness of local foods

Inputs: Rooted in Shelby Members

Date: July, September 2023

Audience: New-to-Farming and Small Farmers

Project or Activity: For Rookie Series

Content or Curriculum: UK publications

Inputs: UK publications, specialists, agents

Date: Spring 2024

Audience: Ag and Horticulture producers

Project or Activity: Produce Best Practices Training

Content or Curriculum: PBPT materials

Inputs: Powerpoint, specialists, agents

Date: Year-round

Audience: Ag and Horticulture Producers

Project or Activity: Private-Use Pesticide Training

Content or Curriculum: Private-Use Pesticide materials

Inputs: Private-use Pesticide materials, video, specialists, agents

Date: January/February 2024

Audience: 4-H School Clubs

Project or Activity: Entomology

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, Curriculum

Inputs: Agents and Staff

Date: Nov 2023

Audience: Farmers Market Vendors

Project or Activity: Farmers Market Regulations KCARD Seminar 

Content or Curriculum: Farmers Market Regulations

Inputs: Farmers Market and KCARD

Date: February 2024

Updated 5/5/2023

Success Stories