Extension
It Starts With Us
McCracken County Horticulture Education Outreach
Horticulture Education
Dossett, Moffitt, Alsip, Dodson, Davis, Hunter
Master Gardener
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Local Food Systems
Chemical Management
1. Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Horticulture Agent is regularly asked about issues encountered in the landscape and garden.
2. 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 that they have recieved.
3. 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: Ongoing
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 in the community
Project or Activity: Educational Programs, including but not limited to: Toolbox Series, County Flower Show, Gardening Programs
Content or Curriculum: Agent training, UK/KSU publications
Inputs: UK and KSU Agents, volunteers and UK /KSU Specialists
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Training of EMG of 12 sessions of approximately 2 hours in length. Sessions taught by Agents, Specialists
Curriculum:•Cooperative Extension/ Volunteerism •Basic Botany. •Soils and Fertility. •Plant Pathology. •Entomology•Pesticides, IPM and Pesticide safety.
Additional Topics defined by the McCracken County Horticulture 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
The McCracken County Jail reached out to me about conducting a Horticulture based program at their facility for the female inmates. They wanted to provide resources to their inmates while they are incarcerated. So, each week I put on the program in their 'pre-trail' room at the jail so they would be able to participate in this program. The inmates loved the horticulture programs that I put on at the county jail. The Chief Deputy set in for a couple classes, and he was thrilled at th
