Daviess County CES

County Emphasis:

Strengthening Local Food System and Ag Industry

Concentration 1:

Plant Production and Management

Concentration 2:

Animal Production and Management

Concentration 3:

Small Farm Development

Concentration 4:

Sustainability, Natural Resources and Wildlife Management, and Environment

Situation:

Optimizing plant, crop, specialty crop, and forage production is paramount as Kentucky producers navigate the challenges of economics, climate variability, and evolving consumer demands. Key challenges and strategies to enhance sustainable practices across various agricultural domains include:  rising input costs (seeds, fertilizers, machinery), crop price fluctuations, knowledge of soil health, and water management to produce high yielding crops for long-term productivity.  Kentucky’s animal production and management strategies encompass sustainable practices, health-focused care, and economic viability across all species thus contributing significantly to the state’s agricultural landscape. Beef cattle play a crucial role in converting Kentucky’s vast 7 million acres of pasture and forage into valuable products. CES focuses on sustainable grazing practices and ensuring optimal use of natural resources like land and water.  Leadership is critical at several levels, from elected officials and internal management structure of organizations to project managers, team leaders, and those who inspire throughout a community. Thriving communities may require many leaders willing to take on leadership roles. And yet, it can be a challenge to identify new leaders or to encourage leaders to step up to the role without first building leadership capacity (CEDIK 2024). Respondents participating in the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Community Needs Assessment identified the need to build leadership capacity to enhance individual and family development and community and economic development.

County Situation:

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Achieve long-term adoption of practices that enhance soil productivity, conserve water, and optimize resource use, leading to resilient agricultural systems capable of withstanding economic and environmental fluctuations.
• Helping farm families successfully transition to subsequent generations. Helping new and beginning farmers enter farming operations.   
• Strengthen local economies through the continuous support of farmer’s markets, community gardens, and community-supported agriculture programs that are well-integrated with urban horticulture initiatives.
• Increased competitiveness for U.S. farmers and the agricultural industry
• Achieve long-term sustainability and resilience in agricultural practices through the widespread adoption of practices that enhance soil productivity, conserve water quality and quantity, and optimize resource use, leading to resilient agricultural systems capable of withstanding economic and environmental fluctuations.
• Work with farmers and those interested in farming on generational succession in farms to improve sustainability of the farms for generations.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive framework for disaster readiness and climate adaptation that includes advanced forecasting, crop selection, and management practices to prepare for extreme weather events.

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Participants gain confidence to lead
• Leaders are inspired to get more involved
• Leaders address community issues and needs
• Leaders recruit and engage others to participate in community projects
• Leaders mentor others
• Increased knowledge transfer through volunteer-led positions

Initial Outcomes:

• Strengthening financial literacy and well-being, including but not limited to, budgeting, spending wisely, saving, using credit responsibly, reducing debt, estate planning, fraud reduction, etc.
• Continuing education opportunities for commercial certified pesticide applicators to maintain CEUs from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture in the turf and ornamental category.
• Develop educational programs that focus on sustainable practices and risk management.
• Stakeholders are more aware of current and new and/or emerging disease issues.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:  Crop and landscape plant management awareness

Indicator:  Number of participants who gained knowledge about management practices, such as soil sampling and integrated pest management, etc., to use to maintain and manage home vegetable, fruit, and landscape plants while protecting the environment.

Method:  Survey

Timeline:  After meeting

Initial Outcome: Awareness of safe/effective pesticide application

Indicator: Knowledge gained about integrated pest management techniques.

Method: Survey

Timeline: After meeting

Initial Outcome: Short Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they understand animal production concepts and ideas

Method: Survey

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Initial Outcome: Short Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they understand plant production concepts and ideas

Method: Survey

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Initial Outcome:  Increased awareness about improved commercial crop production and marketing practices for specialty crops.

Indicator:  Number of producers who reported learning how to improve produce quality.

Method: Survey

Timeline: After meeting

Intermediate Outcome: Medium Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they used knowledge and/or skills gained in animal production to complete a project

Method: Survey

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Intermediate Outcome: Medium Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they adopted/applied one or more animal production practices

Method: Survey

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Commercial Farm Businesses

Project or Activity: Publication of 2025 grain variety yield demonstration

Content or Curriculum: Local data collection

Inputs: Cooperating farmers, seed supplier participation

Date: Fall 2025

Audience: Commercial Agriculture Financial Lenders

Project or Activity: Agricultural Lenders update

Content or Curriculum: UK Department of Agricultural Economics

Inputs: UK Extension Specialists

Date: December 2025

Audience: Commercial Farm Businesses

Project or Activity: Ag Expo 2026

Content or Curriculum: UK Department of Plant Pathology and Plant Science

Inputs: UK Extension Specialists

Date: January 28, 2026

Audience: Specialty Crop Growers/Vegetables and Fruits

Project or Activity: Programming for commercial or pre-commercial specialty crop management including disease and insect management.

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, fact sheets, emails and phone calls

Inputs: UK Extension Specialists, Horticulture Agent, meeting, virtual trainings, research and extension funding 

Date: Winter 2026

Audience: Commercial Pesticide Applicators

Project or Activity: CEU training for commercial pesticide applicators 

Content or Curriculum: UK pesticide training curriculum

Inputs: UK Extension Specialists, Horticulture Agent

Date: November 2025

Audience: Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Project or Activity: Produce Best Practices Training and Produce Safety Alliance Training

Content or Curriculum: UK Curriculum and Produce Safety Alliance Curriculum

Inputs: UK Specialists, horticulture agent

Date: ongoing

Audience: Home Horticulture Consumers

Project or Activity: Programming for home gardening and landscape management, including vegetable gardening

Content or Curriculum: UK Curriculum, publications, meetings, emails, phone calls and personal visits

Inputs: UK Extension Specialists, Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Program Assistant, Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: Agricultural producers and the public

Project or Activity: Insect pest, disease, and weed identification

Content or Curriculum: UK Curriculum, publications, clinical diagnoses

Inputs: UK Extension Specialists, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Program Assistant, diagnostic lab services

Date: Frequently throughout the year

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Livestock Program

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Animal Science Livestock Discovery Website, Kentucky Livestock Volunteer Certification Curriculum, Ohio State University (OSU) Livestock Resource Handbook, Ohio State University (OSU) Livestock Project and Record Book, Ohio State University (OSU) Learning Lab Kits, National 4-H Project Books and Helper’s Guide, Kentucky 4-H Livestock Program Overview, Kentucky 4-H Livestock Rules and Guidelines

Inputs: 4-H Agent, certified volunteers, state specialists

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: School Enrichment, SPIN Club

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum, Kentucky Ag and Environment in the Classroom, Inc., KY Food and Farm Facts, National Ag Day, National Ag and Environment in the Classroom

Inputs: 4-H Agent, Program Assistant, Volunteers, Certified Leaders

Date: 2025-2026

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Plant and Soil Science Programs

Content or Curriculum: Approved 4-H Curriculum, Junior Master Gardener Curriculums

Inputs: 4-H Agent, Program Assistant, Volunteers

Date: 2025-2026

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:  Crop and landscape plant management awareness

Indicator:  Number of participants who gained knowledge about management practices, such as soil sampling and integrated pest management, etc., to use to maintain and manage home vegetable, fruit, and landscape plants while protecting the environment.

Method:  Survey

Timeline:  After meeting

Initial Outcome: Awareness of safe/effective pesticide application

Indicator: Knowledge gained about integrated pest management techniques.

Method: Survey

Timeline: After meeting

Initial Outcome: Short Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they understand animal production concepts and ideas

Method: Survey

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Initial Outcome: Short Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they understand plant production concepts and ideas

Method: Survey

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Initial Outcome:  Increased awareness about improved commercial crop production and marketing practices for specialty crops.

Indicator:  Number of producers who reported learning how to improve produce quality.

Method: Survey

Timeline: After meeting

Intermediate Outcome: Medium Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they used knowledge and/or skills gained in animal production to complete a project

Method: Survey

Timeline: Immediate Post Program

Intermediate Outcome: Medium Term

Indicator: Number of youth who reported that they adopted/applied one or more animal production practices

Method: Survey

Timeline: Immediate Post Program