Extension
It Starts With Us
Agriculture Awareness and Sustainabilty
Environmental & Agricultural Awareness & Sustainability
Corinne Belton, Regina Browning
Chemical Crop Management Tools
Sustainable Agriculture
Local Food Systems
Chemical Livestock Management Tools
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.
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.
Chemical application at its best is simultaneously safe, effective, economical and environmentally-conscious. Achieving each of these attributes for plant and livestock pest management is an ongoing educational process for a variety of groups, including farm managers and workers, point-of-sale employees, gardeners, crop advisors, and industry and government agency representatives. This process will include educational sessions, hands-on demonstrations, test plots, coordinated recommendations, and site-specific farm visits by various extension personnel. In addition to timely and relevant updates on chemicals, focus areas are chemical safety, efficacious usage, and integration of diversified approaches alongside chemicals. Attention to these foci will benefit not only applicators, but anyone who comes in contact with Kentucky livestock for food or enjoyment, with agricultural fields, or who uses Kentucky food, fuel and fiber crops as part of everyday life.
*Increase access to local foods in restaurants, retail outlets, school and other institutions
*Maintain or increase consumer confidence/demand in local foods
*Improve sustainability of animal livestock production systems
*Reduction of drift related complaints and damage
*Reduction of crop injury due to pesticide applications (rate, compatibility, application conditions)
*Develop an Ag Plan using decision making tools
*Diversify the types and varieties of produce grown and sold
*Apply food safety practices and/or procedures
*Home Based Microprocessing Certification
*USDA GAP Certification
*Market agricultural products locally
*Use diagnostic services to identify insects, livestock diseases, plant diseases and weeds
*Use diagnostic agent, specialist, veterinarian, UK VDL recommendations
*Evaluate chemical storage, handling and disposal
*Adopt recommended application techniques
*Review types and varieties of produce
*Interpret food safety handling procedures
*Understand procedures for safe food processing
*Identify production methods and agricultural food products that extend the growing season
*Read and comprehend directions for applying chemicals (timing, application conditions)
*Observe proper chemical handling, storage and cleanup in home, farm or business
*Chemical selection, mixing, compatibility
*Understanding IPM (triggers, thresholds, etc)
*Awareness of concern due to antibiotic resistance in livestock chemicals
*Proper identification of livestock diseases
*Understanding drift mitigation methods
*Identify pesticide-sensitive areas around fields
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
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
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
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: New-to-Farming and Small Farmers
Project or Activity: For Rookie Series
Content or Curriculum: UK publications
Inputs: UK publications, specialists, agents
Date: Oct/Nov 2017
Audience: Ag and Horticulture producers
Project or Activity: USDA GAP Training
Content or Curriculum: GAP materials
Inputs: GAP materials, video, specialists, agents
Date: Year-round
Audience: Livestock Producers
Project or Activity: Cattle Care & Handling
Content or Curriculum: Cattle Care & Handling curriculum
Inputs: Cattle Care & Handling curriculum, video, agents, specialists
Date: Spring 2018
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 2018
Audience: Livestock Producers
Project or Activity: Beef Quality Assurance Training
Content or Curriculum: BQA curriculum
Inputs: BQA curriculum, video, agents, specialists
Date: Year-round
Audience: Grain Producers
Project or Activity: Grain Production Update
Content or Curriculum: Chemical management and safety publications
Inputs: UK publications, specialists, industry representatives, agents
Date: February 2018
Audience: 4-H School Clubs
Project or Activity: Entomology Lesson
Content or Curriculum: Entomology Curriculum, Insects
Inputs: Agents, Staff, 4-H Entomology publications
Date: Nov 2017
Author: Corinne Belton
Major Program: Agritourism Planning
The 2017 Shelby County Cooperative Extension field day at Mulberry Orchard was an enormous success. A large crowd of 305 people attended, despite high July temperatures and humidity. Mulberry Orchard is a local agribusiness and agritourism destination. Matt and Amanda Gajdzik were great hosts and also catered the meal through their Mulberry Kitchen. More than 250 guests pre-registered for the meal, with an additional 100 extra attendees who did not pre-register. Four large tents housed educ
Author: Corinne Belton
Major Program: Agritourism Planning
Comments from local users indicate Cooperative Extension remains a well-kept secret in Shelby County. As a means to change this perception the Shelby County Horticulture and Agriculture Council implemented the Shelby County Good Neighbors Farm Tour for the fifth consecutive year in hopes of promoting Extension programming while connecting the community to local agriculture.Cooperative Extension staff and a growing committee of Horticulture and Agriculture Council representatives and outside volu
