Author: Mattea Mitchell
Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture
The Four River Counties is bountiful with agriculture. With an impressive 83.53% of the land in all four river counties is used for crop production, it is easy to say that agriculture holds a strong presence in these communities. Working together as one, a committee was developed to highlight agriculture in Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman County.The first annual WAVE River Counties AG Day was held at Fort Jefferson Cross Memorial in Wickliffe on July 13. The theme “Lets
Author: David Hull
The rising costs of labor, insurance, machinery, seed, feed, fertilizer, and every other thing needed to run a farm business of any kind has made it increasingly difficult for farms to operate in a sustainable fashion.As a result of efforts put forth by the Gallatin County Cooperative Extension Service, the Gallatin County Livestock Association, and the Gallatin County Agricultural Council, over 100,000.00 of Phase I Tobacco Settlement money was invested in Gallatin County agriculture in the for
Author: Glen Roberts
Collaborators: Ky Department of Agriculture, ANR agent Glen Roberts, Ky State University Small Farm Assistant , Danny Adams, Ky Farm Bureau Federation, Wayne County Farm Bureau Federation, Valley Farm Center, UK Beef Nutrition Specialist, UK Soils Specialist, and UK Biosystems and Engineering specialists Goals: Livestock and grain farmers are perceived as good stewards of the land. They farm in a sustainable environmentally friendly and profitable manner. Through attendance at beef cat
Author: Steven Musen
Due to declining world-wide demand for tobacco products, tobacco sales have fallen from a high of over 60%, to a current value of 23% of the total value of agriculture products sold in Jessamine County. House Bill 611 and the implementation of the Governor’s Office of Ag. Policy’s (GOAP) Agriculture Development Fund and the County Ag. Investment Program (CAIP) has allowed for the allocation over $3.1 million, over a 16-year period. These funds have been used to assist in the restruct
Author: Nicholas Carter
In the fall of 2012 Fayette County was invited to assemble a three member team to attend the Beef Cattle IRM Leadership program and tour in Ashville North Carolina. During this very beneficial and useful program it was determined that one of the major issues affecting the Agriculture Industry in Kentucky was that we needed to tell the story about Agriculture and educate the young people about Agriculture. In looking at that possibility in Fayette County it was determined that we would select six
Increasing the visibility and presence of Agriculture at the Lion’s Club Bluegrass Fair has been a priority of the Agriculture Advisory Council, Fayette County 4-H Council, Fayette County Extension Council, and the Lexington Lions Club since 2007. Extension Leaders, Volunteers, Agents, Locust Trace Agriculture Teachers, Fayette County Farm Bureau, and members of the Lexington Lions Club have worked together to make this a successful venture. This collaboration has increased the number of e
Since the passing of the tobacco buyout, tobacco production has declined significantly. Cooperative Extension Service was given the responsibility to create and facilitate the 9 members Ag Development Council. The council met and gathered facts from all areas of agriculture in Fayette County and created a comprehensive plan for agriculture. This council has reviewed and approved applications from various groups or individuals for improvement in area of needs highlighted in the comprehensive plan
Author: Winston Dunwell
Recently agriculture has suffered from a shortage of technically skilled employees with a knowledge of horticulture science and the opportunities available. Professional and academic societies have joined forces to offer marketing tools to students and youth. An example is Seed Your Future a program of Longwood Gardens and American Society of Horticultural Science with numerous financial supporters including green industry, societies, universities and individuals. In addition the Eas
Author: Lyndall Harned
Over the years, in Boyd County we have accumulated many pieces of shared use equipment, mostly by the Extension Office and the Conservation Office. To date we have 14 separate pieces of shared use equipment between us. Some we have bought together, some individually, and yet others with leveraging grants, including 5 through the Kentucky Ag Development Fund. Some is for use with livestock, some for forages, some for erosion control and soil conditioning. All of these pieces a
Author: Shad Baker
The Letcher County Extension Service has been an early promoter of the maple syrup industry in Kentucky. Those efforts have paid off with multiple producers of differing scales becoming producers. This year one of our producers made significant investments in increasing the size of his operation. Along with purchasing an evaporator and doubling the amount of tubing in his woodlands, he invested in the construction of a substantial sugaring house. This was spurred along based on the information h
Author: David Embrey
Edmonson County is a very rural, sparsely populated county and a large percentage of that population works outside of the county. Even so, the residents of the county have a wide range of interests and needs related to agriculture. In an effort to address as many of those needs and interests as possible, the County Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources offered a multitude of educational opportunities, that included state and regional programs such as the Southern Kentucky Pesticide Trainin
Author: Myron Evans
When The Tobacco Phase I Cost Share Program was enacted in 2004, non profit organizations were solicited in each county to administer the Tobacco Phase I Cost Share Program know as CAIP today. The Carter County Agriculture Advancement Council stepped up and volunteered to administer the program in Carter County. The Council has met almost monthly for the last 14 years to administer the program. In 2017, the council administered $130,000 to 46 producers in Carter County. This meant that $260,000
Author: Douglas Shepherd
In March and April 2017 several regional cattlemen's associations shipped numerous loads of hay, feed, fencing, posts, etc. to Protection, KS in a wildfire relief effort. One of our leaders happened to visit a livestock equipment booth at the National Farm Machinery Show in February 2018, looking for additional and specialized livestock handling equipment for our new Livestock Events Center that was under construction at the time. Just so happened the booth visited was Filson Liv
Author: Kathryn Wimberley
SITUATION: Forage and Livestock management are vital to Kentucky’s Agricultural economy. As livestock margins tighten, management strategies that enhance forage productivity, utilization and persistence along with efforts to optimize animal performance will improve long-term viability of forage-based livestock systems in the state.In July of 2017, the McCracken County Agent for Horticulture began to cover the needs of the local farmers. With the Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR)
Author: Chadwick Conway
Throughout the year, the Knott County Agricultural & Natural Resource (ANR) Agent, conducts several different programs with a various range of audiences. During these meetings and interactions with clients they complete a survey to give their thoughts on how to improve the current program and give ideas for new programs. The agent gains a numerous amount of feedback from these surveys. After reviewing past surveys and verbally discussing with clients on what they would want for a program, se
Author: Jason Phillips
2017 marked the 3rd Annual Agriculture Appreciation Breakfast which is held to raise awareness of National Farm-City Week in Simpson County. This event was presented by the Simpson County Extension Service in conjunction with the Simpson County Farm Bureau Federation, the Franklin-Simpson Chamber of Commerce and local farmers. It is held in November during National Farm-City week in downtown Franklin at the Franklin First United Methodist Church. This breakfast serves as an opp
Agriculture will continue to face many challenges both presently and in the future. A decreasing portion of the population has exposure to agriculture and how their food is produced. This certainly creates misconceptions and lack of education about food production in the United States. Long-term this will most certainly lead to increasing political and social challenges for agriculture. Amid these challenges, it is projected that current agricultural production must doubl
Author: Sharon Flynt
Ed Davis Youth Farm Camp is a partnership program of the local Extension Horticulture Program and Scott C. Parks and Recreation’s Ed Davis Learning Center. The goal is to provide a motivating agriculture experiences for minority urban and suburban youth far removed from agricultural environment. This year the camp focused on increasing awareness of sustainable agriculture practices and economic diversity. Youth were engaged in such activities as visiting the Kentucky State University
