Author: Carol Hinton
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture
Success StoryThank you, you helped us save our cropAfter working with a new crop entrepreneur I had the call that all agents want to hear, “Thank You; you helped me save my crop!’ Our office has always had an open door to any question or concern that came through our door, no matter how off the wall it was, or how difficult it was to answer. Our open door policy keeps us up to date with what growers are thinking, or doing or what they are questioning. I have been able
Author: Emily Pfeufer
Interest in farmers’ market production has been on the rise in Clark County and Kentucky. The number of farmer markets in Kentucky has vastly grown in the last decade along with the number of “Kentucky Proud” farmers. As of 2017, there were 160 farmers’ markets in the state of Kentucky, and a total of more than 2,700 farmers’ market vendors. At the Clark County Farmers’ Market in Winchester alone, the number of vendors has increased from 6 in 20
Author: Paul Andrew Rideout
Kentucky Master Logger WebTV- Live Program Provides Training Closer to HomeOn February 6th, 2018 UK Forestry Extension broadcast a live Logger Web TV Program to 25 counties strategically distributed around the state, from the Webcast studio in the Forestry Extension Office. Assistance from the county agents and supporting staff was critical to the success of this program. Counties opened their offices up, assisted with registration, answering and conveying questions, and much more. By hosting th
Author: Brett Wolff
In 2017, I led the development of a successful $50,000 grant proposal to the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to develop a new marketing curriculum for small commercial horticulture producers in Kentucky. Many of these producers fall between the large home garden scale and the small wholesale scale and their needs for marketing training and development are quite unique. This curriculum is adaptable and allows producers to customize the curriculum by choosing from a list of plug and play module
Author: Daniel Becker
Andrew Hammonds, owner of Koru Gardens, in Lone Oak, McCracken County is an ongoing cooperator. Vegetables and small fruit crops are used to supply a seasonal, share based CSA as well as local farmers markets. Koru Gardens distinguishes itself from other suppliers locally by being the only one that uses organic inspired production practices for all products. In entirety the area of horticultural plantings at Koru Gardens totals approximately five acres, three in vegetable crops and two in small
Dr. David Hall, owner of Black Oak Vineyards and Medicine Man Winery was a cooperator for two years growing approximately 1/8 of an acre of mixed vegetables each year located at his farm in Princeton, Caldwell County. The vegetables grown on-site were used to supply a portion of the fresh produce for the Timberdoodle restaurant, attached to the winery. Prior to participation, bare soil management practices for vegetable production were conducted. Bare soil management resulted in significant labo
Lake Barkley Vineyards located in Eddyvile, Lyon County and owned by Bill Wesselak is a 6 acre vineyard composed of approximately one acre sections of the grape cultivars ‘Noiret’, ‘Chambourcin’, ‘Foch’, ‘Chardonel’, ‘Cabernet franc’, and ‘Riesling’, with a small quarter acre section of ‘Catawba’. Prior to participating in the program Mr. Wesselak was experiencing severe crop losses and reduction in grape quality
Author: Christy Cassady
Kentucky is home to 53,967 farms of fewer than 140 acres (Census of Agriculture, 2012), and the state’s small farmers rely on up-to-date production and marketing information to help them make the best decisions for their operations. Part of that decision-making process involves determining which crops to grow based on profit potential. Enterprise budgets are tools that farmers can use to help make those decisions. As part of a 2016 Kentucky Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Kentucky Depa
Author: Deborah Stumbo
One of the primary emphasis for the Pike County ANR has been acquiring grants, both for the Farmers Market and for the individual farmers. During 2017-18 year the Pike County Farmers Market has attained $101,000 in grant money for Farmers Market improvements/expansion, market manager assistance and the Double Dollars/WIC/SR Vouchers programs. The Farmers Market was able to produce results from the previous year to the tune of Farmers taking in just over $161,000. Part of the su
Author: Lorilee Kunze
There is an increased demand in popular culture for local food, reduced chemical usage and in preserving your own food. In Bullitt County the Orchard Production Series helps to address this growing interest. The Orchard Production series teaches homeowners to grow and properly manage fruit trees. Allowing residents to grow low impact (agriculturally sound practices) fruit, and increase production while minimized efforts and chemical usage. Using research based information from KSU and U of K, th
Author: Joshua Knight
KYNURSERIES-L Listserv: KYNURSERIES-L@lsv.uky.eduAt the end of each month, a Nursery Extension Bulletin is sent out to a growing list of growers, nursery workers and Extension personnel. These bulletins include articles using full color imagery provided by major units housed at the University of Kentucky associated with nursery crop production including plant pathology, entomology, Extension horticulture, AgWeather, and the Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist. The monthly collection o
Nursery Crops Extension Research Website: https://NCER.ca.uky.eduPrior to 2015, various websites had been developed to provide information to the green industry in Kentucky. Ranging from topics such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and regulatory information to upcoming green industry events. As these websites were developed using funding from a variety of sources and a range of developer tools, their maintenance responsibilities and locations were scattered and the sites thems
Author: Shawn Wright
As part of a previous SCBG we have established hopyards at RCARS and South Farm Rhizomes were planted in 2018 and the project is continuing. We have the only metal trellis system in the state of Kentucky at RCARS though there has been interest from potential growers.
Author: Rachel Rudolph
A producer contacted me from Clay county. He said that he wanted to plant about 3 acres of cucumbers this spring and wanted my advice on planting and installation practices. We spoke on the phone for about an hour where I provided detailed information on timing of direct seeding and transplanting cucumber. We spoke about laying black plastic for the raised beds and whether or not he should trellis the plants once they begin to grow. We also spoke about his plans to market and sell the cucumbers
Author: Nicole Gauthier
Fire blight is the most economically important disease of apples in Kentucky. It is estimated that 50-80% of the 962 acres of apple in Kentucky may be infected with the disease each year. Risk for infection varies from year to year and orchard to orchard as it is dependent on weather conditions. Growers in Kentucky must be diligent in chemical application to prevent fire blight bacteria from infecting trees. Historically growers have made applications every 5-7 days without consideration for ris
Kentucky fruit growers produce specialty crops such as apples, pears, peaches, and berries valued at $7.8 million (2012 US Census of Agriculture). In order to produce high quality, marketable fruit it is necessary to apply chemicals. These applications are used to mitigate damage from plant diseases and insects, or to impact plant growth. Chemicals are applied in both conventional and organic production systems. While necessary, chemicals add a large cost to the price of production. Thus growers
Kentucky fruit growers produce specialty crops such as apples, pears, peaches, and berries valued at $7.8 million (2012 US Census of Agriculture). In order to produce high quality, marketable fruit, it is necessary to apply fungicides and insecticides. These applications are used to mitigate damage from plant diseases and insects, or to impact plant growth. Fungicides and insecticides are applied in both conventional and organic production systems. While necessary, chemicals add a large cost to
Author: Andy Mills
As our world is ever changing we try to change with it. This filters down to even our simple backyard garden. In order to get more youth involved in agriculture and growing their own vegetables, the Great Pumpkin Pursuit committee decided to try to stimulate interest in a grafting project. This ANR agent collaborated with the local ag teachers and did a two day course at the high school on grafting watermelons. The first session was in the classroom explaining and teaching why grafting is used.
