Author: Rachel Rudolph
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Water Use Efficiency is the ratio between effective water use and actual water withdrawal (FAO). Drip irrigation is estimated to be 90-95% efficient, while surface irrigation is 60% efficient, and sprinkler irrigation is approximately 50% efficient. Although drip irrigation is by far the most efficient and is the recommended form of irrigation for vegetable production, many new Kentucky growers do not use drip irrigation and do not know how to set up a drip irrigation system.A Beginning Farmer I
In late May 2024, a commercial applicator applied herbicides to a field adjacent to a 10-acre commercial field containing squash and melon. It was a windy day and the product drifted and damaged the entire cucurbit field. Although unintentional, this was an off-label application of several products and is not permitted. The grower contacted UK Extension, starting with his county agent. That agent contacted KDA to document the damage as well as UK Extension Vegetable Specialist, Rachel Rudolph. R
Author: Brett Wolff
In 2015, the Center for Crop Diversification team hired me as an Extension Staff member. Part of my task for the first year was to overhaul the considerable website and make it more accessible, trackable, and user-friendly. We launched the site on January 1, 2016 and have seen tremendous growth and sustained interest between then and now. Between 2016 and 2023, we saw:1.12 million publication downloads1.23 million pageviews306,339 visitors491,513 sessions20018 user hours on site (834 Days)A
Author: Shawn Wright
The problemThe lead editor for the publication has left academia for a public sector position and we had nobody willing to take lead on the regional publicationThe educational program responseI have coordinated the fall meeting where we will determine if and how the regional publication will continueThe participants/target audienceCommercial fruit producers across the MidwestOther partners (if applicable)Multiple universities.Program impact or participant response. The publication will hope
Author: Glen Roberts
Participants: Young farmer and her husband, Extension ANR Agent and Assistants.The supply of local produce does not meet the demand in May and throughout the month of June at our Farmers Market. USDA grants through the Natural Resources and Conservation Service offer potential to help in this area. One roadblock to this is an NRCS rule that the recipient of the grant has to agree not to use artificial heat for the first few years. A potential solution to this is to build
The problemThe ANR Agent along with support from all program areas has entered into a partnership with the local school food service program to provide fresh sweet corn. The sweet corn is grown on the school campus and is processed by volunteers and students. Silking the sweet corn is the greatest labor requirement. The educational program responseWe found out from an ANR Agent in another county in Kentucky that her family had a sweet corn silking machine that they used to add
Author: Delia Scott
The Beginning Farmer Irrigation Basics Webinar and In-Person Workshop Series was created in response to discussions and feedback received from producers at the 2023 KY Fruit and Vegetable Conference. I worked with UK Dept. of Horticulture faculty to develop this series for those new to irrigation. The series consisted of a webinar followed by an in-person workshop held at the UK Horticulture Research Farm. The webinar and in-person workshop were free and open to beginning farmers, county a
Author: Kristin Hildabrand
Social media presents an incredible marketing opportunity for farmers. The Warren County Extension Agents for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Horticulture developed a social media series targeting farmers' market vendors, agritourism operators, KY Proud partners, and on-farm business owners. Utilizing University of Kentucky resources and industry standards, they created a three-part series that consisted of classroom instruction, hands-on activities, one-on-one coaching, and after-clas
Author: Kara Back-Campbell
The Taylor County Farmers’ Market has previously had low vendor and customer numbers for several years. Last year there was a considerable increase in the numbers of vendors with a total of ten. This season the numbers of customers and vendors have increased even more to a total of 15 vendors and over one thousand customers as of June twenty-ninth. This has improved the financial well-being of the vendors and allows customers to buy locally grown produce. One vendor sta
Author: Robert Kirby
According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a person should consume fruits and vegetables daily as part of a healthy eating pattern to reduce their risk for chronic diseases such as, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and obesity. According to the CDC, children are eating more fruit, but their fruit and vegetable intake is still too low. Recommendations by the USDA range from 1-2 cups for fruits and 1-3 cups for vegetables. In Knox County, Kentucky, the
Author: Daniel Becker
Phillip McCartney is interested in growing blueberries but his site is not conducive to production. His soil pH is near neutral; blueberries require a soil pH between 4.5-5.2 to survive. The soil is also clayey and poorly drained which would cause root rot issues for blueberries. However, he lives near several major metropolitan areas (Louisville and Covington) where there is substantial demand for fresh market produce. Through conversation with the Extension Associate (Daniel Becker) and exchan
Lynn Grogan of Pea Ridge Farm participated in the Kentucky Horticulture council Small Fruits Initiative. She was wishing to expand her high tunnel strawberry operation and incorporate vertical "stacker" pots. Her interest in this production system was due to a desire to utilize vertical space more effectively and as a way to reduce joint strain during harvest. Her participation in the grant program and with help from the extension associate (Daniel Becker) acting as a technical advisor
The Taylor County Farmers’ Market has struggled for several years in customer attendance. The horticulture agent has implemented several events and programs throughout the season to attract more customers. One of the events that was new for the season was a summer bash. It consisted of various activities for kids and families such as: 4th of July crafts, planting activities, and free food samples. As a result of the summ
Author: Adam Huber
Pumpkin Filed Walk Pumpkin production is on the increase in South Central Kentucky and Allen County ranks #1 in the state for vegetable and melon production, therefore we have a lot of growers in our county and many of them are pumpkin growers. The current demand of locally grown agriculture products, and the booming agritourism industry have opened a market for locally grown pumpkins. Pumpkins, as with all cucurbits, present unique challenges during the heat and humidity of Kentucky&
South Central Kentucky has many producers that operate commercial and home orchards, specifically apples and peaches. In response to the growing number of fruit producers and the need for fruit tree pruning education, the West 8 Agriculture Agents put together a hands-on workshop to help growers with tree care and proper pruning methods. In February 2024 a fruit tree pruning workshop was held on the farm of the Dennison family in Hart County. The Dennison family are long time fruit producer
Author: Alexis Amorese Sheffield
"Hort Culture," a new weekly podcast created by the Boyle and Bourbon County Horticulture Agents and Experts from the Center for Crop Diversification at the University of Kentucky. With a library of 68 episodes and an impressive 6.75K downloads, this podcast has become a beacon of knowledge and inspiration for agriculture enthusiasts and aspiring farmers alike.What sets "Hort Culture" apart is its unwavering dedication to educating listeners about the multifaceted world of fa
Author: Anthony Tackett
"Hort Culture," a new weekly podcast created by the Boyle and Bourbon County Horticulture Agents and Experts from the Center for Crop Diversification at the University of Kentucky. With a library of 68 episodes and over 6700 downloads to date, this podcast has become a ongoing source of knowledge and information for both home gardeners and commercial producers.What sets "Hort Culture" apart is its unwavering dedication to educating listeners about the multifaceted world
Author: Gary Bell
Edmonton is the seat of Metcalfe County and has only two small grocery stores selling fresh produce. The produce on offer at the groceries is often poor in quality, limited variety, and costly. The Metcalfe County Farmers Market (MCFM) started in 2008 by the Metcalfe County Extension Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences and Agriculture Education in response to repeated requests from community members for access to purchasing locally grown produce. MCFM operates on Extension
