Success Stories - Kentucky Extension Reporting System

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Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Cooperative Extension Service

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Impacts

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Fiscal Year: 2025

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Jul 1, 2024 - Jun 30, 2025

Success StoriesKentucky Extension Reporting System

Walk Your Way

Author: Brandy Napier

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

Clay County, Kentucky faces persistent health challenges that call for targeted, community-based solutions. In 2022, the county recorded 3,899 preventable hospital stays and 16,700 premature deaths—clear indicators of serious gaps in preventive care and chronic disease management. Self-reported data show 30% of residents rate their physical health as “poor to fair.”  The burden of chronic conditions is high: 38% of residents are obese; 18% of adults have diabetes; 48% have

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4-H Summit

Author: Julie Brown

Major Program: Leadership

4-H Summit is a transformative event for middle school youth, and this year's Summit was a success. With 115 middle school youth, 33 Teen Leaders, and 43 adults in attendance, the event highlighted the power of social activities, hands-on learning, and a supportive environment.Social activities are crucial for youth development. At 4-H Summit, 57% of attendees were motivated by the opportunity to meet new people, while 51% enjoyed spending time with friends. These interactions build social a

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The Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) Empowers Community Leaders (2025)

Author: Kelly May

Major Program: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association

RelevanceThe Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) has been working to improve the quality of life for families locally and globally for more than 93 years. KEHA’s mission and focus is leadership development, volunteer service, and education. Cooperative Extension professionals partner with, provide research-based education for, and advise KEHA at the local and state level as members develop and implement educational programs and projects. ResponseKEHA continues to work clo

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Campfire Cooking

Author: Kayla Lunsford

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

This time of year, everyone is thinking about fall activities. Camping and cooking over a fire is a great option for families because of its affordability and ease to plan. However, one barrier that may inhibit people from getting outdoors is a lack of knowledge on how to cook over an open flame, or possibly even how to start a fire in the first place.  The Garrard County Extension Office offered a program to educate on these topics. The goal was to educate participants on healthy outdoor r

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Cooking Through the Calendar in 2024!

Author: Kayla Lunsford

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

According to the CDC and data collected from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, only 9% of adults consumed the recommended amount of vegetables, and only 12% consumed the recommended amount of fruit. Because of barriers such as high cost, lack of availability and access, and perceived lack of ability to prepare and cook, many are going without the essential nutrients they need. In order to address those needs and provide continuing education, Lunch and Learn, a community f

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Growing Agriculture Enthusiasts: Exploring Local & State Agriculture through AG Academy Program

Author: Anna Meador

Major Program: Agriculture

Growing Agriculture Enthusiasts: Exploring Local & State Agriculture through AG Academy Program

AG Academy Program learns about sheep production with Dr. Ely at the University of Kentucky- College of Agriculture, Food & Environment Animal Sciences - Sheep Unit.U.S. Agriculture and American farmers play a crucial role for providing food, fiber and natural resources for a fast growing world.  “Unlike prior generations, consumers of today are not as connected with the land, the food grown on the land or the food they consume on a daily basis (Ten Eyck, 2000).”  The A

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Grants and Contract Funding for FCS Extension

Author: Kerri Ashurst

Major Program: Family Development General

Grant and Contract Funding for FCS Extensionby Kerri AshurstPlanning Unit: Family and Consumer SciencesMajor Program: Family Development GeneralDuring the reporting period, Dr. Ashurst directly received 3 grants/contracts totaling $446,180. One grant for $182,000 was received for the Military Teen Adventure Camp program to hold camps for service members and their teenage children to attend together to reconnect and focus on the parent-child relationship. A federal contract through

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Children, Youth and Families at Risk Professional Development and Technical Assistance

Author: Kerri Ashurst

Major Program: Family Development General

Dr. Ashurst has been a Federal Coach for USDA's Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Professional Development and Technical Assistance (PDTA) Center since January 2019 and Mr. Tyrone Atkinson has been a coach since April 2023. This is a multi-state subcontract with the University of Minnesota and Pennsylvania State University as the national leads. During the reporting period, Dr. Ashurst had a contract for 45% of her time as a federal coach and Mr. Atkinson had a contract for 35% of

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Extension Master Gardeners Valuable Contribution to the Community

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Gardening information is in demand with the continued popularity of growing vegetables, fruits, flowers, and maintaining the landscape and lawn.  With the help of trained Extension Master Gardener volunteers, who deliver science-based horticultural information, the Horticulture Extension Agent reaches more clientele with information on growing and maintaining vegetable gardens and landscape plants. They are a vital part of the outreach of the Cooperative Extension Service into the community

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Recipes for Life

Author: Asa Conkwright

Major Program: Recipes for Life

      The Grant County Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent collaborated with the Grant County Gifted Program to offer the "Recipes for Life" program to twenty-nine fifth grade students. The FCS Agent taught many lessons including MyPlate, kitchen safety, reading recipes, time management in the kitchen, and knife skills before the hands-on cooking experience. The FCS program assistant taught lessons on handwashing and family traditions. Additionally, the FCS agent, f

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Reviving Float Beds for New Crop Opportunities in CEA

Author: Qinglu Ying

Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial

Interest in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is rapidly increasing in Kentucky, as it provides an opportunity to grow local, year-round fruits and vegetables. Among all the hydroponic systems, many former tobacco growers already have access to float bed systems, originally used to grow tobacco transplants. These systems are underutilized and present a cost-effective option for producing high-value crops like leafy greens and vegetable transplants. However, there is limited guidance avail

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Money Habitudes

Author: Joan Bowling

Major Program: Financial Education - General

The financial challenges faced by older adults are well-documented, with millions of seniors living at or below the federal poverty level. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), more than 17 million Americans aged 65 and older are living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which equates to an income of $30,120 per year for a single person in 2024. These financial hardships are often compounded by rising housing costs, increasing healthcare expenses, a lack of transpo

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Participants Learned about the Importance of Lightning Bugs in the Environment

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Lightening bugs, also called fireflies, bring back childhood memories.  It was determined that teaching about lightening bugs would educate participants about this insect, how it fits into the ecosystem, and why it seems like not as many are seen today.  In addition, this opportunity provided a way to explain that all insects are not pests.   The Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service, Green River Area Extension Master Gardeners, and the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden wor

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Bull Value Assessment Program

Author: Rebecca Konopka

Major Program: Beef

Bull Value Assessment Program

Describe the Issue or Situation.The 2022 Census of Agriculture reports that there are over $2.7 million in cattle sales annually in Carter County.   However, beef producers in Eastern Kentucky have long faced challenges in selecting bulls that enhance herd productivity and market value. Producers often rely on visual appraisal or word-of-mouth when choosing breeding stock—methods that lack precision and sometimes lead to disappointing results.  Describe the Outreach or Educationa

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Farm and Home Show: A Powerful Platform for Extension Outreach

Author: Joanna Coles

Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy

For over two decades, the Warren County Extension Service has partnered with the Farm and Home Show to deliver timely, research-based information from the University of Kentucky to households across South Central Kentucky. This 5-minute educational television segment airs on WBKO-13’s ABC and Fox affiliates, reaching a broad and diverse audience with content that supports both farm and home life.Since July 1, 2024, Warren County Extension Agents have produced, edited, and aired an impressi

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Tasty Tuesdays Takes Over Second Street School's Preschool

Author: Carla Carter

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Tasty Tuesdays Takes Over Second Street School's Preschool

Tasty Tuesdays Takes Over Second Street School's PreschoolBackground: Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States, affecting 1 in 5 children. Recent studies estimate that 57% of today’s children will be obese by age 35. Poor nutrition, starting early in life, contributes to various health issues such as chronic constipation, gastrointestinal reflux, urinary tract infections, bedwetting, difficulty paying attention, anxiety, and fatigue.Program Overview: Dr. Y

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Park Tree ID Tags

Author: Rebecca Konopka

Major Program: Forest Education: Health, Management, and Utilization

Park Tree ID Tags

Describe the Issue or Situation.According to the Kentucky Energy & Environment Cabinet, Kentucky is second in the United States for the most diverse hardwood species mix.  Forty-eight percent or 12.4 million acres of Kentucky is forestland and eighty-eight percent of Kentucky's forestland is owned by private landowners.   The 2022 Census of Agriculture shows that 33% of the farmland in Carter County is woodlands.  The county seat of Carter County, Grayson, is known as the

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PROFIT: Promoting Recovery Online through Financial Instruction and addiction Training

Author: Leslie Workman

Major Program: Substance Use Recovery - FCS

The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service conducted Statewide Community Needs Assessments in 2019 and 2023 to identify and prioritize community needs, issues, and/or opportunities that the UK Cooperative Extension System could address through targeted educational programming and engagement efforts. “Support for substance use addiction prevention/recovery” was among the top 15 priority issues reported statewide in 2019 and again in 2023. Undoubtedly Kentuckians hav

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Acting Associate Dean & Director — Craig Wood, Ph.D.
S107 Ag. Science Center North
Lexington, KY 40546-0091
+1 (859) 257-4302

© 2024 University of Kentucky, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment