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

2025 Kentucky 4-H State Livestock Skillathon Contest

Author: Wyatt Banks

Major Program: Agriculture

Describe the Issue or Situation.The Kentucky 4-H State Livestock Skillathon Contest allows participants to apply learned animal science principles in simulated real-world situations. From meats evaluation to quality assurance and wool judging to breeding scenarios, this contest challenges youth to be well rounded stockmen and women that can perform the daily tasks required to be successful contributors in the field of animal agriculture. Not to mention, in preparing for, and competing in, this c

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2025 Kentucky 4-H State Livestock Juding Contest

Author: Wyatt Banks

Major Program: Agriculture

Describe the Issue or Situation.The Kentucky 4-H State Livestock Judging Contest is an intense competition where youth evaluate 10-12 classes of both breeding and market cattle, sheep, goats, and swine. Additionally, the contest entails a questions portion where contestants are quizzed over their recall of specific animal ID's and descriptions within a class. Finally, contestants are challenged with the task of verbally describing, and explaining their thought process behind placing, certain

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Big Blue Book Club Shares Personal Finance Content in a “Novel” Way (2025)

Author: Kelly May

Major Program: Financial Education - General

Relevance Finding novel ways to engage clients can be challenging. Book clubs have been used as learning tools in a variety of fields as a way to improve critical thinking, reasoning skills, empathy, and practical application of knowledge. The Big Blue Book Club began as a statewide Extension programming effort during the COVID-19 pandemic. It offered engaging, educational programming despite barriers to traditional face-to-face instruction methods. The modality was effective, and therefore

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CYFAR PCYE (Promoting Change through Youth Engagement) Project Year 1

Author: Tyrone Atkinson

Major Program: Family Development General

Youth need life skills. They are the essential tools that help them navigate real-world challenges, build healthy relationships, and make informed decisions as they transition into adulthood.  Communication, critical thinking, emotional regulation, goal setting, and conflict resolution are foundational for success in school, the workplace, and in life. In communities facing hardship, inequities, or limited access to opportunity, life skills become even more crucial for helping you

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Service to underserved Amish communities producing tobacco

Author: William Bailey

Major Program: Tobacco

Describe the Issue or Situation.In the past 5 years there has been a significant increase in the number of Amish tobacco farmers moving to Kentucky.  Although many have some experience growing tobacco, they are not familiar with best practices for tobacco production in Kentucky.Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).Special efforts have been made to make farm visits to new Amish tobacco farms to diagnose problems and provide information to improv

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Changing for the Sake of Nature

Author: Eric Comley

Major Program: Natural Resources

Michael Clarke, in an interview about the state of our knowledge regarding nature, described a new phenomena regarding the inability of individuals to know their local species of animals and plants. This disconnect from local natural systems prompted the Garrard County 4-H Youth Development (YD) Agent, in collaboration with the Garrard County FFA Advisor, to start and sustain an Envirothon Team at Garrard County High School. The program was implemented in 2016 and the inaugural group gradua

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Kentucky Saves Week 2025 Spreads Savings Message

Author: Kelly May

Major Program: Financial Education - General

Kentucky Saves Week 2025 Spreads Savings Message

Kentucky Saves is led by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service as part of the national America Saves campaign. The week of April 7-11, 2025, was officially declared Kentucky Saves Week by the state governor, and encourages individuals and families to save money and build personal wealth. The Kentucky Saves Campaign at www.kentuckysaves.org, is co-coordinated by Dr. Nichole Huff, Assistant Extension Professor, and Kelly May, Senior Extension Associate, both specializing in Fami

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Farm Management, Economics and Policy

Author: Kendal Bowman

Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy

Describe the Issue or Situation.  Agricultural landowners, farmers, Extension Agents for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and other interested persons are in need of a reliable source of information for determining the value of agricultural land and cash rental rates for agricultural land.  Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable). Kentucky Agricultural and Natural Resource agents worked with Dr. Greg Halich from the Martin Gatton Colle

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Agriculture and 4-H Youth Development Joint Programming QPR Suicide Prevention Training

Author: Kendal Bowman

Major Program: Mental Health and Well-being - ANR

Owen County, KY is primarily farmland and agriculture based. According to the 2022 KY Census and County Profile, 61% of land in Owen County is dedicated to agriculture. Farmers are one of the highest-concern individuals when it comes to Suicide attempts and ideations. According to Norrod, P. E., Sanderson, W. T., Abner, E. L., Seals, J., & Browning, S. in the Journal of Rural Mental Health published in 2023, “Trend analysis revealed a statistically significant 2.4% annual percent chang

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Campfire Cooking

Author: Eric Comley

Major Program: Community Engagement

Campfire Cooking

In a September 2024 online article by the American Red Cross, 11 survival skills were detailed in an effort to help people become more prepared for a situation that demands basic skills and minimal preparation to stay alive (https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/articles/11-survival-skills-to-know). Articles, like this one, are the result of a movement for people to become more self-reliant and an increase in outdoor recreation participation (https://outdoorindustry.org/press-release/o

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Natural Resources and Environmental Science Institute Thrives

Author: Eric Comley

Major Program: Natural Resources

The Kentucky 4-H Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Academy (NRESci) empowers youth across the state to explore key environmental topics—including water, forestry, wildlife, and entomology—cultivating a deeper understanding and lasting appreciation for Kentucky’s vital natural resources.Building Environmental LiteracyThe Kentucky 4-H Youth Development Program strives to increase environmental literacy among youth in Kentucky. Every five years (since 1999) the Kentucky

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Senior Farmers Market Nutrition

Author: Carol Hinton

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Describe the Issue or Situation.Senior Citizens need an avenue for fresh fruits and vegetables.Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).Extension Office, Food Pantry, Good Samaritan, and Senior Citizen centerProvide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience.Breckinridge County recieved $7500 for 150 participants to receive a $50 card to be used at the Farmers Market.Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that

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Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference

Author: Eric Comley

Major Program: Leadership

The 2025 Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference was held at the University of Kentucky from June 10th to 13th, continuing its long-standing tradition of empowering youth through leadership, education, and service. This year’s conference welcomed a total of 528 participants, including 365 youth delegates, 35 State Teen Council members, 24 State Board members from SET, NRESci, and SSTAB, 80 4-H Agents, 9 4-H Program Assistants, 7 4-H Interns, and 8 volunteers. The event was designed to foster leadersh

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KY Military Teen Adventure Camps 2024-2025

Author: Tyrone Atkinson

Major Program: Family Development General

Military families often face unique challenges, such as frequent relocations and extended deployments, which can lead to emotional distance and strained communication. One of the stressors that many military families face is missing key moments in their teens' lives. These moments can include birthdays, graduations, sporting events, and much more.  KY Military Teen Adventure camps (MTAC) were created to provide families with an opportunity to enjoy moments that may be missed.  This

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GAP Training recording provided for tobacco growers unable to attend live training

Author: William Bailey

Major Program: Tobacco

Describe the Issue or Situation.Over 900 tobacco growers in Kentucky are trained in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) annually by tobacco extension specialists.  Although there are over 20 live training opportunities offered around the state, some growers are unable to attend in-person training.  Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).Tobacco extension specialists and representatives from GAP Connections make presentations on agronomic and e

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4-H Camp

Author: Hannah Ratliff

Major Program: Camping

Oldham County 4-H had a very successful year at Lake Cumberland 4-H Camp. This year Oldham had the 3rd largest county camp attendance on record, with 308 campers, 29 age 15-17 teen leaders, 49 adults, and 5 extension staff. Oldham County chose a camp theme of "Up, Up, and Away" and hosted county classes such as Rockets and Aerospace to widen campers' understanding of engineering, aerodynamics, gravity, and more, in terms of flight exploration. In addition, an educational visit from

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Extension Minute

Author: Carol Hinton

Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy

Describe the Issue or Situation. Breckinridge County is a vast county in area, occupations and lifestyles.  We reach clients in numerous avenues, but improvements can always be made.  This became apparent when recruiting individuals for Annie’s Project.  The program brought in families that were not on our mailing lists, approximately 25% of the participants had not visited the Extension Service.     Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Respo

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Equine Farm Expo for Horsemen

Author: Beau Neal

Major Program: Equine

In order to help equine producers be efficient and profitable, Central Kentucky County Extension Agents for Agriculture & Natural Resources collaborated with Ag Equine Programs to offer the Equine Expo.  I hosted the event right here in Woodford County at River Mountain Farm. The assistance of long-time business community sponsors allowed producers to see what the latest offerings are in farm machinery, equine nutrition products, and numerous other necessities for equine operations.&nbs

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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