The Kentucky State University (KSU) Small Farm Program is an Extension program designed to help farm families with decision-making skills to solve farm and home problems. It includes educational programs that emphasize farm production, farm management, and marketing.  It also includes the use and understanding of local county programs and USDA agencies and their programs, plus providing technical assistance in completing applications for the program and the entire application process.  The KSU Small Farm Program’s Area Agent for Small Farms works with small, limited-resource, and minority farmers, most of whom have not used Extension prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.  He targets minority farmers, farmers who are new to Extension, or farmers who think that Extension is not for them.  First he has to gain their confidence.  Then he has to show them that he can help them to meet some of their needs. 

This is his experience with one family that requested technical assistance in Madison County, Kentucky.

Two youth minority brothers in Madison County, Kentucky were approved by Farm Service Agency for a youth loan to purchase heifers.

Parents requested KSU Area Extension Agent to serve as an advisor for their two sons. It is a requirement of Farm Service Agency for individuals that qualify for a youth loan to have an advisor. 

The youth loan were approve in October 2020 for ten heifers. The youth are involved in a 4-H youth project for livestock in Madison County. The KSU Area Extension Agent recommended guidance to the parents of the youth on were to purchase some good quality heifers. Additionally the KSU Area Extension Agent provided vaccine recommendation from the KSU veterinarian.

On February 1, 2022 the youth had the opportunity to learned and experienced how to apply extension research based information, for record book keeping, procedures for their 10 heifers. As a result of this experience both youth will be able to keep farm records which will enable them to manage their heifer operation with Farm Service Agency in the amount of $ 5000 dollars each which they will be able to repay their youth loan.