In order to expand Extension’s audience and build new community partnerships and educational content, Jefferson Co. Extension partnered with Jefferson Co. Soil & Water Conservation District and Kentuckiana Backyard Farms to host 6 classes (4 online and 2 in-person) on various aspects of urban agriculture. The class topics were selected based on an interest survey developed and distributed by the three organizations to determine how to best utilize their collective knowledge to meet community needs.

The four online classes focused on How to Get Your Garden Started (parts 1 & 2); Native Plants & Pollinators; and Perennial and Medicinal Plants. The online classes had an average attendance of 36 individuals, the majority of whom were first time participants with any of these organizations.

The two in-person classes focused on How to Raise City Chickens & How to Raise City Goats (respectively) and were hosted and taught by Kentuckiana Backyard Farms, a Black-owned urban farming operation in Louisville.  These two classes directly engaged 20 people total (due to space restrictions) but allowed for the partner organizations to gauge the demand for classes focused on urban livestock.

Through this new partnership, the three organizations plan to continue to collaborate in order to provide community-based education on a wider variety of urban agriculture topics based on the collective expertise and strengths of each partner and guided by community-interest.