Trevor Claiborn  Small Farms County Agent Assistant 11008654 

Success Story -6/2022

Kentucky State University, Area Small Farm Assistant  Provides council and assists in coordinating the design and construction of a Community Garden in Food desert in Fayette County Kentucky

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.  KSU Area Small Farm Assistant works with small, limited-resource, and minority farmers, most of whom have not used Extension prior to his intervention.  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.  He then must show them that he can help them to meet some of their needs. 

This is my experience with a network of organizations in Fayette County dedicated to addressing food insecurity in the St. Martins Village Community in Lexington.

In collaboration with Community Inspired Lexington, Mobile Mission, United Way, Dismas Charities, and St. Martins Village Neighborhood Association, and Thelmas’ Garden Education Center, I was tasked to take the lead on a community garden project at the Whitney Young Park in Fayette County via a grant that Rebecca Webb of (CIL) received through Parks & recreation and present to the neighbored association about the plan and layout of the proposed community garden to the members of the association. Previous attempts to build a community garden at this park had been denied, however I was able to present a concise, professional plan, provide information and answer questions to where the association voted unanimously to   move forward with the project.

One of the strategies to engage and involve the community was to plan a series of garden events. The objective of the events was to engage the community to come out and participate as well as learn how to create box gardens. The event was a huge success and well received by members of the community. My contribution was to advise the construction of the garden and coordinate the volunteers.

Currently the garden is thriving and has been useful to the community as not only a place that vegetables are produced but has also been used as an outdoor classroom for camps held at Whitney young park by CIL. This was designed to be a three-year project and thus far has been met with great feedback and participation form volunteers from the partnering organizations and surrounding community.