Bullitt County’s geography and proximity to the Louisville Metro Area make it home to many part-time farmers holding a second, off-farm job. 90% of the 486 farms in Bullitt County reported less than $25,000 in annual sales in the 2017 Ag Census. However, being a part-time farmer is no less work when farm labor occurs before and after long shifts at a day job. The members of the Bullitt County Cattlemen’s Association are no exception to the hardworking character of Bullitt County farmers. With few full-time farmers, the association relies on a close relationship with the University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension Service in Bullitt County for support as the host location for meetings and the source for most of their educational speakers. In the time between 2020 and late 2021, Bullitt County did not have an Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Extension agent working at the Cooperative Extension Service. On top of that, cattle producers and the greater community that relies on programming from the Cooperative Extension Service faced programming cutbacks and cancelations during the ongoing COVID pandemic.

When the Bullitt County ANR Agent began in October 2021, the agent met with the leadership of the Bullitt County Cattlemen’s Association and made a plan to liven up the stagnant meeting routine that had developed over the previous years from the double challenge of the ANR Agent vacancy and COVID.

In the following months, the Bullitt County Cattlemen’s Association utilized some well-produced, recorded webinars by UK experts on topics such as managing reproductive efficiency of a herd and genetic improvement of a herd as the educational portion of their monthly meetings. At the November 2021 meeting, producers watched a webinar about improving cattle handling facilities featuring Dr. Joshua Jackson and Dr. Morgan Hayes, two Assistant Extension Professors in Biosystems Engineering. Inspired by the webinar, one producer had the ANR Agent and Dr. Jackson visit her farm and design a new cattle handling facility. She immediately reconfigured her old, inefficient facility and started installing the newly reimagined system that utilized mostly materials she already had on hand, saving on construction costs. She has reported saving more than an hour of labor each time she runs cattle through the system. When asked how it has improved her farm operation, she reported, “I have extra confidence [when using the improved cattle handling facility] because the cows are already in the alleyway ready to shuffle down the chute when I need them. It’s relaxing knowing you don’t have to chase cattle around.” Her improved facility drastically reduces handling stress for both the farmer and her cattle.

University of Kentucky experts visit farms across Kentucky with local Extension Agents to help farmers troubleshoot difficult challenges. These consultations help famers increase their efficiency, profitability, and enjoyment, improving their livelihoods.

The ANR Agent also invited speakers to the Bullitt County Cattlemen’s Association monthly meetings that included the State Director of Education for the Kentucky Beef Council, Bradon Burks, and Dr. Jimmy Henning of UK Plant and Soil Sciences. In a survey after Dr. Henning’s presentation on winter pasture maintenance and frost seeding clover, 4 cattle producers reported that they made decisions based on Cooperative Extension Service research about interseeding clover or alternate forage species, 5 producers reported developing or implementing a grazing plan, and 3 producers reported planting or starting to use any alternative forage for grazing.Dr. Jimmy Henning, UK Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences presented on winter pasture maintenance and frost seeding clover to the Bullitt County Cattlemen's Association.

As the relationship between the two organizations is revitalized, the educational opportunities continue to grow. Future meetings include an upcoming field day at a local farm, a speaker from a regional company that specializes in temporary fencing for improved rotations, and visits from various University of Kentucky professors.

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