Author: Laura Maggard
Planning Unit: Lawrence County CES
Major Program: Emergency Disaster Preparedness
Plan of Work: Enhance the Strong Agicultural and Natural Resource Base
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
In the winter of 2021, communities in Eastern Kentucky were devastated by flooding. Area Agriculture and Natural Resource (ANR) Extension Agents teamed together to help individuals get back on their feet. Whether it was with temporary fencing supplies or hay, farmers affected by the flood waters were taken care of. That following winter, the ANR Extension Agents in Lawrence and Clay County were invited by Community Farm Alliance to be speakers at the 2022 East KY Small Farm Conference at Jenny Wiley State Park. The agents in these counties both had experience helping farmers in their communities during the flooding and could provide insight as to how farmers could be better prepared for future disasters. The county agents worked together to come up with an agenda of topics that would best serve this audience and prepare them for these natural disasters. The talk was given to a room of small farmers and it was well received. Farmers in the room said they were grateful for the work that was done in their communties to help the flood victims and 1 farmer said that due to our presentation, he was going to go home and make plans and preparations to be ready for the next flood. Along with the presentation, the Lawrence and Clay County Extension Agents also provided feedback and information to construct a guide for farmers facing flooding threats and a mitigation guide. Lawrence County has the highest number of historic floods in the state. It is a huge issue in the community and this presentation was just the start to help prepare farmers and land owners on how to navigate the flood waters.
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