“The 12th Annual Kenton County Farm tour was held Saturday, September 17, 2022. This tour included ten hosting sites that offered a variety of agriculture or horticulture experiences. In addition to the ten stops, there were 11 local craft artisans, 8 local farmers selling local produce, three wineries offered wine and five of the farms offered items to purchase directly off the farm. This year there were over 12,000 visits to the host farms.” (Dan Allen, ANR agent, Kenton County)

One of the ten stops was at the Kenton County Cooperative Extension office at 10990 Marshall Road. Here, much information was provided about the growing of agricultural crops on a home scale, and the habit of horticulture plants that those pollinators of the food crops require. Over a dozen volunteers provided tours of our site, as well as distributed information about the services and educational opportunities that the Kenton County cooperative extension provides and ways in which those interested can in turn, volunteer, and gain knowledge through hands on experience.

Approximately 158 people visited our stop on the farm tour to learn more about home gardening and uniquely chia plants, Salvia hispanica. A demonstration plot of chia plants was on display with the information provided by a sign and accompanied by an explanation from the horticulture agent. This chia plot was grown with patented seed, under the marketing name Heartland Chia to demonstrate to the visitors that Chia is a viable crop in Kenton County and Kentucky at large. “Researchers at the University of Kentucky (UK) have been engaged in groundbreaking chia breeding research. This has resulted in patented varieties of long day-length flowering lines of chia capable of producing seed in the Commonwealth and the Midwest. Chia is planted in May or June and harvested in October in Kentucky.” https://www.uky.edu/ccd/production/crop-resources/GFFOF/chia

This display plot was chosen as an opportunity to demonstrate the significance of the research and development that the University of Kentucky provides regarding agricultural products that help to support local economies throughout the state. Through first-person contact, nearly all the people that were engaged with the chia plants commented that they had never seen mature chia plants before or knew that they could be grown in Kentucky as a crop. This suggests the importance of the information and awareness we continue to bring to our county residents.