Early blight is the most common fungal disease of tomatoes in Kentucky.  Producer questions related to early blight in commercial and home tomato plantings make up the largest percentage of problems year after year.  During the past year the Bourbon County Cooperative Extension Service worked with on campus specialists at the University of Kentucky in designing and establishing a local evaluation trial of multiple tomato varieties to assess the natural variety resistance (if any) to this destructive fungal disease.  No such studies on this topic had been conducted in the past.  One of the goals was to establish a base understanding of this very common problem.  At a local level, the Extension Service worked with the Parks and Recreation board to secure a location for the tomato research plot at a newly developing county park.  The Extension Service then solicited the help of local FFA chapters to prepare the land for planting.  Local FFA advisors and students were involved in the layout and design of the irrigation that would be used for the planting as well as other plot prep work.  Detailed weekly assessment sheets on 10 different tomato varieties in the plot were submitted by Extension back to UK specialists to track early blight disease development throughout the entire growing season.  Currently results from this plot are being combined with other plots replicated around the state to provide a broader understanding of this important economic disease.  This information will provide a more informed basis for grower recommendations in the future.  Trial work is an important feature of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension service as it extends our understanding of different issues through a research based approach.