Metcalfe County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Extension served on the hiring committee with K-State West Region Director and other K-State Extension employees.   Four candidates for the K-state west region Family and Consumer Sciences Agent were interviewed in two rounds and the best candidate was successfully hired.

Metcalfe County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent hosted Williamm Crawford, Kentucky State West Region Coordinator/Area Agriculture Agent for a taping of Family Lifestyles TV channel 31 on December 6, 2023 that reaches a large portion of the West Kentucky region.  The goal of this program was to promote the new University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and Kentucky State Cooperative Extension Service partnership in the West region of Kentucky.  Agent Crawford also presented a very engaging program on Pastured Poultry Production, Chick Incubation and Embryology and promoted the Extension Backyard poultry program during the segment taping.

Metcalfe County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education partnered with Lindsay Heyvaert, Kentucky State Extension West Region Small Farms Agent to offer a Permaculture lunch and learn at the Metcalfe County Cooperative Extension Service office, as this is a topic stakeholders have asked this FCS Agent about recently.  Susana Lein of Salamander Springs Permaculture Farm in Berea was procured as the presenter, she is well known in Kentucky and wider agriculture circles as a Permaculture expert and was recommended to Lindsay Heyvaert by a Kentucky State Agriculture specialist.  

 Robin Verson of the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK), also joined and promoted the 2023 OAK conference.  This workshop was promoted widely during the month of December 2022 and occurred on 1/12/2023, with forty two participants, from Metcalfe and six surrounding counties.   Lynn Blankenship obtained an event sponsor, Edmonton State Bank, who covered one half of the speaker fee, advertised the event and handled registration.  Lynn also made homemade local beef and bean chili with cornbread for the program lunch portion.   Lindsay Heyvaert handled program evaluation with the following results, 34 responses: 28 enjoyed the presentation and were interested in the topic.  32 increased understanding of permaculture basics.  34 plan to utilize the information in their own practices.  The favorite things about the workshop included: The chili was #1, information on cover crops, using ducks and duckweed in the rice paddies, and being able to network/meet others from the local farming community.