Owen County Ag Agent Kendal Bowman set out on a mission to increase the diversity and inclusion within his programs by “Building the bridge with underserved religious populations in rural communities- Amish & Mennonite population”. Bowman worked with a local dairy farmer that identifies with the Mennonite faith. They developed a plan to offer a farm tour of their local dairy operation. Bowman partnered with Eastern Kentucky University Agriculture Department to bring their dairy students up in an effort to highlight his local dairies and agriculture economy. This project would allow the students to gain knowledge in sustainable small scale dairy production, increase local rural tourism, and allow students that may be from all around the country to interact and establish norms with this underserved population. Unfortunately, closer to the scheduled project date the Mennonite dairy farmer had to cancel but the students drove up anyway and toured other local operations. The project didn’t go as he intended but he still consider it a success. The dairy industry in Kentucky as a whole is an underserved group as other commodity groups have excelled with their products.  Success was determined by the following outcomes:

• Local agent established communication with an underserved religious population in his community
• Defile the established norms of the stigma of the lack of lack opportunities in rural Kentucky
• Local producers discovered and overcame their fear of public speaking 
• Local dairy producers’ mental health improved as they were able to share their farms history and discuss the struggles, they ae facing with the students.
• Students that come from a dairy background were able to add to their network and possibly gain a mentor 
• This project supported our local rural economics as the group ate and purchased local dairy products
• This project engaged and established a partnership with another University  
• Students left with a greater appreciation for the local dairy industry 
• Moral increased with local producers as they interacted with a younger generation that shared some of their passions