After participating in the KY Ag Matters Podcast last year for the first time, this year I appeared in 2 episodes.  The first was a program with Dr. Lloyd Murdcock, Extension Soils Specialist from the Princeton Research Station to talk about his over 50 year career at the station.  We delved into the beginnings of no-till production and how it really started in Kentucky.  We talked about how the impact of Johnsongrass really slowed the spread of no-till adoption then with successful chemical controls adoption soared again.  We discussed the development of the first soil penetrometer to measure soil compaction.  The advent of the weed science group and the birth of intensive wheat management was a great discussion about all the ag leaders in the state coming together and working on a single problem.

The second episode was about the current planting season in western Kentucky and the weather problems and slug problems in soybeans.  A discussion took place on the latest Ag Census and the changes in the makeup of farms in Ballard County and across West KY.  Finally a discussion was held on the proposed new farm bill from Washington.

 KY Ag Matters educates and informs its listeners about all things related to agriculture.  As of February 26, 2024, they have recorded 100 episodes with a variety of topics geared towards meeting the emerging needs of our clientele.  Their guests range from UK Extension Specialists to commodity group leaders, as well as extension agents and law enforcement officers.  The goal is to offer timely, research-based information to the agriculture community in a consistent and reliable way. The podcast has over 600 monthly listeners across the United States and several foreign countries.   Testimonials from listeners include:  

1)     "I listen to the show every week for the latest information and trends in Agriculture.”

2)     “The best part of a podcast is I can listen to it on my schedule.”

3)     “You all are wonderful advocates for Kentucky Agriculture.”

Kentucky Ag Matters podcast was selected as the 2023 State KACAA winner and as a National WINNER for NACAA for Audio Programs.