Based on recent producer numbers released in the 2022 Census of Agriculture and the population for Simpson County from the U.S. Census Bureau, only 3.35% of Simpson Countians are considered agricultural producers.  Due to a growing disconnect from the farm and food production, clientele have expressed a desire to become better educated about becoming more self-sufficient and expanding knowledge about the food production process.  

As a result, the Simpson County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources and the Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences collaborated to develop and implement the Homesteading 101 Program Series this past spring in Simpson County.   The series consisted of three programs that included:  Mushroom Production, Making Sourdough Bread, and Beginning Beekeeping.  All of these classes involved hands-on learning activities and were presented by University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University Agents and Specialists.  

We had a total of 45 participants attending one of the three sessions.  The majority of the participants reported that they were not traditional Extension users, and it was the first Extension program for many of them.  Based on post-program evaluation results, 100% of respondents indicated that they increased their knowledge about how to properly inoculate oak logs for shiitake mushrooms due to the information presented.  100% also responded that they will use the knowledge that they gained to grow their own mushrooms, and will utilize the UK Extension Service for further information about proper identification or growing techniques in the future.  Some quotes following the sourdough bread class included:  “Thanks for the information and encouraging us to give sourdough a try!” and “Our 1st sourdough pizza was yummy”. Evaluations after the Beginning Beekeeping course indicated that 83% felt confident in adding or purchasing bees for the first time due to the information provided.  100% indicated that they have a better overall understanding of bees and/or beekeeping methods based on the program and resources provided.