Describe the Issue or Situation.

There are fewer and fewer farms in Kentucky along with an increase in the average age of a Kentucky farmer is over 51 years old.  All of this means the younger population does not know where their food is coming from and it is important to prepare our youth to help educate their peers about this process.  

Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).

The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service along with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Kentucky Dairy Development Council and the Dairy Alliance are working together to develop a group of youth who are considered "Dairy Ambassadors" to help with educational programs throughout the year including hosting the Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat in Kentucky in 2025.  These 6 youth will have the opportunity to attend leadership trainings, promotional trainings and lots more to improve their skills to be stronger advocates for the dairy industry and agriculture as a whole.

Provide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience.

The target audience for this program will be 14-18 year olds with an interest in the dairy industry.  There will be a limit of 6 per year. 

Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that the outcomes statement must use evaluation data to describe the change(s) that occurred in individuals, groups, families, businesses, or in the community because of the program/outreach.

This program is just in the initial stages and formal evaluations have not been sent yet.  There is some preliminary statements of how much the youth have learned and where able to showcase their new found leadership skills however, more data needs to be collected to determine the program impact.  Five of the six participants were able to attend the Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat and use some of their skills to help make the retreat a success.