Author: Christopher Schalk
Planning Unit: Barren County CES
Major Program: Sustainable Agriculture
Plan of Work: Crop production, Livestock production, & Sustainable Agriculture
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
In an effort to reach more Kentucky residents about the mission of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, the Agriculture and Horticulture Extension Agents created a new educational program. In the fall of 2016, a member of the Barren County Extension Council and account manager for the local radio station, WGGC, approached agents about the possibility of developing a radio show. Each show would last 5 minutes in length and give listeners a daily dose of timely research-based information on various agriculture and horticulture topics.
Over the last two and a half years, Get the Scoop Radio Show has aired each weekday morning at 5AM on Goober 95.1 FM. The show has developed an avid following of listeners ranging from farmers, gardeners, city dwellers, and area commuters. Those listeners have now become new Extension clientele as a result of the program’s content. Agents in both Barren and Warren County have been personally contacted by listeners seeking more information on certain subjects, wanting to sign up for upcoming programs, and exploring other services offered through the Cooperative Extension Service. One man from Nelson County (over 100 miles away) called the Warren County Extension Office and shared that he listens to the show each morning on his way to work and loves the information that is shared. Another listener began marketing beef cattle in a CHP-45 Value Added Sale, after hearing the program discussed on the show.
Extension Agents created a Get the Scoop Radio Show Facebook page to give listeners another avenue to communicate with them and provide suggestions for future shows. Several people have privately messaged the page with requests for more information. Due to numerous requests, the radio station archived the radio show on the station’s website, so listeners could hear programs on-demand after the initial broadcast. WGGC staff is pleased with the success of the show and has been a supportive partner by helping agents secure new advertisers to ensure that the show continues.
Get the Scoop Radio Show brings the message and education of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service to over 50,000 listeners each morning across 10 counties located in the South Central Kentucky area. Since the shows debut in 2016, Get the Scoop Radio Show has earned a total of $76,960 marketing dollars for this educational program. For the past two years, the Kentucky Association for County Agriculture Agents (KACAA) has recognized Get the Scoop Radio Show as an outstanding communication winner in the audio recordings division. In 2019, the show advanced in competition and was a Southern Region Winner for the National Association for County Agriculture Agents (NACAA).
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