Author: Kelly Jackson
Planning Unit: Christian County CES
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture
Plan of Work: To help foster the development of marketing, production, and managment skills within the area.
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Kentucky has the fastest-growing Amish population in the U.S. According to the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, the population of Kentucky Amish grew by 3,060 people in the last five years and is currently 8th in population with approximately 12,060 Amish. Christian County and neighboring Todd County are two of the three most populated counties in Kentucky. Many Amish in these two counties, grow and sell vegetables and depend on these sales for their livelihood. Due to limited access to phones and internet resources, it is a challenge for many growers to get timely information on plant diseases, insects and control methods. To improve the dissemination of information, the Cooperative Extension Service in Christian County partnered with specialists from the Department of Entomology, Horticulture, and Plant Pathology, to develop a toll-free hotline for growers. The Vegetable IPM Hotline (888-4VEG IPM) provides a weekly recording that growers can call for crop information, chemical updates, and seasonal pest alerts. The hotline launched in 2017 and during the first growing season from March to October, 1,051 calls to the hotline were received with an average of 35 calls per week. During the 2018 season 877 calls were received and so far for the 2019 season, March to the end of June, 362 calls have been received.
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