Author: Daniel Allen
Planning Unit: Kenton County CES
Major Program: Local Food Systems
Plan of Work: ANR Local Food Systems
Outcome: Initial Outcome
It is important for farmers to work on educating the public about who they are, what they do and why it matters. Today 98 percent of the population is removed from modern agriculture, so connecting to consumers is important. This type of education is a transparent format which provides the public an opportunity to see what happens on the farm, ask questions and develop trust in farmers and the food produced. For the local food system the Kenton County Farm Tour can form lasting bonds between farmers and consumers.
The 2018 Kenton County Farm Tour took place September 21 and 22, 2019. For 2019 the tour emphasized education at each hosting farm. The Agriculture agent sponsored Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Mobile Science Unit at Piner Elementary the week leading up the farm tour. All 375 students of the school participated in this interactive science lab. The unit stayed as a hosting stop on the Farm Tour. Other education on the tour included paw paw learning station by Kentucky State University, herbs and home vegetable gardening by Kenton County horticulture agent. Farmers had demonstrations like milking, feeding cattle, fruit identification, wool spinning, maple syrup and demonstration honeybee hives. There were more than 10,000 visits made to these farms this year. Items offered for sale included, fresh fruits and vegetables, fall ornamentals, wine, cheese, hand crafts, and fabric art items. Recognized by Kentucky Monthly Magazine as a must do in our area, the Kenton County Farm celebrates 10 years in September 2020.
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