Local Agricultural Community Benefits from Extension

The annual Farm Industry Tour, organized and hosted by the Laurel County Extension Council, has become one of the most anticipated community events of the year.  The purpose of the tour is to introduce community members to local industries that provide agricultural goods and services, educate participants on new and emerging crops, and encourage them to shop locally.

The 2019 tour began at a local farm where 42 people boarded old-fashioned trolleys and several others followed in cars to the scheduled stops.  Members of the Extension Council were on board the trolleys to answer questions and to talk to the participants about upcoming Extension events.  This year’s stops featured local agriculture programs in the county that have been started and or assisted by Extension personnel.   Ulrich Farm is a local farm where Kentucky State University is assisting with an aquaculture research project.   Participants learned about aquaculture farming and were encouraged to spread the word about buying local seafood.   Cornett’s Hemp Farm is a well established local farm that has joined the new movement in Kentucky and substituted hemp for the long-established tobacco crop.  Participants learned about growing hemp, the products that can be made of hemp and how this crop is helping to revive Kentucky Agriculture.  Finally, the tour featured a local cheese factory, Wildcat Mountain Cheese.  Wildcat Mountain Cheese began as an idea from a local dairy farmer who was trying to find new products to extend the life of his dairy farm.  The farmers attended a cheese-making program at the Extension Office and Wildcat Mountain Cheese was formed.  This local cheese-making operation has boomed in the last few years and their products can be found in multiple states.

An oral survey conducted during the tour indicated that 95% of those who participated discovered new agricultural business in Laurel County, 98% indicated that they had learned something new about agricultural crops, 100% said they were more likely to purchase local and 91% indicated they plan to participate in future Extension programs.