Success StoryCommercial Horticulture



Commercial Horticulture

Author: Robert Kirby

Planning Unit: Knox County CES

Major Program: Commercial Horticulture

Plan of Work: Home and Commercial Horticulture

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

With the tobacco buyout leaving farmers with machinery, greenhouses and the need to ease their dependency on tobacco several Knox County farmers have chosen Commercial Horticulture.  Through the Knox County Extension Service and resources from the University of Kentucky such as newsletters on farm demonstrations, variety trials, farm visits, field trips, educational programming and farm visits from University Specialist, producers have met their production needs and supplementing their farm incomes. Farmers with green houses are growing produce, vegetable plants and flowers to take advantage of early season profit margins while others elect to grow produce during the regular growing season.  Also with the successful establishment of the Knox County Farmer's Market, which has a weekly sale dates every Thursday from the first Thursday in April until the last Thursday in October followed this year with a monthly indoor sale in the Extension Office the third Thursday of the month every month until the April outside market begins.  

Producers report a wide range of profits from $1200-$25000 net profit from Commercial Horticulture.  






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