Farmers Grows 30 000 Vegetable Transplants on the First Try

This agent has worked with a Warren County KY farmer in cooperation with Kentucky State University’s (KSU) Small Farm Program. Initially we worked work with this farmer in order to construct a whole-farm plan.  Although that process is ongoing and arduous, the farming season has come on in full swing!  

The farmer has started the farming season and having partnered with KSU Area Agents on the Small Farm Program in cooperation with Russellville Urban Gardening Project in Bowling Green & Russellville to connect with limited-resourced landowners that wish to increase profit on their lands, the farmer needed to know how to grow transplants in order to increase their profit.  In order to attempt this one must have a strong mind because greenhouse growing is rather difficult.  Although true that elements and inputs can be monitored more closely inside of the structures, it is also true that one forgotten task could ruin thousands of plants all at once in less than a day.

A greenhouse farmer has to first be able to do the following:

• Read and understand sciences
  • The relationship of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium
    • Know the periodic table and the symbols
    • Know the relationship of micronutrients versus macronutrients
    • Know a small bit of knowledge of the Cation- Exchange-Capacity
    • Know the relationship of acids versus bases
• Be willing to read and comprehend
• Be willing and have the capacity to spend upfront money
• Rent, lease, or buy a greenhouse structure; one that is able to withstand the elements
•  Understand the contrasts of different root sizes and match those contrasts to their particular fertilizer regiment
  • Foreshadows nutrient uptake; therefore, growth speed and efficiency

Maddison McCormick, with the help of university technical assistance, has completed these.  She undertook the task as a project of endearment.  As a beginning farmer and never have grown anything, she as of this June day, has successfully grown more than thirty thousand individual transplants.  These transplants will be utilized in her cropping system and hopefully spawn a fruit and/or vegetable that could be sold for profit.  Radishes, kale green, collard greens, turnip greens, cauliflower, broccoli, Napa cabbage and other cabbages, beets, celery, sunflowers, and tomatoes have been successfully grown.  Note that these do not include the massive undertaking of planting spuds (ice potatoes) to harvest later, but if we did include these units, 3200 plants would be added to this newer farmer’s successes.  With this process finished for the spring (those plants already placed in her plant beds), we hope to work with Maddison later in the year to show her how to replicate her early successes for fall cropping.  For the time being we will assistance and advice on in-season chores and responsibilities.

The farmer will have a better understanding of the USDA and its agencies, Kentucky State University and its programming, and local agricultural entities’ lending by understanding what makes money and whole-heartedly understanding that IT TAKES MONEY TO MAKE MONEY!  Profitability drives entrepreneurship and new farmers; thus, it is this agents hopes that this farmer’s successes will drive other young and beginning farmers into our industry and allow Kentucky State University to aid them in profitability all the while aiding her cognitive thinking processes into considering herself a more learned farmer with more knowledge.  Furthermore, in one-on-one technical assistance and training, the farmer will learn production aspects that will catalyze into selling and marketing aspects

At this project’s end, the new farmer will have a better understanding of the USDA and its agencies and through cause and effect, a better understanding of production agriculture and collecting money from certain markets especially from an industry that is seen as a mundane job with the total outcome possibly allowing for an increase in production acreage and marketing savviness in the region.  Understanding and cooperation to increase integrity to maximize profits through a Small Commercial Vegetable system that is weed free, pesticide and herbicide free, fresh and 48 hour-picked, possesses reduced labor on-farm, and exhibits the ability to return a profit over the 8-month-investment period will ultimately drive profitable results!