During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Horticulture agents, working together, started the Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays as an alternative to in-person horticulture lessons.   The live webinars are Wednesdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. CT.  Utilizing a volunteer scheduling website, agents, specialists and other experts were recruited to present a 30-minute lesson to the public, with time at the end for questions.   All the presentations are recorded, then posted to the Kentucky Horticulture News along with the slides, notes, a survey, and any other source materials that a viewer may need.  www.kentuckyhortnews.com/horticulture-webinar-wednesdays/

Advertising via social media and traditional media outlets by agents and specialists have garnered audiences in excess of 100 during the “shelter in place” order.  University of Kentucky Agriculture Communications has helped by providing an article, “Horticulture Webinar Wednesdays - Bring Spring into Your Home” (http://news.ca.uky.edu/article/%E2%80%9Chorticulture-webinar-wednesdays%E2%80%9D-bring-spring-your-home).  

With thirteen session, there have been 1,087 participants with approximately 80-140 attending each session.  The audience is composed of Master Gardeners achieving Continuing Education Credits, extension personnel searching for in-service credit, farmers fulfilling CAIP grant requirements, and others just learning new life skills for enjoyment, enlightenment, and stress management. 

At the time of this writing (June 2020) there have been thirteen (13) webinars, with more planned through September 2020. An idea that started as a way to get through a time of limited access to extension offices and no face-to-face meeting opportunities for the spring of 2020 has become a sustainable and essential way of disseminating researched based learning to the public for the 21st Century.