The way that we solicit and consume information has changed during recent years.  With the availability of online platforms and access using cellular devices, websites and applications enable immediate and interactive information exchanges.  As stakeholder behaviors have changed, Extension has changed with them.   Conventional audiences such as farmers and gardeners are using Extension in new ways, and new stakeholders are discovering Extension for the first time through these digital platforms.  Use of web-based platforms such as social media are useful tools that help university specialists reach a wider audience with fewer dollars.  Social media platforms and web-based applications continue to gain in popularity.   Currently, Facebook has 2.6 billion active monthly users, YouTube has 2.0 billion active monthly users, and Twitter has 386 million active monthly users.  Consumer usage ranges from entertainment to news to education, and agricultural and horticultural content fits well into these categories.  

The UK Ornamentals, Fruit, and Hemp Disease social media pages aim to reach Kentucky stakeholders with science-based information and educational materials.  Content includes disease alerts, management recommendations, research updates, and video lessons; the sites average 4 posts per week.   Social media subscribers/followers include commercial growers and home gardeners who utilize the information directly and county agents who share the information on local social media sites and county newsletters.  Other users include educators and out-of-state specialists who engage in exchanges of research updates and educational materials.  

During the past 8 years, the UK Ornamentals, Fruit, and Hemp Disease social media pages have grown in popularity.  Facebook users (likes/followers) have increased to 1,517 with an annual reach of over 127,000.  Twitter followers have increased to 459 with a reach of over 72,000 in the past year.   YouTube views reached over 17,000 per year with 513 subscribers.  

Social media can provide users with science-based information in an entertaining format.  Experts predict that these platforms will remain popular, but content must be adapted for visual interest and quick reading for Extension materials to compete with popular press and entertainment pieces.  The UK Ornamentals, Fruit, and Hemp Disease social media pages have proven successful in disseminating educational materials and in reaching a wide range of stakeholders.