Author: Keith Hackworth
Planning Unit: Floyd County CES
Major Program: Small Farm Diversification
Plan of Work: Agricultural Education and Production
Outcome: Initial Outcome
The Floyd County Extension Service normal ways of communicating with clients changed dramatically with the onset of COVID -19 pandemic as a whole: however, the ANR program not as much. The following are ways that I have reached out to the agriculture community during the pandemic. First, letters and newsletters to producers continued. These were used to let them know that I was still available to assist them with their needs. I provided several methods for clientele to contact me. The number of emails received from clients increased by twenty-five percent. The number of clients contacting me by cell phone increased by more than that amount. Clientele was assured that I could do farm and home visits as usual with social distancing and those continued at a normal rate. Meetings and small group programs moved to virtual formats which included Zoom, Teams, and Facebook Live presentations. The Floyd County Beekeepers, Farm Market, and Master Gardeners adapted well to the change. I also worked to improve my Facebook postings. The ANR program shared announcements for Zoom trainings, websites, videos, and publications on various timely topics. ANR and Horticulture Facebook contacts has increased as much as five times during the onset of the virus. Making these adjustments has allowed me to reach new, additional clientele in the county and the surrounding area. Clients have requested the continuation of many of these efforts after the pandemic.
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