Near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, all of Kentucky State University’s (KYSU’s) Cooperative Extension field staff were assigned to work remotely from home offices. In an effort to maintain contact with stakeholders, we were tasked with creating a weekly newsletter. As an Extension Associate that formerly worked statewide, I had a client base that covered all areas including Agriculture/Small Farms, Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS), Nutrition, Community Engagement and 4-H/Youth Development. While combining to form a very diverse client list, this necessitated I create feature article, updates on programs and supplemental resources that equally represented such diversity. As a result I have featured articles in agriculture production, health and wellness, virtual training, grant funding, home improvement, individual spotlights, extension history, and public safety. These have been supplemented with links to online presentations and inclusions of nutritious recipes.

Reaching out to key contacts, I have been able share my publications through several unique channels. KYSU’s State Specialist for Family and Consumer Sciences frequently forwarded issues featuring Do-it-Yourself (DIY) home décor projects to colleagues and supporters throughout the 1890 Land Grant collective. Small Farms agent Edwin Chavous recently included my article highlighting the 2020 Small and Limited Resource Minority Farm Conference to his extensive distribution list of contacts. Lynnette Allen, the University of Kentucky (UK) Breckinridge County FCS Agent regularly includes special editions of my newsletter with her quarterly sends. In March 2021, an article featuring fifteen agriculture presentation links was posted on that county’s Facebook page. A longtime supporter recently featured in the inaugural issue of my Stakeholder Spotlight has subsequently posted to constituents around the country via Facebook. A local elementary school teacher that coordinates an annual Agriculture Day has recruited fellow educators to join my email distribution list. Community partners too work to distribute these creative and informative publications. Warm Blessings Soup Kitchen and Communicare, and the Russellville Urban Gardening Project promote issues in gift bags and media sharing efforts. The response from all outlets has been positive.

Evidence of increased engagement exists. I have received personalized acknowledgments from superiors, KYSU colleagues, UK counterparts, and stakeholders in general. Representatives in multiple states and counties have received issues through fellow KYSU employee sharing. 191 additional contacts are made in collaboration with UK counterparts with every special FCS Edition of my newsletter that goes out in Breckinridge County. The most recent article shared as a Facebook post on their page yielded another 104 contacts. Dr. Nancy Dawson has both emailed and shared the issue featuring her via Facebook with agriculture professionals near Washington DC as well as several other areas of the country. Over a dozen Hardin County educators have been added to my weekly distribution list through referrals. December efforts alone resulted in over 200 issues highlighting grant funding of a freezer for the local soup kitchen to find their way into the hands of those served by this not-for-profit while multiple participants in an emerging cooperative of female and/or minority farmers receive regular sends of information. Additional results vary among core areas as well as individual levels of engagement.