Cooperative Extension Agents are continuously looking for ideas to help reach new audiences to educate and communicate. Agriculture and Natural Resources Agents Matt Adams (Hardin), Whitney Carman (Grayson) and Daniel Carpenter (LaRue) specifically were looking for ways to reach the young farmer population, a group that can be difficult to reach in the current educational methods. One way that the agents looked into is podcasting. Podcasting uses the internet to make recordings of broadcasts available on computer or mobile device.  In research conducted by Nielson, over 50% of the American population have listened to a podcast, and the average listener age is 12-24. The Agriculture and Natural Resources agents themselves use agriculture podcasts specifically to learn about current agriculture events and to learn new techniques. They realized it would be a good way to bridge Extension education into a conversational format that farmers could listen to anytime they want, whether that’s in the tractor cab, driving down the road, or sitting at the farm office working on paperwork.

Located in the near west/central Kentucky area, the three agents have common goals and agriculture areas, therefore a plan was developed to record a weekly podcast on current events and topics related to the tri-county area. Uniquely enough, the podcast launched as COVID-19 was ramping up, so the means to get information across outside of the office was apparent. Using Zoom online, the agents were able to record the podcasts to keep farmers in the know about cattle and grain markets, CFAP programs, planting issues, weather, and programs that were going to online formats. Agents researched and use a podcast host website where content can be held, edited, and statistical information on listenership is housed. The host website also allows for the podcast to be streamed through other podcast apps such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, etc.

To date, we are over 6,200 downloads. After posting a weekly show for over a year now, we’ve noticed that within 7 days of posting the podcast, we’ve been receiving 75 or more downloads, which puts the show in the top 25% of all podcasts (According to Buzzsprouts.com). This is not counting the local following that we have on our local radio station which reaches all of LaRue County and the eastern half of Hardin County. The podcast still provides timely agriculture information, conversation starters, and weekly interviews with agriculture and natural resources experts.

One listener responded in a review “I’d like to say it’s a no-nonsense source for agriculture information – but it’s not, this host trio offers just the right balance of relevant and timely discussions about issue confronting agriculture, with a little bit of fun.”  An Extension Specialist reviewed the podcast and responded, “I just listened to Dirt2$ for the first time this morning. As a millennial and avid podcast listener, I wanted to compliment you all on how well it was produced and your audio quality. The number one thing that will make me shut off a podcast is if it isn’t pleasant to listen to. I also like the length of the episodes, half hour episodes feel so short and rushed, and if it’s over an hour there is a good chance I won’t get to take it all in at one sitting.” People in the community will often stop agents and let them know they are listening and that they like the show. It provides them a quick update and information platform.

As an initial outcome, the agents feel like they have reached a niche clientele and are able to use this form of education and information to promote more Extension programs in the future.

Since hosting on this platform, the group has also moderated discussion at the University of Kentucky’s wheat talk webinar, which replaced the annual in-person wheat field day in 2021.