Final report for SKY16-002
Project Information
Kentucky’s Model State Program is focusing on needs identified from our state SARE advisory council.
Recent investments in agent training have focused on sustainable communities, food processing, family finances and organic production. The training plan for 2016-17 will build on these training opportunities, and add a focus on organically produced feed corn. Kentucky State University continues to make the Third Thursday Program the focus of its SARE MSP funding. Third Thursdays have become an institution in Kentucky professional development educational programming. The broad range of topics (listed in a later section) ensure that agricultural professionals and producer leaders have training in the skills necessary on a diversified small farm. TTT also serves as a space for synergies in small farm education. Many conferences and educational meetings are planned around “Third Thursdays” including:
o the Annual Small, Limited-Resource/Minority Farmers Conference,
o the International Pawpaw Conference,
o the Regional SARE Goat Project’s Collaborator Conference,
o the SRRMEC Regional Conference on the “Risk-Assessed Business Planning for Small Producers”curriculum, and many others.
SSARE MSP funding allows KSU to carry on its tradition of serving minority and limited resource producers through its extension system. Training extension personnel, NRCS, other ag service providers, and producer leaders helps to amplify the message of SARE to this group.
Kentucky’s SARE PDP program objective is to build a broad base of interest and skills in agricultural sustainability among extension agents and other professionals in the state, equip them with the needed skills to assist farmers, marketers, and community leaders, and to facilitate a diverse range of collaborative projects. Building effective partnerships with NRCS, FSA, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture is an additional objective. In 2016-17, we will work with our Advisory Committee to evaluate and revise our broad strategic plan, and to develop KYSARE LOGIC Model for the program as a whole.
Advisors
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Education
Kentucky State University continues to make the Third Thursday Program the focus of its SARE MSP funding. Third Thursdays have become an institution in Kentucky professional development educational programming. The broad range of topics (listed in a later section) ensure that agricultural professionals and producer leaders have training in the skills necessary on a diversified small farm. TTT also serves as a space for synergies in small farm education.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
To expose Trainees to new agricultural opportunies.
58 Participants learned about production of elderberry, risk management, and value added products.
To expose Trainees to horticultural production techniques.
79 Participants learned about fall-fruiting blackberries, growing pawpaws in Kentucky, Attracting beneficials to your garden, consumer preference for indigo series tomatoes, sorghum, cut flowers, and carnivorous plants.
To expose trainees to techniques for raising and marketing goats.
84 attendees learned about balancing goat rations, forage testing a herd, stock dogs, and hoof trimming and handling.
To present farmers with a wide variety of information in production, marketing, and quality of life.
209 Attendees learned about a wide range of sustainability-related topics.
To expose trainees to viticultural techniques.
52 Participants learned about retail sales, wine jelly sampling, building a vineyard or winery in Kentucky, Risk and Profit on a small farm, Writing a Grazing Plan.
To expose trainees to organic methods.
85 Participants learned about monitoring fruit flies, organic transition programs, organic blackberries and pawpaws at KSU, Organic Association of Kentucky, New Organic agroecology project, several farm tours.
To expose trainees to techniques for producing and marketing goats.
107 attendees learned about business planning and record keeping for sheep and goats, grants and other funding for goat producers, shearing and healthcare of alpaca, fiber marketing, fencing and grazing for small ruminants.
To expose trainees to available resources and programs from USDA.
63 Participants learned about Produce food safety programs, NRCS financial assistance, agrability, Ponds and solar livestock waterers, and cover crops.
To expose trainees to production and marketing techniques for horticultural crops.
61 Participants learned about grant programs, pawpaws, blackberries, monarch waystations, biological pest control, spotted wing drosophila trapping, urban agriculture and orchid propagation.
To expose trainees to techniques for producing pastured poultry.
90 Participants learned about backyard flocks, poultry nutrition, multi-species systems, budgeting for small scale layer and broiler production, predators and additional demonstrations.
To reflect on Third Thursday's past by demonstrating many of the topics it has covered over the years.
Afternoon programming centered on demonstrations of aquaculture, horticulture, livestock, and crop production.
417 Participants learned about the history of Third Thursday Thing and its relationship to SSARE. Additionally they learned about many pragmatic production and marketing topics.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Many conferences and educational meetings are planned around “Third Thursdays” including:
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- the Annual Small, Limited-Resource/Minority Farmers Conference,
- the International Pawpaw Conference,
- the Regional SARE Goat Project’s Collaborator Conference,
- the SRRMEC Regional Conference on the “Risk-Assessed Business Planning for Small Producers”curriculum, and many others.
SSARE MSP funding allows KSU to carry on its tradition of serving minority and limited resource producers through its extension system. Training extension personnel, NRCS, other ag service providers, and producer leaders helps to amplify the message of SARE to this group.
Face of SARE
SSARE MSP funding allows KSU to carry on its tradition of serving minority and limited resource producers through its extension system. Training extension personnel, NRCS, other ag service providers, and producer leaders helps to amplify the message of SARE to this group.
The program assistant is often the face of the KYSARE program, since half of his job is to support and implement the Model State Plan. He is actively involved in Kentucky State University’s “Third Thursday Thing” monthly sustainable ag field days and in the wide range of program activities.The core job of KY SARE’s Program Assistant is coordinating all of the SARE-promoted trainings.
Because sustainable agriculture programs in Kentucky extend much beyond the SARE-supported programs, the program assistant actively participates in other activities. This includes attending extension and grower events where he simultaneously represents KYSAREHis engagement with these programs assists in expanding the visibility of the SARE Program. The current Program Assistant has strong networking and leadership skills that help us build productive partnerships with FSA, KDA, and NRC