Final report for SKY23-A002
Project Information
Now in its 27th year, The Third Thursday Thing features monthly sustainable agriculture training sessions. The sessions take place at the Kentucky State University Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm on the third Thursday of every month with no session in December. Agricultural professionals and farm leaders throughout the Commonwealth and surrounding states are the target audience for the trainings. These trainings are structured for multiple learning types, with lecture style presentations followed by hands on demonstration/activities. We have also added a Fourth Wednesday Beef Cattle program based on requests from the agricultural community and are exploring the addition of three off sites for The Third Thursday Thing features monthly sustainable agriculture training sessions. We are including funds to support some of our KSU agents to seek professional development training in sustainable agriculture. 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. Third Thursdays also serves as a space for synergies in small farm education. Many conferences and educational meetings are planned around “Third Thursdays” including: the Annual Kentucky Small, Farmers Conference, the International Pawpaw Conference, the Regional SARE Conference, and many others.
- Kentucky’s SARE PDP Model State Program objectives are to build a broad base of interest and skills in agricultural sustainability among extension agents, other professionals, and farmers, particularly mentor farmers, in the state to equip them with the needed skills to assist farmers, marketers, and community leaders, and to facilitate a diverse range of collaborative projects.
- Continue to offer the basic science-based information on sustainable agriculture production and marketing.
- Support the further development of a community of women working in sustainable agriculture.
- Forums for farmers and professionals to network with USDA, State, Research, Extension, NRCS, and other professionals, learn about their programs and opportunities, and learn about Third Thursdays.
- The Third Thursday Thing Workshops for 2024 and 2025 are following. 2025 found the numbers increasing, but less than prior to the pandemic, and the remote access you-tube and Zoom sessions are increasing as participants from a wider scope of people are reached. As one producer leader said “… when Third Thursdays return from the pandemic, we will know that things are right with farming in Kentucky…” Our records and evaluations show that sustainable agriculture education is expanding across the Commonwealth.
- Many of the topics are similar but the purpose of Third Thursdays is to focus on basic sustainable production and marketing, as well as improving family and community life. The targets focus on beginning farmers, limited-resource, minority, women, and low literacy producers and those who educate them. Repeated basic information prepares them for more in-depth training at UK and KSU Extension, and understanding of state and USDA agency opportunities.
2024 Third Thursday Thing Workshop Schedule
January: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Resource and Funding for Farmers”
February: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - "Organic Agriculture"
March: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Farmers Markets and Local Foods”.
Beef Cattle Workshop - Reproductive Management and Marketing Your Livestock
April: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Cattle and Poultry”.
May: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - "Aquaculture"
Beef Cattle Workshop - Nutrition & Considerations for Feeding Wet Distiller's Grains + Bovine Viral Diarrhea Management
June: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Agriculture Technology| Juneteeth Celebration”.
July: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - Sustainable Agriculture Small Farm Field Day
Beef Cattle Workshop - Summer Grazing and Forage Management
August: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Forestry”.
September: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - National Pawpaw Third Thursday
October: Third Thursday Thing Workshop -Small Ruminants
November: Annual Kentucky Small Farmers Conference (many topics)
2025 Third Thursday Thing Workshop Schedule
January: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Farm Safety & Disaster Recovery”
February: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - Organic Agriculture
March: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - Forestry & Natural Resources”.
Beef Cattle Workshop -“Effects of Endophyte & Tall Fescue in Pastures and Preparing Your Beef Herd for Breeding Season”.
April: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - Grow, Buy, Eat Local”.
Kentucky State University, Small Farms Conference Eastern Kentucky Style
May: Third Thursday Thing Workshop -“Aquaculture”.
Beef Cattle Workshop - “Marketing Your Beef Cattle” & “Grazing and Forage Selection.
June: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Juneteenth & Business Planning”
July: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Cattle & Poultry”.
August: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Agri-Technology & Vertical Farming”.
September: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Horticulture & Urban Agriculture”.
Fifth International Pawpaw Conference
October: Third Thursday Thing Workshop Small Ruminants & Goats
November: Third Thursday Thing Workshop - “Water Quality is in Our Hands, Making a Documentary” & “Income From Small and Micro-Scale Vegetable Farming & “Soil Conservation Practices:Working with Farmers” & “Heir Property”.
November: Annual Kentucky Small Farmers Conference (many topics)
Advisors
Education
The Third Thursday Thing offered these workshops in summary for FY 2025:
|
Workshop/Training Title |
Number of attendees |
Dates |
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: “Cattle & Poultry” July 23, 2025 –in-person at 10 a.m. EST e
|
33 |
7-23-25 |
|
|
|
|
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: “Agri-Technology & Vertical Farming” August 21, 2025 –in-person at 10 a.m. EST |
35 |
8-21-25 |
|
|
|
|
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: “Horticulture & Urban Agriculture” September 18, 2025 –in-person at 10 a.m. EST |
52 |
9-18-25 |
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: “Small Ruminants” October 16, 2025 –in-person at 10 a.m.
|
29 |
10-16-25 |
|
|
|
|
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: Water Quality is in Our Hands, Making a Documentary” & “Income From Small and Micro-Scale Vegetable Farming & “Soil Conservation Practices:Working with Farmers” & “Heir Property November 20, 2025 –in-person at 10 a.m.
|
221 |
11-20-25 |
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: Resources and Funding For Farmers. January 18, 2024 - in-person at 10 a.m. EST |
29 |
1-18-2024 |
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: Organic Agriculture February 15, 2024 - in-person at 10 a.m. EST |
64 |
2-15-2024 |
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: Farmers Markets & Local Foods March 21, 2024 - in-person at 10 a.m. EST |
69 |
3-21-2024 |
|
|
|
|
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: Poultry and Cattle April 18, 2024 - in-person at 10 a.m. EST |
31
|
4-18-2024 |
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: Aquaculture
May 16, 2024 –in-person at 10 a.m. EST |
35
|
5-18-2024 |
|
KSU “Third Thursday Thing” Topic: Juneteenth Celebration & Agriculture Technology June 20, 2024 –in-person at 10 a.m. EST |
21
|
6-15-2024 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Education & Outreach Initiatives
Objective 1: Professional Development opportunity to train approximately 20-30 new state specialists on program design, curriculum development, and measurable outcomes for impact-based reporting.
Objective 2: The State Specialist and other extension professionals will train approximately 40-50 new extension agents and extension associates on specific content and how to implement the programs in their communities. The agents will then be able to return to their communities to work with an estimated 70-80 farmers each.
Objective 3: Develop a program to create Mentor Farmers. Eight experienced farmers will be selected and trained to assist beginning farmers and work in conjunction with extension services to help promote agriculture within their communities. These farmers will comprise a variety of agricultural enterprises, sizes of farmers and geographic regions. They will attend the 3-day conference to learn skills in how to disseminate information and implement programs.
Third Thursday Thing is one of the premier sustainable agriculture training programs in the state. It serves producer leaders, extension and other ag outreach providers in the state by offering up-to-date, timely information on a variety of sustainable agriculture topics. It meets two of the most pressing needs in Kentucky sustainable agriculture: the need for regular, relevant, basic production and marketing information, and a place for agricultural professionals to seek professional development and connect with growers and other clientele.
KSU’s target audience is a blend of Extension, NRCS, research, and governmental personnel. We also place strong emphasis on professional development of producer leaders in the community who are poised to share the information learned at the Third Thursday Thing with many of their neighbors. We engage in Focus Group feedback throughout the year, and we collect and analyze attendance data to ensure that we are recruiting a balanced group of attendees. Additionally, our focus is on developing the capacity of our technical assistance professionals in the state. In our experience these groups do not have abundant funding to support their continued professional development in the field of sustainable agriculture. The main objective of these efforts is for these professionals to acquire knowledge, skills, and networks that allow them to better serve their clientele. The Third Thursday Thing serves to provide training for Kentucky State University and University of Kentucky both research and extension staff.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Face of SARE
SARE resources and opportunities have been invaluable to a small 1890s university extension program. Through Third Thursday Things and other workshops and events, Kentucky State University promotes SARE and it's support for our agriculture and small farms programs. KSU discusses programs and the mission of SARE with small scale farmers, minority farmers and socially disadvantaged farmers to encourage their participation in projects and SARE opportunities. By working together we may make advancements in agriculture improve the sustainability of farms across the commonwealth.