Progress report for SKY24-001
Project Information
This project will support the ongoing development of a Sustainable Agriculture Community of Practice among Agriculture Outreach and Technical Assistance Providers in Kentucky. This will be accomplished through quarterly convenings of agricultural professionals to receive education from experts in the field, as well as ample structured and unstructured networking time for these professionals to learn from each other and build stronger partnerships to better serve Sustainable Agriculture producers and marketers across the commonwealth. We will also encourage attending professionals to seek outside additional sustainable agriculture professional development through travel scholarships. Scholarship recipients will be expected to report back on their experiences and expanded knowledge at a quarterly meeting.
Our focus for this year is on strengthening relationships between sustainable agriculture outreach and technical service providers as well as increasing their knowledge AND their ability to communicate that information to their clientele. We will accomplish this through 4 in-person intensive lecture and networking workshops. We plan to focus on programming related to:
- Soil health
- Balancing Environmental Sustainability with Economic Profitability
- Climate Resilience
- Water Conservation and Management.
We will also support professionals in pursuing other professional development through attendance at an event or conference of their choosing.
Advisors
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Education
Midwest Mechanical Control Field Day
This activity supports the goals of this proposal by offering opportunity for TA providers and industry leaders to network while learning about the focus areas in the proposal of Soil Health and Balancing economics & profitability in a sustainable enterprise. This was a hands on field day where SSARE supported 17 attendees (indicated in section below).
Organic Association of Kentucky Support
SARE MSP supplemented support from Regional SARE scholarship awards. MSP specifically supported 41 technical assistance providers and industry leaders (names provided in section below) for three days of intensive workshops covering a variety of topics including livestock, crops, soil and water quality, and economic profitability.
Brett Wolff continues to serve as the face of SARE in Kentucky. Activities toward this work include:
- Providing Ongoing Producer and Researcher grant information
- SSARE Podcast
- Tabling
- OAK
- EKY Farmers Conference
- KSU Small Farms Conference
- OAK Speaking Support
Additional Workshops are currently being planned in line with proposal. This report will be updated when they are completed.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
To provide networking opportunities to professionals working in sustainable agriculture and to provide hands on training and experience in the areas of soil health and weed control without pesticides.
SSARE worked with the Organic Association of Kentucky (Specialist Sarah Geurkink) and the UK Center for Crop Diversification (Specialist Alexis Sheffield) to support Kentucky TA providers and farmers to participate in the Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day at Purdue University. Participants had the opportunity to meet and interact with peers from across the region including: tool manufacturers, weed scientists and other ag professionals, and growers. Assembly of many of these data were done by OAK collaborator Sarah Geurkink.
Testimonials:
"As a TA provider, and specifically as someone who is relatively new to a TA role in Kentucky, the opportunity to take Kentucky growers to this field day brought multiple wins. Not only did I get to learn about and see newly developed tools and techniques in action, but I was able to connect with growers in ways I had not had the chance to before. During conversations in the car ride over and back, at dinner, and during the field day, I was able to learn more about their farms, their recent successes and challenges, and the resources they felt were lacking. Perhaps most impactful: I was able to build rapport with participant growers that resulted in gaining their trust enough to be called in for production technical assistance on their farm following the trip. I also saw growers take advantage of the face time with peers to troubleshoot their farming challenges and brainstorm solutions together. Finally, the connections I made with my peer TA professionals were invaluable, and have led to multiple collaborations that will have exponential impact in the future."
-Sarah Geurkink, Organic Association of KentuckyBt using new equipment that is accessible for growers that will help them develop a foundational weed control system.
Other anonymous replies:
"[I hope to] resurrect existing equipment to its potential and transition to mechanical methods for planting, weed control, harvesting"
"The UK connections should lead to future collaborations. And the cover crop practices will be tested this winter."
"I will give a try to use tarping in our Organic Farming Research and hope to collaborate with a new seed company in Indiana."
"This experience will help shape practices on the farm by experimenting with new techniques and investing in proper tools for our operations."
All participants (17) reported an increase in knowledge about mechanical weed control, pesticide use reduction, soil health, and an improvement to professional networks. More reflections are below with captions.
Networking with farmers, weed scientists, cultivation experts, and equipment manufacturers
Farm Droid Autonomous Weeding Robot demonstration
Demonstration of a Thiessen steerable cultivator outfitted with Tilmor components
Adam Barr (Barr Farms), Dusty Gosset (Gossett), and Jake Cecil (Ashbourne Farms) step onto the field after a demonstration pass of the Gregoire-Besson Plow
Einbok camera guided cultivator on row crops (corn)
Enthusiasm for equipment from Mark Williams (University of Kentucky) and Alex Rickman (High Five Farm)
Demonstrations included equipment for tillage and cultivation at various scales
Camera guided Hatzenbichler XL cultivator
Top Row: Linelle Rivera (KSU), Seun Mofikoya (KSU), Claire Brandenburg (Harmony Fields Farm), Matthew Brandenburg (Harmony Fields Farm), Dusty Gossett (Gossett Farms), John Bell (Elmwood Stock Farm), Maggie Dungan (Salad Days Farm), Jake Cecil (Ashbourne Farms), Macilia Smith (Riverview Organic Farm), Morris Smith (Riverview Organic Farm), Mark Williams (University of Kentucky), Alex Rickman (High Five Farm), Megan Pillsbury (Seedleaf), Bottom Row: Adam Barr (Barr Farms), Joseph Monroe (Valley Spirit Farm), Alexis Sheffield (University of Kentucky), Sarah Geurkink (Organic Association of Kentucky)
To support agricultural professionals in developing their knowledge and their networks in Kentucky sustainable agriculture.
SARE MSP supported 41 agriculture professionals and industry leaders to attend the 2025 Organic Association of Kentucky annual conference.
In 2025, OAK’s conference program featured three days of inspiration from local and regional speakers, useful Trade Show resources and abundant networking opportunities to empower and support farmers and food system innovators. The conference theme for #OAK2025 was Grounded in Organics: From Soil to Market. The primary focus of the OAK conference agenda was on-farm production systems, techniques and practices, with the interwoven threads of community, conservation and collective action inseparable from the sustainable agriculture movement.
93% learned something useful
91% will implement practices to meaningfully advance their work as an outcome of attending the conference
83% will share something they learned with a peer in the field
To be an on-the ground resource about SARE for producers and professionals in the state.
On-going grant and SARE informational support
Tabling for SARE at events in the region
Speaking about SARE when asked
Participation in SARE podcast recording and other features
I answer questions about SARE at least once per week in the state. I act as a conduit for connecting producers to SARE resources, and I encourage people to apply for SARE grants.
Through these funds we provided Grow Appalachia with a number of SARE print resources for use in their Beginner Farmer training program which they deliver in collaboration with the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
I have represented SARE by tabling at sponsored events including Organic Association of Kentucky Conference, Eastern Kentucky Farmers Conference, and the KSU Small Farms Conference.
I have worked with DaraMonifah Cooper on a few features including discussing Soil Solarization in a short podcast episode and in the groundwork for a story about Fatima Jackson's experience with producer grants (forthcoming).
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Face of SARE
I answer questions about SARE at least once per week in the state. I act as a conduit for connecting producers to SARE resources, and I encourage people to apply for SARE grants.
Through these funds we provided Grow Appalachia with a number of SARE print resources for use in their Beginner Farmer training program which they deliver in collaboration with the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
I have represented SARE by tabling at sponsored events including Organic Association of Kentucky Conference, Eastern Kentucky Farmers Conference, and the KSU Small Farms Conference.
I have worked with DaraMonifah Cooper on a few features including discussing Soil Solarization in a short podcast episode and in the groundwork for a story about Fatima Jackson's experience with producer grants (forthcoming).