SKY18-001

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: extension, technical assistance
• Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems

Dr. Paul Vincelli is the UK State Coordinator and Brett Wolff as the Kentucky Program Assistant. In addition to his leadership of the program, Dr. Vincelli has brought expertise in the areas of climate change, cover crops, and GMO technology. Brett continues to act as a networker for the program, identifying new opportunities for collaboration and new venues to share SSARE resources. In the past, KYSARE has supported a number of smaller sustainability-related programs. This year, we are focusing on one major event, ongoing support of grazing initiatives, and creating opportunities for professional development within our institution:

- A Genetic Engineering Conversation
o We plan to bring noted genetic engineering critic, Maywa Montenegro to Kentucky to be part of a series of discussions with our professional agriculture outreach community. These discussions will be open to the university community and public.
- Grazing Conference Support
o The University of Kentucky offers an annual grazing conference in the fall, and we would like to offer partial support for speaker costs.
- Genetic Engineering Education
o Programming aimed at outreach to farmers and the general public detailing the science-based risks and benefits of genetic engineering for sustainability in agriculture.
- Extension Associate/Specialist Professional Development Scholarships
o Providing travel opportunities for Extension Associates to attend sustainability-related conferences or workshops in or out of the state.

In 2018-19, we plan to engage our Advisory Committee and keep them informed of ongoing activities and to contact them in the fall to discuss projects for next year.

2017 Objectives & Outcomes:
- Build a broad base of interest and skills in agricultural sustainability among extension agents and other professionals in the state
- Increasing support of professional development for NGO service providers.
- Further development of relationships with those delivering livestock and grain programming.
- Sustained education in genetic engineering and its pros and cons for sustainability.

We have delivered on these goals through several projects including: the Southeastern Kentucky Ag Outreach Provider Symposium planning process, support for a speaker at the American Forage and Grassland Conference, attendance at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association conference, tabling at the Organic Association Conference, and staying in contact with the team of faculty working on cover crops after the 2016 Southern Cover Crops Conference. We continue to cover a wide variety of topics at our Third Thursday Thing events, the Annual Minority and Limited Resources Farmer Conference. This has opened some considerable opportunities for engaging our SARE program with the livestock and grain communities.

2018 Additional Objectives:
- Add depth to our conversations around the sustainability of Genetic Engineering.
- Reach a broader group of Extension personnel for our professional development “scholarships”