2019 Model State Program- Kentucky State University

Project Overview

SKY19-002
Project Type: PDP State Program
Funds awarded in 2019: $11,111.00
Projected End Date: 06/30/2022
Grant Recipient: Kentucky State University
Region: Southern
State: Kentucky
State Coordinators:
Dr. Marion Simon
Kentucky State University
Co-Coordinators:
Dr. Timothy Woods
University of Kentucky

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Animal Production: aquaculture, feed/forage, grazing management
  • Crop Production: high tunnels or hoop houses, nutrient management
  • Education and Training: farmer to farmer, networking, technical assistance, workshop
  • Farm Business Management: financial management, new enterprise development
  • Production Systems: organic agriculture, organic certification
  • Sustainable Communities: community development, local and regional food systems, quality of life, urban agriculture

    Abstract:

    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 program based on requests from the agricultural community.

    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.

    Project objectives:

    – Expand programming to include “quality of life” principles of Sustainable Agriculture through discussions of farm transition.
    – Build capacity for these kinds of conversations by training-the-trainer and then supporting trainees in hosting their own local follow-up meetings.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.