Telling Our Story

One of the ways you can know someone’s story is to know that person’s key values. For the UK Cooperative Extension Service, key values are the 3 ’R’s— not reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic, but rigor, relevance, and relationships.

Our rigor comes from the research-based solutions we deliver across Kentucky. Like the popular commercial that shows an army of cell phone technical support, each agent is backed by literally hundreds of people who help with service, answers, and programs.

We are committed to relevance by having meaningful, dynamic, and robust conversations with our stakeholders. These conversations can be formal or informal, but they are a crucial tool to help shape, sharpen, and prioritize our programs. They also provide a feedback loop to continually adjust our programs’ quality.

Relevance implies being responsive. A late answer is almost as bad as no answer. We are using teleconferences, video conferences, e-mail, the internet, podcasting, and other technology to deliver information completely and efficiently.

A good recent example was the team assigned to coordinate the College’s response to the drought (see The College as a Weather Center in this issue, page 9). This committee never met face to face, but it was able to pull together a comprehensive and integrated educational effort, arguably one of our best ever. Once developed, these resources were delivered via the internet.

And it is noteworthy that our drought resources came from both of Kentucky’s land grant universities— UK and Kentucky State University. Our two institutions have the goal of providing world class service and programs in a fully cooperative way.

The final ‘R’ is relationships. Just as the strength of the UK Cooperative Extension Service is our people, our business is people. In my experience, the most significant learning has always begun with a significant relationship. We have to spend the time developing relationships with our stakeholders to fulfill our goal of putting programs in place that make a difference in Kentuckians’ lives and communities.

This commitment is taking several forms. We stress building relationships to new agents, and we reward agents for developing strong programs and extension councils. Extension staff from the UK campus recently met, in several districts, with leaders from county extension councils and delegates to our state extension council. We don’t see such meetings as a once-and-done process, but a continual and a continuing commitment to strengthen the relationship between county and campus.

To tell about all the programs and accomplishments of the Cooperative Extension Service would take a while, but you can get a better idea of our story in this annual report.

Better still, visit one of our county offices and see the real story—our people and their commitment to you.

JIMMY HENNING
Associate Director, Cooperative Extension Service
University of Kentucky
S-107 Agricultural Science Center
Lexington, Kentucky 40546-0091

E-mail: jimmy.henning@uky.edu

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By the Numbers
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Extension made more than
7.2 million contacts
in Fiscal Year 2007.
.......................

As part of extension programming,
221,617 youth
were involved in 4-H/Youth Development programs—
26 percent of those eligible.
They were supported by
19,660
adult and youth volunteers,
an
11.3 to 1 ratio.

.............

More than
$39 million
in additional income
was documented for
Kentucky farmers
who adopted new practices
taught in extension programs.
Because this increased income will be spent
and re-spent on local goods and services,
the total impact is likely as much as
three times that amount.

........................

Extension helped
47,696
Kentuckians make
lifestyle changes
for the purpose of
improving health.

........

IN ADDITION:

► The Master Cattlemen program was conducted in 62 counties, with 716 producers completing the program and making production improvements affecting more than 83,000 head of cattle and 82,000 forage acres.

► Extension agents supported 112 farmers markets in 87 counties that generated more than $5 million for local producers.

► Extension assisted 522 individuals and businesses in 36 Kentucky counties in developing marketing tools to promote local enterprises and communities through agritourism programming. Three-fourths of those counties increased sales through cooperative marketing with other local agritourism operations and the development of relationships with local or statewide tourism agencies.

► Efforts of the Cooperative Extension Service to address home garden and landscape issues were strengthened by 951 extension-trained Master Gardeners, who contributed 28,975 volunteer hours.

► 19,316 members of the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association reported donating 451,595 hours of volunteer time to their communities, valued at more than $6.78 million.

► 31,321 Kentucky youth participated in 4-H camp, making new friends, engaging in fun activities, and learning life skills.

► The program Weight: the Reality Series was offered in 50 counties, with one-third of participants succeeding in losing 5% or more of their initial weight during the program.

AN UPDATE of successes reported last year shows:

►8,311 agricultural producers used new marketing opportunities.

►23,277 agricultural producers adopted new production practices.

►23,668 Kentuckians took steps to reduce debt or increase savings.

►22,877 individuals adopted practices that ensure safe water.

►68,829 Kentuckians gained leadership and communication skills necessary to address community needs.

AND:
Extension is involved with 2,700 ongoing coalitions with the goal of improving the capacity of communities to identify and address issues impacting the lives of their citizens.

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From the left,
Norb Wessels,
Jack Malone,
Jon Wessels,
and
Valerie Bonito,
4-H leader.

► A Kid’s Mind, a Robot, and 4-H

Jack Malone and Norb Wessels hunkered down over a table of Lego models that included a battery-powered robot. All they wanted to do, at that particular moment, was make the robot move northwest across the table.

It sounds easy enough, but behind that simple maneuver was planning, flow charting, and computer programming, all to refine commands delivered to the robot via computer chip.

“It uses your brain to build it,” Norb said. “It needs some commitment to it.”

The robot also needed the help of Norb’s brother, Jon, who was busy at the computer, preparing to update the robot’s commands.

These boys and four other young people are in a Kenton county 4-H Club that is also part of something called FIRST Lego League. The league is run through FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization that makes it possible for kids to build and engineer robots using Lego materials and then take them to competition.

4-H clubs geared to science aren’t new in Kentucky—Kenton County’s club, and a few others, have been around for a while. But more such clubs are starting up. That’s because in 2006, the Kentucky 4-H Foundation provided a $50,000 grant in a pilot project to set up 15 new science/engineering/technology clubs across the state.

The program continues this year, and about 40 science/engineering/technology clubs are now up and running. Some of them were jumpstarted with the grant from the Kentucky 4-H Foundation; other clubs found other funding.

Volunteer leaders with a science or engineering bent are needed—leaders like Kenton County’s Valerie Bonito, who is a software developer by day.

Partnerships with the UK College of Engineering and the Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment are helping 4-H find those leaders.

With initial funding from the Office of the UK Provost, 4-H has hired an agent-at-large for the Science, Engineering, Technology Initiative— Torey Earle. He is based in Western Kentucky. The plan is to have at least two more such agents in other parts of the state. 4-H’s Jann Burks is state coordinator for the initiative.

Jack, Jon, and Norb may not think of themselves as pioneers, but Kentucky 4-H does. From little steps such as programming a robot to move northwest, great science is made.

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►A Community Hears Its Own Voice

In 2002, Ballard County residents decided that they wanted to build a new high school and also organize a countywide festival as part of a community strategic plan. The process of achieving those goals  began. The new Ballard Memorial High School opened in January 2006, with state-of-the-art technology.

The second goal also was realized in 2006 with Doo Wop Days, a four-day festival styled on the 1950s. The event highlights a different community each night.

Both goals involved the efforts of community, county, school, and state officials to bring them to fruition—efforts that began with a county chamber of commerce retreat facilitated by Ron Hustedde of the College’s Department of Community and Leadership Development.

The community was glad for Hustedde’s help.

“It was wonderful to have someone to go to who would help us focus our efforts,” said Tom Miller, county extension agent for agriculture and natural resources and one of the founding members of the Ballard County Chamber of Commerce.

County citizens are now working with Lori Garkovich in Community and Leadership Development. She is helping them think about what they’d like Ballard County’s future to be and how the planned widening of U.S. 60 will impact the county.

In the past 20 years, community and leadership development specialists in the UK Cooperative Extension Service have worked with nearly 40 local organizations and communities to define the future they want and develop a plan that will make that future a reality. The specialists do this by facilitating meetings, identifying resources, and processing data.

“Our mission is to bring out the best in people, stimulate creativity, and build on their assets and strengths,” Hustedde said.

“We use general guidelines,” Garkovich said. “We don’t drive it. We create a process and they do it. We help chart the course; it’s a very empowering process. If extension isn’t about helping people and communities improve their quality of life, I don’t know what it’s about.”

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Wanda McGaughey
(far right) and her exercise class

►Moving Kentucky Off the Couch

Wanda McGaughey retired from the bank, and then when tendonitis hit, she retired from walking several miles a day. Then she heard about a new exercise class being offered through the Greenup County Cooperative Extension Service.

“I found out it didn’t require beating yourself to the floor or nice little things to wear,” said McGaughey, 65.

McGaughey is still showing up a year and a half later.

She and her fellow exercisers get to sit a lot. “Sitting in a chair doesn’t mean you’re not doing anything. It’s a completely different way of looking at exercise,” McGaughey said.

Rita Spence, Greenup’s family and consumer sciences agent, agrees. “Exercise doesn’t have to hurt to be beneficial,” she said.

The exercise program is held weekly at churches in the towns of Flatwoods and South Shore. It is just one example of how Cooperative Extension is helping Kentuckians fight the battle of the bulge.

In Whitley County, for instance, extension sponsored a month of weekly hikes in state parks and the Daniel Boone National Forest. Phil Meeks, ag and natural resources agent, talked about topics such as invasive species while the group hiked. Peggy Helton, family and consumer sciences agent, led a “rolling” program on nutrition as the group rode the bus to the trailhead.

In Henderson County, high school athletes lead exercise programs in the elementary schools. Jan Dougan, Henderson’s family and consumer sciences agent, was a key leader in getting that program up and running.

Lots of work is going on at the state level, too.

The state is now providing $500,000 in recurring funding to Family and Consumer Sciences to support work related to physical activity in departments including Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering and Kinesiology.

Exercise isn’t all we need, of course. Eating well matters, too. That’s where the expertise of Nutrition and Food Science will continue to be important.

“It’s complex,” said Debbie Murray, associate director of Health Education through Extension Leadership, talking about all the factors that deter or encourage people to maintain a healthy weight. “We’re trying to build a body of evidence about what works in Kentucky.”

McGaughey knows what’s working for her.

“I feel better,” she said. “As long as extension offers something, I will stay with it.”

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► Walking the Farm On Four Wheels

Since 1980, Donnie McQuinn has grown crops on his 12-acre farm in Wolfe County. The retired teacher, who farms full-time with his wife Pat, grows strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and vegetables that he sells from his mobile vending booth at the nearby Campton farmers market.

Donnie McQuinn (left)
and Daniel Wilson

Planting, cultivating, watering, and picking is demanding work, but for years McQuinn has maneuvered up and down the hilly land with energy and agility despite a childhood bout with cerebral palsy that impaired his walking. Increasing age and growing stiffness in his joints, however, made him question how he was going to keep up the pace.

Technology supplied the answer. Through funding secured by UK’s Kentucky AgrAbility program in cooperation with the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, McQuinn now traverses his property on a rough terrain vehicle, a four-wheel drive Kubota 900 RTV that was purchased with vocational rehabilitation funding.

“It’ll go anywhere on the farm, uphill, downhill or sideways,” said McQuinn, who praises the federally-funded Kentucky AgrAbility program for its innovative support.

Since 1990, Kentucky AgrAbility, a program of UK Cooperative Extension, has worked with farmers who have disabilities. It provides technical assistance and referrals for financial support for assistive equipment for between 35 and 50 farmers a year.

“We also put farmers in touch with other farmers, which is very valuable because you can always learn more from someone who’s dealing with similar things,” said John Hancock, AgrAbility project director.

The new RTV powers McQuinn up and down the rows, helps him haul equipment, and even pulls a wagonload of 1,600 pounds.

“Extension has interacted with Donnie in a number of ways over the years, and this RTV is a great example,” said Daniel Wilson, Wolfe County extension agent for agriculture and natural resources.

McQuinn said extension has helped him be successful in the work he deeply enjoys.

“I like to plant things and watch them grow, and I like to meet people,” he said. “I can’t play basketball or football, but I can darn sure raise berries and vegetables and meet people.”

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►A Grape Grower is Grateful

Bruce Kunze thought a small vineyard would be a good retirement hobby, but he soon learned that his Brown’s Valley Vineyard in Daviess County was more than that. Caring for nearly an acre and a half of grapes keeps him busy many months of the year.

“It’s labor-intensive,” he said. “Not hard labor, but it takes a lot of time.”

Kunze’s wife, Susie, and daughter, Erin, who is studying hospitality management and tourism at UK, help with the netting that keeps out the birds, joined by other family and friends to help with the harvest.

“We pick nearly everything (four to five tons) in one day,” he said.

A novice grape grower when he began in 2001, Kunze turned to the UK Cooperative Extension Service for help. He still relies on Cooperative Extension. Kunze is not alone, because the number of vineyards and wineries in Kentucky continues to grow.

Extension expertise in this area includes Kaan Kurtural and Tom Cottrell, who were hired in 2005 to assist Kentucky’s growing wine industry. Cottrell works with winemakers, and Kurtural works with grape producers like Kunze.

Kurtural conducts numerous training sessions, sends newsletters and e-mail alerts, and helps with site selection, variety selection, and more.

Kunze uses those resources to produce a quality product, which he sells primarily to Chrisman Mill, a winery near Nicholasville. He has three varieties—Norton, Chambourcin, and the table grape Reliance.

Bruce Kunze

“You can’t gauge how important it is to have that expertise,” Kunze said about extension.

“Kaan’s been a tremendous resource,” he said, “because I can call him and ask him about virtually anything that goes on in the vineyard. He knows what is going on or can offer advice on what to do or where to look for information.”

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