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Supporting Small Farmers
“Third Thursday” Celebrates
10 Years
Supporting Small Farmers
By
Aimee Nielson
 FRANKFORT,
Ky., (Sept. 26, 2007) – Ten years ago, Marion Simon was just
trying to find a way to educate county extension agents about
sustainable agriculture. She had no idea that a monthly program
on the third Thursday of each month would evolve to reach more
than 16,000 small and part-time farmers over the years.
Simon is the state specialist for small and part-time farmers at
Kentucky State University.
“The idea was that the agents would come to the same location
month-after-month and they could see the natural progression of
the crops and livestock and be able to identify them,” she said.
“It’s still a hands-on training format every month.”
Simon said a large part of the training has been focused on
tobacco alternatives. The other part of the training always
involves some recognition of forages and livestock at various
stages.
“We’ve covered more than 150 crops and enterprises,” she
continued. “Everything from marketing and risk management to
production agriculture. It’s a national model now.”
Simon said that people from across Kentucky have made their way
to Frankfort for the monthly field days. They’ve also had
visitors from seven other states and 15 countries.
Harold Benson, KSU Land Grant Program director, said he is
overwhelmed and overjoyed that Third Thursday has been able to
meet people’s needs for so many years.
“Anything that has a duration beyond a year is good,” he said.
“Five years is outstanding and 10 years … and to still be able
to say you’ve satisfied the needs of the people, and from all
indications we’ve done that, is just priceless.”
Benson said the success of the program is due to a collaboration
of professionals and resources from KSU, University of Kentucky
College of Agriculture, Kentucky Department of Agriculture and
many more.
“We’ve all come together to identify issues, opportunities and
problems that affect all of us,” he said.
Benson and Simon both said the challenge for the future of Third
Thursday will be accessibility.
“The only drawback, for the most part, is that the program has
occurred in Frankfort at our farm every month,” Benson said. “I
think our next challenge is how to mobilize this same effort and
put it out in many of the counties throughout the state. I don’t
want to change anything; I just want to make it more accessible
to a lot more people.”
Simon said they are looking at ways to make the same type of
program available in other parts of Kentucky.
Third Thursday primarily is funded through a Sustainable
Agriculture, Research and Education Program grant. Other sources
of funding come from KSU and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency.
The program is on the third Thursday of each month, January
through November, and begins at 10 a.m. at KSU’s Research and
Demonstration Farm in Frankfort. For more information, contact
Simon at 502-597-6437.
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Contact: Marion Simon, 502-597-6437
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The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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