University of Kentucky Agricultural News

Boyd County inmates feed thousands; gain valuable skills

2009-11-04T15:58:00Z

River Cities Harvest feeds thousands of needy people in northeastern Kentucky. Their donations come from many places, and perhaps the most unexpected is a garden tended by inmates of the Federal Correctional Institution near Ashland.

Lori Bowling, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Servicehorticulture agent in Boyd County, started working with FCI Ashland administrators several years ago to offer inmates an opportunity to become Master Gardeners.

"This gives them something they can build on once they are released," she said. "They can pursue an education in horticulture. They can go on to college and get a degree if they so desire; this gives them the building blocks. And it gives them the opportunity to find a job in the horticulture industry or horticulture field that they can be a part of and give back."

Bowling teaches Master Gardener classes, and the inmates also have to complete 30 hours of service in the garden to earn the title. Only nonviolent offenders who have fewer than 10 years remaining on their sentences are eligible to participate in the program. FCI Ashland has two facilities: a low-security prison and a prison camp. The prison camp inmates are the ones who get to participate in the Master Gardener Program. Camp Administrator Larry Whitman said the program has many benefits.

"It's good for the taxpayer; it's good for our neighborhoods," he said. "The inmates have a chance to rehabilitate themselves, to learn work skills and to learn work ethics. That's another key thing, actually learning a work ethic - learning how to get up on time and to work for a supervisor."

Inmates plant, maintain and harvest the produce that eventually makes its way from a 6-acre garden on FCI Ashland grounds to River Cities Harvest. This year, FCI Ashland donated more than 30,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables to the nonprofit food bank, which organizers say is about half of what they would've produced had the weather been more cooperative.

"This is our largest source of fresh produce," said John McGlone, who is on the board of directors for River Cities Harvest. "We do have a lot of farmers at the farmers market who donate, but at one fell swoop, this project gives us most of the fresh produce that we have throughout the year."

For many of the participating inmates, the program is far more than just something to pass the time.

"I've learned a lot about gardening," said inmate Ronald Clark, a Lexington native. "The soil samples in the ground, what makes the product grow; I knew nothing about that. I was raised around farming all my life. I never really took the time to put forth the effort to find out what it was in the soil to make the product grow."

Clark has less than a year remaining on his sentence and hopes to enter the horticulture field when he is released.

McGlone said it's good to see the inmates working on something meaningful and making a good situation out of something bad.

"Often in their lives they don't have a lot of pride in what they have done," he said. "This is a major accomplishment. They take so much pride in what they do, and they can literally see the fruits of their labor every day."

Lucy Davis is the director at River Cities Harvest. She agrees with McGlone that the Master Gardener Program is a win-win for the community and FCI Ashland. She said it's nice to see the transformation in the inmates.

"They are always excited about what they have grown, and they want to show you how beautiful it is - what great work they have done," she said. "They always have a few recipes they want to tell us about."

In the last session, about 17 inmates completed the program and became certified Master Gardeners. Bowling plans to keep offering the classes and working with FCI Ashland officials to grow a variety of fresh produce for River Cities Harvest in the future.

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Waterlogged October wettest on record for some

2009-11-04T15:55:00Z

There's no doubt October 2009 was a soggy month most agricultural producers would rather forget. The record rainfall made everything more complicated. From delayed harvests to tobacco curing problems, farmers were soaked to the bone. When the month finally ended and the numbers came together, it was official - it was the third wettest October on record for the state and the wettest for western parts of the state.

"After the Bluegrass state suffered through two years of drought, the climate pendulum swung back to wetter than normal conditions through October 2009," said Tom Priddy, University of Kentucky agricultural meteorologist. "Although this year did not start off unusually wet, the past two months of September and October have helped this year to be the ninth wettest on record for Kentucky."

Priddy said the biggest contributor to this wet year was obviously the month of October. It brought 6.38 inches of rainfall, which was 3.25 inches more than average. September gave 5.36 inches, which was 1.87 inches more than average and the 11th wettest on record. Other notable months were May with 6.48 inches, June with 5.77 inches, and July with 6.46 inches which were the 17th , 11th , and 13th wettest on record respectively.

"Over the past seven months, we've had six with above normal rainfall," said Mike Mathews, UK College of Agriculture staff meteorologist. "Only one week out of October reported below normal rainfall. Western sections of the commonwealth were the wettest."

Mathews said Paducah, for example, experienced the wettest October on record and was one of the ten wettest cities around the state.

"Adding to the soggy conditions and despite the last week in October warming up, it was not enough to keep the month from being cooler than average, in fact it was the twelfth coolest on record," Mathews said. "In the west, it was the sixth coldest October on record and the ninth coolest for the entire state. This is the opposite of September, which was above normal in temperature statewide."

Severe weather was scarce in October with only two days of severe weather, producing five tornado reports.

Priddy said temperatures for the period averaged 53.8 degrees across the state which was 2.8 degrees below normal. Rainfall totals for October by climate division were, West 9.08 inches, Central 7.86 inches, Bluegrass 5.70 inches and East 3.70 inches, which was 5.91, 4.66, 2.77 and 0.77 inches respectively above normal. By station, precipitation totals ranged from a low of 3.55 inches at Jackson to a high of 11.13 inches at Hardinsburg.

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Dan Rosenberg Named 2009 Friend of the UK Equine Initiative

2009-11-04T15:54:00Z

Dan Rosenberg was named 2009 Friend of the Equine Initiative Nov. 3 at the conclusion of the inaugural University of Kentucky Equine Initiative Distinguished Industry Lecture Series on UK's campus.

Rosenberg was recognized for his involvement at the strategic level of the Equine Initiative and for applying his creativity, experience and success in public relations in advising administrative leaders since the Equine Initiative's creation in 2005.

"From the very beginning of the Equine Initiative at UK, Dan has been one of our most trusted, widely respected advisors. He has offered a strong hand in shaping what the Equine Initiative has become today," said Scott Smith, dean of the College of Agriculture.

"I can think of no one more deserving of this award. Dan is always striving to find new ways to help the Equine Initiative. I wish we had more supporters like him; he is a great advocate for the Equine Initiative," said Ed Squires, executive director of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation and director of advancement and industry relations.

Rosenberg is the owner of Rosenberg Thoroughbred Consulting in Midway. He served as president and chief operating officer of Three Chimneys Farm from 2001-2007 and was general manager from 1978-2001. He is past president of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club and former director of the Thoroughbred Club of America. He is also past vice president of the Kentucky Equine Institute where he also served on the board of directors. Rosenberg was named Farm Manager of the Year in 1992 and an Ambassador for Racing in 1994 by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club.

He has also been involved with numerous advisory boards and nonprofit organizations and currently serves as a Gluck Equine Research Foundation board member. Rosenberg also recently served as director of industry relations for the foundation and has been influential in acquiring funds for new facilities at the UK Maine Chance Equine Campus.

The Friend of the Equine Initiative was created in 2005 to recognize a member of the public who has provided advocacy, funding or other extraordinary support for the UK College of Agriculture's Equine Initiative or a college or university employee who has generated an exceptional relationship with stakeholders that has been manifested in a new program, new advocacy success or new resources for the initiative.

Past Friend of the Equine Initiative recognitions included northern Kentucky County Extension Agents Don Sorrell of Campbell County, Dan Allen of Kenton County and Boone County's Jerry Brown in 2008. David Switzer of Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Owners and Breeders Association earned the inaugural recognition in 2005. The award was not given in 2006 and 2007.

For more information about the Equine Initiative, visit www.ca.uky.edu/equine.

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Kentucky Equine Youth Festival to highlight 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games events

2009-11-04T15:48:00Z

To celebrate the horse industry as it prepares to welcome the world to the Bluegrass state for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the Kentucky Equine Youth Festival will host live demonstrations of the eight games events from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 19, at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The Kentucky Equine Youth Festival will be a great opportunity for the youth across the state to experience elite riders first-hand. Invitations were sent to all middle and high schools in Kentucky. Individuals, horse clubs and groups are also invited.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for schools to bring their students and spend a day learning about Kentucky's flagship industry - the horse," said Fernanda Camargo, University of Kentucky assistant professor and head of Kentucky's 4-H Horse Program. "Currently, we have 1,500 students registered."

The events to be showcased are combined driving, dressage, endurance, eventing, jumping, para equestrian, reining and vaulting. Along with demonstrations, attendees will have access to interactive activities and presentations, as well as educational booths from organizations representing all facets of the equine industry. Educational booth possibilities include equine dental work, equine ambulance information, forging shoes, horse tack and horse physicals.

The Kentucky Equine Youth Festival admission is $50 for schools, $24 for youth groups, and $5 for individuals. Schools and youth groups both require advanced registration. The event will be in the new indoor horse arena.

Sponsors for the event include the University of Kentucky Equine Initiative, University of Louisville Equine Industry Program, Kentucky 4-H Horse Program, Kentucky Equine Education Project, Kentucky Department of Education, United States Equestrian Federation, United States Pony Clubs and the Kentucky Horse Council. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.

For more information on this event, contact Kristen Harvey at (859)257-7501 or kjanicki@email.uky.edu. Schools interested in attending should contact Pat Trotter at (502) 564-2116 or pat.trotter@education.ky.gov. For more information about the event, please visit www.ca.uky.edu/Ky2010EquineYouthFestival.

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Meetings help growers prepare for 2010 growing season

2009-11-04T15:45:00Z

Planning for the coming growing season is an important but sometimes challenging task for producers of grain crops. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture specialists will offer their nonbiased advice to help growers wade through the decision-making process during a series of early bird meetings.

These meetings were previously scheduled for mid-November but were moved to December to include producers dealing with the late harvest.

The meetings will take place Dec. 14 at the Feed Mill Restaurant in Union County, Dec. 15 at the Christian County Cooperative Extension Service and Dec. 16 at the Sedalia Restaurant in Graves County. The program will begin at 9:15 a.m. CST and end around 1:45 p.m. each day.

"These meetings are designed to help farmers make decisions on pre- and early purchases for the 2010 growing season," said Chad Lee, UK grain crops specialist.

Program topics include twin row corn and early planted soybeans, pigweed and volunteer corn, foliar fungicides, stacked traits, grain drying and storage, and marketing grain and budgeting. At the end of the meeting, growers will have time to ask the specialists additional questions.

Lunch is sponsored by the Kentucky Corn Growers Association, Kentucky Soybean Board and the Kentucky Small Grain Growers.

Continuing education units are available for certified crop advisors and pesticide applicators.

For more information, visit the UK Grain Crops Extension Web site at http://www.uky.edu/Ag/GrainCrops/ or contact the following UK agriculture and natural resources extension agents: Rankin Powell in Union County at 270-952-2092, Kenny Perry in Graves County at 270-247-2334, and Jay Stone in Christian County at 270-226-6328.

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Caldwell County fourth-graders experience science in unique way

2009-10-28T12:53:00Z

Caldwell County fourth-graders were immersed in science as they studied trees, arrowheads, soils and creatures both cuddly and not so cuddly during a recent science day.

The day was made possible through collaboration between the county office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and Caldwell County Elementary School. It was designed to get students excited about science, reinforce classroom learning and introduce future classroom topics and possible science-related careers.

"It's an opportunity for the students to learn in a different way," said Tammie Sanders, the school's librarian who helped coordinate the day. "It's more hands-on and more exciting for them to see someone new, who is a specialist, talk about their field of study."

The event was originally funded by a grant from the Kentucky 4-H Foundation. This year, it was funded by the Caldwell County 4-H Council.

Since its inception four years ago, Caldwell County 4-H Youth Development Agent Rhonda Jewell has helped coordinate one science day per school semester. In the fall, the topics are geared more toward life sciences and in the spring, they focus on the physical sciences. Many of the topics include hands-on projects that allow the young people to see, hear, touch and smell science.

"If you make science fun, you can turn youth onto it a whole lot easier," she said. "We try to give them many hands-on, minds-on activities."

The students rotated through nine different stations and covered topics ranging from animal adaptations to archeology and physics. Presenters were industry specialists, local enthusiasts and students from Murray State University and Caldwell County High School.

"It hits the main areas of our science core content and shows the students how science applies to them. Plus, it helps them do better on tests at the end of the year," said Stacy Travis, a fourth-grade teacher at the school.

Science is fourth-grader Sarah Keefer's favorite subject. She said she enjoyed learning new things while going through the stations.

"I liked learning about the different types of animals and how things we do can help and hurt our water supply," she said.

Many of the teachers use the day as an introduction to new subjects, which is what Travis plans to do. Jewell said that she plans to reinforce the topics through follow-up activities in 4-H.

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UK's Craig Carter named Kentucky Veterinarian of the Year

2009-10-28T12:52:00Z

Each year the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association names one Kentucky Veterinarian of the Year. The award recognizes a Kentucky veterinarian who has made outstanding contributions either outside or within the veterinary profession, or both, and is held in high esteem by his or her peers.

This year's recipient is Craig Carter, director of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture's Livestock Disease and Diagnostic Center and professor of epidemiology.

Veterinarian Wade Northington, director of the Breathitt Veterinary Center in Hopkinsville, chaired the committee that chose Carter for the distinction. He said Carter is an individual who has contributed to the betterment of society and the veterinary profession above and beyond his normal activities. He added that Carter's award is one that highlights a lifetime of achievements.

"In being selected KVMA Veterinarian of the Year, Dr. Carter is recognized for his recent retirement from 42 years of military service," Northington wrote. "In a retirement ceremony March 22, 2009, at the Army Reserve Medical Command in Pinellas Park, Fla., Dr. Carter was awarded the Legion of Merit and Joint Service Commendation Medal."

Carter received the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service in positions of increasing responsibility, culminating in a 30-year career as veterinary readiness advisor for the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Command. Carter received the Joint Service Commendation Medal for distinguishing himself by exceptionally meritorious service as senior veterinarian in Task Force Ramadi, Iraq from March through August 2008. Carter received the Bronze Star in 2002 for commanding the first veterinary unit to be deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11.

Carter joined the UK faculty in 2005 as a professor of epidemiology before being named director in 2007 after the retirement of Lenn Harrison, who was awarded the Kentucky Veterinarian of the Year in 2007. Since arriving at UK, he has conducted research on Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals and electronic health monitoring of cattle. He also has developed epidemiological software systems for the early identification of animal disease outbreaks in Kentucky.

"What a distinct honor, humbling beyond belief," Carter said. "The Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association is such an outstanding organization with so many great people that do endless volunteer work to assure a vibrant veterinary profession and healthy animals, large and small, for the commonwealth. I am so proud to be a member of this compassionate and productive group of veterinarians, technicians and workers including the likes of Louise Cook, the energetic and dedicated KVMA executive director. Many thanks go out to the nominating committee and the many folks who supported me."

Carter, an Indiana native, received his masters, doctorate of veterinary medicine and doctorate in veterinary public health degrees from Texas A&M University. He is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and a distinguished scholar of the National Academies of Practice. Carter served in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory System from 1981 to 2004.

Carter has been very engaged internationally as a consultant to the Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. He's recently traveled to Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, China, Thailand, Australia, Uruguay, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia, where he delivered lectures and participated in nation-building activities. Most recently, Carter participated in the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service mission to Afghanistan from Aug.6 to Sept. 3 to advise the Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture on operations and strategic planning for veterinary diagnostic laboratories and animal disease surveillance. Carter was inducted as president-elect of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians at their annual meeting in San Diego in October.

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Groundbreaking ceremony for Equine Reproduction Facilities at UK's Maine Chance Equine Campus recognized donors

2009-10-28T12:49:00Z

A groundbreaking ceremony for University of Kentucky Equine Reproduction Facilities was held Oct. 26 at UK's Maine Chance Equine Campus. The ceremony recognized supporters who generously donated money to fund the remodeling of facilities for equine reproduction research by experts at the Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center.

The remodeled facilities will help develop the best equine reproductive research program in the country and give the Gluck Equine Research Center the opportunity to match the signature equine industry it serves. The remodeled facilities will be used for the management of mares and stallions and laboratory facilities will be constructed for handling semen, embryos and reproductive tissues.

Lexington is the epicenter of the state's signature equine industry and as such reproductive health is of top concern. Statistics show the importance of equine reproduction research at UK and the significance of equine breeding in the area. In 2008, 41 percent of all Thoroughbred mares bred in North America were bred in Kentucky and 608 Quarter Horse stallions covered more than 10,990 mares. In 2007, 30 Standardbred stallions covered or inseminated 1,543 mares and 752 foals were registered. Each year, the American Saddlebred Horse Association reports about 1,050 mares are bred in Kentucky.

"This facility augments a program that is of highest significance to a region which represents the equine reproduction capital of the world," said Nancy Cox, associate dean for research of UK's College of Agriculture, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station director and administrative leader for the Equine Initiative. "The college appreciates the advice from our stakeholders to make a shared investment in reproduction research. We are grateful to those who showed their confidence in us through investments in this facility."

Major donors who have supported the remodeling of the facilities are: Ashford Stud, Darley USA, Flaxman Holdings Limited, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute (Drs. Walter W. Zent, William D. Fishback Jr., Kevin B. Pfiester, Stuart E. Brown II, Ed Fallon, Luke Fallon and Kristina Lu), Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (KTA/KTOB), Lane's End, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital (Drs. Tom Riddle and Peter Morresey), Shadwell Farm, Shawnee Farm, Dr. Ed Squires and Dr. Mats Troedsson.

Funds donated by stakeholders were matched through UK's research challenge trust fund.

"The new reproductive area at UK's equine research farm includes state-of-the-art mare and stallion facilities with modern laboratories to study reproductive problems in horses," said Troedsson, chair of the Department of Veterinary Science and director of the Gluck Equine Research Center. "The facilities will allow researchers at the Gluck Equine Research Center and the Department of Veterinary Science to conduct research on reproductive diseases in mares and stallions, and to respond to emerging problems that are presented to the breeding industry in Kentucky and elsewhere.

"The facilities are the result of generous support from the equine and veterinary communities in central Kentucky," Troedsson said. "It is a great example of how the horse community and the university can work together with a common goal to further our knowledge in equine veterinary science. We are very thankful and excited about the enthusiastic support this project received."

"The mare and stallion facilities, when finished, will provide researchers with laboratories and barns to conduct cutting-edge studies on fertility issues in both stallions and mares," said Squires, executive director of the Gluck Equine Research Foundation and director of advancement and industry relations.

Areas of reproductive health research at the Gluck Equine Research Center include causes, diagnosis and treatment of embryonic and fetal loss in mares; early embryonic development; uterine infection; nutritional affects on reproduction; stallion behavior; diagnosis and treatment of fertility problems in stallions; and fescue toxicosis.

Major equine research contributions from the reproductive health group at the Gluck Equine Research Center include demonstrating the usefulness of artificial lights and progesterone/estradiol treatments for hastening the onset of the breeding season and as part of the team to perform the definitive experiments identifying the cause of Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS).

For more information about the Gluck Equine Research Center, visit http://www.ca.uky.edu/gluck ...

UK Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center construction moving ahead

2009-10-28T12:48:00Z

In 2008, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture broke ground on a $28.5 million expansion and renovation of UK's Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center. A year later, the construction is progressing briskly and was recently celebrated with a "topping off" ceremony to signify that all structural steel for the expansion is in place.

LDDC Director Craig Carter said two 10,000-pound alkaline digesters should be installed before the end of the year.

"We're looking forward to the facility being ‘dried-in' soon," he said. "Hopefully by mid- to late- summer our new necropsy facility and a new administration wing will be finished as well."

Carter said the expansion is what enabled the center's recent full, national accreditation.

"It will also help us move forward in joining the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture," he added. "On a practical level, the new space will open up a lot of lab space in the main building and bring with it updates in air quality and biosafety, which are invaluable improvements. We'll have more room to conduct testing, an increased capacity for necropsies, and it will enable us to better handle any large disease outbreak."

The Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center is a full-service animal health diagnostic facility. Its faculty and staff handle one of the largest caseloads in the nation, seeing 60,000 clinical cases and averaging over 3,000 necropsies (animal autopsies) each year. The laboratory also protects public health by diagnosing many diseases that can potentially cross over into the public sector.

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Director Named at UK Research and Education Center

2009-10-28T12:45:00Z

Lloyd Murdock, a longtime professor with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, was recently named the first director of the college's Research and Education Center in Princeton.

Murdock will devote approximately 50 percent of his time to this role and 50 percent to continuation of his extension work in soils. In the latter capacity, he remains a professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

The new director's role is the result of the elimination of the college's management operations department and the realignment of functions within that department. Administration of the Princeton facilities is now under the direction of Nancy Cox, director of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and associate dean for research. Murdock will report directly to Cox.

"We are glad that Lloyd accepted this leadership position, as he understands the strong service role of UKREC and has a dedication to agribusinesses in the region," Cox said.

The decision to eliminate management operations was prompted by continuing budget pressures and a 2008-09 review of farm operations, said Scott Smith, dean of the College of Agriculture.

"These changes better position the center to sustain the key position they have long held for statewide, mission-oriented service," he said. "We hope to ensure that they remain educational centers first and foremost, and farms and facilities secondarily."

The director's role is to facilitate and support the efforts of faculty and professional staff in establishing innovative programs and projects and developing a team-oriented, mission-centered agenda for UKREC. Murdock will be the liaison between the faculty and staff and the college administration. His responsibilities include budget oversight, long-term planning, strategic programming, and shorter-term prioritization.

Faculty and professional staff at UKREC continue to report to their academic departments. An executive advisory board, including representatives of participating departments and mission areas, has been established to form and maintain an effective external advisory structure for UKREC.

Also as part of the overall reorganization, Donnie Davis, the longtime superintendent at Princeton, has been named director of central Kentucky farms for the college. In his new role Davis will be moving to the Lexington area to oversee operations of the college's Woodford County, Eden Shale and North farms.

In this role, Davis will supervise farm superintendents at the three farms as well as coordinate superintendent operations across all Experiment Station research centers including the UKREC and Robinson Center.

A new superintendent will be named for the UKREC and will report directly to Murdock....