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The 118^th Kentucky State Fair starts this week! The Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville is host to the Fair starting Thursday, Aug. 18 and ending Sunday, Aug. 28. This event has something for everyone from animal shows, honey straws, fair food, pig races, hand-made quilts, and the midway to the KHC favorite, Kentucky-grown plants and produce. 

KHC will be at the Fair with an exhibit in AgLand – an acre of agriculture exhibits in South Wing A showcasing many of the different segments of the 75,000+ Kentucky farms.

Many Kentucky specialty crop growers will be cooking on the Farm to Fair stage, including Cleav’s Family Market (8/18 at 11 am), Coleman Crest Farm (8/19 at 7:15 pm), Mulberry Orchard (8/21 at 10 am), Sweet Bee Gardens (8/21 at 2 pm), Miller’s Farm (8/22 at 4:15 pm), and be sure to catch the culinary students competing in the Jr. Chef competition. KHC’s own Bethany and Dakota will be featured on the Farm to Fair stage, too. Check out Bethany’s cooking demonstrations on each Friday of the Fair at 6 pm. As usual, she will be cooking up something good using locally-grown produce. On Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28, Dakota will be creating amazing floral arrangements using fresh flowers from local farms.

We are fortunate to be part of an AgVets project and excited to welcome our active, retired military veterans and families to the Fair on Sunday, Aug. 21.

My can’t miss for the Fair – the largest pumpkin and watermelon entries. Check out the prize-winners by the West Hall. Entries are submitted on Sat., Aug. 20 in the morning with weigh-in at 1:30 pm. The winners get premiums (cash prizes), but I’m pretty sure they enter the contest for bragging rights. The 2021 pumpkin was a record-breaking 1,663 lbs! Fruit, nut, and vegetable entries will be on display inside the West Hall.

See the daily schedules and find out more about the Fair at www.kystatefair.org.

#KYStateFair #KYHorticulture

Farmers markets are a great way for consumers to make direct connections to local food producers. These local markets also are a way to stabilize farm revenue, preserve biodiversity, respect seasonality, and have a lowered environmental impact. Farmers markets are also important to local and rural economies, enabling a richer perspective of community-supported agriculture.

Short food supply chains – like farmers markets – enable beginning, small-scale growers, veteran- and women-owned operations, and historically disadvantaged farming entrepreneurs. Local markets are natural incubators for new food businesses with examples across Kentucky of successful restaurants, food businesses, and farms launched at farmers markets.

KHC and other state and national organizations will be celebrating the 23^rd National Farmers Market Week from Aug. 7-13. Since the mid-1990s, when the USDA started tracking the number of farmers markets in the US, the number of markets in the U.S. has increased from 2,000 to more than 8,720. Total annual sales at US markets are estimated at over $1 Billion.

Kentucky agriculture is extremely diverse and unique, with high producer participation in farmers markets. According to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, there are more than 170 farmers markets across the Commonwealth, located in 112 counties and having about 3,000 unique vendors. A very high number of specialty crop growers and value-added producers sell their products through farmers markets and the market value continues to increase each year.

Each market has a unique personality and it is really interesting to see the different activities and offerings at markets across Kentucky. Many urban and rural year-round and seasonal markets offer live music, featured produce activities, educational events, and special events for children, and in 2021, 49 Kentucky farmers markets offered a Double Dollars program, which provides a financial incentive to purchase fresh, nutritious, locally-grown produce to participants in SNAP and WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs. One strategy farmers use to encourage purchase of locally grown produce is offering samples for customers to try different products.

Farmers markets can be a profitable market channel for Kentucky horticulture operations. Generally, there are low barriers to entry, the primary expenses being market registration fees and a booth set up. KHC works with partner organizations and agencies to make resources and training available to growers interested in selling through farmers markets. Two excellent resources for farmers market vendors are the Kentucky Farmers Market Manual & Resource Guide (KY Department of Ag) and the Kentucky Farmers Market Price Reports (University of KY Center for Crop Diversification).

Community-based farmers markets provide an important alternative to the industrialized food system and KHC is happy to promote, support, and strengthen farmers markets across Kentucky. We encourage you to visit a local farmers market and celebrate the summer bounty of Kentucky farms!

Each month, KHC features one of the Council’s member organizations to highlight how these groups support horticulture in Kentucky. This month we are featuring The Kentucky Nut Growers Association (KNGA). KNGA is a non-profit organization that promotes curiosity of nut bearing trees and their propagation. The group is made up of a number of growers and researchers with a lifetime of experience between them cultivating and breeding nut and fruit trees in Kentucky. They are dedicated to identifying and locating promising seedling trees that can be adapted to our climate. Members exchange educational information, growing techniques, and plant material.

KNGA was formed in the spring of 1960 at a meeting of the Indiana Nut Growers Association at the farm of Ford Wilkinson.  Among the charter members was W.D. Armstrong, the first research scientist to be headquartered at the University of Kentucky Princeton Experiment Station. Other charter members included Mr. Tubby McGill, Extension Service, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Rice of Hickman, KY, Mr. Makin of Tiptonville, TN, Mr. Henry Converse of Henderson, KY, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Vannoy, Mr. and Mrs. Ch. Collier, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Morrill, and Mr. Boynton Merrill. 

Members receive twice yearly newsletters and are invited to attend two annual meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for October 15^th at the Kentucky State University Research and Demonstration Farm in Frankfort. This will be the first meeting since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic!  Member meetings are casual gatherings with a pot-luck luncheon and informal presentations, scion wood exchange and sometimes a fundraising auction with donated plant materials from supporting local nurseries and members. Many of the KNGA members are tree fruit experts and enthusiasts as well so it’s not uncommon to find an exchange of fruit tree scion and growing knowledge at these meetings as well!

Anyone with an interest in nut bearing trees is welcome to join KNGA- even if you do not reside in Kentucky or currently grow nut trees! For those interested in growing fruit and nut trees, membership provides an opportunity to network with and learn from members willing to share their many years of experience. To become a member, you may send an application including your name, mailing address, and email address to the KNGA treasurer, Douglas Hines, at 679 Townsend Valley Road, Paris, KY 40361. Annual dues are $5.00 with membership renewals beginning on January 1^st of each year.

Follow KNGA on Facebook to stay in touch!

Frequently, KHC features one of the Council’s member organizations to highlight how these groups support horticulture in Kentucky. This month, KHC is highlighting The Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK), a non-profit organization founded by farmers, for farmers.

OAK believes that taking care of our soils and environment through sustainable farming practices will create healthy and resilient communities. OAK works to grow ecological resilience, economic viability and socially-just futures for Kentucky farmers through educational, technical and market-driven resources.

When the original, dedicated group of Kentucky organic farmers founded OAK in 2009, the sustainable farming landscape across Kentucky was very different from what it is today. As interest and demand for local, organic food and farming has expanded over the years, we are lucky to have OAK to support, educate and connect our farmers and consumers.

OAK helps to sustain the organic farming community by offering an annual farming conference, monthly farmer field days, timely newsletters for growers and agriculture professionals and an organic transition training program for farmers considering or seeking organic certification. To support and encourage a healthy food system, OAK offers cooking demonstrations using in-season produce, community supported agriculture (CSA) fairs, online blog posts, consumer newsletters, and the Find-a-Farm Directory to connect community members and buyers with farmers across the Commonwealth. Visit OAK’s website to find out more about these resources.

Each winter, OAK hosts an invaluable farming conference that connects hundreds of attendees with a diverse array of dynamic speakers. Each year, the conference sessions cover topics such as current research in organic agriculture, soil health, organic pest and disease management, biodiversity on farms, seed saving, food system policy, specialty crops, climate resiliency, organic certification, CSA management and organic market access.

The events keep going after the conference too! Throughout the growing season, OAK offers a diverse on-farm field days. These events offer farmers and agricultural professionals the opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and knowledge-sharing. OAK Farmer Field Days hosted across the state and led by Kentucky farmers offer the opportunity for beginning farmers, advanced farmers and other interested parties to connect and share practical techniques and skills to improve their own farms, gardens and communities. Check out the line-up of upcoming field days scheduled in 2022 here!

If you want to support OAK’s mission to elevate organic growers and community members across the Commonwealth, you can make a tax-deductible donation or become a member. Members receive discounted registration for the annual conference and all OAK events, as well as discounts from supporting businesses.

For any questions you may have about sustainable, organic farming, send an email to info@oak-ky.org or call 502-219-7378.

Kentucky grown cut flowers are being celebrated this July in a month-long promotional event organized by the Kentucky Horticulture Council and the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Each day, cut flower growers across the state will be featured on KHC’s social media channels highlighting where customers can find locally-grown flowers on farms, at farmers markets, pop-up shops, through community supported agriculture subscriptions, and other outlets.

“I’m glad that we have designated July as the month for celebrating specialty cut flower production in Kentucky and spotlighting growers producing these magnificent blooms” said Kristin Hildabrand, Warren County horticulture extension agent. “Kentucky cut flower growers offer a wide variety of unique plant material from fresh to dried in the form of buds, flowers, stems, colorful budding branches, seed heads, and stalks throughout the different growing seasons. There is always room on your table to have fresh, locally grown flowers!”

Most – about 80% – of cut flowers are imported for US markets, yet Kentucky farm conditions are well-suited for high-quality commercial production. The commonwealth is home to well over 125 commercial cut flower operations. The number of farmer-florists continues to increase each year, with a 20% increase in just the last year.

“Selling through local retail and wholesale markets can be profitable for small to large scale Kentucky cut flower growers,” said Cindy Finneseth, KHC executive director. “We continue to see high demand for locally-grown products in both urban and rural areas and our flower farms are growing high quality, diverse products to meet that demand.”

“It has been great to see the growth that cut flowers have had in the recent years among Kentucky’s horticulture industry. No longer are we seeing just a few zinnias at a farmer’s market booth, but an increase in commercial farms, solely dedicated to producing cut flowers and making a living doing it,” said Alexis Sheffield, Boyle County horticulture extension agent. “Kentucky is home to some large-scale farms that exemplify the diversity of agriculture across the state.”

To help customers find Kentucky operations, the Kentucky Horticulture Council and UK horticulture agents have partnered with UK’s Center for Crop Diversification to produce an interactive, online map at https://uk-horticulture.github.io/KY-Cut-Flowers/.

“We invite all Kentuckians to explore the many local cut flower growers in their area to see what services they offer and to find ways to purchase locally-grown floral products when celebrating future events, programs, graduation, parties, and weddings,” added Hildabrand.

To follow the cut flower month promotional activities, visit Facebook (@KYHortCouncil), Instagram (@KYHorticulture) or Twitter (@KYHorticulture).

For more information about the monthly activities, please contact: 

Kristin Hildabrand, kristin.goodin@uky.edu, Alexis Sheffield, alexis.amorese@uky.edu, or Cindy Finneseth, cindy@kyhortcouncil.org.

Each month, KHC features one of the Council’s member organizations to highlight how these groups support horticulture in Kentucky. This month we are featuring the Kentucky Florists Association (KFA). KFA is a non-profit organization that connects florists across the state. Founded in 1957, KFA is dedicated to promoting the development and growth of the floral industry in Kentucky and providing educational opportunities to aspiring florists and established professionals alike.

Every year, KFA presents the FEPK, or Floral Education Program of Kentucky. They offer a 1-day beginner’s introduction to floral design course for florists with 3 or less years experience in the industry. This course is a pre-requisite for the KMF, Kentucky Master Florist training. The KMF is a 5-day training that includes courses on hands on design, plant and cut flower handling, marketing, and business.

Another valuable education opportunity for florists is the KFA Annual Convention. The convention hosts design contests, roundtables, hands on classes, and a trade show. Florists can network with other industry professionals while expanding their skills and knowledge of the craft.

Additionally, KFA offers periodic 1-day design shows across the state. Events were postponed during the pandemic and now plans are being made for shows in the near future. Find updates on this and other education opportunities KFA’s Facebook page and website.

Frequently, KHC features one of the Council’s member organizations to highlight how these groups support horticulture in Kentucky. This month we are featuring the Kentucky Arborists Association (KAA). The state chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), KAA is network of tree enthusiasts of all kinds. The membership includes commercial and municipal arborists, educators, cooperative extension personnel, landscapers, nursery growers, and students. KAA supports tree care industry professionals by providing educational resources, a quarterly newsletter, workshops, professional certifications, public events, and an annual conference.

Each fall, KAA hosts a family friendly event called the Kentucky Tree Climbing Competition (KYTCC). It is exactly as it sounds, a fun day full of competitive professional tree climbing! Arborists showcase safe working practices using innovative climbing techniques and equipment. Competitors participate in 6 tree care related challenges and the top performers go on to compete in a Master Challenge. The event is open to the public in an effort to increase interest and appreciation for the industry. The event includes a kids’ climb, tree identification walk, and food trucks.

The most recent event hosted by KAA was the 2022 Annual Conference and Trade Show, February 24-25, at the Enrichment Center in Burlington, KY. Topics included tree training, tree disease and entomology research updates, best practices for protecting wildlife, tree climbing, and urban forest management.

KAA is operated by board members from within the industry to represent the entire state. The current board includes: Executive Director: Laura Lambert; President: Dr. William Fountain; Secretary: Bryan Kist; Treasurer: Brian Gadd; Certification Liaison: Laura Lyon; KY Horticulture Council Liaison: Larry Lose; TREE Fund Liaison: David Leonard; KYTCC Chair: Cory Petry. The board of directors includes: Stacey Borden, Jesse Hesley, Drew Combs, Mike Kaneris, Aaron Boggs, Megan Buland, and Joey Hampton.

Need to find an arborist near you? Use this great tool created by ISA: https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist

Become a member of the Kentucky Arborists Association. Student membership is free!

Registration for the 2022 Fruit and Vegetable conference is now available! The event is scheduled for January 3-4, with pre-Conference events on Sunday, January 2. This will be the first time this event has been held at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green, KY (https://www.bgky.org/convention-center).

The annual Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference is the premier event for Kentucky produce growers to interact and gain valuable production and marketing training. The Kentucky State Horticultural Society (KSHS), Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association (KVGA), Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK), Kentucky Wineries Association (KWA) and Kentucky Horticulture Council (KHC) in cooperation with University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (UK), Kentucky State University College of Agriculture, Communities and the Environment (KSU), and Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) have planned an excellent program with more than 75 speakers covering both general interest and specialized production topics. The trade show will have more than 60 exhibitors for attendees to visit about products and services.

The full conference program, information about pesticide CEUs, and registration instructions are available on the Conference webpage: https://kyhortcouncil.org/2022-ky-fruit-vegetable-conference/.

The Conference will include a general session as well as sessions on protected agriculture production technologies, organic production, vegetable production (beginner and advanced), fruit production (beginner and advanced), and business management. New sessions added this year include MarketReady, farm-to-school, value-added production, and ag water. Other conference events include a Farmers’ Market Short Course organized by KDA, a crop insurance workshop organized by KHC and the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD), and a labor ready workshop offered by AgSafe as well as the fruit grower and vegetable grower roundtable sessions.

Kentucky specialty crop growers will be presenting as well as Kentucky Extension specialists and excellent out-of-state speakers including: Dr. John Clark, Distinguished Professor, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR; Dr. Chieri Kubota, Professor, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; Dr. Dave Lockwood, Extension Fruit Specialist, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Dr. John McMaine, Extension Specialist – Water Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD; and Dr. Annett Wszelaki, Professor of Horticulture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.

Pre-registration is available online through Eventbrite (https://2022-ky-fruit-veg-conference.eventbrite.com) or by mailing in the meeting registration form by Friday, December 17, 2021. After this date, you may continue to register online or on-site. The conference pre-registration fee is $50 (or $75 on site) and includes a year’s membership in the KVGA, KSHS, or OAK and full access to recorded content for a year after the meeting.

For registration questions call: 859-490-0889 or email: info@kyhortcouncil.org.

The 2022 Kentucky Fruit & Vegetable Conference Planning Committee is seeking proposals for educational presentations. We welcome ideas for mini-sessions (20 minutes total; 15 minutes speaking and 5 minutes for Q&A) or longer presentations (30 or 60 minutes including Q&A). We are especially interested in presentations from local growers.

Session topics should be highly focused for produce growers in Kentucky. Topics can address production methods, research results, business management strategies, and best practices. Specific content requests from recent Conference surveys include: variety performance, crop rotation, processing, post-harvest handling, growing in high tunnels, urban farming, strategies for marketing, and soil health.

This event each January historically has an attendance of 500 participants including growers, exhibitors, speakers, organizational representatives, and governmental agencies, with more than 70 educational sessions, grower roundtables, a trade show, and a Kentucky wine tasting. The full agenda with registration details will be published in late October. The Conference is scheduled for Jan. 3-4, at the Slone Conference Center in Bowling Green.

We encourage you to consider submitting a proposal to share your knowledge, passion, and innovation with others or suggest speakers you’d like to hear! Submit proposals online or by email info@kyhortcouncil.org.

Deadline to submit proposals is September 15, 2021. Presentation date and time will be confirmed with speakers by October 15, 2021.

Each month, KHC features one of the Council’s member organizations to highlight how these groups support horticulture in Kentucky. This month is the Kentucky State Horticultural Society, also known as KSHS. This non-profit professional member group for Kentucky fruit growers was organized in 1856 and later incorporated in 1920 to bring together individuals across Kentucky interested in fruit production. You can connect with KSHS online.

You did not misread that date of 1856. KSHS has been an active organization supporting research, outreach, and education for the fruit industry in Kentucky for 165 years! KSHS provides many member benefits, including summer orchard tours, an online business listing, educational programs, and access to the KY Ag Health Care Trust.

One of the organization’s most important activities is to co-sponsor the annual Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference each January. The statewide conference provides the opportunity for KSHS members to learn the latest production techniques from university specialists and produce growers and network with others interested in vegetable production and marketing. The trade show features equipment and supply dealers as well as technical service providers. Educational sessions focus on such topics as commercial produce production, organic production, protected agriculture systems, and product market channels including farmers’ markets, direct and wholesale marketing, and agritourism. The 2022 Conference is scheduled for Jan 3-4, with pre-conference sessions on Sunday, January 2. The event will be held in Bowling Green at the Sloan Convention Center.

Each year KSHS recruits board members and officers from within the industry to represent the different sizes, geographies, and marketing channels of Kentucky fruit growers. The current KSHS officers include: Jonathan Price, President (Bowling Green); Kevan Evans, President-Elect (Georgetown); Joanna Hinton, Secretary (Hodgenville); Amanda Gajdzik, Treasurer (Shelbyville); and Directors Dwight Greenwell (Taylorsville), Stuart Brenneman (Tipton, IN), Barb Hettmansperger (Science Hill), Billy Reid (Owensboro), Lyle Allen (Versailles), Megan Fields (Versailles), and David Haney (Prospect).

Although most KSHS members join as part of their annual Kentucky Fruit & Vegetable Conference registration, you can join any time. Dues can be paid online or by completing a membership application with your contact information and sending a $40 check or money order to KSHS, PO Box 469, Princeton, KY 42445-0469.

If you have questions about KSHS, you can contact any officer or director for information or send an email to KHC at info@kyhortcouncil.org.