Kentucky Horticulture Council

Nature’s Best Hope with Doug Tallamy
2022-07-20 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
Prof. Doug Tallamy ”Nature’s Best Hope” talk at the University of Louisville and for Saturday’s climate-resilient gardening tour at Bernheim!
Prof. Tallamy’s talk is at 6 p.m. Friday July 22 at the University of Louisvile’s Bingham Humanities Building, Room 100. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a spread of healthy, sustainable appetizers courtesy of Amazing Graze catering. Prof. Tallamy will present via Zoom to this in-person gathering, but a zoom option for participants is also available for those unable to attend in person.
Event requires advance online registration!
Tickets at bernheim.org/events

Climate-resilient Gardening at Bernheim
2022-07-23 10:00 - 11:30 UTC
Don’t miss this great educational opportunity!
Saturday, July 23, 10-11:30 a.m.
Climate-resilient Gardening Takeaways
Walking tour by Bernheim Director of Horticulture and Sustainable Landscapes Renee Frith
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED at bernheim.org/events
This on-site tour highlights some of our climate-resilient gardening practices at Bernheim, all meant to be replicable in your own back yard. Renee will show you how you can make your yard a more natural and healthy place! Limit: 20 people. Meet in front of the Visitor Center.

Black Soil Food Chain SmokeHouse Dinner
2022-07-23 17:00 - 20:00 UTC
Join Black Soil KY, Daughters’ Southern and Rock House Brewing for a fundraiser benefitting FoodChain. Over the past 3 years, FoodChain has led in food relief efforts and we’re excited to support their ongoing work with a portion of the ticket proceeds. Learn more about FoodChain at https://foodchainlex.org/
Guests will enjoy
-coursed Farm to Table dinner expertly prepared by Chef Chris Cain, Daughters’ Southern
-4 beer pairings expertly curated by Rock House Brewing

UK IPM Virtual Vegetable Field Day
2022-07-26 12:00 - 14:00 UTC
Mark your Calendars
For the UK IPM Virtual Vegetable Field Day. This event is structured for commercial vegetable producers, but it is open to the public.
See our latest research projects, as well as up-to-date recommendations in horticulture, entomology, and pathology. Speakers include Dr. Rachel Rudolph, horticulture; Drs. Jonathan Larson and Ric Bessin, entomology; and Dr. Nicole Gauthier, pathology.
Growers can register here; Zoom link will be emailed once registration is complete.

Flowers, Herbs, and Vegetables: Growing a Backyard Garden into a Small-Scale Farm Business
2022-08-04 09:00 - 12:00 UTC
Join OAK for a field day on Aug. 4 in Greenup!
For nearly 25 years, Kristi Ruggles has grown herbs, flowers and vegetables for her family in Greenup County. As her garden grew, her interest in growing as naturally as possible also grew, leading Kristi to dig deeper into sustainable agriculture and organic practices. As her family demands lessen, Kristi is shifting her backyard gardening towards small-scale, local production for profit. Join us to hear Kristi’s path exploring markets and sourcing materials in a rural area, broadening her crops and products and expanding her infrastructure. We’ll tour her high tunnel, raised beds and gardens; learn her tips and tricks of cut flower and herb production; discuss the merits and drawbacks of organic certification for small-scale growers and explore the benefits of pollinator plantings.
Funding for this Field Day was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture in partnership with Grow Appalachia.

Farmers Market Week
2022-08-08 - 2022-08-11
Aug 8-11 is National Farmers Market Week. Join the celebration in Kentucky by visiting your local farmers markets.

Kentucky First Farm Workshop @ RCARS
2022-08-09 09:00 - 16:00 UTC | RCARS, 130 Robinson Rd., Jackson, KY, 41339
Giving military veteran, minorities, small farm, and limited resource farmers the information and training needed to create a sustainable agricultural operation!
This program is free and open to all military veterans, active, retired or transitioning, minority, and underserved populations and those with small farms that have been in operation under 10 years.
Event will be held at RCARS in Jackson (Breathitt Co).
Contact: Linda Bokros (859-257-1126 or linda.bokros@uky.edu)

RCARS Twilight Tour
2022-08-11 18:00 - 21:00 UTC
Visit Robinson Center in Jackson (Breathitt Co) for a farm twilight tour! Options include: Forage Cutting, Weed Control, Frost Seeding, Novell Tall Fescue, Crabgrass Control, Fall Cabbage, Tomato/Cut Flower Rotation, Finishing Beef Cattle, Hemp Trials, Sweet Potato Slip Production, and Other Seasonal Options. CAIP Educational Hours Available!
Save the Date!

Nurtured by Nature Flower Show
2022-08-12 - 2022-08-13
Join the Garden Club of Kentucky for a flower show at The Old Favorite in Franklin, KY. Registration will be on Friday morning, and judging will be on Friday afternoon. The Flower Show will be open for public viewing on Friday night and Saturday morning.

MarketReady Buyer Tour: Louisville
2022-08-12 10:00 - 15:00 UTC
Market Ready Buyer Tour
Each tour offers the opportunity to visit 3 or 4 buyers and see what happens behind the back doors at various marketplaces. Participants will be able to ask questions, talk with buyers, and get first-hand experience with what it is like to bring product to a restaurant, grocery/retail store, or institutional buyer.
Aug 12, 2022, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Potential Stops for Louisville: Creation Gardens/What Chefs Want, Jefferson County Public Schools Nutrition Service Center, Rainbow Blossom grocery, ValuMarket grocery, and a TBD locally-sourced restaurant.

MarketReady Buyer Tour: Louisville
2022-08-19 10:00 - 15:00 UTC
Market Ready Buyer Tour
Each tour offers the opportunity to visit 3 or 4 buyers and see what happens behind the back doors at various marketplaces. Participants will be able to ask questions, talk with buyers, and get first-hand experience with what it is like to bring product to a restaurant, grocery/retail store, or institutional buyer.
Aug 19, 2022, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Potential Stops for Lexington: Good Foods Co-op, Critchfield Meats & Market, FoodChain, Whole Foods Market, UK Dining/Aramark, and a TBD Ouita Michel’s restaurant.

Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) Member Gathering
2022-08-21 16:00 - 19:00 UTC
Do you want an evening to connect with other OAK Members in a casual environment? Are you looking for some new farming friends? Would you like to chat about local supply chains or new market opportunities for local produce or thriving local businesses or all of the above? Do you love pizza?
In response to all of these and more, Team OAK is partnering with our buddies at Locals Food Hub and Pizza Pub for an evening of good food, live music, OAK community networking, and a whole slew of fun surprises on Sunday August 21 from 4 PM -7 PM ET. This is the opportunity to meet your neighbors, connect with fellow OAK Members and eat pizza with ingredients sourced from Kentucky farmers. Like and follow along the Facebook event here.

KY Proud Virtual CSA Fair
2022-09-07 - 2022-09-14
CSA Farmers, take advantage of FREE promotion during the virtual KY Proud Fall CSA Fair this September 7th-14th! Sign up to be a partner farm and event partners will spread the word about opportunities you have for consumers to sign up for a CSA share this September, October, and November. Each participating farm does not need to be available during these event dates. We will simply promote your CSA by driving traffic to the URL you share with us in a social media post on the CSA in KY Facebook Group, update your listing in the KY Proud directory (if applicable), and re-share your social post on event partner’s Facebook pages.
The Fall CSA Fair is hosted by Kentucky Proud, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Edible Kentucky Magazine, Kentucky Horticulture Council, Organic Association of Kentucky, and The Food Connection. Contact Katie Harvey OAK’s CSA program coordinator at katie@oak-ky.org if you have any questions.

No-Till Organic Market Gardening
2022-09-13 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
Join OAK for a field day on September 13 in Lawrenceburg!
Join OAK for a discussion of no-till market gardening at Rough Draft Farmstead where we can see the many different techniques and styles of no and low tillage production that can be implemented in our region. From cover cropping to mulching, living pathways and small-scale composting, Rough Draft Farmstead is an excellent place to get an in-depth look at all the options available to improve soil health on a production scale.
Funding for this Field Day was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s (KDA) Office of Agricultural Marketing and Product Promotion through a Specialty Crop Block Grant.

Black Soil FoodChain SmokeHouse Dinner
2022-09-24 17:00 - 20:00 UTC

Christmas Trees 101
2022-10-27 09:00 - 13:00 UTC
Join us for a webinar with experts who will discuss production for pre-commercial and new growers in Kentucky interested in growing Christmas trees. Topics include site selection, planting, fertility, pruning, and marketing your crop. Experienced growers will share their advice for success.

Digging In To CSA Planning, Recordkeeping, and Marketing
2022-11-01
Join OAK for a virtual field day on CSAs in KY on November 1! Digging In To CSA Planning, Recordkeeping, and Marketing
Virtual – via Zoom November 1, 2022, 10-11:30am ET
Join OAK for this CSA-focused walk through the planning, recordkeeping, and marketing systems and strategies of multiple Kentucky and Ohio farms and their Community-Supported Agriculture operations, including:
* Kristi Durbin, University of Kentucky CSA;
* Ben Abell, Rootbound Farm;
* Lyric Morris-Latchaw, Mount Marigold Farm / Mustard Seed CSA;
* Marykate Glenn, Mustard Seed Farm CSA,
* and SPECIAL GUEST: Corinna Bench, Shared Legacy Farms and My Digital Farmer!
Open to all, this OAK virtual event requires pre-registration and is geared toward current or aspiring farmers interested in Community-Supported Agriculture programs, and allied professionals. Registered participants will receive an event recording. $5 OAK Members; $10 Non-Members
Funding for this event was made possible by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Register today at oak-ky.org/field-days.

Grower-Buyer MeetUp - West Kentucky (Daviess Co)
2022-11-10 09:30 - 12:00 UTC
Grower-Buyer MeetUps bring together buyers and growers and is co-hosted by the Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association, the Kentucky Society for Horticulture Science, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Kentucky Center for Ag and Rural Development, the University of Kentucky MarketReady Program and the Kentucky Horticulture Council. Produce buyers include chefs, retail, and distribution representatives together in one location to make it easier for growers to make many contacts at once.
During these events, growers have a chance to meet one-on-one in a “speed date” format to exchange contact information and match up products and needs with key buyers. Face-to-face meetings with experts in food safety, organic production, and marketing are also available.
The 2022 fall event will be co-hosted by and held at the Daviess Co Extension Office in Owensboro. The event starts at 9:30 am (central).

KNLA Kentucky Green Industry Winter Conference
2023-01-25 08:00 - 2023-01-26 17:00 UTC
Kentucky Green Industry Winter Conference, presented by KNLA
January 25-26, 2023
Holiday Inn Louisville East
1325 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy
Louisville, KY 40222
For more information contact us at info@knla.org or www.knla.org

Organic Association of KY (OAK) Annual Meeting
2023-01-26 - 2023-01-28 | KSU Research Farm, 1525 Mills Ln, Frankfort, KY, 40601, United States
The Organic Association of Kentucky’s annual farming conference, now in its 12th year, includes a growing audience of hundreds of Kentuckians and neighbors active in our community food systems: farmers, researchers, nonprofit professionals, federal and state agency partners, allied service providers and conscious consumers working collectively to build a local, resilient and healthy food system. OAK is proud to host #OAK2023 at Kentucky State University (KSU)’s Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in Frankfort, Kentucky.
The synergy of diverse voices, messages and approaches combined with the place-based connection to our Kentucky farms, soil and communities will provide a rich foundation for conversation and growth. The primary focus of OAK Conference programming is on-farm production systems, techniques and practices – and yet the interwoven threads of community, conservation and conscious choice-making are inseparable from the sustainable agriculture movement.

2023 Turf & Landscape Management Short Course
2023-02-21 08:00 - 2023-02-23 17:00 UTC | Hardin County Extension Office
Make plans now to attend the 46th Annual UK Turf and Landscape Management Short Course! The Short Course will be in person February 21-23, 2023 at the Hardin County Extension Center in Elizabethtown, KY. The program will be two full days of comprehensive turfgrass and landscape management education and is appropriate for anyone interested in turf, including professionals, Extension agents, and homeowners, with a pre-conference training and pesticide certification training. Presentations will be provided by faculty in the University of Kentucky’s turfgrass program, other university programs, and industry representatives, and cover all aspects of turfgrass management for lawns, golf courses, sports fields, and other applications.
For registration questions call: 859-490-0889 or email: info@kyhortcouncil.org. Eventbrite registration link: https://2023KYTurfShortCourse.eventbrite.com

Garden Club of Kentucky Annual Meeting
2023-03-13 - 2023-03-15
The 92nd Annual Convention of
The Garden of Club of Kentucky, Inc.
March 12-15, 2023
Berea KY at Historic Boone Tavern

2023 Agriculture Direct Marketing Summit
2023-03-13 - 2023-03-14 | online
This 2-day evening event (March 13 & 14 from 6:00pm-9:00pm ET/5:00pm-8:00pm CT) is for agriculture producers selling directly to consumers. Sessions will cover social media tactics, maximizing your marketing resources, hosting farmers market events, improving customer communication, and more.
The event is co-hosted by the Kentucky Center for Ag and Rural Development (KCARD), Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), Kentucky Farm Bureau, the Kentucky Horticulture Council, and the University of Kentucky Department of Agricultural Economics Market Ready Program.
Registration for any single date gives access to both dates.

Sustainable Ag Webinar with No-Till Growers' Jackson Rolett
2023-03-23 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Kentucky/Louisville) | online
The Kentucky Horticulture Council, Organic Association of Kentucky, and UK Center for Crop Diversification invite you to a sustainable ag webinar with special guest Jackson Rolett from No-Till Growers on March 23, 2023 at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT. Jackson will teach us about the practical implications of appropriate or no-tillage, cover cropping, and mulching in small-scale market gardens. He might even throw in a little bit about how soil biology plays a part, just for fun!
Follow the link to register for FREE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainable-ag-webinar-with-no-till-growers-jackson-rolett-tickets-528427539997

Integrating Sustainability in a Solar Farmhouse and Organic Market Garden
2023-06-20 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
Join OAK for a summer field day!
For nearly two decades, Cedar Ring Greens farm in Frankfort has operated with a commitment to sustainability, which includes improving the health of the land, encouraging biodiversity, working for food justice, and powering their home and farm with the sun. Join this OAK Field Day to tour the home and market gardens of Cedar Ring Greens with Andy McDonald and Mehera Baugher.
Andy will share their use of solar energy on the farm, along with their barn, packing shed, site-built walk-in cooler, and two small greenhouses they designed. He’ll also walk participants through sustainable components of the on-farm home that he and Connie Lemley renovated using passive solar design, solar electric and solar hot water, a composting toilet and greywater systems. Mehera will share the farm’s certified organic market gardens, highlighting the minimal till systems of bed prep, seeding and harvesting used in their diverse vegetable production; covered crop protection with row covers and tunnels; cover cropping in rotations for soil health; and hedgerows for pollinator biodiversity.
Any interested farmer or allied professional is encouraged to join the walk around Cedar Ring Greens; registration is required, and participation is limited to 25 people.

Keeping our Balance: Diversified Farming with Steep Hills and Off-Farm Jobs
2023-07-06 09:00 - 12:00 UTC
Join OAK for a field day!
Starting a farm business can seem like an uphill climb when balancing time between family, off-farm jobs, and the many hats that farmers wear to get product to customers. When the farm also includes high steep hillsides, shallow topsoil, and rocky terrain, the climb becomes a challenge! Focusing on their local community, driven by strong values, and working hard with the limited time and resources they do have allows Holly and James to keep their farm business growing and thriving after nearly a decade on Hallow Springs Farm. Building their soil, infrastructure, customer base, and skills along the way, these Rockcastle County co-farmers steward a diversified farm that currently includes:
* Half-acre of vegetable and herb production
* A 30’ x 96’ high tunnel (first season!)
* A consistent, healthy crop of Nugget and Chinook hops
* DIY greenhouse made from repurposed materials
* Herd of 20 Angus and Hereford cattle in rotational pastures
* Herd of mixed milk and meat goats bred for resistance to parasites and size for marketing
* Value-added production of goat’s milk soap, breads, jams and jellies
Using organic practices, natural mulches, and cover crops, they continue to rebuild the shallow soils depleted from years of tobacco farming and logging. Integrating pasture rotations through six sections of their 90 acres of grazing lands, they’re restoring the fertility and vitality to their hillsides.
Join the conversation with Holly and James to see and hear how they’re bringing their family farm back to life! They will also share their success in bringing a permanent farmers market structure to Rockcastle County and Holly’s experiences working as an Organic Inspector.
This Field Day is open to any interested farmer, aspiring farmer or agriculture professional. Registration is required.

Restoring the Family Farm with Organic Production
2023-07-25 09:00 - 12:00 UTC
Join OAK for a field day!
Jim Coleman was raised in Fayette County on his family’s farm, Coleman Crest, which was originally purchased by his great grandfather in 1888 after he and his family had tilled the farm under enslavement. Today, Jim is the 4th generation owner of Coleman Crest Farm. In 2020, Jim began the work of restoring Coleman Crest Farm with three primary functions: achieving certified organic crop production, serving as an incubator farm for aspiring farmers and welcoming visitors as an agritourism site.
This OAK Farmer Field Day will highlight:

Coleman Crest Farm’s 3 acres of certified organic production of vegetables and flowers;
Jim’s marketing strategies, serving independent grocers, restaurants, golf venues and catering firms in the Lexington market;
The Farm’s use of specialized equipment and tools to reduce operating costs and improve production yields, including a Kubota tractor, bed maker, Ferris Farm Polyplanter, deep soiler, plastic mulch and fabric row cover;
The all-natural water well and irrigation system;

The Farm’s focus on pollinator habitats (including Monarch waystations), groundwater protection and land stewardship:
The role and vision of local farms in community health and education;
Jim’s path as an African American farmer into certified organic production.

This Field Day is open to any interested farmer, aspiring farmer or agriculture professional. Registration is required.

Kentucky Florist's Association's 65th Annual Convention
2023-07-28 - 2023-07-30 | Capital Plaza Hotel, 405 Wilkinson Boulevard, Frankfort, KY, 40601, United States

Scaling Up While Lessening the Work: Farmer Collaborations and Efficiencies
2023-09-05 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
Join OAK for a field day!
After a dozen years growing Flourishing Herbs Farm into a diverse market farm business, Jackie and Larry Berry have settled into systems, tools, and crops that work well for their farming style and help them meet their customers’ needs at multiple farmers markets and a 30-member CSA. Using no-till biointensive growing practices and season extension, they grow nearly 100 different vegetable, herb, and flower crops year-round on their certified organic farm in Allen County. The Berrys have continually scaled up their markets and growing space by

Collaborating with other local farmers to expand their product offerings,
Implementing efficiencies into their operations as much as possible,
Hiring an experienced grower to accelerate their progress.

Join this OAK field day to visit the Flourishing Herbs’ high tunnels and caterpillar tunnel, open-field crops, drying shed, and greenhouse. We’ll also hear more about collaborative farmer relationships from the Berrys and from Maxwell Farrar and Davida Flowers of Majestic Greens Farm, who have partnered with the Berrys for 5 years via the Growing Together Farm Share.

CSA Production, Packing and Planning
2023-09-19 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
Join OAK for a field day!
Anna Raines and her family started Rains and Sun Hilltop Farm in Independence, KY, in 2013 – a 13-acre certified organic farm growing food for their community through two local farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares. The Rains and Sun crew delivers weekly CSA shares to 100 local residents, so their crop planning starts with the commitment to providing those CSA customers with fresh-picked, seasonal vegetables.
Join this OAK Farmer Field Day to learn Anna’s strategies for satisfying customer needs while building farm systems of efficiency, profitability and environmental stewardship. We’ll visit Rains and Sun’s two acres of produce, tended by Anna and her 4-person (mostly part-time) team with minimal-till practices, broad crop diversity, intentional crop rotations and cover crop use, and an array of tunnels of covered production. Anna will also share her new packshed designed for efficient CSA packing and produce storage.
Any interested farmer or allied professional is encouraged this field day: registration is required.
