Kentucky

Kentucky Livestock Farmers Testing Bale Grazing for Winter Feeding Cattle

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Livestock farmers in Kentucky are changing the way they feed hay to cattle during the winter to prevent nutrient loss, regenerate pastures and keep animals healthy. Generally, hay is fed to livestock on a feeding pad or sacrifice area, or is unrolled in a pasture. In the case of a feeding pad, […]

Adding Livestock Farm Diversification with Yaks

MOREHEAD, Kentucky – On a frigid January morning at Morehead State University, Kentucky farmer Greg Dike keeps his fingers crossed for good news as MSU veterinary technology professor Philip Prater completes the pregnancy tests of four yak heifers from Dike’s farm. Yes, you read that right…yaks. Dike has been championing yaks since 2013 as an […]

Organic Control of White Mold in High Tunnels

The fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infects many of the cool-season crops produced in Kentucky. This SARE-funded video presents information on the high tunnel production system most commonly used in Kentucky; the disease cycle of S. sclerotiorum; and two control tactics compatible with national organic standards, solarization and biofumigation.

Sweetpotato Production for Kentucky

This 16-page guidebook, produced by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, covers all aspects of sweetpotato production in Kentucky. Topics include variety selection, production techniques, insect and disease management, harvesting, storage, marketing, and budgets. Full of colorful photos and helpful charts, this publication is designed to be a comprehensive guide for […]

Southern SARE Hires 1862 Land-Grant Liaison

Griffin, GA - Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) announces the hiring of University of Kentucky plant pathologist Paul Vincelli as its 1862 Land-Grant Liaison. Lee Meyer, extension professor emeritus at University of Kentucky’s Department of Agricultural Economics, held the long-standing position until his retirement in December 2020. Vincelli will serve as the lead […]

Agroforestry an Alternative for Farmers Transitioning Away from Tobacco Production

BEREA, Kentucky – A Kentucky farmer, exploring alternatives for tobacco production, has found that elements of an agroforestry system may prove viable to increasing farm profitability and providing environmental benefits. Through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) Producer Grant, Matthew Wilson of Rindlewood Farm studied the feasibility of incorporating sweet sorghum and pasture […]

Exploring Alternative Methods for Controlling A Major Pest in Sweet Sorghum

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – University of Kentucky researchers are exploring alternative methods for controlling sugarcane aphid in sweet sorghum, a major crop for farmers in the state. Through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) On-Farm Research Grant, entomologist Nathan Mercer and his colleagues are studying a combination of parasitoids and insecticidal soaps as a […]

Improving Pawpaw Production with Grafting

FRANKFORT, Kentucky – Kentucky State University researchers, through a grafting technique common in apple production, have been successful in producing higher-yielding, higher-quality fruit in pawpaws. The results help promote a low-input system to boost small-scale pawpaw production for small farmers. Through a $203,395 Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Grant, horticulturist Kirk Pomper and his […]

University of Kentucky Resources for Small Fruit Growers

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) On-Farm Research Grant, has developed a series of outreach materials for small fruit producers to aid in disease management. “Like many diseases of small fruit, they are best managed using cultural practices, such as sanitation. Thus, we developed […]

Prototype Farm Machine Expands Applications in Organic Vegetable Crop Production

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – University of Kentucky researchers have designed, built and tested a low-cost, mechanized system for organic vegetable production to help small-scale growers reduce their labor costs, increase their scale of operations, reduce input costs and increase production compared to conventional organic production practices. In a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) On-Farm […]

Economic Analysis of Commercial Aquaponic Production Systems

Three case studies of aquaponic production systems in Texas, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands that show commercial aquaponics systems can be economically viable options for producers.

Managing for Mastitis in Dairy Housing Systems

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – A University of Kentucky dairy scientist is leading efforts to measure the incidences of mastitis – a common and costly dairy cattle disease – in a relatively new housing system that is gaining popularity among producers. Jeffrey Bewley received a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) On-Farm Research Grant to compare […]

Place-Based Foods of Appalachia

A publication to foster recognition of the Appalachia region and encourage preservation of heirloom seed varieties.