A few months ago, the UK Beef Extension team started a YouTube video series focused on new farmers. We started this series to provide new landowners with information on land utilization and maintenance. New landowners have so many questions. How do I maintain or improve the value of my property? Should I try to farm? Can I find a farming enterprise that I will enjoy and can make enough money to help make land payments or pay the tax rate? And most importantly, where can I find information to help me make these decisions?
The first decision a new landowner needs to make is where do I obtain reliable information? YouTube? Google? My neighbor? A well-known cattleman in Kentucky brought a group to tour the UK Farm in Woodford County and he made a statement that answers these questions. This producer stated, “Extension is the last bastion of unbiased information”. No one could have summed up the Extension Service more appropriately. Even though the Extension Service has been around for over 100 years, the services at county Extension offices are not widely known, especially to new landowners. The Extension Service was formed by the Smith-Lever Act and the goal of this act was to create a system to “educate the masses” and to provide a link between the research at a land-grant institution and the general public which it serves. Extension is a unique source of information; it is not trying to sell its clientele anything and has no agenda except improving the lives of the people of Kentucky. Fortunately, in Kentucky, we have a strong Extension Service with 2-3 Extension Agents serving every county. These Agents provide information on a wide variety of subjects including agriculture (livestock, crops, forage, gardening, forestry, etc), family and consumer sciences (family finances, nutrition, and health, etc), and youth development (4-H). These Agents often provide exceptional leadership to their county and most truly impact the lives of their clientele. Their goal is to make a difference.
I think we all agree that it’s a weird period in our world. Extension’s traditional educational model centers on personal instruction but the COVID crisis has forced most County Extension offices and state Extension specialists to redirect their education efforts. County offices are open, County Agents are taking calls, and all County offices are using social media and electronic platforms to increase access to educational content. We are “open for business” but our methods are different than normal.
I plan to post this “I Bought a Farm….Now What?” blog monthly here. My goal is to address various decisions necessary for new landowners and to highlight opportunities available to each Kentucky in their local county Extension office.
See ya next month!
Dr. Les