Kentucky state university's 1890 cooperative extension program serves youth, farmers, families, and communities throughout the state

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Kentucky State University $9.491 million on October 1, 2025, under the Cooperative Extension Services at 1890 Colleges and Tuskegee University, West Virginia State College, and Central State University program (CFDA 10.512), a formula grant funding the university's 1890 Cooperative Extension Program serving youth, farmers, families, and communities throughout Kentucky through September 30, 2030.

The funding supports agricultural extension education delivered through production demonstrations, monthly workshops, and one-on-one technical support to farmers in soil management, pond management, climate-smart agriculture, organic agriculture, horticulture, tree fruit culture, apiculture, aquaculture, aquaponics, hydroponics, small ruminants, and beef cattle. An extension drone team, operating in collaboration with remote sensing researchers, provides precision agriculture technology and services to farmers and youth organizations for managing agronomic crops, crop pest and disease, and livestock herds. The program delivers human nutrition and health education to communities statewide, including through mobile health units, training stakeholders across all ages on incorporating nutritious foods into healthy, budget-friendly diets while mitigating chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease through increased physical activity. Extension educators also train youth in STEM, agriculture, natural resources, the environment, healthy lifestyles, future careers, and mental healthcare through schools, religious organizations, 4-H clubs, and other community settings.

Performance occurs in Kentucky.

To ensure that our work is impactful, researchbased, and demand-driven, kentucky state university conducts regular needs assessments of our fellow kentuckians, collaborates with our 1890 land-grant researchers, and strategically delivers educational and technical assistance programs. Our extension programming covers agriculture education through production demonstrations, monthly third thursday thing workshops, and one-on-one technical support to farmers from our educators in topics such as soil management, pond management, climate-smart agriculture, organic agriculture, horticulture, tree fruit culture, apiculture, aquaculture, aquaponics, hydroponics, small ruminants, beef cattle, etc. Our extension drone team, in collaboration with our remote sensing researchers, is a powerful resource for farmers and next-generation organizations that seek to train youth and utilize modern technology-based agriculture to manage agronomic crops, crop pest and disease, and livestock herds. Our extension educators provide knowledge and support in topics related to human nutrition and human health to communities across the state through various avenues including our mobile health units. Working in collaboration with human health and nutrition researchers, these educators are training stakeholders of all ages how to incorporate nutritious and tasty foods into healthy, budget-friendly diets, while also mitigating chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease through increased physical activity. Our 4-h and youth development staff are training youth in stem, agriculture, natural resources, the environment, healthy lifestyles, future careers, and mental healthcare. These educators are reaching schools, religious organizations, 4-h clubs, and other places where they can engage youth and promote positive youth development approaches. They are also forming strong partnerships with parents, guardians, schoolteachers, coaches, religious leaders, etc., to engage youth through in-school enrichment, after-school programs, and a multiplicity of summer camps. Our community resource development staff collaborate with local leaders and organizations to strengthen communities through leadership training, entrepreneurship, workforce readiness, land retention, and disaster education initiatives that promote sustainable growth and resilience. They also build partnerships that enhance civic engagement, increase access to resources, and support equitable economic opportunities across kentucky communities. All of our extension programs are fundamentally driven by the needs of our land-grant clients and are designed in RES ponse to the following critical issues identified in our USDA plan of work: 1) agriculture, environment and natural resources; 2) economic and financial well-being; 3) food safety and security; 4) leadership and community engagement; 5) life skill development; 6) nutrition and healthy lifestyles; 7) small farm development; and, 8) substance use recovery and mental wellbeing.