Webbville —
The Carter and Lawrence County farm and home field day Friday was a bit like a mini-fair.
You could look over the farm equipment, learn some efficient cultivation techniques, sample home-made salsa and have dinner with old friends.
Above all it was a chance for the University of Kentucky’s Cooperative Extension Service to share sound farming methods. “We bring research-based information to the public,” said Lawrence County extension agent Julia Rollins.
“It’s also an opportunity for folks who aren’t traditional farmers to become familiar with agriculture,” she said.
This year’s field day was at the Webbville farm of Jay and Sara Sexton. Sexton, a retired boilermaker, bought the 121 acres in 1984 and raises beef cattle and goats. He also grows produce for the farmers’ market and alfalfa and hay.
Sexton also has 300 more acres nearby he farms.
It’s usually a break-even proposition, so Sexton is always looking for ways to tip the scales in his favor. The extension service and the soil conservation service help out with, among other things, cost-sharing arrangements that allow him to afford important capital improvements.
Part of field day is letting other farmers know they can do the same.
For instance, Sexton build his cattle feeding building and hay storage shed through cost sharing and explained how the structures improve his bottom line.
Storing his hay under roof protects it from rotting and that means he ends up with a third more hay to feed his livestock.
Feeding them in a weather-protected area results in better weight gain and better prices at market. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said.
Also through cost sharing he has built watering stations fed from his farm pond and the drip-line system that irrigates his vegetables.
The field day also included exhibits of hydroponic gardening, home dehydration and low-sodium foods. Participants could sample dried fruit and beef jerky and make and take home a packet of low-sodium taco seasoning.
“This is an opportunity for people to see what research has shown us at UK and how it can improve lives,” Rollins said.
“This is something the farmers look forward to every year. It’s a big social event. It’s both entertaining and educational,” said Carter County agricultural agent Myron Evans. The Carter County extension office helped organize the event.
“We have things for small-scale homeowners as well as farmers, and it’s a family event so we have stuff for the kids too. We also try to promote the local economy.”
MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2652.
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