UK Extension hosts Morocco group to learn new ideas for improving communities back home

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 13, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment recently hosted a group of agricultural professionals from Morocco. This group’s goal in visiting Lexington was to understand how UK Cooperative Extension serves all 120 counties in Kentucky, and use it as a road map to serve more communities in Morocco.

According to the International Trade Administration, agriculture contributes approximately 15% to Morocco’s gross domestic product. Combined with the fishing and forestry sectors, it employs a significant portion of Morocco’s workforce — about 45%.

The two-day visit included several interactive workshops and presentations, along with site tours at the Carter County Extension Office and the UK Horticulture Research Farm, known locally as South Farm. UK faculty and staff played a pivotal role in helping the Moroccan group have an immersive experience and learn more about the variety of extension efforts and programming in Kentucky.

Laura Stephenson, associate dean and extension director at Martin-Gatton CAFE, shared what it means for extension to serve Kentuckians while being a beacon for others beyond the Commonwealth.

“UK Cooperative Extension strives to be a national leader and model for community engagement work,” Stephenson said. “This international level of collaboration allows our agents and faculty to see first-hand the interconnectedness of the global economy.”

During the first day at the Carter County extension office, participants learned more about extension efforts like the Kentucky 4-H youth program from local 4-H’ers. Presentations at the visit were given by a state-level officer, a high school student on fishing techniques and a middle school student on shucky beans. Rachel Guidugli, assistant extension director for Kentucky 4-H Youth Development also discussed the program’s core mission areas and resources.

Rebecca Konopka, extension agent for Carter County at Martin-Gatton CAFE, demonstrated hay testing to the group. She also discussed the recent Eastern Kentucky Hay Contest where nearby communities were able to test hay for free. Two local Carter County agriculture producers joined Konopka, explaining further how UK Cooperative Extension has helped them and their community.

“Two of the top agriculture commodities in Carter County include forages and cattle,” Konopka said. “For the past several years, Carter County has collected the most samples for the East Kentucky Hay Contest. Local producers understand the value of knowing the nutrient analysis, leading to better management decisions to reduce costs and/or increase profits. I’m glad that the group was able to learn how valuable extension is for local producers.”

Courtney Jenkins, UK Cooperative Extension specialist for professional development, spoke about hiring and training agents along with valuable professional development opportunities.

The second day was held at UK’s South Farm, home to significant applied research including traditional and organic vegetable production, high tunnel and fruit production, variety trials for disease and pest resistance, cover crops and hops and more.

In addition to research on fruits and vegetables, biofuels, entomology, plant pathology, related crop sciences and tending to greenhouses and nurseries, South Farm also hosts the UK Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) production unit. CSA is an integral component of the Sustainable Agriculture and Community Food Systems undergraduate curriculum at Martin-Gatton CAFE.

Participants were able to ask questions while touring parts of the 100-acre farm, learning more about its rich history and necessary service to the college and community.

Craig Wood, presenter and assistant extension director for agriculture, natural resources and horticulture, felt it was important that the Moroccan group understood the importance of working together to build a strong foundation.

“Extension relies on teamwork between agents and specialists, providing trusted sources of information for local producers,” Wood said. “The teamwork and communication flow allows extension to be very agile and responsive to specific needs, as they arise, at the local level.”

Moroccan participant Jamila Adani, director of farmer centricity at one of the world’s largest organizations in providing customized plant nutrition solutions for healthy food production, believes that the group learned a lot from the visit to Kentucky. More importantly, Adana believes there are many potential agricultural solutions to bring back to Morocco.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the university’s extension team for hosting us in Kentucky,” Adani said. “The team showed us the great work extension teams are doing on the ground, and their synergistic commitment to meet the needs and bring customized solutions to communities. We are very grateful for this experience to help us bring value and create impact back home.”

To learn more about the UK Cooperative Extension Service visit extension.ca.uky.edu or contact your local county extension office at extension.ca.uky.edu/county.