‘Being a good neighbor’: UK Robinson Center Field Day Week connects generations to agriculture

JACKSON, Ky. (Oct. 16, 2024) — More than 1,200 people in the local community, including producers, families and youth, participated in the recent Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability 2024 Field Day Week. Part of the Mountain Ag Week celebration, attendees were able to engage in several events including Win with Wood, Youth Science Day, Pumpkin Day and Robinson Center Field Day.

The 21st anniversary of Win with Wood offered a unique opportunity for approximately 120 youth to compete in this Forestry, Wood and Natural Resources 4-H competition. Competition events included wood identification, invasive plant identification, compass and pacing, measuring and identifying trees, woodworking and forestry tools and wildlife identification.

In addition to learning about a new forestry career program, called Forestry Works Kentucky, at the Robinson Wood Utilization Center, an overall winner was named — taking home a $500 Albert W. Spencer scholarship to attend the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Youth Science Day gave approximately 250 grade schoolers an engaging opportunity to learn more about the power of science at different learning stations facilitated by extension agents. With the support of Breathitt County high school FFA officers, Pumpkin Day gave families and their children an opportunity to play in the pumpkin patch and take home their own pumpkin.

Field day later allowed visitors to the Robinson Center to learn about the forests of Kentucky and take home their own cutting boards made from local and renewable hardwood.

Robinson Center Field Day

Robinson Center Field Day provided a series of engagement opportunities with staff and field experts at the outreach facility, including farm tours, interactive demonstrations, hands-on workshops and more.

Melissa Bond, community arts extension program leader at the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, helped Field Day participants showcase their artistic abilities by adding paint to a mural rendering on site.

“We believe in creating vibrant communities through art extension efforts,” Bond said. “During Field Day, people contributing to painting the mural helps celebrate our rich history and local culture. We are proud to see so many make their mark on the mural.”

Robinson Center extension program coordinator Rob Hounshell is proud that Field Day offers opportunities to teach and unite the community.

“Field Day is about bringing everyone together and being a good neighbor,” Hounshell said. “We do a lot of research for our local farmers, statewide and beyond, with hemp, corn, soybean, hay, livestock and more. They get to see our farm, see what we do every day and get some tips on how to do things better. For the youth, it’s an opportunity to get excited early about agriculture.”

Jeff Lehmkuhler, extension beef cattle specialist, showed Field Day participants the updated livestock facility barn which was previously damaged from the 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky. Lehmkuhler wants Field Day participants to see the modernization of their facilities and technology, critical for beef extension efforts in Kentucky.

“Beef extension is important because Kentucky is the eighth largest in the U.S. as far as cow-calf numbers and the largest east of the Mississippi,” Lehmkuhler said. “Today, we are going to demonstrate the barn, our cattle and technology like our programmable feeder.”

During Lehmkuhler’s presentation, the participants and youth saw the cattle and feeder in action. He educated participants on the cattle feeder, which can apply external insecticides to combat new diseases. For Lehmkuhler, teaching and demonstrating during Field Days is important.

“Field Day is an opportunity to get feedback from our community,” Lehmkuhler adds. “What do they need for resources, education programs and assistance? We can take that feedback, discuss it among our extension groups and then address these issues at the local and state level. We are here to be a connection to the University of Kentucky.”

Bob Pearce, extension tobacco specialist and hemp program director, helped educate participants on hemp’s presence at the Robinson Center and future possibilities in Kentucky.

“We are educating people on what hemp is and its potential for Kentucky agriculture in the future,” Pearce said. “The Robinson Center gives us an environment to study potential new crops, like hemp, in real world environments. We are inviting our community to come and see what we do. That’s the value of Field Days.”

Robinson Center Director Daniel Wilson believes events like Field Day Week showcase the best of what the center offers, contributing to many returning and experiencing more.

“There’s so much that people don’t know about the Robinson Center, but once you do, you will want to come back,” Wilson said.

About the Robinson Center

The mission of the Robinson Center, part of the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is enhancing sustainable livelihoods and promoting the flow of economic, ecological and social benefits from the land, natural resources and communities of Eastern Kentucky and the Appalachian region.

Learn more about the Robinson Center at rcars.ca.uky.edu and its current rebuilding efforts at future.ca.uky.edu/projects/robinson-center.