ASHS 2025 Conference

2024 marked Mississippi State University’s South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station’s fourth year to host a Poinsettia Open House. The goal of this annual event was to ascertain the affinity tendencies among retail consumers for poinsettias available in the US market. In addition, five new pre-release varieties not currently offered in any market were included. Results are intended to be shared within the industry. This event took place over a two-day period the first week of December (December 6, 2024 and December 7, 2024). The use of available poinsettias in various floral display arrangements provided participants with ideas for using these versatile plants in holiday inspired settings. Attendees were asked to complete a consumer preference survey in exchange for a complementary poinsettia to take home. The survey design asked for ‘favorites’ within the categories of traditional red, pink, white, novelty, and pre-release varieties. In addition, participants were asked to list their top 3 favorites regardless of the category. Overall, 60 total cultivars across these 5 categories were displayed in small groups of 6-8 plants each. Top votes getters within the 5 categories included: Reds – Christmas Feelings Merlot and Christmas Bells, Pinks – Maren and Jubilee Pink, Whites – Alpina White and Frozen, and Novelties – Superba New Glitter and Premium Ice Crystal. The entries within the pre-release category were identified as numbered selections. The top favorite within this category was a variegated dark pink/cream medium-height plant with large bracts. This new cultivar was also chosen as one of the overall participant favorites joining Superba New Glitter and Alpina White.

KY Farm Launch is a new beginning farmer training program designed in broad collaboration with organizations working with beginning farmers in Kentucky. This includes University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension and academic departments, the Kentucky Center for Ag and Rural Development (KCARD), the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Organization (KSGDO), and an advisory board of non-profit agencies, beginning farmers, and experienced farmer leaders in Kentucky. The project team implementing the program is a partnership between UK Cooperative Extension, UK's Food Connection, UK Department of Horticulture, UK's Beef Team, KCARD and the KSGDO. This intensive program meets once per week for 9 months in Lexington area, based at UK's Horticulture Research Farm and Organic Farming Unit, UK's Animal Research Unit, and other privately-owned farms supporting the program. Our goal is for program participants to begin farming commercially within one year of completing the program. The program consists of full day of workshops each week focused on production knowledge, hands-on skill building, and farm business development. All participants complete a 'Common Curriculum' of business and market planning, financial record keeping, risk management, and farmland evaluation and assessment (~8 weeks). The bulk of the program is divided into two tracks that participants select based on their primary commercial enterprise: the Sustainable Vegetable Small Fruit Track or the Diversified Livestock Track. The 'Track-Based Programming' (~24 weeks) is applied, hands on training in essential aspects of commercial production of diversified vegetables and small fruits (Veg Small Fruit Track) or sheep, goats, small flock poultry, and small beef cattle herds (Livestock Track). Additionally, each participant works with the team to develop individualized mentoring plans to help fill any gaps in their knowledge and interests. For farmers without access to land, this program is also supporting the development of a beginning farmer incubator program in a partnership between UK and private landowners. This individually-tailored, cohort-based, hands-on approach is designed to accelerate participants progress to successful commercial farming at goal levels developed through a facilitated mentoring process. The program is capped at 30 farms (individuals or farm family units) per cohort cycle. The program will run for at least two consecutive cohort cycles (2025 and 2026). This poster will focus on the curriculum, learning objectives, methods and preliminary outcomes of the Veg Small Fruit track at the mid-way point through our first cohort.

Rutgers Master Gardeners (RMG), a 45-year-old program with over 2,000 active volunteers, assist the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department of Rutgers Cooperative Extension in the implementation of its goals. The Extension’s goals include the provision of accurate, research-based, practical information regarding horticulture best practices to extended community of New Jersey. The program evolved organically since its inception and there has been no statewide research that examined the program’s operation and impact. In July of 2024, an extensive survey was sent to 2250 volunteers categorized “active” in the master database. This survey, Volunteer (1), solicited information regarding the volunteers’ motivation for serving, their understanding of the program’s operation, training and funding and tested some future program ideas. A second survey, Volunteer (2), followed. This survey clarified or further explored items from Volunteer (1) and added an impact assessment. A third survey, Rutgers Staff/Faculty, aimed to determine alignment of staff/faculty perception with those of the volunteers as well as to examine the staff/faculty perception of the program’s operation, training and funding. A fourth survey, National, was distributed through the Extension Master Gardener list serve to staff and faculty administering each state’s Master Gardener Program. It examined the alignment of Rutgers program with the national program to obtain a deeper understanding of Rutgers work. All data collected should be considered perception and opinion data. There was both alignment and misalignment were found within and between all surveys. Some unexpected data reveal potential anti-volunteer bias and lack of program leadership clarity. On-going focus group sessions and further surveys and workshops continue to clarify trends. Trends identified, include suggest restructuring of program staffing, enhancing strategic planning and focusing on professional development and support of volunteer coordinators. Data informs the initiation of a strategic planning initiative for the statewide program.