News

Fall is in the air and that means... Pumpkin Season!

Pumpkins are a warm-season vining crop that come in an amazing variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. While most pumpkins take about 80–120 days to reach harvest, the actual time to maturity depends on the specific cultivar as well as temperature and weather conditions. Each cultivar has its own characteristics and is bred for a specific purpose. One of the most common types of pumpkins is the Jack o’ lantern. The cultivars are bred primarily for carving and decorating. While they make great Jack o’ lanterns, they tend to be less appealing for eating, often tasting bland or stringy.

Tour Takeaways: Considerations for Introducing Agritourism on Your Farm

The CCD’s Annie Scott attended the “Exploring Agritourism for Your Farm: On-Farm Insights” tour hosted by University of Tennessee Extension’s Center for Profitable Agriculture. This program was funded by the USDA Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative. Read Annie’s insights from the tour. 

Results from Pricing Survey for Kentucky Cut Flower Growers

This summer, the UK Center for Crop Diversification surveyed Kentucky cut flower growers to gain insight into the pricing of 10 selected Kentucky-grown cut flowers across direct-to-consumer and intermediated market channels. Ideally, this information will support Kentucky’s cut flower growers in pricing their products for direct-to-consumer and intermediated markets, support an efficient and responsive cut flower marketplace for insurance by collecting price data that has historically been difficult to collect, and guide future investments in cut flower-related initiatives.  

What Can the CSA Innovation Network Do for Your Farm? Part 1: Make your CSA Program More Accessible

CSA farmers don’t have to go it alone. The CSA Innovation Network is a nationwide collective of advocacy groups, farmers, universities, marketers, and other partners supporting CSA programs of all kinds. The network helps growers learn from each other though webinars, toolkits, and idea-sharing spaces. Their resources help farmers stay informed about what might work—and what might not—for their farms and customer bases.    Food Access Means Broadening Your Customer Base 

County Agricultural Incentives Program (CAIP) Administrators Interactive Map

The County Agricultural Incentives Program (CAIP) offers cost-share incentives for Kentucky agricultural producers to implement practices that increase farm income and to try new or innovative technologies or systems that improve efficiency and productivity. There are 11 CAIP incentive areas that producers can explore to determine the best fit for on-farm projects that most benefit individual operations. Each county in Kentucky administers its own program, and - especially for new growers - it can be difficult to determine who to contact about applying for programs.

From Farmer Feedback to Field Day: Exploring Appropriate Tools & Technologies for Kentucky Farms

Finding the right equipment for a small- to mid-sized farm can be a challenge. Much of the equipment available on the market is designed for larger-scale operations, leaving Kentucky growers looking for tools that fit their acreage, crops, labor, and budgets. This challenge is what started us down the path toward the 2026 Appropriate Tools & Technologies Field Day.

Exploring Farm-to-Restaurant Part 2

Notes from the 2026 Southeast Value-Added Dairy Conference

Dr. Timothy Woods and I spent the last week of July in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the 2026 Southeast Value-Added Dairy Conference. For anyone unfamiliar; SEVAD is the annual conference of the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (SDBII), a USDA-funded effort led by the University of Tennessee in partnership with NC State University, the Kentucky Dairy Development Council and the University of Kentucky. SDBII is split between competitive grants made directly to dairy businesses and technical assistance programs like the SEVAD conference. 

ASCFG Tour at Roots Cut Flower Farm Recap

New Guide Helps Growers Prepare for Severe Weather

From tornadoes and flash flooding to extreme heat, winter storms, and high winds, Kentucky experiences a wide range of severe weather events each year. As weather patterns become increasingly variable, preparation is more important than ever. Being prepared before disaster strikes can help protect lives, homes, farms, and businesses.