News

Ag Marketing Summit

This past week 2 of our team members, Gabriel Cassone and Emily Spencer, had the opportunity to attend the National Agricultural Marketing Summit in Indianapolis. The summit is a venue for agricultural business owners, extension professionals, and market managers, to share strategies for strengthening marketing practices and provide insights into the agricultural sector.

Crop Diversification New Team Member Welcoming Gabriel Cassone

Gabriel Cassone is a University of Kentucky alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and a minor in International Business. He has previously served as a summer fellow with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) and worked as an undergraduate researcher in the University of Kentucky Entomology Department. A lifelong Kentuckian, Gabriel spends much of his free time with his beagle, Penny, and enjoys playing soccer and piano.

Seasons of Marketing at Farmers Markets

Kati Bowman from KCARD and Brett from CCD put together a presentation for the 2025 Direct Marketing Summit about seasonal marketing tasks for Farmers Market vendors. 

Pesticide Applicators Label Awareness

Tad Campbell from the UK Pesticide Safety program reviews some recent revisions to pesticide labels.

Free Virtual Summit for Kentucky Farmers Selling Direct-to-Consumer

Join us October 20-22, 2025 as we host the 2025 Kentucky Direct Marketing Summit alongside the Kentucky Horticulture Council. This free, 3-night event of virtual programming will feature speakers talking about CSA, Farmers Markets, & Food as Medicine.

Advanced or On-Site Ticketing Considerations for Agritourism Operations

As agritourism season is in full swing, many agritourism operations contemplate whether advanced or on-site ticketing is better suited for them. Both avenues have advantages and disadvantages. Check out the pros and cons below.     Advanced Ticketing 

Choosing High Tunnel Crops: Revenue Basics

I recently helped lead a professional development workshop for NRCS and Extension personnel about how to use the new High Tunnel Resource Guide for Producers. Part of the workshop was about crop selection for high tunnels.

Labor for Small Farms: Overview and Tips

Experts from the University of Florida recently shared some updates and information for small farms evaluating options for labor. Check out the video below:

CCD Summer Fellows

As the school year approaches, we are bidding farewell and good luck to our 2025 Summer Fellows Lexi Gardner and Meghan Planck. We're so proud of the work they put in and what they accomplished. 

Think Before You TikTok, Part 2: Steps to Build a Strategy That Works