Dr. Laura Stephenson, vice president for land-grant engagement and dean of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky, addressed the audience at Thursday morning’s Rooster Booster, presented by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, a monthly event held at the Owensboro Convention Center.
“Stephenson knows Kentucky well and has deep roots in our state and at the college through decades of work and leadership in Cooperative Extension,” said Olga McKissic, the Chamber’s 2025 board chair, during Stephenson’s introduction. “She has served in extension at both the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee.”
In addition to those credentials, McKissic said Stephenson “has been a leader on millions of dollars in grant awards around issues such as workforce training, nutrition, community building and health.”
“This is kind of a nexus for agriculture in this area,” Stephenson said. “The waterways, the train system, being in the middle of so much of our productive farmland and the industry that is attached to that is truly Owensboro’s signature.”
Stephenson told the audience that the goal of Extension Services is to help “improve lives across Kentucky.”
“That’s our mission,” she emphasized.
Stephenson explained that the University of Kentucky is a land-grant university — an institution of higher education designated by a state to receive benefits from either the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890 or the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.
“When you talk about being a land-grant university and what that means, we take that very seriously because over 100 years ago, the federal government said that it wanted to have universities that are dedicated in their mission to take research to the people,” she said. “It’s not about just having research at the campus level. It’s looking at what the state needs, and how do we build research programs, discovery and innovation? And then how do we teach our students to be those who value and go back out to their communities to bring in that knowledge?”
Stephenson also praised extension services around the state, saying, “We have one of the strongest extension organizations in the country.”
“We don’t say that lightly because it is because of the communities in Kentucky who have said, ‘We want to invest,’ and we want to make sure that the partnership that you bring with federal and state money is accelerated by our commitment,” she said. “And in Owensboro, in Daviess County, you all have made a deep commitment to Extension, and that’s why you have the number of people you have in the Extension office, but also the quality because, as I look across the state, the people that support and stand by Extension are the ones who are really the banner and standard carriers for the quality of people that want to come and work in that community. So, again, another congratulations to you all here for being that type of community.”
Stephenson then transitioned to discussing agriculture.
“We’re finding that our farmers are facing the largest margin gap between farm costs and prices received for crops in more than 25 years,” she said. “Grain prices have fallen, and we’re hopeful that we’ll see change in this area. Data from the Kentucky Farm Business Management program found for the first time in 35 years that the average net farm income is below zero.”
The volatility in farm markets, she said, is prompting those involved with Extension Services at UK to think about how to better prepare for the future.
“We do have some bright spots. We’ve had steady growth in specialty crops, and we really try to talk about how do we diversify? Producers are saying that they want to branch out to make sure that they are ready for different markets and different opportunities that come our way,” she said.
Data gathered from UK suggests that around 175 farmers markets operate across the state and that product prices at those markets are averaging around 20% higher than in 2021, Stephenson said.
“It’s become a much more accepted and better way to get a better margin on commodities, especially crops in some of our farmers market situations. So well done for communities who really encourage farmers markets,” she said.
Cattle prices are also a bright spot for farmers, Stephenson said.
“We’re trying to make sure that we’re helping farmers manage risk,” she said. “Think about how they make decisions that could decrease the risk but develop their marketing plans in such a way that they’re forecasting as much as possible with the headwinds that they have. We also are helping with our research and Extension to talk about water, alternative crops and markets, and what opportunities we can help with from an innovation perspective for the producers to be able to use and move into their plans. We do some financial guidance, one-on-one support, to analyze finances and plan strategies. But more importantly, I personally think, is that we’re really focused on how do we help farmers at different scales.”
Stephenson explained that the college offered, for the first time in January, the Kentucky Farm Launch program — a beginning farmer accelerator program for Kentucky. The nine-month, in-person training program is based in Lexington, according to the school’s website.
“Our targeted audiences are beginning farmers with less than 10 years of experience. There is no cost for the program, but it does require a passion for launching your farm operation and an ability to participate in person for one full day per week,” the university’s website states.
Stephenson said the school has completed one cohort and will launch the second in January. She said she hopes to extend the program across the state because “it’s important.”
The presentation concluded with Stephenson providing statistics about the Extension Service, noting that more than 15,000 Kentucky children participated in 4-H camps across the state in 2024.
“We appreciate the people who invest in our youth,” she said.
Stephenson also discussed improvements and upgrades that UK is making for the agriculture department at its Lexington campus.
“It’s our commitment and mission to you that we bring (knowledge) here to Daviess County, and that we make sure that the work that we do on campus matters,” she concluded.
By: Michele Lohman Messenger-Inquirer