PS7-17. Assessing Kentucky Beef Producers for Demographics and Extension Needs.

Abstract

To inform the development of targeted Extension programming, a survey was conducted to characterize demographics, production practices, and educational preferences of beef cattle producers in Kentucky. A 12-question questionnaire was administered during a producer event in October 2025. Information collected included county of residence, age, land area managed, operation type, herd size, management practices, and preferred program topics and delivery formats. Of 38 attendees, 16 responses were received (42%). All respondents resided in Franklin County; most were ≥60 yr (56.3%), followed by 40–60 yr (31.3%). The majority (93.3%) managed ≥20.2 ha of pasture, with approximately half managing >40.5 ha. All operations were cow–calf, and 18.8% included additional livestock species. Herd size distribution was similar between 26–50 head and 50–100 head classes (41.2% each). Predominant grazing strategies included moderate rotational grazing (7–21 d intervals; 40%), continuous grazing (26.7%), and slow rotational grazing (≥28 d intervals; 26.7%). Preferred Extension delivery formats were field tours (36.8%) and weekday evening programs (31.6%), whereas Saturday sessions, weekday daytime programs, virtual formats, and multi-day hands-on workshops were less preferred (10.5%, 10.5%, 5.3%, and 5.3%, respectively). Primary areas of interest included breeding management (87.5%), grazing management and fencing (43.8%), herd health (37.5%), and forage management topics, including selection and conserved forages (hay, baleage, and silage; 31.3% each). Overall, these findings indicate strong demand for applied education in reproductive and pasture management and provide direction for aligning Extension programming with producer priorities and preferred delivery methods to maximize participation and impact.