On-Farm Commercial Vegetable Demonstrations in Western Kentucky - 2005
Joe Williams and Joe Masabni, Department of Horticulture, UKREC

Four on-farm commercial vegetable demonstrations were conducted in Western Kentucky. Grower cooperators were located in Lyon and Caldwell counties.

The cooperator in Lyon county planted 0.6 acres of mixed vegetables. This included beans, cantaloupe, sweet corn, cucumbers, yellow squash, peppers, pumpkins, tomato and watermelons. There were three cooperators located in Caldwell county. One cooperator grew 0.3 acres of tomato and watermelons. Another grower in Caldwell county grew 0.2 acres of tomatoes, cantaloupe, and watermelon. The third cooperator in Caldwell county grew 0.6 acres of mixed vegetables. This included beans, beets, cantaloupe, cucumbers, eggplant, yellow and zucchini squash, tomato, and watermelons.

Like previous years, the growers were provided with black plastic mulch and drip irrigation lines for up to one acre and the supervised use of University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture equipment for laying plastic mulch and transplanting. Soil samples were taken at each site and tested at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center located in Princeton. Fertilizer was then applied according to the soil test recommendations. The cooperators were responsible for acquiring seeds and transplants. Each cooperator provided labor for spraying, staking, and harvesting. The growers used well and county water. The Extension Associate visited weekly and on as needed basis to address the needs of the new growers. The local county Extension Agents also assisted the new cooperators. The Extension agents helped promote and coordinate the field days.

All growers followed "ID-36 Commercial Vegetable Guide" recommendations for cultural practices. Two cooperators used different planting dates to meet the early and late market needs. Tomatoes were planted around April 15 and May 15. Fresh market tomato varieties such as Celebrity, Whopper, Goliath, and Parks were grown at all locations. Tomatoes were transplanted into raised plastic mulch beds. The beds were on 6 ft centers and transplants were spaced 18" in the row. Tomatoes were trellised using the commercial weave method with stakes driven every 3 ft.

Watermelons were planted on 6 ft center raised beds and spaced 36" apart in the row. Crimson Sweet, Stars and Stripes, Independence, and Constitution were the most common watermelon varieties planted. Cantaloupes were planted 24" to 36" apart in the row. Athena was the most popular variety.

The 2005 growing season proved to be a challenge for most growers. Late frosts and cool spring weather damaged or delayed vegetable plantings. The cool spring was followed by a hot and dry summer. The extreme heat and drought made vegetable production a challenge even with irrigation. Growers had to irrigate more than usual because of the extreme heat. Rain for the most part was scarce. Most rainfall was due to tropical storms and hurricanes throughout the summer. With this being the case, when it did rain it rained entirely too much. In the later half of the summer drought conditions improved. August proved to be an excessively wet month in Western Kentucky. Eleven inches of rain was seen in the month of August. With these conditions many of the earliest plantings were delayed until about the time of the second planting. This made conditions for a flooded wholesale market.

The first grower and his family in Caldwell County marketed their mixed vegetables through the farmers market in Caldwell and Lyon County. They managed to sell all their produce at retail. To their surprise eggplant was one of the best sellers. Weed control was their biggest problem. Even with herbicide application, weed pressure was high. The weed pressure didn't affect yield but made harvest difficult. The grower is pleased with the income and plans to continue growing vegetables.

The second grower in Caldwell County grew tomato, cantaloupe, and watermelon. The grower marketed his produce at the Caldwell County Farmers Market and directly from his farm. Yields were outstanding. The vegetables grown on plastic beds and trickle irrigation exceeded his expectations. The grower saw profit after only his first week selling. The cooperator is pleased with his success and plans to expand next year.

The third cooperator in Caldwell County grew tomato and watermelon. The yield was exceptional. The cooperator marketed his vegetables direct from his farm, local stores, and through the Fairview Produce Auction. The grower experienced problems marketing his vegetables due to a saturated market. Even with the flooded market the cooperator saw acceptable returns. The grower realized the importance of planting time and plans to plant earlier to avoid selling during the main growing season.

The grower in Lyon county grew beans, cantaloupe, sweet corn, cucumber, pepper, pumpkin, tomato and watermelon. The cooperator had some of the earliest tomatoes around. He experienced a heavy frost two days after transplanting and had to take measures to save his crop. Even with the cool weather he was harvesting tomatoes within a week of the projected harvest date. The grower marketed his produce through the Lake Barkley Farmers Market, and wholesale through local restaurants and groceries. The cooperator experienced heavy tomato losses due to blossom end rot because of inconsistent moisture. A consistent supply of moisture along with a calcium supplement injection through the fertigator curtailed the problem. Late blight was also seen in his tomatoes. Considering the difficulties the cooperator faced he was satisfied with the returns he made.

The cooperators major concerns this year were weed control, disease control, and timeliness of planting. Even with herbicide application weed control was difficult. Most cooperators experienced satisfactory weed control early in the season. Towards the later half of the season weed pressure was a problem. Another concern this year was disease control. The cooperators were interested in better ways to apply fungicides. None of the cooperators had sprayers that were set up to spray fungicides correctly. They plan in the future to have larger spray equipment. Timeliness of planting was another concern to new growers. The cooperators realized the importance of planting early and the importance of staggering plantings in crops like tomato, cantaloupe and watermelon. Despite the difficult growing conditions faced by vegetable growers in Western Kentucky, the 2005 season was a success.

Expense, Income, and net income for four vegetable cooperators in western Kentucky.