Center for Crop Diversification

09/04/2026

Looking for an agritourism venue to visit this fall? Our interactive Geographic Horticulture Directory of Kentucky makes it easy to find agritourism venues near you. Browse farms and discover where + how to visit seasonal, local agritourism farms this fall.
Use the Directory to 👉
🍁 Find an agritourism venue near you
🍁 Support Kentucky growers and small businesses
🍁 Enjoy all-things-fall with a local connection

You can also find agritourism venues through Kentucky Proud's Product Locator or the KFB Certified Farm Market Program's Find a Market feature.

09/03/2026

Mum season is upon us! In Kentucky, most garden mums are grown in containers and are sold through garden centers, nurseries, landscaping companies, supermarkets, farm stores, roadside stands, farmers markets, and produce auctions 👉 swipe or read our Garden Mums Crop Profile to learn more.

09/03/2026

09/01/2026

We are excited to welcome Annie Scott to our Center for Crop Diversification team! Annie has a background in organic and direct-to-consumer farming operations. She will support our efforts to share specialty crop marketing techniques and support growers through trainings and publications.

09/01/2026

We, specifically Alexis Sheffield, received a shoutout from The Dirt on Flowers gals! Alexis has been a leader in Kentucky's cut flower landscape, and it would not be where it is today without her. Feel free to leave a comment about how much you love Alexis, and as always, you can check out all of our cut flower resources here 👉https://ccd.uky.edu/resources/crops/cut-flowers

08/28/2026

It was VERY hard to only select 10 photos that captured the 2026 Appropriate Tools & Technology Field Day. On Tuesday, we welcomed over 100 farmers to learn about tools and technologies focused on seeding, planting, and greenhouse production. We are thankful for our field day partners, the Organic Association of Kentucky + Kentucky Horticulture Council. We are also thankful for the University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture hosting us at the UK South Farm.

We can't wait to see the photos taken by the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment team!

08/27/2026

Our friends are hosting a Buyer Tour in Eastern Kentucky! This program gives growers and producers a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to sell to a restaurant, grocery/retail store, or school. Attendees can ask questions, talk with buyers, and enjoy a local lunch (provided by the program). This program is free to attend, but registration IS REQUIRED. Register here 👉 https://marketready.uky.edu/events/marketready-food-connection-buyer-tour-eastern-kentucky

08/26/2026

Eliana Lee just wrapped up her summer fellowship with us. Part of her fellowship included research and interviews about restaurants buying local ingredients and creating a social media campaign. Swipe to see graphics she created around themes from her research and interviews.

We are sad to see Eliana go, but we wish her the best of luck as she begins her last year of undergrad!

This fellowship was funded by the Kentucky Horticulture Council. We are thankful for their commitment to student-oriented learning and research.

08/26/2026

This week, Savannah and our summer fellow Eliana Lee joined Hort Culture Podcast hosts Brett, Alexis, Jessica, and Ray to discuss Eliana's summer fellowship. Throughout the summer, Eliana worked on price reporting, managed data for farmers markets and auctions, and collaborated on updating a restaurant publication by interviewing Kentucky growers and restaurant owners. Check out the newest episode on your favorite pod platform now 🎧

Eliana’s fellowship was funded through the Kentucky Horticulture Council's Student Research Grant.

08/24/2026

Maplin' in Kentucky!! 🍁🥞😋