desired by farmers. The KSU Land Grant Program's Organic Program is nationally ranked in the top 20 amongst 1890 and 1862 Land Grant Programs. Organic and sustainable agriculture projects include: vegetable and grain production, alternative fruit and nut crops, value-added product development, biofuel feedstock production, ecological entomology, alternative pesticides and water quality, meat goat production, apiculture, soil science, environmental monitoring, and Geographic Information Systems. KSU recently released its first pawpaw fruit variety, KSU-Atwood™. KSU also boasts the largest multi-disciplinary team in organic agriculture in the 1890s Land Grant system.

KSU research has also focused on reducing the health risks with obesity, examining eating habits of children and adults, and examining methods to keep foods safe. The “Shape Up KSU” program is offered for assessing risk factors for metabolic syndrome in African-American young adults. Cutting edge molecular biology techniques are being used to screen produce throughout the growing and shipping process for pathogens. New safe techniques to cleanse fruit, fish, and vegetables of bacteria with electrolyzed water have been developed for value-added processing.

These research programs provide mentoring opportunities for students in degree programs as well as faculty experienced in cutting edge research techniques in areas important to agricultural, aquaculture, food, and environmental sciences. The Atwood Research Facility contains 7,000 square feet of office space and 7,000 square feet of laboratory space, including a molecular genetics laboratory and nutrition laboratory. KSU's Aquaculture Research Center (ARC) includes 33 research ponds, a 3,000-square-foot hatchery that houses spawning, holding, and experimental tanks, and a 4,000-square-foot office/laboratory building includes a state-of-the-art histology laboratory, offices, and conference/classroom space. Augmenting these facilities are KSU's 300 acre Research and Demonstration Farm and its 300 acre Environmental Education and Research Center. The KSU farm has goat, beef, poultry, and fruit and vegetable trials, as well as 11 acres of certified organic land which hosts a range of projects in organic agriculture.

The KSU Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) serves all of Kentucky with personnel providing programming in 73 counties and providing education and technical assistance to limited-resource families and communities by meeting the needs of homemakers, farmers, youth, the elderly, and many others. The CEP has nationally and internationally recognized programs in: family and consumer sciences, family development and management, family financial management and consumer education, small farmer outreach training and technical assistance, horticulture, apiculture, goat production, community resource development, entrepreneurship, 4-H and youth development, and Hispanic initiatives.

Program accomplishments include: the Third Thursday Sustainable Agriculture Workshop series; the Strengthening Kentucky Families (SKY Families) Program, which provides parenting education to persons who have been separated from their children through the family court system; five residential summer youth programs; award-winning programs in financial management; and the Small and Part-time Farmer Program.

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