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The Robinson Center: Land-Grant Mission in Action
42 Plays6 hours ago
This episode of the Hort Culture podcast kicks off with a spirited, lighthearted debate among the hosts about the definition of "peak fall" and where the line between autumn and winter truly lies. Following this seasonal discussion, the episode features guest Daniel Wilson, Director of the University of Kentucky's Robinson Center, a unique facility in Eastern Kentucky that integrates extension, research, and student learning as a land-grant mission hub. Wilson discusses the center's critical role and the ongoing, intentional rebuilding efforts following the devastating July 2022 flood, which destroyed eight of the center's thirteen structures, with a grand opening for the new "campus feel" set for Spring 2026. Beyond its traditional agricultural studies on row crops, the center is crucial for regional horticulture and sustainable Appalachian land use, providing site-specific data and research on crops like mushrooms, ginseng, and elderberry. Wilson highlights the impactful Heirloom Seed Project, a post-flood effort where the center's horticulturalist grew specific heirloom beans on their hop trellises to harvest and return the seeds to families who had lost their multi-generational seed stock, directly linking the center's research to the region's heritage and recovery.
Robinson Center Wood Utilization Center
Questions/Comments/Feedback/Suggestions for Topics: hortculturepodcast@gmail.com
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Transcript
Debate: When Does Winter Start?
00:00:17
Alexis
Hello everybody and welcome to peak fall. That's at least how I feel about it.
00:00:20
Plant People
Peak fall.
00:00:21
Alexis
What do you, what do you qualify as fall? Because like, I feel like sometimes I'm like, where does winter start? Like, I feel like everybody's is a little bit different. So like, you know, are you a winter starts post Thanksgiving or like, what's the vibe there?
00:00:34
Plant People
a Fall is when the humidity starts to fall. That's the only thing I care about. When mosquito season is gone and the humidity starts to fall and that usually the temperature starts to fall.
00:00:45
Plant People
I mean, when the leaves start to fall, that's nice too, right? Yeah.
00:00:47
Alexis
I guess my question would be like, where's the fall versus winter distinction for you? Because that one is always kind of, where does fall end?
00:00:52
Plant People
ah
00:00:53
Brett
So where does fall end?
00:00:54
Plant People
Oh, oh, okay.
00:00:55
Brett
so we're just we're just in fall and you're already one looking to the end?
00:00:56
Jessica
because
00:00:56
Alexis
Where?
00:00:58
Jessica
Because winter technically doesn't start, right?
00:00:58
Alexis
Yeah.
00:00:58
Plant People
Wow.
00:00:58
Alexis
Well,
00:01:00
Jessica
So like close to the end of December, right?
00:01:02
Alexis
like the December 20th or something is winter solstice.
00:01:02
Brett
December 21st. Yeah, 2021.
00:01:03
Plant People
Yeah.
00:01:04
Jessica
Yeah.
00:01:04
Brett
yeah twentywight first
00:01:05
Alexis
Yeah.
00:01:05
Plant People
If you look at the judge the kind of the calendar date, it's really weird sometimes for fall and winter.
00:01:05
Alexis
Yeah.
00:01:10
Plant People
i mean, we can't go by big box stores, which starts putting out like Christmas stuff in May.
00:01:11
Alexis
Hmm.
00:01:15
Plant People
Now it seems
Guest Introduction: Daniel Wilson
00:01:16
Plant People
like we can't go by that.
00:01:16
Brett
If i if i had to guess, so we're we're joined by a guest, Daniel Wilson, ah director of the Robinson Center.
00:01:18
Plant People
and
00:01:22
Brett
If I had to guess, I would say it's when Daniel switches over from pumpkin spice lattes to peppermint mochas. That would be what my For me, that would be how I would...
00:01:28
Alexis
yeah
00:01:29
Plant People
Absolutely. Now you put that you put that on him. Yeah.
00:01:33
Alexis
I called Daniel up and I'm like, let me know when you switch, brother.
00:01:36
Brett
Yeah, I'd
00:01:36
Plant People
He's like, how do I respond to this?
00:01:38
Daniel Wilson
Yeah, yeah. How do I get out of that? Get out of this this one, so yeah.
00:01:39
Plant People
ah Yeah, exactly. How do I back away from that gracefully? yeah
00:01:44
Daniel Wilson
Well, I think for us, it would be for whenever you start seeing the leaves falling off, and then that's when imminent sadness
00:01:50
Jessica
Oh.
00:01:51
Plant People
Yeah. The long, dark winter.
00:01:52
Alexis
Winter is winter equals when I become imminently sad.
00:01:55
Plant People
yeah I like it.
00:01:56
Daniel Wilson
Yes, that's when I fall off.
00:01:56
Plant People
We need that one on t-shirt. Yeah. Eminent sadness, winter in Kentucky.
00:01:58
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:02:00
Plant People
Perfect.
00:02:00
Brett
I was talking to, I was talking to Mark mains who works with our our workforce development stuff and extension.
00:02:00
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:02:05
Brett
And he said that fall is his least favorite season.
00:02:09
Plant People
That's because Mark is being difficult.
00:02:09
Brett
And I was like, man,
00:02:10
Plant People
You tell Mark that. He's just being Mark.
00:02:14
Brett
I said, that's, I mean, that's at least the new fresh take that, you know, that's a hot take and in the world. Mark. um
00:02:21
Plant People
Yeah.
00:02:21
Alexis
Yeah, that's true.
00:02:22
Plant People
Maybe it's, maybe he...
00:02:23
Alexis
He's like, I don't like pumpkin.
00:02:24
Jessica
I
00:02:25
Plant People
Maybe he's Team Daniel and he's saying it's the the season of imminent sadness.
00:02:25
Brett
Yeah. I mean, it's, that's what it made me think of is that, you know, it's, it's more of the death, the death knell on the year's growth and.
00:02:29
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:02:33
Brett
Yeah.
00:02:34
Jessica
kind of had that thought the other day.
00:02:34
Alexis
Yeah, I feel like I would agree, though.
00:02:35
Daniel Wilson
Hello?
00:02:35
Alexis
Like, winter, when I say when i think about, like, what time of year it is, I say winter is when the leaves are gone ah for me.
00:02:42
Plant People
Yeah.
00:02:43
Alexis
Like, fall is up until that point, and then when all the leaves are gone, it's winter to me. Like, and so I would...
00:02:48
Jessica
If you're speaking holidays, though, I still I like Thanksgiving. Right.
00:02:52
Plant People
I do. I love Thanksgiving.
00:02:52
Jessica
So I like I'm one of those people that I hold off until like after Thanksgiving.
00:02:53
Plant People
and
00:02:57
Jessica
And then i'm like, all right, we can go hard with Christmas now.
00:03:01
Plant People
yeah
00:03:01
Jessica
We can put a tree up.
00:03:01
Alexis
Well, but winter and Christmas are different.
00:03:03
Daniel Wilson
Thank you.
00:03:03
Jessica
They are.
00:03:04
Alexis
I'm talking like winter, like not Christmas.
00:03:05
Plant People
Not if you ask certain singers you sing Christmas songs.
00:03:06
Alexis
When is winter start?
00:03:08
Brett
So you are you saying that maybe winter would be even after Christmas, Alexis?
00:03:15
Jessica
So January.
00:03:15
Alexis
um No, i think I think winter is before Christmas, but it might even be, depending on the year, when Thanksgiving is, if we had like an early freeze.
00:03:15
Plant People
ah She's like, whoa, wait a minute.
00:03:15
Brett
Or... or
00:03:15
Jessica
Yeah.
00:03:17
Plant People
Wait a minute.
00:03:24
Alexis
Like to me, Thanksgiving
00:03:24
Plant People
I don't know. won't follow the whole run.
00:03:27
Alexis
Everyone's like, Thanksgiving is a fall holiday.
00:03:29
Jessica
you
00:03:29
Plant People
It is. i want i love fall.
00:03:30
Alexis
There's pumpkin pie.
00:03:31
Plant People
You guys these are sick of me saying it. I love the autumn time of the year. love fall. I want to extend that as much as possible, as much as I love Christmas and all the holidays. I want to extend fall as much as possible.
00:03:42
Alexis
Ray is just kind of like, I'm going to pretend it's fall. It's fall in your heart all year. And meanwhile, I'm over here like, winter is when the leaves are gone.
00:03:47
Plant People
It is.
00:03:51
Plant People
Drink your peppermint mocha, Alexis, and go about your business.
00:03:51
Alexis
Like, I don't care what time a year it is. We get a drought in July and all the leaves fall. Winter, baby.
00:03:56
Jessica
That's what was going to say, Alexis.
00:03:57
Brett
Oh, wow.
00:03:58
Jessica
I was like, the walnut trees have already
Favorite Fall Activities
00:04:00
Jessica
lost their leaves, so apparently it is winter.
00:04:02
Alexis
Mine has not.
00:04:03
Brett
Wow.
00:04:03
Alexis
My walnuts are hanging on strong, so...
00:04:06
Brett
Well, at the at the risk of tiptoeing into this controversial topic, can we can we go around and quickly say our favorite fall activity?
00:04:10
Plant People
Oh, I don't think so.
00:04:13
Plant People
ah
00:04:14
Brett
i I felt a little bit of ah of of like a basic boy, but I went out to Evan's Orchard with my wife and I went out there and sat and people watched and enjoyed the crisp morning and it felt very fall.
00:04:14
Plant People
Arguing, no.
00:04:22
Plant People
the
00:04:25
Plant People
Yeah.
00:04:28
Brett
It felt nice.
00:04:28
Plant People
Oh, nice. Yeah. Evans Orchard. That's five minutes from the house.
00:04:32
Alexis
my favorite
00:04:33
Plant People
We did the same thing.
00:04:35
Alexis
My favorite fall activity is kind of twofold, but it fold like it's all in one. My favorite fall activity is being able to go outside at a reasonable hour, have a nice cup of coffee and go outside and not be obnoxiously hot.
00:04:49
Alexis
And in the same spin, I actually go to bed at a normal time because it's a dark by 730. So
00:04:57
Alexis
those are my favorite things about fall.
00:04:58
Brett
Wow.
00:05:00
Daniel Wilson
Thank you.
00:05:00
Brett
Really fits into your structure.
00:05:01
Plant People
Yeah, you nailed it. Just put that right in there.
00:05:06
Jessica
I do not like it getting dark early.
00:05:09
Brett
Uh,
00:05:09
Jessica
There's not enough time in the day now to get all the things done.
00:05:10
Plant People
This is not about what we don't like.
00:05:11
Alexis
Well, there's not enough time, but it means I get to sleep.
00:05:13
Jessica
Right.
00:05:14
Alexis
she
00:05:14
Plant People
This is not about what we don't like, Jessica.
00:05:15
Jessica
Uh, i I like Halloween, I guess, and all the things.
00:05:20
Plant People
Oh.
00:05:20
Jessica
We have birthdays.
00:05:20
Plant People
Mm-hmm.
00:05:21
Jessica
It's a big birthday month. And one of my son's birthday is on Halloween. so And my wedding anniversary is on Halloween as well.
00:05:28
Alexis
And your wedding anniversary is on Halloween.
00:05:31
Jessica
um So it's kind of a big day for us. So we're already like really prepping the costumes. um I will have a career.
00:05:39
Brett
people taking People taking Valentine's Day seriously, it sounds like, and in your and your neck of the woods.
00:05:44
Plant People
Yeah, it's like a whole thing. I mean, have you seen the costumes, Brett, that she makes for her children? Pretty elaborate.
00:05:50
Brett
Yeah, I have.
00:05:50
Plant People
Pretty elaborate.
00:05:50
Brett
ah
00:05:50
Alexis
No, Brett was being gross.
00:05:52
Brett
Produce truck.
00:05:52
Alexis
This is a family podcast.
00:05:52
Brett
I wasn't being gross.
00:05:52
Jessica
Yeah.
00:05:53
Brett
I wasn't being gross.
00:05:54
Alexis
Okay.
00:05:54
Brett
This is, you know, they're all human beings here. What about you, dan Daniel? What's your favorite fall activity?
Exploring the Robinson Center
00:06:00
Daniel Wilson
Well, i tell you, two two things I think about when I think about fall is so I enjoy just being outside, kind of soaking up that last little bit of being outside before winter and doing family activities on the farm and, you know, building some fires up maybe on on the property somewhere.
00:06:14
Alexis
the
00:06:15
Daniel Wilson
That's one thing.
00:06:15
Brett
Oh, man.
00:06:16
Daniel Wilson
But my second thing is, is all honestly, is work related because we just have completed all of our fall events here at the Robinson Center.
00:06:24
Plant People
Thank you.
00:06:24
Daniel Wilson
um where we where we have all the kids come with pumpkin days and and and all those activities that we offer. And i'm just seeing everybody on on campus here and having that good fall feel. It's kind of kicking off the – or kicks off the start of winter, but also the end of the the program year here for us. And so so it's a pretty special time for the center here to in the fall time. so
00:06:46
Brett
Daniel.
00:06:46
Alexis
Daniel takes a nice deep breath and that is his like a fall. He's like release.
00:06:49
Daniel Wilson
Yes.
00:06:50
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
00:06:51
Daniel Wilson
Yeah. Okay.
00:06:52
Alexis
I feel that. hmm.
00:06:53
Brett
He's also king king of the segue because that that transitions us nicely into.
00:06:56
Plant People
Perfect.
00:06:58
Brett
So you you mentioned this this Robinson Center thing. ah if you If somebody hadn't heard of it before, maybe they've heard it by another name. Can you give us, I'm sure by now you've got an elevator pitch for a three-floor building, a 10-floor building, a 100-floor building, ah depending on the length of the elevator ride.
00:07:16
Brett
Can you just give us the the kind of, what what is it about? like What is that place? How long it been around? And then give us, I'd love to hear more about some of those events you just said.
00:07:24
Daniel Wilson
Yeah, well, the Robinson Center has been around since 1923, believe it or not. So we we actually celebrated our 100th anniversary a couple years ago. So so we're now on year 102, I guess you could say at the Robinson Center.
00:07:40
Daniel Wilson
But I explain every group that comes here, and and I'll explain it like this to to to your audience and and to the group here on the call today, is that the Robinson Center is is where we have our land grant programs mission come together where that all three components can come together and we can kind of play. So it's kind of like a mix and putting them all three components, which is our extension, um which is research and which is our students, right? So this is one of the places at the university of Kentucky where you can come or all three of them can be kind of thrown into a mixing bowl and you mix them up. Right. And then we have, you can have any component of those three land grant missions here at the Robson Center at any point. in time so So it's a pretty cool, and pretty special place for that.
00:08:27
Daniel Wilson
But I do i do preface it with all my conversations with this well. You know, we're ah the East Region Research Farm for the University of Kentucky and in the College of Ag, the Martin Gatton College of Ag. So it also provides us an opportunity to to really highlight what we do in the region, but also target our ah research.
00:08:46
Daniel Wilson
and toward anything that we have going on at the center that can be applicable for the region, for the people that are here in this part of the state, which is pretty awesome to think that that kind of starts here, here in the Robeson Center.
00:08:49
Jessica
Thank you.
00:08:59
Daniel Wilson
And then also it's about our students coming here from whether that's campus students coming from for class from from a class on campus or it's students locally that's maybe in high school or or below.
00:09:11
Daniel Wilson
And they come here and they see what how awesome, you know, that this part of the state is and part of the world. And then they come back and hopefully they come back and want to be a part of that. So um so people want to come back and they want to sustain themselves here in the Appalachian region um because of of all the great things we have to offer here as well.
00:09:28
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:09:29
Brett
So I've been coming out to the Robinson Center off and on for the better part of 15 years now, I guess. Once upon a time, I was a research researcher. technician and I would drive out and and download air temperature sensors and soil temperature sensors.
00:09:44
Brett
i was I was working on the farm in Lexington and the amount of work that you all and the the whole team there, you you and the whole team there have put in to not only building out that center ah to something really special now, but rebuilding that center.
00:09:49
Jessica
you
00:10:00
Brett
ah We don't want to dwell too long on
00:10:00
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:10:02
Brett
some of the flooding issues that have happened. But um you you mentioned you you referred to it as campus, having people there on campus on the at the the Robinson Center.
00:10:04
Daniel Wilson
yeah
00:10:10
Brett
And I think that's that's part of how it feels to me now when I come out there is that it feels like this extension of our of our campus center. We have these extension offices in every county that have this really special role.
00:10:22
Brett
But it's yeah, I just would love to just hear briefly about about that and all about some of the building and rebuilding efforts before we jump into some of the other other programming.
00:10:31
Daniel Wilson
Yeah, sounds
Rebuilding After the Flood
00:10:32
Daniel Wilson
good. Yeah, yeah. In twenty in July of 2022, we was severely impacted here at the Robinson Center with a major flooding event, as as a lot of the areas and communities and counties in eastern Kentucky were during during that time.
00:10:48
Daniel Wilson
But we actually had 13 structures that flooded during that event here at the Robinson Center. So that's on our main campus here here at the Robinson Road location. And we had 13 structures flood. We lost eight of those. So we had to tear them down or or they were, you know, evicted, I guess you could say, and condemned.
00:11:07
Daniel Wilson
so we So we've been in a bill rebuilding process with those structures. So we've um we are nearing, ah hopefully within the next few weeks, having all of our buildings that we are getting back from that event completed. So hopefully looking at a grand opening in the spring of 2020
00:11:25
Jessica
you
00:11:26
Daniel Wilson
twenty six We're going to be planning that this winter so we can have a grand opening event. We don't have the date specifically there for that yet. but But yeah, so we've after that event, you know, you mentioned about this place being a campus. Well, when we when we did flood, when we had the opportunity to rebuild, it it was our intent and our purpose here. so so So that when you leave campus and you leave your classroom, you leave your office, you leave whatever you're doing on main campus in Lexington,
00:11:56
Daniel Wilson
and you come to the Robinson Center, when you come on here, you should have what you said, Brett, that that campus feel. and And before the floods, i would I would think that a lot of people here would agree that it didn't have that feel just because how things were marketed, signage, you know their the way our buildings looked, all those things.
00:12:12
Brett
Thank you.
00:12:13
Daniel Wilson
So now everything's either a new building or it's been redone or it's got a new, um it's kind of been repainted, reed re-roofed. It's got ah it's got of ah a newer, cleaner, slicker look to everything.
00:12:26
Daniel Wilson
but But what we're, and that's been great, and we've been, you know, where it really, really blessed to be able to rebuild like we have. But one thing we have done is that's made a big difference is as we've we've instituted marketing plan to where we've incorporated a lot of UK signage, and we have got our new Martin Gatton College of Agriculture logos, and we've instituted all those all over our campus.
00:12:41
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:12:48
Daniel Wilson
So we've put up banners, we've put up websites, new signs for all of our buildings. We didn't have building signs ah like anyone before the flood. So all of our public facing buildings now have building signs out front so people can, and they come on campus, they can identify with what building that is.
00:13:05
Daniel Wilson
And then we've also um been able to market it with, with around all of our new buildings that we have built. So we've, we've put up signage in places that we probably wouldn't have put up, you know, before the floods, just because of the way we were, we were building and constructed.
00:13:15
Jessica
you
00:13:17
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:13:21
Daniel Wilson
But what what I'm most proud about is about the marketing aspect of this and and why that's important to have that campus feel is it's twofold. It's for the people that are coming here to participate in their programs, the public and in the communities that we're trying to serve.
00:13:37
Daniel Wilson
But it's also for our employees. You know, it's for the people that come here. They have a sense of pride. it's It's something that everybody, if you work for the university, you should be proud of you know the work that you do. and You should be ah be a proud to be a part of of the university.
00:13:52
Daniel Wilson
And so um but so when you come here, having that feel, and it makes everybody feel like they're a part of something bigger, and that that sometimes can help somebody, you know, that may be going through a rough patch or their job's difficult at the time, you know, you're still reminder that you're a part of something bigger.
00:14:10
Brett
Yeah.
00:14:11
Alexis
Yeah. I just like Brett hinted at it and I just, and as well as you, the, from the research side. And I mean, there's tons of research that goes on there. um But, and maybe, maybe that's where we start before I like launch into my bragging on how awesome you all are is sort of all of the different pieces of the Robinson center, because it's,
00:14:33
Alexis
there's a lot going on there and there's the forest and the farm. And I mean, there's, there's things I don't even know about. And ah I think that it's so special of a place. our We want to hear more.
00:14:44
Brett
Daniel's like, can we just skip to the bragging part? Actually, we can.
00:14:46
Plant People
Yeah.
00:14:47
Daniel Wilson
What it
00:14:47
Alexis
I mean, I'm going to get there. I just need all of my details.
00:14:48
Jessica
Thank you.
00:14:51
Plant People
Well, i'll have to bra i mean I'll have to brag on it.
00:14:51
Daniel Wilson
what
00:14:53
Plant People
it's I started out in Extension, well, in the northern part of the state. Then I spent many years in the far eastern part of the state in Floyd County. And the Robeson Center um was a very strong connection when you're in the Appalachian region, um you know which sometimes can seem far away from you know the mothership, can seem far away from campus.
00:15:15
Plant People
And it was such a good connector and it influenced so much of my early extension work. Tomorrow, ah Daniel, I'm doing shiitake mushrooms because I worked for years with Deborah Hill on, you know, mushroom production on natural logs, ah you know, many years ago, but I was thinking a lot about the center and all the, you know, stuff that I used to do there.
00:15:26
Daniel Wilson
you
00:15:35
Plant People
I was there almost on a monthly basis for several years being, you know, in in the mountains of the Eastern part of the state where I was stationed as a job, but it was a great connector.
00:15:36
Jessica
Thank you.
00:15:44
Plant People
between the counties of the far east that use that so heavily. I mean, yeah, we're connected directly to campus. That's true, but that's a regional connection. I think that's very important, but it it's still to this very day has a big impact, uh, on the shape of my work and the way that I go about my work. A lot of the programs that started there that I worked with years ago. So really cool place with the wood utilization center, I guess, wind with wood, big programs like that are still going on.
00:16:10
Daniel Wilson
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we, yeah, we,
00:16:11
Plant People
Uh, you know, all the research and vegetable and row crops and my goodness, and all the programs at the forest. I was a member of the Kentucky Natural Resources Leadership Institute years ago, and we spent a lot of time there in the cabins.
00:16:22
Plant People
And it's just like Alexis said, it's ah incredible facilities. I know you guys have just continued to work to improve those in a lot of different ways. So, yeah, got to brag on it.
00:16:32
Brett
so
00:16:33
Plant People
I've always I've always had a it's always had a special place with me.
00:16:36
Brett
So Alexis, were you asking for kind of like the the snapshot of the research that's going on right now?
00:16:41
Alexis
Well, um more I want to know first more about the facilities. like
00:16:45
Brett
Okay.
00:16:45
Alexis
like It's not just the farm or the wood center. like There's so many pieces that make Robinson Center really special that like campus doesn't have. And you know there's all these places. And I just think that people don't really understand the full scope of it. Yeah.
00:17:00
Daniel Wilson
yeah we Yeah, we, at the Robinson Center, you know, we we talk about the three main components, and i have some assistant directors that that help support each one of those those different components of the Robinson Center.
00:17:12
Daniel Wilson
So it's broken out, and you mentioned some of them already, but it's broken out with the research farm here at at the Robinson Center um that that that can encompass all the the the agricultural research that we
Components of the Robinson Center
00:17:23
Daniel Wilson
do on site. That's horticulture.
00:17:25
Daniel Wilson
That can be some, we have, this year we have soybeans, we have um corn, we have, you know, integrated wheatgrass studies. we have We have a variety of different research going on here at the farm.
00:17:36
Daniel Wilson
And we also have our wood center enough where that we do a lot of the woodworking products where we do a lot of some, there's there's wood research going on out there, active research.
00:17:42
Jessica
you
00:17:46
Daniel Wilson
There's a bridge program for the forest, for the loer loggers in the region that we're instituting out of the wood center. So that's that's one component of that as well, of of the Wood Robins Center.
00:17:57
Daniel Wilson
And then lastly, we have a Robinson forest, which is, ah you know, several thousand acre, ah really one of the biggest and largest research forests in the world. And so we have a camp there that that people come and stay and we do a lot of trainings with with the industry.
00:18:12
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:18:13
Daniel Wilson
We do a lot of agent and extension ah employee trainings and activities there. but We also do a lot of youth and a lot of industry type tours and things like that as well there. so um So we got three components here. That's kind of the main three, the the farm, the wood center, and the forest. that's our three main ones.
00:18:33
Daniel Wilson
Now, the extension and research and students are all are our components of all three of those as well so it's not like well we're just welcoming students that's in the forestry or field or they're in the horticulture field or whatever absolutely not all three of those phases of the robinson center we fulfill all of our land grant responsibilities and in all aspects of the robinson center so and then go ahead let's
00:18:56
Alexis
You all have... Let me go. I'm so excited brag on you. they I think agroforestry, I think, is a thing that's been happening for, I mean, all of time.
00:19:09
Alexis
But ah having more info and like the research and just the the... information that's coming out for people who are wanting to do more on their land in a, you know, good sustainable way that's, you know, maybe it's timber, but also maybe it's mushrooms or ginseng or all of these other agroforestry crops that are out there.
00:19:25
Alexis
And, you know, at the CCD, we get requests for, you know, people wanting to know about growing elderberry to support, you know, their family as far as like, you know, to sell it and those types of things.
00:19:26
Jessica
Thank
00:19:31
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:19:35
Alexis
And a lot of That information has come out of the Robinson Center and the Robinson Center has been so great in connecting with those people that are in, you know, in Appalachia. And, you know, they're not going to be growing soybeans and raising cattle and doing a lot of the things that the rest of the state does. And I just think that's so cool.
00:19:53
Alexis
And then to see as like the horticulture nerd. You know, we have these three farms across the state. We have Lexington, we have far western Kentucky, and then we have this eastern Kentucky. And so it's so fascinating to see the research. You can have the same, you know, um plot doing the same exact thing at all three of these places.
00:20:13
Alexis
and to see the differences in how the plants grow or produce or the diseases they get or you know how they deal with flooding and in many cases and ah to see the differences there so that we can really, through you know extension, give people information that's useful for them and not just like a blanket statement of make sure you plant your you know corn by this day. Well, it's not the same everywhere. And I think
00:20:39
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:20:39
Alexis
That's just so nerdy of me to like how interesting that is, but also from the extension point of view, how valuable you all are by where you're at and just the great work you're doing. um i just, I feel like I could talk all day about how valuable that is over there.
00:20:56
Daniel Wilson
Well, we appreciate that. And that's that's kind of the you know that's kind of the the results we're
Research and Collaboration Opportunities
00:21:00
Daniel Wilson
looking. We want people to to know that we're trying to do. you know And here's the thing is, if we don't have it here, Alexis, or we've never done that trial here or whatever's going on, you know we have the people and the capabilities and the and the equipment now and the facilities, like we've talked about already.
00:21:14
Daniel Wilson
we We have the ability to do some of those. So if people have have a dream or they have a opportunity or they have an idea and they want to conduct that research here. They want us to conduct those trials here.
00:21:25
Daniel Wilson
You know, that's conversation where we look for, you know, during the winter months so we can plan for the next year. And we try to, we try to, we try to say yes to everything, right?
00:21:30
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:21:35
Daniel Wilson
So that we say, but we have to kind of look at it and say, well, can we do it? You know, make sure that we can make sure it's viable and we have, we have what we need to make it happen. But we try to say yes and no,
00:21:48
Daniel Wilson
um very very infrequently. so
00:21:52
Brett
Well, we had previously, we had Chad Nyman on to talk about some of the wood projects. He talked, we talked about potentially using some of these species, maybe as ah as framing lumber to, ah you know, provide a,
00:22:04
Brett
economic opportunity there. There was also the idea of some of these preformed panels, different panels and and structural ah wood construction using hardwood species. We were out there. ah Daniel was very gracious to put together a tour for us on the same day that they had
00:22:19
Alexis
yeah
00:22:22
Alexis
but
00:22:22
Brett
um the dean, one of the dean search visits, one of the interviews was that day and he managed to pull together a tour for us, which was so awesome because we were going out there because it provides this gathering spot for the eastern part of the state for agents to come in and hear from potential dean candidates in this case.
00:22:38
Brett
um And we saw showed you all showed us the this new kiln that you had had that had recently been donated from Martin Guitar.
00:22:46
Brett
which was so cool. So I have a Martin guitar hanging just over my shoulder here off screen. And so that was pretty cool. I like to imagine that mine went through there, but I don't know, maybe. Well, if anyone asks, it did. um But the the wood the wood side of things, you know, i you mentioned that you all have corn and soybean trials out there.
00:22:46
Daniel Wilson
yeah
00:22:56
Daniel Wilson
and
00:23:03
Brett
And I think that's an important part of the story of Appalachia isn't all, eastern part of the state isn't all mountainous. There are some some spots to grow some of that stuff. And we want to we want to have good research-based information.
00:23:14
Brett
But um just echoing what Alexis said, the the feel of how like the the opportunities and the interest in the research that's happening, it feels appropriate to the region and it feels like it fits that space.
00:23:28
Brett
um and And I just think you have more credibility when you can you can say, oh, yeah, all our fields were flooded out to just like yours.
00:23:29
Daniel Wilson
Yeah. Absolutely.
00:23:36
Brett
Here's what we're doing about it. um that That just has a different, you know, it's like, oh, from Lexington.
00:23:38
Daniel Wilson
yes
00:23:41
Brett
Yeah, we saw that was happening. Sorry that that happened is a different, just a different kind of conversation. And so um as far as the the research trials, are those mostly folks, you know, at your site who are doing those or do you kind of collaborate with other people or what's the how does that research side go?
00:23:59
Daniel Wilson
but That's a good, good question. we We actually have, well, the one stipulation we kind of do have here is if you're doing some kind of, if you want to research project that, you know, we have somebody that's a lead, a lead researcher that's taking the lead on that project.
00:24:03
Plant People
Thank you.
00:24:14
Daniel Wilson
So we've we've off we've we've had three different types of research going on here. That's specialist or, you know, faculty led that they're coming here from campus or coming, or we have one stationed faculty member here that's Dr. Sean Wright he's our horticulturalist so and he's he's here and then but he we have him as our stationed on site specialist but we everybody else that comes in either comes in from campus or comes in from another area yeah one unique thing we've done the last two years is we've actually offered to our extension offices and our extension agents to come here and do their research here so it's getting harder to find partners in the in our communities you know because of the way things are now with
00:24:57
Daniel Wilson
risk management and things like that, that producers are somewhat, you know, can can be hesitant of allowing people coming on their property for research. So we we have offered that the agents, if they have a research idea, they can come here and do it here as well. So we've had a few few of those over over the past few years where that the agents have come and then they then they will bring their producers here or they'll bring their there clients here from that county to to view that product and in other counties as well.
00:25:24
Daniel Wilson
And then we've also, um just beyond the research, you know, we, we do things Ray had mentioned about shiitake mushrooms recently, you know, one cool component that we do here with all three components of the Robinson centers, we train our agents and we train our staff on those things. Like we had a shiitake mushroom workshop here that we went and got the logs. We went and got the the wood from the downed trees or whatever that we may have here at the, at the center, you know, so we rep repurposed the items that the university has on its property
00:25:55
Daniel Wilson
to train the agents who then go and train their communities. So that's a pretty powerful and a pretty awesome example of how that the Robinson Center impacts the state out and about. not just Not just, you don't just have to come here, right? we can You can come here and you can learn, but you weak can the items, the things you're learning here can can be brought back down to the county level.
00:26:15
Plant People
It's ah Daniel, it seems like it's hard ah to run into a division of forestry or anybody in forestry in the state that doesn't know about the forest out there. I guess a lot of those ah folks that I've talked to have went through their students. I guess you guys host student activity events out there.
00:26:31
Plant People
And there's a there's like a camp out there. And really, to call it a camp is not exactly accurate.
00:26:34
Daniel Wilson
yeah
00:26:35
Plant People
They're nice, you know pretty nice cabins out there. I guess you guys still do that with students.
00:26:40
Daniel Wilson
Absolutely. Yeah, we we welcome guests throughout the entire year at the Robinson Forest Camp. We have we could we could sleep about around 50-ish people um in cabins. And you know we have there's a bathhouse and we have a cafeteria and we have ah have a forest manager that manages the the facilities and in the place.
00:26:58
Daniel Wilson
We also have a cook custodian. that can provide the meals in the cafeteria, people that want to visit. And then we build what they want to do while they're there, what they're requesting to do off of each different request. So they can do forest tours. you know they can do We've had chainsaw workshops. where we we've had them We've had master logger trainings there. We have all kinds of things throughout the year.
00:27:23
Daniel Wilson
But we welcome adults. We welcome youth. um We welcome any any group that really wants to come, but we do, we just try to build what they're wanting, what they're requesting. um It has to be educational in a sense, and you can't just come and stay, but you want to come. We want we want to teach you and and fulfill that land grant mission with you while we while you're there.
00:27:43
Daniel Wilson
but um But yeah, we we welcome those guests. And you know this week we have a group of of middle school team leaders that are coming from from several counties in the area.
00:27:54
Daniel Wilson
that's being put together by some of our extension agents, for h agents, and they'll be bringing those those students, those middle schoolers here to the center where that they're gonna impact with all three of those. Well, they'll have a hands-on approach with all three components. They'll be touring the farm, making cutting boards at the wood center, and they're gonna be staying at the forest and going to the fire tire and hitting those three phases all together.
00:28:17
Brett
So...
00:28:17
Jessica
I was going to say, Ray beat me to it because the more you have talked about everything that's being offered out there, the more I started thinking about, oh, I've been there.
00:28:17
Brett
Oups, guys.
00:28:26
Jessica
And I've been to the the camp area. And one of my very first ah extension experiences outreach where I didn't really know what I was doing was out there at Robinson Forest when it was at a 4-H event for military families
Community Engagement and Partnerships
00:28:40
Jessica
that you all were hosting out there and got to share entomology information and cool insects with everybody. um But yeah, that's but something I was thinking of too, of like after finding out that, knowing how well you all partner with different groups, not just we're going to partner with the forestry kids or like when I was in grad school, entomology students would always go out there because that was a big deal to get to go out and collect insects on that end of the state. Right. Compared to what you get in central Kentucky or western Kentucky.
00:29:10
Jessica
um But like great partnerships across all of extension that happen out there at the center.
00:29:16
Daniel Wilson
Absolutely. You know, Jessica, that's a good point.
00:29:17
Brett
Thank
00:29:19
Daniel Wilson
I'm glad you brought that up because, you know, I think this is one quality of the Robinson Center, and I'm just going to throw that in there, is that once you come here, right, or you've experienced any some of the, some facet of the Robinson Center, you maybe you've experienced all of them, right?
00:29:32
Daniel Wilson
Once you experience one of those things, you know, you have an appreciation for the place. You know, it's a beautiful place. It's a, you know, it's a place that you want to come back to. And hopefully your you feel welcomed by it.
00:29:43
Daniel Wilson
our surroundings, in in a but also our our people. You know, we we haven't talked about that yet, but just we have an amazing set of staff here and people that that support this place from managers to all the way down to every level that we have, all the way that supports this place.
00:29:58
Daniel Wilson
So that's one thing we have that we're really, really fortunate to have here is just just the people that make this place run and and and move is something that's so that I'm very proud of.
00:30:00
Jessica
Thank
00:30:10
Daniel Wilson
I just get to, I get to lead the group, but I mean, but really they, they do the work and they, they are they're, they're very, um oh very good examples of the university and in how the university can support this area. and And they really buy into that mission and something I'm proud of. So.
00:30:30
Plant People
Very cool place. Very cool place. It's pretty, pretty, pretty big.
00:30:32
Brett
so So just to just to put a finer a little bit of a finer point on that. so So if like a group, for instance, wanted to come out and do maybe like a forest and farm tour. And then maybe they would pair that with ah a meeting that they were going to have or some strategic planning that they might do.
00:30:47
Brett
That'd be something that, that you all could accommodate and maybe even, you know, uh, work with you all and, and, and figure out the food and the other. So this is a, this is a situation that if people want to are looking for a venue, that's really beautiful. That's connected to extension, connected to learning connected to the forest. That's something that they could, they could do.
00:31:06
Daniel Wilson
Absolutely. Yes. Thanks, Brett. That is 100% something we can do.
00:31:08
Brett
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
00:31:10
Daniel Wilson
We just ask that people reach out and we kind of plan it and make sure it's available the center. But we, we, we have got a lot of groups coming and doing exactly what you said, doing team building activities, um'm coming and doing planning sessions.
00:31:22
Daniel Wilson
um We hosted ah one of the departments, we hosted the entire department of one of the bigger departments on the college of ag here a couple months ago where they brought their entire faculty and and staff down and and they did a team building, did some planning for the next year session, and you know, and they did, and they did all those things you mentioned. either they They took farm tours. They,
00:31:42
Daniel Wilson
went to the Wood Center and made a product, and then they you know they they got to stay at the forest and and do some touring up there.
00:31:46
Brett
Which department was that?
00:31:47
Daniel Wilson
So which department was that?
00:31:49
Brett
ah
00:31:50
Daniel Wilson
Plant and Soil Sciences came down.
00:31:51
Brett
Okay.
00:31:51
Brett
Cause we need some leverage to do, go out and come out and see you and do some cool things.
00:31:52
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:31:54
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:31:55
Brett
So I'll say, well, I mean, playing as little science did it.
00:31:55
Plant People
that
00:31:57
Brett
I think we can come down and and check it out too.
00:31:57
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:31:58
Plant People
It sounds like a podcast retreat at the forest to me.
00:32:00
Daniel Wilson
That's it. That sounds good. Yeah, well, you know, we can we can build build you whatever you need, right?
00:32:05
Jessica
Thank you.
00:32:06
Daniel Wilson
So, yeah.
00:32:06
Brett
Yeah.
00:32:06
Alexis
you
00:32:07
Plant People
i like that.
00:32:07
Brett
I love that.
00:32:08
Plant People
Hey, the leaves are turning color, guys. So, yeah.
00:32:10
Brett
We've started talking about strategic planning and ag econ at least.
00:32:10
Daniel Wilson
That's right.
00:32:13
Brett
And so ah I would say, Hey, no, I just, it's just, you know, just down the road, part of campus.
00:32:14
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:32:18
Plant People
It's my favorite retreat spot in the state. Because once you're out there, Daniel, you're out there.
00:32:23
Daniel Wilson
You're out there, yeah.
00:32:23
Plant People
You're out there, and I love it. I love it. It's a good place. Yeah.
00:32:26
Brett
Well,
00:32:27
Daniel Wilson
Well, we have you know we have good quality internet now for groups. you know people That's something that's a big, has been a hold up for us in the past.
00:32:31
Plant People
Yeah.
00:32:33
Daniel Wilson
But now we have, as long as at the center, any any center building now, we you have the edgy room where you're just like you're on you on main campus.
00:32:33
Plant People
no
00:32:40
Daniel Wilson
Like if you you leave the president's building on campus, and you walk in our buildings here, you should have the same internet access and in both locations. So that's something after post-flood that we've obtained here that's kind of set us up for success going forward as well as having that good internet access and good availability for any for anybody comes here, that's whether that's a researcher, student, or our participant.
00:33:06
Alexis
Brett, were you going to say something?
00:33:07
Brett
Well, I do want to hit on that. When we were we were out visiting, um you mentioned about the like the kind of the marketing, but I think also the sense of of purpose and clarity of vision and connectedness.
00:33:19
Brett
it like It really showed through talking to the folks working out there.
00:33:22
Plant People
Thank
00:33:25
Brett
ah talking to Jackie and Rob and John and and I mean, everybody, they, they just had this like real sense of pride that honestly we could use a little dose of that on campus sometimes, I think. So like the idea of that, that feeling was, it was so, it was just so cool to see people like kind of all pulling in the same direction and I'll, I'll give, share one more touchy feely thing while I'm at it.
00:33:47
Brett
um yeah Jessica, you mentioned having your first like extension, one of your first extension experiences at the Robinson center.
00:33:49
Jessica
Thank you.
00:33:53
Brett
Yeah. I had one of my, um you know, they talk about your welcome to the NFL moment for new players when they get like tackled by somebody really big. Well, my welcome to extension, the, I wasn't tackled, but ah John Strang and ah Sean Wright were leading a workshop out there.
00:34:01
Daniel Wilson
Thank you.
00:34:11
Brett
And I was fresh into this job, less than a year into this job. And I'm trying to figure out what the heck this extension thing even is. And, what I'm supposed to be doing. And so I i was just, gra you know, anything that would happen.
00:34:23
Brett
So I saw that that you all were having out at the at the Robinson Center, you all were having a an apple grafting workshop.
00:34:26
Jessica
Thank
00:34:31
Brett
And i went out and i remember John, you know, bringing all ah John Strang was a longtime fruit specialist in the state. If you ever grew fruit and had a question, you probably know him.
00:34:44
Brett
um
00:34:44
Alexis
Yes, yes, yes.
00:34:44
Brett
But he ah he brought out all this scion wood and understock and and and showed people how and Jessica and and Alexis will warn you of the perils of turning a grafting knife over to the public.
00:34:54
Brett
But ah the it it was this moment where they were talking with folks and people.
00:34:55
Jessica
Oh.
00:35:00
Brett
There was one person who had actually brought some some scion ah wood that was of this thing that this but varietal that they're. grandma had had on their farm.
00:35:11
Brett
There was one called Estel Gold, I think. I still remember maybe something like that. And they were, and they, like and they, course, John got all excited about it and they grafted it and they were showing them and they had a little bit of a presentation and then a lot of talking and sharing and doing.
00:35:25
Brett
And it was one of those moments where I was like, oh, okay. So this is kind of what extension can be. And this is what it looks like and feels like you could just feel in the room, the energy and excitement. Cause it was,
00:35:38
Brett
It was informational. It was based on good information and science, but it was also like rooted in these people's real lives. And I was also couldn't help but think like, okay, these people are going to go out with their parafilm wrapped little grafted ah apple trees and they are going to plant these. And those, those are these little moments, this little fraction of a moment in time where we were all there together and it has this kind of cascading effect. And all of that happened at the Robinson center. And I can't imagine it having happened,
00:36:04
Brett
you know, anywhere else. Certainly we we aren't having a lot of meetings like that, ah certain other places. So,
00:36:09
Daniel Wilson
Yeah, that's a good point.
00:36:10
Brett
um
00:36:11
Daniel Wilson
You know, we we have our apple orchard here, in our orchard, and then that we have supplied, the Robinson Center has supplied county agents for that very program for the grafting workshops in numerous counties each year.
00:36:24
Daniel Wilson
i mean, we still have agents that come and they'll get their sign on wood here um because of the varieties that are here, and they take those back to those counties and teach them, do what you said there, Brett.
00:36:30
Jessica
Thank you.
00:36:32
Daniel Wilson
But what's cool about the Robinson Center is is that when the in the agents, too, working with them, But you know you can come here and do each component of that. you know They're going to learn to get their sign wood. They're going how to graft. Grafton that provides us opportunities with their agents to then talk to them a little bit about grafting, bring them back, let them show them how to, i mean, not graft, but prune, talk about how to prune the trees.
00:36:51
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:36:52
Daniel Wilson
Then you've got the disease management. Then you've got the pest management. Then you've got all the components of that you know that provides extension and you know in the College of Ag and to show off our research here that we do um and at multiple layers.
00:37:07
Daniel Wilson
So it's not just a one-time event. I think you you keep wanting come back and it's our job and responsibility to make sure that we're offering those programs in that way. So...
00:37:16
Brett
I will say that there's significantly less buzz in the room when I suggest that we all gather around and fill out an enterprise budget. ah people People seem to gravitate more toward the toward the plant stuff, but we've certainly given done a lot of presentations out there and and a lot of sharing.
00:37:23
Plant People
It's a tough style.
00:37:31
Alexis
Well, I'll be there in two weeks for a train the trainer for, we've got some doing some stuff and wanting to get a little closer.
00:37:34
Brett
There you go.
00:37:38
Alexis
Some of those Eastern Kentucky agents to yeah give them, give them what they asked for. And so we were like, Hey, our cars, can we come out? And of course the immediate answer was yes.
00:37:48
Alexis
So we've got, uh, between 20 and 30 agents going to be out there with us learning some stuff. So I'm really excited.
00:37:48
Daniel Wilson
Yes.
00:37:54
Brett
Okay, so you brought up a thing, Alexis.
00:37:55
Daniel Wilson
That's great.
00:37:57
Brett
So Daniel, can you can you clarify for us?
00:37:57
Alexis
Yes.
00:38:00
Brett
What is the difference between RCARS, a Robinson substation, a Robinson Center, a Robinson Forest, a quicksand?
00:38:08
Jessica
I was going to say quicksand.
00:38:08
Brett
ah
00:38:09
Jessica
I was very confused for a second and I had to ask Ray and I was like, was like, oh wait, I've been there too.
00:38:10
Alexis
Yeah.
00:38:10
Plant People
you're going way back now you're
00:38:11
Daniel Wilson
Good. Good.
00:38:13
Brett
Clarify, give us the glossary.
00:38:16
Daniel Wilson
Good.
00:38:16
Jessica
I've been to quicksand several times. We're talking about the same thing.
00:38:20
Daniel Wilson
Well, that's a good question because, you know, we get that quite a bit, you know, and and I think we're all the above, right? You know, i mean, we are, we're we're ah we're the East Region Research Farm for the College of Ag, Martin Gagin College of Ag.
00:38:32
Daniel Wilson
That has a lot of history, right? So all those things you mentioned, we've been called Quicksand. We've been called R-Cars. We're currently called Robeson Center. ill I'll explain that just in a second. But, you know, but Quicksand is the place. You know, this is the the address on the map is Quicksand. That's where we're at.
00:38:48
Daniel Wilson
So i think that's kind of got that moniker there. But then we've had our cars recently as well, which is, it's the the the title of the acronym is the Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability. Well, that's that's a lot to say, right? So we, it's a good, but it's a good name. and It's part of who we are and it's part of our history. And we still have that name if people, some people call that today.
00:39:10
Daniel Wilson
But we we, couple years ago after the floods, we we looked at and thought, you know, The way we we're structured now and our components we talked about already with the farm and the Wood Center and the forest, right? They've all got Robinson in the front of them. So we just went with the simple just Robinson Center as the overarching of of who we are and in our name, right?
00:39:30
Daniel Wilson
And then Robinson Research Farm and the Robinson Forest and then you got the Robinson Wood Center. But I mean, but if somebody knows us as our cars and somebody knows us at Quicksand, right? You know what The place, the people,
00:39:42
Plant People
Thank you.
00:39:43
Daniel Wilson
our mission, you know our land grant mission, that has never changed and it will never change. But I think though having the Robinson name at the beginning and um is the most important part of what we are because it's, it's, it's our history.
00:39:52
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:39:55
Daniel Wilson
It talks about the Yale Robinson days where the university was gifted the property, you know, over a hundred years ago. So, you know, the the Robinson name is there, but I think it's more, it's the name is very important, but it's the work we do here and how we impact our communities and how we,
00:40:12
Daniel Wilson
inspire people when they come here and they and they want to come back that really matters. And so um so Robinson Center is our name main main name now as far as the overarching. But hey, if you know us as quicksand, then we're going to, when you come here, then that's, we're going to treat you the same as if if you think we're the quicksand or the Robinson Center.
00:40:25
Jessica
Thank you.
00:40:32
Plant People
ah think I think always, Daniel, okay
00:40:32
Brett
And I wrote a rose by any other name is just as impactful to the community with that.
00:40:37
Daniel Wilson
That's right.
00:40:37
Plant People
that's right.
00:40:37
Daniel Wilson
Yes. That's right.
00:40:38
Plant People
You were waiting on it. You were waiting on it. when When people call it quicksand, Daniel, it's interesting because I've always thought that was neat. That's a regional sort of thing with the way people named it quicksand, but it's also an indication of the importance of that place and where it sits to the local community.
00:40:55
Plant People
the Local folks there, when I'm around, they still call it quicksand and because it's identity.
00:40:59
Jessica
you
00:41:00
Plant People
It's part of the community, which has always been pretty cool to me. It's been pretty cool.
00:41:03
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:41:04
Plant People
I love when I don't hear it as much.
00:41:04
Daniel Wilson
Yeah,
00:41:04
Brett
so just So just to be clear for the, I didn't know. So quicksand is like the, the city or that's the site or that's the, what's the, what?
00:41:12
Daniel Wilson
yeah it's the name of the the place, the little community here. It's called Quicksand.
00:41:14
Plant People
Yeah.
00:41:15
Alexis
That's the address.
00:41:16
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:41:17
Plant People
Yeah.
00:41:17
Daniel Wilson
The address is Jackson, with the but nineteen but the but the name that we were getting, give we're going
00:41:18
Brett
Yeah, that's what I was confused by.
00:41:19
Alexis
Oh, well, God.
00:41:20
Plant People
It's like a little sub.
00:41:22
Alexis
it's Oh, I gotcha. I gotcha.
00:41:23
Plant People
Now we're getting into regional.
00:41:23
Daniel Wilson
We're going to here.
00:41:25
Plant People
ah so Yeah, we're getting into the local.
00:41:26
Brett
it exists.
00:41:26
Daniel Wilson
and
00:41:26
Brett
It exists at, at such a deep cultural level that not even the postal service can understand it
00:41:31
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:41:32
Plant People
they ah They do if you say it's quicksand.
00:41:32
Daniel Wilson
well yeah
00:41:34
Plant People
They're like, oh, quicksand.
00:41:35
Brett
Oh, quick.
00:41:35
Plant People
Gotcha. Yeah.
00:41:36
Brett
Okay. Yeah, that's so cool.
00:41:36
Plant People
Yeah.
00:41:37
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:41:38
Brett
That's so it feels so Kentucky to so cool.
00:41:38
Daniel Wilson
and
00:41:39
Plant People
It's very cool. Yeah.
00:41:40
Daniel Wilson
Well, when you come across the bridge, right, you come across the bridge over into the to the center, and you're on Robinson Road if you've ever been here before. or they you know The university has their property up front. We're all around the riverbanks everything.
00:41:52
Daniel Wilson
but then when you get a little higher up or down the the Wood Center Drive there, there's a lot of part there's a lot of personal homeow homeowners that that own their own property that's not universally owned.
00:42:03
Daniel Wilson
And so those individuals, that when you ask them where they live at, they're gonna say quicksand.
00:42:07
Plant People
Yeah.
00:42:07
Daniel Wilson
And that's what that's just the name of where that that this little place we live at here. so
00:42:11
Plant People
yeah
00:42:12
Alexis
I have to say that was wild to me the first time I was there and drove like we were driving, you know, and there's this whole huge property. Right. And then like not actually in the middle, but what felt like the smack dab middle of like UK research plots were personal homes. And I was like, who?
00:42:30
Alexis
And I'm thinking the farm manager lives there, you know, like staff or something. They were oh, no, that's just like anybody. And I was like, what? I can't imagine. Like that would have been pretty cool, I think, to grow up.
00:42:42
Alexis
like basically on the Robinson center. Like that I think has perks. Yeah.
00:42:47
Brett
When we say integrated with the community, we mean it.
00:42:48
Daniel Wilson
Absolutely.
00:42:50
Jessica
Thank you.
00:42:50
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:42:50
Alexis
I mean it.
00:42:51
Daniel Wilson
Well, Brad, that's a good point because, you know, we that that's what's what do we try to, that's a good, we've not talked about that yet in the center.
00:42:52
Alexis
i
00:42:57
Daniel Wilson
And that's that's a big part of what we do here. We try to be a part of the community. You know, an example of that is is is during the pandemic, in COVID, you know, we we, even though it seems like not that long ago, but it was, I guess, five years ago-ish or six that they asked us, they come to us during the pandemic, and they asked that they didn't have anywhere in the community to give out food boxes.
00:43:18
Daniel Wilson
They had 150 food boxes they were going to bring in on trucks where they had to be packaged up and sent out.
00:43:19
Alexis
Hmm.
00:43:23
Daniel Wilson
So we partnered with them and in the extension service, the Brethra County Extension Office here. We've been given out 150 food boxes um per month, which we've given out about over a million dollars worth of food here.
00:43:37
Daniel Wilson
to the community that's went to the, went to the people of Rethink County through the center, through the Wood Center out there since that time. So we, we try to find ways like that to be part of the community so that we're not just UK or we're not just, you know, this place that's, you know, doing, doing all these things that sometimes people don't know what we're doing.
00:43:56
Daniel Wilson
It becomes a place where we're a part of the community. If we need something or we want something, we can come there and do that.
00:43:59
Jessica
uh
00:44:02
Daniel Wilson
You know, we've had, we have a, a, a, ah voting district panel, I guess you could say, where they come and vote in one of our buildings, you know, so we partner with them. So we we we try to we try to be a part of the community beyond just the programs and and the the resources we provide. so
00:44:18
Plant People
You guys have some really cool meeting spaces out there too.
00:44:19
Jessica
out
00:44:21
Plant People
I mean, the building up on the Hill and just some of your classroom style spaces are pretty neat.
00:44:26
Daniel Wilson
Yep.
00:44:26
Jessica
I remember like going out to, would say quicksand, because I worked with Daryl Sloan at South Farm, and we went out to quicksand ah where they were mimicking, mirroring you know ah research projects.
00:44:26
Plant People
Pretty
00:44:31
Plant People
neat. Yeah.
00:44:37
Jessica
One at South Farm, and then they were doing another quicksand, which the one at quicksand ended up flooding. So that was a...
00:44:41
Daniel Wilson
And yeah.
00:44:42
Jessica
an experience as well.
00:44:42
Daniel Wilson
yeah
00:44:44
Jessica
But at that community base, like you're talking about, i remember going out there even as a student worker and them talking about like their excess produce and what they did with it and how they had like a program going on at the time where they were taking excess produce from the farm and setting up and at the market, but they weren't necessarily competing against other market vendors. It was like for a program for people to come and get free produce. you know free produce But then also they were helping support the local farmers in the farmer's market.
00:45:14
Jessica
And it was just a big community effort together, just getting that excess produce out to the community and then helping the other local farmers with that market and keeping that market going through the season.
00:45:25
Jessica
So I remember that even back when I was like 19 years old, hearing them talk about that when I was out there. was kind of cool.
00:45:33
Daniel Wilson
Yeah, we...
00:45:33
Alexis
You all have also done some like, ah or I know Sean, ah Dr. Wright in the horticulture department has done some research on some heirlooms in that area as, and correct me if I'm wrong, kind of a result of some of the
Heirloom Seed Project
00:45:47
Jessica
you
00:45:47
Alexis
flooding where people lost a bunch of their seed in their plants.
00:45:50
Alexis
You yeah got any info here? I just, that that's such a you know, very cool community-based, plant-based thing that you all are doing.
00:45:56
Plant People
Thank you.
00:45:58
Alexis
Yeah.
00:45:59
Daniel Wilson
That's right, yeah. had Dr. Wright, seeing the need after the floods, to um that, you know, people obviously lost their homes and and lost, you know, if you lose your home, you're going to lose your seeds.
00:46:10
Daniel Wilson
You're going to lose everything that's in it in a sense. So a lot of these families had been passing down heirloom seeds for generations, right? You know, not just not just from five years ago.
00:46:18
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:46:21
Daniel Wilson
We're talking, you know, many years. so So Dr. Wright seen that and he and he put in some beans, some bean trials this year as an example that actually happened this year in 2025. and where that we strung some beans on some of the old hops trellises that we have on the site here to where that he, he grow those beans and he's planning and he given, he's already given some of them back, but as they kind of have seed programs and some of the agents in some of the counties that have had the flood impacted areas, they can go back and they can provide those families or some of those, those historical heirloom seeds that, that they can take back.
00:46:34
Jessica
you
00:46:55
Daniel Wilson
And, you know, and, and, and, that goes back to that being part of the community feel we have here that we can go and, you know we're a part of the community.
00:47:02
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:47:03
Daniel Wilson
that was a concern and a need that that he that Dr. Wright identified, but it helps the community. You know what I mean? If, when you've lost everything and you're trying to rebuild, what mean?
00:47:13
Daniel Wilson
It's something that's as simple as having the beans that you're, you know, that your grandma or that your great, great grandfather or whatever had put out for you when you were growing up, you know, that gives you a sense of home, a sense of feel.
00:47:26
Daniel Wilson
a sense of belonging, you know, and part of your community. So to be able to give a little bit of that back, think was a good opportunity. And it's good opportunity for the center here to provide the resources and they'll want the ground and and everything and the equipment to do do so.
00:47:38
Daniel Wilson
It was a very successful project.
00:47:39
Alexis
I just, yeah, I just think that is just so cool. And ah to everybody who knows me knows I don't get much into my touchy feels. i like ah I like some good hard data, but like, man, that hits in a way that like is hard for me to explain of just kind of bringing people's history, it you know, in a very small way back, you know, back to them where it was lost. And I just, oh, I could like cry with how beautiful that is and like in incorporating the plants of it and the trial of it and that kind of thing is just...
00:48:09
Alexis
Chef's kiss.
00:48:09
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:48:09
Jessica
Okay.
00:48:10
Brett
Well, I mean, yeah, but that this is like the the culture of horticulture, right? That the the genetics of that plant, the particular traits of that plant were selected a long time ago because somebody's great, great, great grandma or grandpa or whatever said, you know, it's pretty good.
00:48:24
Brett
does pretty good against the blight, does pretty good against all these other things.
00:48:25
Plant People
Yeah.
00:48:28
Brett
We're gonna we're gonna we're going to keep this one.
00:48:30
Alexis
And it does good in Eastern Kentucky and like, you know, like just, ugh.
00:48:30
Plant People
yeah
00:48:30
Brett
And then, yeah. Yeah.
00:48:33
Daniel Wilson
yeah
00:48:34
Brett
we, yeah. And you pass it along. It's like, it's like, uh, so Daniel, I get a $5 every time I bring up bonsai in any context, but there are bonsai trees that exist in the world that have been taken care of by multiple generations.
00:48:43
Plant People
he
00:48:48
Brett
But with a, with a seed crop like that, that has this cycle, I mean, you're, you're essentially taking care of that same plant, that same line for generations at a time. It's like this heritage that's interlocked with who we are.
00:49:00
Jessica
Thank
00:49:00
Brett
And it's, I think why a lot of plant people get into it in the first place. Um, Well, I think maybe, maybe we'll close with, uh, with another one of the Robinson centers hits that people may know them for.
00:49:10
Brett
And then, and then encourage you to share kind of how, if people want to come out and have, have some experiences with you all, maybe we'll do that. But, um, you all have this amazing wood utilization center.
00:49:22
Brett
Um, I, I happen to do a little bit of, uh, of woodworking myself. And when I go out there, I feel inspired and also overwhelmed with the incredible machinery and also the talent that you have available there on staff. But, but you're able, it's very, very impressive. You're able to make the process of doing some woodworking, having that kind of hands-on experience with the wood products really accessible to people who have never done it before.
00:49:47
Brett
um And so I thought maybe you could just highlight some of those things that people can come out and do if they maybe they want to do a one day team building thing or they wanted to come out and and, you know, make make something together, um what those opportunities are. And then again, if you could close with like kind of a general here's how to get in contact with us, um that would be awesome.
00:50:06
Daniel Wilson
True. Yeah,
Workshops and Entrepreneurial Programs
00:50:07
Daniel Wilson
the Wood Center, like you said, is an amazing place. And I think it's, when I talk about the the workshops and the classes we I think you think about it in two different ways.
00:50:16
Jessica
Thank you.
00:50:16
Daniel Wilson
One is you come and you have a general interest in, say, making a product and you were having this class. And an example of some of the products we can do for that is we've got cutting boards.
00:50:26
Daniel Wilson
We recently had our field day, our fall field day, where the the participants that came got to make a cedar birdhouse. um We've had charcuterie boards. We've made Lazy Susans.
00:50:37
Daniel Wilson
We've made cheese blocks. so there's And there's shaker boxes if you're familiar with those. the so there's There's different workshops and classes we do that are hands-on where participants get to come and they they come and they learn about the wood industry, but they also then but then they take that a step farther and they get to go in the wood center then and and and make a product.
00:51:00
Daniel Wilson
And those products, then they can then take, take home and and they they kind of have that sense of pride because they got to have the hands in part of making that. But then also that's just one component of the workshops and things we do.
00:51:12
Daniel Wilson
that But the other thing that we do is we have, we have our entrepreneurial program and I'm sure Chad and I talked about a little bit about that, but where we have people that want to make woodworking, say a business or a side business, or they have a, you know, Brad, you mentioned you love woodworking.
00:51:17
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:51:27
Daniel Wilson
Maybe you want to make a few products to sell throughout the year, you know, and you want to learn how to make, say, a table, or you want to learn how to make a chair, or you want to learn how to make hardwood flooring, whatever that you're wanting do, we have the equipment. Like you said, that that wood center is full of state-of-the-art equipment, and so they can come and they can make those, learn how to make those products, and we'll come, we'll our specialists, our staff will teach you how to do those things with that particular wood product, and then you can go back and and do that on your own or set it up and at your own your own pace or your own shop.
00:52:00
Daniel Wilson
Now, what's significant about that is you can continue to come back. Like if you want to master your craft, we'll keep coming back and teaching you. You know, if you want to have a woodworking shop that does several components and not just one, we're we're here and available to teach you how to do that.
00:52:16
Jessica
you
00:52:16
Daniel Wilson
So that's a pretty cool thing that that's available to everybody. And, you know, we, we, I, once again, we'll build that off of the client's request. So if you have a product you want to come and learn how to do, we'll, we'll build that training or workshop around that, around that request.
00:52:32
Daniel Wilson
So, yeah.
00:52:33
Brett
i I will say that you all had you all had one of the the gentlemen who's been involved in that entrepreneur program out there.
00:52:33
Daniel Wilson
Yeah.
00:52:39
Brett
i was out for a conference thing ah last year and and the way that he spoke about i mean, it it was real. You could just hear like, he's like, I couldn't have done this without this program.
00:52:49
Brett
And the support is was really cool. And it was an easy process. I mean, I think the the fact that your students or your the people who are coming out of it are saying that is really, really cool.
00:52:58
Daniel Wilson
Yeah, that's cool. That's good. That's the results we want. And also, too, you know we want people you know to come back if you have an interest. I said, if you want to make, you can you don't have to make just a wood cutting board and then never come back again. you know If you have an interest and you like that process, you want to come back and make all.
00:53:14
Daniel Wilson
We try to offer all lots of different workshops throughout the year. So you can follow us on Facebook. um That's our Robinson Center is the title of that.
00:53:19
Alexis
Mm-hmm.
00:53:21
Daniel Wilson
You can look us up there, UK Robinson Center. And then also we have a website that's just Robinson Center MG cafe.uk wide at you. I think the website address, or you can call our phone number or main office line and you can reach anybody there that way. It's a eight five nine, I think two one eight nine, two seven four, I think is the main office line. So. Sounds
00:53:46
Alexis
We'll make sure to put the those links in the show notes so anyone just right in their podcast app can go and find the website and that kind of stuff. So hopefully if you're listening to this right now, you go, oh, I see that there.
00:53:55
Daniel Wilson
good.
00:53:56
Jessica
you
00:53:58
Alexis
And if not, you can call Ray Tackett.
00:54:01
Daniel Wilson
this yeah
00:54:01
Plant People
I love the place. And before i forget, Daniel, is there any programs? I know you guys always have stuff coming up. Anything like in the near future that folks need to know about before we sign up?
00:54:11
Daniel Wilson
Well, we just finished up all of our fall major programs for this year, but which is our pumpkin days and our youth science day where we welcome students and you know that from all ages, basically from but preschool all the way up to fifth grade for some of those classes.
00:54:14
Plant People
hmm.
00:54:28
Jessica
you
00:54:29
Daniel Wilson
But then we also have a win with wood program to where we welcome in the high school students where they come in and they they they work with the wood industry products and have a little competition. That's an annual thing.
00:54:39
Daniel Wilson
Then we also have our our had our field day in the fall we like or earlier this month where that you know we have we highlight our research projects that are here going on in wood products as well. So that's annual. All that's annual.
00:54:51
Daniel Wilson
We had record attendance, on I might say, this year with all those events. We had around 2,500 people here. through about five or six events that that we conducted in over about two-week span.
00:55:03
Daniel Wilson
So we were really, really, really excited about the the numbers and and the amount of people that came through here and the amount of students that have come through.
00:55:04
Plant People
Busy time.
00:55:11
Daniel Wilson
So it's we we were that part's been good. But as far as future programming goes, we're going to have, there's a moulder and knife grounding workshop that the Wood Center is going to be holding. on the 30th and 31st of this month of October.
00:55:24
Daniel Wilson
Then in December the 13th, we're going to have a hay auction. It's going to be it's called the second, it's the second annual East Kentucky Hay Auction.
00:55:30
Plant People
Yeah.
00:55:31
Daniel Wilson
um that's That's just some things that are already scheduled.
00:55:33
Plant People
yeah
00:55:33
Daniel Wilson
In the future, after in the springtime, we're going to have a ah cattle handling and and working competition for some of the local high school students. This would be the second year for that. we got We got plans for, and then we'll have all of our normal workshops being scheduled throughout the winter and and next year as well with our cutting board workshops and you all that.
00:55:54
Daniel Wilson
And then the next fall we'll we'll continue to have our field day and pumpkin days and youth science day and wind with the wood as we can. But yeah, and if we have any kind of special one-offs that people want to have conduct classes or trainings here whatever, we have those all the time. But those vary from year to year.
00:56:11
Plant People
Yeah.
00:56:11
Daniel Wilson
And so um so we'll we'll hopefully have a better plan for 2026 as far as what's going to be laid out um after the first the year. So...
00:56:19
Brett
and in this And in the spring, you're having your grand your grand reopening or whatever, it re ah celebration of, wow, we just did a lot to put this place back together again in in ah and it better than it was before.
00:56:19
Alexis
So...
00:56:22
Jessica
you
00:56:28
Alexis
Yeah, back together.
00:56:30
Daniel Wilson
yeah that's
00:56:32
Brett
And I think that I will look forward to that because that will be it something we well and we want to celebrate too.
Closing Remarks and Visit Invitation
00:56:38
Daniel Wilson
Well, we we want bite you all down. We're glad you all are having us on for this, but bite you down for the celebration of that. It is going to be a celebration because, I mean, you know, we're tired of talking about the floods. We're just Robinson Center. were We're back open.
00:56:50
Daniel Wilson
we're We're helping people. We never stopped helping people, and we're back to helping people hopefully better than we were before.
00:56:52
Alexis
ah
00:56:55
Daniel Wilson
And, too, you know, i want to invite, you know, Brett, you and your group, you want you to come down maybe in the fall, maybe when we have some of these programs and classes, maybe y'all can help lead some sessions or do some do some youth events with some of our youth as well. so
00:57:09
Plant People
Be great. It all sounds awesome.
00:57:10
Alexis
Awesome. Awesome. Well, if you're within driving distance of Robinson Center, Highly recommend going to take ah take a visit. I'm in fact mad that I only recently, as someone who's been deep into the UK culture for very long time, have not been there more than I have. So go. It's wonderful. We're not just saying that we would not have Daniel on if we didn't think he wasn't awesome and doing awesome things down there. So We appreciate you guys being here with us.
00:57:39
Alexis
ah Thank you to those of you who have been sending us some emails with questions. We promise we're getting to them. And we hope that you will follow us on Instagram at Hort Culture Pod. ah We'll put up some photos of the Robinson Center on there. And just keep sending us your ideas. Keep sending us your questions. ah Give us a five-star rating if you don't mind. Or even, you know what? If you think it's only four-star, I'll accept it. All right? so But, you know, five-star preferred. So,
00:58:06
Alexis
Anyways, we appreciate you guys being here with us today and we hope you will join us next time. Have great one.
00:58:19
Jessica
Thank you.