For Immediate Release
Contact:
Marielle McElmurray
(502) 782-1731
(502) 229-6348
marielle.mcelmurray@ky.gov
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Mar. 15, 2019) –The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved $752,890 in 12 agricultural diversification and rural development projects across the Commonwealth at its monthly board meeting.
State Investments:
Marksbury Farm Foods, LLC
Marksbury Farm Foods, LLC was approved for up to $62,350 in State funds as a grant and $42,163 in State funds as a forgivable loan to obtain a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) audit and to purchase required equipment and upgrade the facility. For more information on this project, contact Preston Correll at (859) 548-2333 or pcorrell@marksburyfarm.com.
Ohio Valley Farm Analysis Group, Inc.
Ohio Valley Farm Analysis Group, Inc. was approved for up to $105,000 in State funds over six years in order to hire a third Kentucky Farm Business Management specialist. For more information on this project, contact Jonathan Ayer at (270) 827-1395 or jonayer@bellsouth.net.
County Investments:
Summersville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Summersville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. was approved for up to $445 in Green County funds to purchase one Turtle Tube grain bin rescue equipment. For more information, contact Representative Brandon Reed at (270) 932-3411.
On-Farm Investments
The County Agricultural Investment Program (CAIP) offers 11 investment areas that give Kentucky agricultural producers the ability to increase net farm income, add value to their products and diversify their operation. CAIP benefits and enhances agriculture across the state by stimulating markets for Kentucky agricultural products. Five CAIPs were approved by the board totaling $501,570 for Breathitt ($75,000), Bullitt ($85,000), Madison ($227,000), Ohio ($16,900) and Spencer ($97,670) counties.
Environmental Stewardship
The Deceased Farm Animal Removal Program serves as a measure to facilitate the coordination of environmentally sound and cost effective disposal of deceased livestock for Kentucky producers. Two Deceased Farm Animal Removal Programs totaling $15,000 were approved for Scott ($7,500) and Shelby ($7,500) counties.
Next Generation Farmer Program
The Next Generation Farmer Program was developed to facilitate the growing need for a specialized program that would benefit producers engaged in an agricultural operation from three to seven years. One Next Generation Beginning Farmer Program was approved by the board totaling $24,000 for recipients in Scott County.
Shared-use Equipment Program
The Shared-use Equipment Program assists broad-based community organizations with the purchase of farm equipment. The equipment purchased is made available for producer use in a specific county on a leased basis. One Shared-use Equipment Programs was approved totaling $2,362 for Estill County.
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Great strides continue being made toward lessening Kentucky’s dependence on tobacco production while revitalizing the farm economy by investing a portion of Kentucky's Master Settlement Agreement Funds into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.
To date, Kentucky has invested more than $595 million in an array of county, regional and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises. These funding approvals, made possible by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, represent just a few of the more than 6,100 projects approved, since the inception of the program in January 2001.
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