FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 21 2018) –The
Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved $5,547,905 in 28 agricultural diversification and rural development projects across the Commonwealth at its monthly board meeting.
State Investments:
Kentucky Grape & Wine Council
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture was approved for up to $280,000 in state funds over a 2-year period to support the Kentucky Grape & Wine Council (KGWC). Funds for this program will focus on two main areas: branding and advertising, wholesale reimbursement incentives. For more information on this project, contact Tyler Madison at (502) 782-4117 or (859) 351-0323. Visit www.kentuckywine.com for more information about KGWC.
Kentucky Proud
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture was approved for up to $2,908,425 in state funds over a 2-year period to support the Kentucky Proud program. The main areas for the Kentucky Proud program are Point of Purchase cost-share, branding and advertising, Buy Local incentives, Linking Agriculture for Networking & Development (LAND), and Farm-to-Fork grants. For more information on this project, contact Melanie Blandford at (502) 782-4101 or melanie.blandford@ky.gov. More information may also be found by visiting www.kyproud.com.
Mini-Grants & Demonstrations
Kentucky State University (KSU) was approved for an additional $495,000 in state funds towards a 2-year program that provides support to demonstration projects and mini-grants for underserved, small and limited-resource farmers. The focus areas for this project are aquaculture, value-added, organic, farmer education and food insecure areas. For more information about this project, contact Dr. Kirk Pomper at (502) 597-5942 or kirk.pomper@kysu.edu. More about KSU may be found at www.kysu.edu.
County Investments:
Agricultural Building Improvements
Greenup County Fiscal Court was approved for up to $3,000 in Greenup County funds for agricultural building improvements at the Greenup County Fairgrounds. For more information on this project, contact Robert Carpenter at (606) 473-6440 or rcarpenter@zoominternet.net.
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. Four Deceased Farm Animal Removal Programs were approved by the board totaling $23,462 for Franklin ($4,500), Montgomery ($6,400), Taylor ($7,500) and Washington ($5,062) counties.
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. Thirteen CAIPs were approved by the board totaling $1,629,262 for Caldwell ($93,728), Cumberland ($106,788), Fayette ($215,000), Franklin ($109,719), Hart ($250,000), LaRue ($30,000), Menifee ($69,950), Perry ($10,440), Robertson ($215,000), Simpson ($65,287), Trigg ($60,350), Washington ($153,000), and Woodford ($250,000) counties.
In addition to these new approvals, an additional $110,711 was approved to enhance an existing CAIP in Clinton ($90,000) and Mercer ($20,711) counties.
Next Generation Farmers
The Next Generation Beginning Farmer Program (NextGen) 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 NextGen Program was approved for Washington County, totaling $52,500.
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. Two Shared-use Equipment Programs were approved totaling $30,446 for Hopkins ($9,206) and Woodford ($21,240) counties.
Youth Agricultural Incentives Program
The Youth Agricultural Incentives Program (Youth) serves as a measure to facilitate the growing need for a specialized program that benefits youth actively engaged in agriculture. Two Youth Programs were approved for a total of $15,099 for Shelby ($10,000) and Spencer ($5,099) counties.
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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 $580 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 5,900 projects approved, since the inception of the program in January 2001.
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