FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 30, 2001 Contact: Penny Cline, Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy (502) 564-4627

Kentucky Agricultural Development Board Approves $11,004,183 Million in Agricultural Diversification Projects

FRANKFORT- The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Governor Paul Patton, today approved $11,004,183 in agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth. The board was established to oversee the Agricultural Development Fund that was created by the 2000 General Assembly using half of Kentucky's tobacco settlement revenues.

In its meeting today, the board approved 59 total projects. The board approved a total of $7,150,591 in state level projects and $3,853,592 in a variety of county-level programs.

County level programs that received board approval included:

$47,016 Logan County - for the construction of a cattle-marketing facility
$4,800 Garrard County - to expose the youth of Garrard County to agriculture through "Agriculture and You" day for youth
$29,000 Webster County - for the construction of a greenhouse at Webster County High School
$42,000 Franklin County - for the construction of a greenhouse at Western Hills High School
$44,200 Owen County - for the purchase of a no-till seeder, bale wrapper, and silage wrapper
$10,730 Christian County - for the purchase of computer equipment to develop an educational lab for the Christian County High School Agriculture Department
$8,000 Trigg and Caldwell Counties - to assist in the purchase of grain cleaning equipment to allow farmers to save on seed costs
$3,000 Oldham County - provides farmers with complete farm business analysis reports and economic management
$8,000 Henry County - The Henry County Boer Goat Association will provide education and outreach efforts for the Henry County Goat Diversification Program
$12,000 Bourbon County - Mingua Brothers Beef Jerky, Inc. to increase the level of production
$100,000 Graves County - County addition to the Purchase Area Aquaculture Coop project

State level funding was approved for the following projects:

$10,000 Woodford County, along with:
$253,825 State funds for Equus Run Vineyards LLC to provide capital expansion of an established winery. The expansion will dramatically increase the amount of grapes this winery can process. Other producer's grapes will also be processed at this facility. And workshops on vineyard management techniques and grape juice production will be part of an education and outreach program.
$249,300 State funds for Kentucky Starr, LLC to develop a paddlefish/catfish hatchery and a processing/smokery plant for value-added fish products, working closely with the Purchase Area Aquaculture Cooperative.
$145,000 Ballard, Calloway, Graves, and Hickman Counties, along with:
$4,632,466 State funds for Kentucky West Nursery Coop, Inc. to start a cooperative to grow ornamental trees for the wholesale nursery market as well as expand membership in the coming years.
$40,000 Bourbon, Fayette, and Woodford County, along with one additional pending county and:
$271,000 State funds for The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders for a monitoring study of critical pasture and weather parameters that might affect the potential for Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome.
$38,000 Bath, Bourbon, Clark, Harrison, and Scott Counties, along with:
$456,000 State funds for the Central Kentucky Growers Cooperative, additional funds for capital expenses

Also funded were county cost-share programs, developed to address the identified need for funds in specified areas. The cattle handling and cattle genetics programs allow for assistance to purchase equipment and animals to improve the health and profitability of cattle. The forage program improves pastures to allow for improved grazing by animals, reducing producer costs for feed and improving feed quality. The goat diversification program works to assist producers to venture into this relatively new area of agriculture in Kentucky. The diversification program is designed to assist in the transition into ten new areas of agriculture including dairy, aquaculture, and grapes. And the fallen animal program works to address the problem of dead animal disposal around Kentucky.

County Cattle Genetics Improvement Programs approved by the board totaled $278,260 and included:

County Forage Improvement Programs approved by the board totaled $1,749,690 and included:

County Cattle Handling Programs approved by the board totaled $985,720 and included:

Goat Diversification Programs approved by the board totaled $117,180 and included:

County Diversification Programs approved by the board totaled $200,000 and included:

$200,000 Woodford County

Fallen Animal Programs approved by the board totaled $31,745 and included:

65% of the Fund is set aside for regional and statewide agricultural projects, while 35% is earmarked for individual counties on the basis of their tobacco dependence. The board had previously voted to utilize state monies to establish the Kentucky Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship and to use the proceeds of a $25 million Rural Development Bond Fund for farmland protection programs across the state. In January, over $37 million was distributed directly to tobacco quota owners and growers to supplement the cash payments they receive from a separate Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund. The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet's Division of Conservation received $18 million to provide direct cost-share assistance to agricultural producers seeking to come into compliance with state water quality laws.

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