FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 22, 2002
Contact: Kara Keeton, Communications Director
Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
404 Ann Street, Frankfort
(502) 564-4627

Kentucky's Agricultural Community Joins Forces with the Kentucky Association of Second Harvest Food Banks

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Governor Paul E. Patton, presented a $50,000 check today to the Kentucky Association of Second Harvest Food Banks, at God's Pantry Food Bank in Lexington.

Kentucky Association of Second Harvest Food Banks received state Agricultural Development Funds to establish a pilot program, Kentucky Agricultural Surplus Production Alliance, to facilitate the purchase of surplus produce and meat products from Kentucky Co-ops and producers. The $50,000 in funds will be used to purchase refrigerators and freezers for food bank member agencies of five Kentucky food banks, to store the fresh produce until it can be distributed to those in need. The five food banks cover 104 of Kentucky's 120 counties and plans are to expand the program to all 120 counties by 2004.

The Kentucky Agricultural Surplus Production Alliance program is designed to reimburse Kentucky farmers for harvesting, processing, packing, and transporting surplus agricultural products. This program will save good food from being plowed under and will allow farmers to take the loss as a tax deduction. Food banks began purchasing Kentucky produce in late August 2002, since that time they have purchased over $15,000 from Kentucky producers. Producers participating in this program have included the Purchase Area Aquaculture Cooperative, Jim David Meats, and Donnie Coulter, a producer in Willisburg, Kentucky. The Kentucky Association of Second Harvest Food Banks is committed to supporting Kentucky producers by purchasing no less than $50,000 in produce over the next year. This alliance is a win-win situation for Kentucky, creating new markets for Kentucky producers and allowing food banks to purchase perishable products for families in need.

"This program brings much needed, highly nutritional fresh products into our food banks and out to people in need", stated Marian Blanchard, Executive Director of God's Pantry Food Bank. "We believe it is absolutely the right thing to do."

Kentucky has made a historic effort to diversify away from tobacco production while revitalizing the farm economy by investing 50% of Kentucky's Master Settlement Agreement into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund. The funds awarded to the Kentucky Association of Second Harvest Food Banks is a portion of the over $97 million that has been invested in an array of county, regional, and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises.

For more information on this story contact Marian Blanchard, Executive Director of God's Pantry Food Bank, at (859) 255-6592 or Kara Keeton, Communications Director at the Governor's Office Agricultural Policy.

Other contacts:

Purchase Area Aquaculture Cooperative: Tom French at (270) 382-2287
Jim David Meats: Jimmy Baird at (270) 822-4866
Donnie Coulter at (859) 375-4439

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