FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 20, 2002
Contact: Kara Keeton, Communications Director
Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy
(502) 564-4627

$670,495.28 Invested in Kentucky Agricultural Diversification

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Governor Paul Patton, approved $670,495.28 in agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth at their monthly Board Meeting on December 20th at the Kentucky History Center.

Agricultural Development Fund Projects approved for funding at the December meeting include:

$50,000 Woodford County Extension District

The Woodford County Extension District received $50,000 in Woodford County Agricultural Development Funds to install a certified kitchen into a 2880 square foot building expansion project. This certified kitchen would provide the farmers of Woodford County the opportunity to add value to their products. This expansion will also serve as additional educational space for local farmers. Woodford County has had a very high level of participation in their local agricultural diversification program, and the need exists for a facility to process, market and educate small-scale agribusinesses.
 

$157,053 Scott County Beef Improvement Association, Inc.

The Scott County Beef Improvement Association received $ 157,053 in Scott County Agriculture Development Funds to implement and administer an on-farm water enhancement program for Scott County Producers. Funds would be utilized to develop and enhance farm ponds, drill wells for subsurface aquifers, develop springs, and to construct small stream water basins. A consultant with extensive experience will be utilized to make site visits to applicants' farms and provide technical recommendations. A minimum of three site visits would be required for any approved participant: an initial evaluation visit, a progress visit, and a final visit upon completion.
 

$2,000 Renaissance On Main

The City of Cadiz, Renaissance on Main and the Farmer's Market received $2,000 of Trigg County Agricultural Development Funds to aid in the development and continuation of a farmer's market in the Cadiz/Trigg County community.
 

$7,700 Harton Farms

Harton Farms received $7,700 in Trigg County Agricultural Development Funds to assist in purchase of a tobacco steamer unit to add value to existing crops and to provide support and custom services for other tobacco producers in Trigg, Lyon, and Christian counties. The steamer will allow producers to use one tobacco barn to fire cure two crops of dark fired tobacco in one growing season, thus increasing their efficiency dramatically. Harton Farms anticipates providing steamer services to 10-15 tobacco producers in the first year.
 

$7,700 Lawrence Brothers Farms

Lawrence Brothers Farms is requesting $7,700 in Trigg County Agricultural Development Funds to assist in the purchase of a tobacco steamer unit to add value to existing tobacco crops and to provide support and custom services for other tobacco producers in Trigg, Lyon, Caldwell and Christian counties. The steamer will allow producers to use one tobacco barn to fire cure two crops of dark fired tobacco in one growing season, thus increasing their efficiency dramatically. Lawrence Brothers Farms anticipates providing steamer services to 10-15 tobacco producers in the first year.
 

County model programs are designed to provide farmers with cost-share funding to allow them to improve and diversify their current production practices. 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. And the diversification program is designed to assist in the transition into ten new areas of agriculture including dairy, aquaculture, and horticulture. The following is a list of County model programs that were approved for funding at this meeting.

County Cattle Genetics Improvement Programs approved by the board totaled $28,500 and included:

County Forage Improvement Programs approved by the board totaled $96,471.14 and included:

County Cattle Handling Programs approved by the board totaled $147,471.14 and included:

Goat Diversification Programs approved by the board totaled $122,600 and included:

County Diversification Programs approved by the board totaled $51,000.00 and included

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. Of this 50% allocation, 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. Since the inception of the program in January 2001, the Agricultural Development Board has reviewed over 1500 proposals and approved over 800 proposals committing over $98 million to an array of county, regional, and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises.

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