December 23, 2002
Contact: Kara Keeton, Communications Director
Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
404 Ann Street, Frankfort
(502) 564-4627

Agricultural Development Board Invests $157,053 in a Scott County On-Farm Water Enhancement Program

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Governor Paul Patton, approved $157,053 in Scott County Agricultural Development Funds for an on-farm water enhancement program.

The Scott County Beef Improvement Association submitted a proposal to the Scott County Agricultural Development Council requesting funds to implement and administer an on-farm water enhancement program for Scott County Producers. The Agricultural Development Funds will be uses 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. The program would require a minimum of three site visits for any approved participant: an initial evaluation visit, a progress visit, and a final visit upon completion.

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. To date Kentucky has invested 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. The Scott County on-farm water enhancement project represents just one of the over 800 projects that have been funded through Agricultural Development Fund, since the inception of the program in January 2001.

For more information regarding this project, contact Daniel Smith at (502) 863-0984 or the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy at (502) 564-4627.

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