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 $50,000 for Woodford County Certified Kitchen

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Governor Paul Patton, approved $50,000 in Woodford County Agricultural Development Funds for a certified kitchen in Woodford County.

The Woodford County Extension District submitted a proposal to the Woodford County Agricultural Development Council requesting funds to cost-share on the installation of a certified kitchen in 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, which was funded through the Agricultural Development Fund, and the need exists for a facility to process, market and educate small-scale agribusinesses.

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 Woodford County certified kitchen 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 Rusty Thompson at (859) 873-4602 or the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy at (502) 564-4627.

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