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Farm family expo provides skill enhancement workshops and exhibits

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 29, 2002) - Earlier this week, farm families attended a free one-day expo with workshops and exhibits geared toward helping farmers with the economic transitions they may face.

There were two locations for this event: Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park and Metcalfe County Enrichment Center. Each location targeted farm families in their respective and surrounding counties.

The expo included several workshops and exhibits focusing on skills buidling. Workshops included financial management, labor management/migrant labor, home-based business, diversified agriculture, marketing, job search and tips for finding the right job.

John-Mark Hack, executive director of the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy, said the expo was an effort to ensure that farm families become aware of services available to them as they manage the changes taking place in the agricultural economy. "People are seeing their long-term earning opportunities in tobacco dwindle," Hack said, "and government needs to do all it can to make folks aware of opportunities to diversify their farming operations, develop new skills for off-farm employment and work in their home areas."

The expo was sponsored by the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy, the Cabinet for Workforce Development and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.

Labor Management/Migrant Labor: What You Should Know.
Jody Hughes, Department for Employment Services and Dr. Rick Maurer, UK Cooperative Extension Service, discuss labor issues with workshop participants.

John-Mark Hack, Executive Director of the Govenor's Office of Agricultural Policy, speaks to expo attendees at the Metcalfe County Enrichment Center.

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