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Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund Forums Announced
FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 19, 2011) – Governor Steve Beshear’s Office of Agricultural Policy today announced a series of forums to gain input in the future use of the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF) to continue strengthening Kentucky’s agricultural economy. The forum series is just one part of the response to the challenge Gov. Beshear issued at the 2011 GOAP Conference earlier this year.
“I want everyone to take a fresh look at the Agricultural Development Fund and determine how to utilize the available resources to spark new and innovative ideas, encourage competition and pursue genuine opportunities that will lead to greater profitability for our farmers,” said Gov. Beshear. “We need to consider ways that the Agricultural Development Fund can be used to entice proposals that create or expand markets for farmers, build on core agricultural assets in the various regions of the state or foster agricultural entrepreneurship and agribusiness development.”
The KADF Forums will be held in eight locations across the Commonwealth. The series will kick off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 19 at the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort. These regional venues will provide a way to offer new and innovative ideas and share KADF successes in each region. Broad topics for each of the forums include: regional challenges and solutions, leveraging resources, county collaboration, area trends and continued KADF support. Audience participation is what will make these events successful, with all concepts and comments being compiled into a report.
“I am excited about receiving input from our agriculture leaders, local and state officials, educators, economic development professionals and others with a vested interest in the goals and objectives of the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund,” stated GOAP Executive Director Roger Thomas. “No two forums will be alike, because no two regions in the state are identical. However, our commonality is the opportunity to take our KADF investments to the next level.”
The following is a listing of dates and locations. All meetings will be held from
7 – 8:30 p.m. local time.
• May 19, Kentucky History Center, Brown Forman Room, Frankfort
• May 24, Maysville Community & Technical College, Auditorium, Maysville
• June 1, The Center for Rural Development, Somerset
• June 7, MSU Regional Enterprise Center, West Liberty
• June 14, Sloan Convention Center, Room 1 & 2, Bowling Green
• June 15, Pritchard Community Center, The Oak Room, Elizabethtown
• June 21, Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Conference Center, Gilbertsville
• June 22, Daviess County Extension Office, Owensboro
For more information about the KADF Forums, contact Angela Blank, director of public affairs, at (502) 564-4627 or angelag.blank@ky.gov.
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Gov. Steve Beshear and the Kentucky General Assembly continue to make great strides toward lessening Kentucky’s dependence on tobacco production while revitalizing the farm economy by investing 50 percent of Kentucky’s Master Settlement Agreement into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.
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