|
Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
More than $2 Million in Agricultural Development Funds Awarded
CARROLLTON, Ky. (Oct. 19, 2011) – The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB), chaired by Governor Steve Beshear, today approved $2,046,547 in 19 agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth during its October board meeting held at General Butler State Park.
State and regional investments included:
$600,000 Agribusiness Technical Assistance
The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) was approved for $600,000 in state funds to continue providing business support services and technical assistance to rural agribusinesses across Kentucky through 2013.
$78,500 Regional Agri-Education Facility
The Fleming County Board of Education was approved for $78,500 in county funds for a regional agriculture education facility in the Buffalo Trace area to provide hands-on experience for students. Contributions were from the following counties: Bath ($10,000); Bracken ($1,000); Fleming ($50,000); Lewis ($5,000); Mason ($10,000); and Menifee ($2,500).
County investments approved included:
$10,000 Mobile Agricultural Classroom Expansion
The Greenup County Farm Bureau was approved for $10,000 in Greenup County funds to expand an existing agricultural mobile classroom for their “Mooving Agriculture Forward” education initiative.
$20,000 Youth Cost-Share Program
The Green River Area Beef Improvement Group Inc. was approved for $20,000 in Daviess County funds to provide a youth cost-share program for youth in Daviess County.
The County Agricultural Investment Program (CAIP) is designed to provide farmers with incentives to allow them to improve and diversify their current production practices. CAIP covers a wide variety of agricultural enterprises in its 11 investment areas. Seven CAIPs were approved by the board totaling $1,168,804 for Clay, Gallatin, Lewis, Lyon, Metcalfe, Ohio and Spencer counties.
In addition to these new approvals, an additional $95,368 was approved to supplement existing CAIPs in the following counties: Carroll, Carter and Franklin.
The Deceased Farm Animal Removal Program serves as a measure to facilitate the coordination of environmentally sound and cost-effective disposal of deceased livestock for Kentucky producers. Six County Deceased Farm Animal Removal Program were approved for Fleming, Harrison, Hart, Nelson, Spencer and Taylor totaling $41,238.
The Shared-use Equipment Program is designed to benefit a high number of producers who cannot justify ownership expenses associated with certain equipment by helping them access technology necessary to improve their operations in an economical manner. Two Shared-use Equipment Programs were approved by the board in the amount of $32,637 for Metcalfe County.
###
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.
To date, Kentucky has invested nearly $363 million to an array of county, regional and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises. These funding approvals, made possible by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, represent just a few of the 3,892 projects approved, since the inception of the program in January 2001.
|