|
Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
Agricultural Development Funds Invested: Policy, program changes made for 2011
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 17, 2010) - The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB), chaired by Gov. Steve Beshear, today approved $41,500 in four agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth during their December board meeting at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Office.
County projects approved included:
$2,000 Agriculture Leadership & Promotion
The Wayne County Pork Producers were approved for $2,000 in Wayne County funds on behalf of the Wayne County Women in Agriculture to support participation in agriculture-related workshops and conferences, as well as for the promotion of agricultural significance of Mill Springs, a local tourism site. For more information on this project, contact Linda Roberts at (606) 348-8453 or robertslinda6477@windstream.net.
$6,000 Farmer Welding Program
The Grayson County Conservation District was approved for $6,000 in Grayson County funds to provide arc and metal inert gas (MIG) welding training to 15 tobacco dependent producers at the Grayson County Area Technology School. For more information about this project, contact Robin Decker at (270) 259-3738 ext. 101.
$12,500 Farmers’ Market Feasibility Study
The Heart of Scottsville Inc. was approved for $12,500 in Allen County funds to conduct a feasibility study for the farmers’ market in Allen County to determine the best site location for the market, marketing solutions, funding opportunities and methods to attract local farmers as vendors. For more information about this project, contact Heath Seymour at (270) 239-5000 or heath@heartofscottsville.org.
$21,000 High School Greenhouse
The Crittenden County Board of Education was approved for $21,000 in Crittenden County funds to build a greenhouse at the Crittenden County High School for teaching plant production and horticulture marketing in the agriculture department. For more information about this project, contact Dr. Rachel Yarbrough, superintendent, at rachel.yarbroug@crittenden.kyschools.us or Larry Duvall, agriculture instructor, at larry.duvall@crittenden.kyschools.us or call (270) 965-3525.
Also during this meeting, the board approved policies and program changes that will take effect Jan. 1, 2011. The following are a highlight of the changes:
• Fertilizer and soil amendments for establishment of legumes and other perennial forage crops added as eligible cost-share items in 2011 CAIPs
• Items related to on-farm livestock composting added for cost-share
• Producer education program adopted for welding, farm safety and producer health
• Farmers’ Market Infrastructure Competitive Grant program adopted
These are just a few of the items adopted; for a complete listing, visit agpolicy.ky.gov.
###
Gov. Steve Beshear and the Kentucky Legislature 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 more than $344.5 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 represent just a few of more than 3,743 projects that have been funded through the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, since the inception of the program in January 2001.
|