Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
Agricultural Development Funds Awarded

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 20, 2012) - The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB), chaired by Governor Steve Beshear, today approved $1,326,404 for 16 agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth during its April board meeting.

State and regional investments included:

$998,000 Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families Initiatives
Kentucky State University was approved for $998,000 in state funds over two years to implement the initiatives of the Kentucky Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families to foster development and improve profitability of tobacco dependent small farms, as well as underserved and limited resource farmers within the Commonwealth.

$54,000 Lamb Marketing
Four Hills Farm LLC was approved for a $4,000 grant in Mercer County funds and a $50,000 one percent (1%) interest loan in state funds to expand their lamb enterprise, which markets Kentucky raised lamb to restaurants and food service markets.

County investments approved included:

$25,000 Purchase of Development Rights
Fayette County Rural Land Management Board Inc. was approved for $25,000 in Fayette County funds for purchase of development rights on rural farmland in Fayette County.

$1,500  Show Hog Initiative
Carroll County Agriculture Development Fund Inc., on behalf of Carroll County FFA Alumni, was approved for $1,500 in Carroll County funds for the Carroll County Show Hog Initiative for local youth.

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.  Three CAIPs were approved by the board totaling $72,506 for Marshall, Oldham and Whitley counties.

In addition to these new approvals, an additional $104,410 was approved to supplement existing CAIPs in Barren, Kenton and Oldham counties.

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. Two Deceased Farm Animal Removal Programs were approved totaling $15,000 for Boyle and Scott counties.

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.   Four Shared-use Equipment Programs were approved by the board totaling $55,988 for Clay, Fayette, Madison and Montgomery counties.

###

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 more than $369 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 3,949 projects approved, since the inception of the program in January 2001.