Kara Keeton, Communications Director
Angela Blank, Executive Assistant
http://agpolicy.ky.gov/
(502) 564-4627

At the February Kentucky Agricultural Development Board meeting, the Board approved five farmers’ markets totaling $203,001 in the first round of the 2005 Farmers’ Market Competitive Grants Program.

The six organizations receiving funds for farmers’ markets included:

• Anderson County Farmers’ Market Association
• Bullitt County Conservation District
• Carter County Extension District Board
• Nelson County Horticulture Advisory Board and Nelson County Fiscal Court
• Rockcastle County Farmers’ Market
• Russell Neighborhood Development Authority, Inc.

The 2005 Farmers’ Market Competitive Grants Program is a $1.5 million grants program for regional and community farmers’ markets across the state.  The $1.5 million is divided into the following investment areas:  $975,000 (65%) for regional markets, $375,000 (25%) for community markets, and $150,000 for market feasibility studies (10%).  The deadline for the next round of competitive grant applications is July 1, 2005.

The Kentucky Legislature continues to make great strides towards lessening Kentucky’s dependence on tobacco production, while revitalizing the farm economy, by investing 50% of Kentucky's Master Settlement Agreement funds into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.  Since the inception of the program in January 2001, the Agricultural Development Board has approved over 1,930 proposals committing over $170 million to an array of county, regional, and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises.

To learn more about the Farmers’ Market Competitive Grant Program and other grant and loan programs available though the Agricultural Development Fund contact the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy at (502) 564-4627.

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