Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
$2,484,700 Approved for the Kentucky Horticulture Council, Inc.

Frankfort, KY. (October 24, 2006)-The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved the Kentucky Horticulture Council, Inc. for $2,484,700 in state funds to continue to support the growth of horticulture in the Commonwealth. This proposal was one of the sixteen projects, totaling $3,179,690, approved at the October Kentucky Agricultural Development Board Meeting.

The Kentucky Horticulture Council, Inc. will use these funds to support the growth of horticulture as a profit center on family farms through on-farm demonstrations and assistance, product and production system development, market development, and market sustainability. Past investments in infrastructure support for horticulture producers in Kentucky, through the Horticulture Council, have paid great dividends in terms of tobacco farmers assisted, expansion of the horticultural industries, economic impact in local communities, and diversification of Kentucky agriculture. The Kentucky Horticulture Council consists of representatives from 13 industry and professional associations related to horticulture.  

“This project will continue the support of tobacco dependent producers who are looking to diversify their farming operations into alternative crops,” stated Keith Rogers, Executive Director, of the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy. “This will be accomplished through education from the University of Kentucky and cost share opportunities through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.”

Governor Fletcher 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 $225 million to an array of county, regional and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises. The diversification programs represent more than 2,672 projects that have been funded through Agricultural Development Fund, since the inception of the program in January 2001.

For more information on this project, contact John Bell with the Kentucky Horticulture Council at (502) 863-9084. To learn more about cost-share grant and loan programs available though the Agricultural Development Fund contact the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy at (502) 564-4627.