Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
$4,148,273 Invested in Kentucky Agricultural Diversification

Frankfort, KY. (December 15, 2006)-The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Governor Ernie Fletcher, approved $4,148,273 in agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth during their monthly board meeting on December 15, 2006 at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Office in Frankfort, Kentucky.

State and County Agricultural Development Fund projects approved for funding at the December meeting include:

$1,900,000      Allied Food Marketers West, Inc.

Allied Food Marketers West, Inc. was approved for $1,900,000 in state funds to continue their marketing and business development model for Kentucky producers with an additional focus on natural and organic producers.

$50,000           Black Oak Vineyard

Black Oak Vineyard was approved for $50,000 in state funds as part of the 2006 Agri-tourism Competitive Awards Program to renovate and expand their wine making facilities.

$412,500         B & R Drennan Enterprises, Inc.   

B & R Drennan Enterprises, Inc. was approved for $400,000 in state funds, $7,500 in Trigg County funds, and $5,000 in Lyon County funds to build a new facility and to upgrade their equipment to meet their need for future growth.

$10,000           Caldwell-Lyon Cattlemen’s Association, Inc.    

Caldwell-Lyon Cattlemen’s Association, Inc. was approved for $10,000 in Lyon County funds to offer a Heifer Replacement Program.

$10,000           Carlisle County Fiscal Court          

Carlisle County Fiscal Court was approved for $5,000 in Carlisle County funds and $5,000 in state funds as part of the 2006 Farmers’ Market Competitive Awards Program to purchase a portable building for the Farmers’ Market.

$120,000         Central Kentucky Growers Association, Inc.      

Central Kentucky Growers Association, Inc. was approved for a maximum of $120,000 in state funds to restructure their operating loans.

$15,040           Jackson Purchase Resource Conservation & Development Foundation, Inc.          

Jackson Purchase Resource Conservation & Development Foundation Inc. was approved for $7,520 in Hickman County funds and $7,520 in state funds for the creation of a permanent  Farmers’ Market in Hickman County as part of the 2006 Farmers’ Market Competitive Awards Program.

$7,655             Jackson Purchase Resource Conservation & Development Foundation, Inc.          

Jackson Purchase Resource Conservation & Development Foundation Inc. was approved for $7,655 in Calloway County funds to offer a Satellite Broadband Program in Calloway County.

$5,000             Jessamine County FFA Alumni Association, Inc. 

Jessamine County FFA Alumni Association, Inc. was approved for $5,000 in Jessamine County Funds to cost share on 4H/FFA projects.

$49,000           Kentucky Dairy Development Council     

The Kentucky Dairy Development Council was approved for $49,000 as a grant from the Kentucky Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship funds to contract for a comprehensive market study of Kentucky’s dairy industry.

$102,000         Kentucky Poultry Federation         

The Kentucky Poultry Federation was approved for $102,000 in state funds to match private funds already raised to establish an indemnification program large enough to provide assistance to non-commercial poultry farmers in the event of an avian disease outbreak.

$631,510         Kentucky Specialty Grains, LLC    

Kentucky Special Grains, LLC was approved for $500,000 in state funds and $131,510 in county funds from the following counties to purchase equipment and construct a soybean processing facility in Simpson County: Simpson $89,510; Warren $5,000; Barren $20,000; McLean $1,000; Logan $5,000; Allen $1,000; and Ohio $10,000.

$6,500             Menifee County Beef Producers, Inc.      

Menifee County Beef Producers, Inc. was approved for $6,500 in Menifee County funds to assist in the construction of a facility to store the county’s shared-use equipment.

$63,000           Menifee County Beef Producers, Inc.

Menifee County Beef Producers, Inc. was approved for $63,000 in Menifee County funds to offer a menu approach for four model programs that includes: Farm Livestock Fencing Improvement, Hay Straw and Commodity Storage, Cattle Genetics Improvement, and Cattle Handling Facilities.  

$60,000           Menifee County Conservation District

Menifee County Conservation District was approved for $60,000 in Menifee County funds to offer a menu approach for five model programs that includes: Forage Resource Improvement and Utilization, Goat and Sheep Diversification, Agricultural Diversification, Timber Production Utilization and Marketing, and On-Farm Water Enhancement.

$29,250           Mercer County Fair & Horse Show, Inc.

Mercer County Fair & Horse Show, Inc. was approved for $29,250 in Mercer County funds to offer half the construction cost of a facility for Mercer County farmers to use in the promotion, marketing, and sales of their livestock.

$124,344         Montgomery County Cattlemen’s Association

Montgomery County Cattlemen’s Association was approved for $124,344 in Montgomery County funds to offer a menu approach for three model programs that includes: Hay Straw and Commodity Storage, Cattle Genetics Improvement, and Cattle Handling Facilities Program.

$19,000           Montgomery County Farm Bureau

Montgomery County Farm Bureau was approved for $19,000 in Montgomery County funds to offer a Hay Handling Cost-share Program in Montgomery County.

$5,000             Owensboro Biotech Alliance, Inc.

Owensboro Biotech Alliance, Inc. was approved for $5,000 in Davies County funds to continue its work on the promotion of agriculture based biotechnology.

$150,000         Pulaski County Cattlemen’s Association

Pulaski County Cattlemen’s Association was approved for $150,000 in Pulaski County funds to offer a menu approach for two model programs that includes: Cattle Handling Facilities and Cattle Genetics Improvement.

$135,000         Pulaski County Conservation District

Pulaski County Conservation District was approved for $135,000 in Pulaski County funds to offer a menu approach for two model programs that includes: Forage Resource Improvement and Utilization and Hay, Straw and Commodity Storage.

$65,000           Pulaski County Horticulture

Pulaski County Horticulture was approved for $65,000 in Pulaski County funds to offer a menu approach for two model programs that includes: Goat and Sheep Diversification and Agricultural Diversification.

$42,000           Roundstone Native Seed

Roundstone Native Seed was approved for $42,000 in Hart County funds to purchase specialized seed cleaning and separation equipment as part of an expansion project.

$2,248             Union County Beef Cattle Association, Inc.

Union County Beef Cattle Association, Inc. was approved for $2,248 in Union County funds to purchase additional corral panels to be used as part of the annual Union County Bull and Heifer Sale held at the John A. Arnold Convention Center in Sturgis, Kentucky.

County model programs are designed to provide farmers with cost-share funding to allow them to improve and diversify their current production practices. For more information regarding the sign-up period and guidelines of programs funded in a specific county please contact the County Cooperative Extension Office.

The Agricultural Diversification program is designed to assist producers in the development and expansion of new agricultural products and through the development of new ways of working with existing agricultural commodities. There are twelve investment areas represented in this program. County Agricultural Diversification Programs approved by the Board totaled $29,000 and included:

$29,000           Clinton County

The Goat and Sheep Diversification program works to assist producers as they venture into goat and sheep production. County Goat Diversification Programs approved by the Board totaled $45,675 and included:

$25,000           Bullitt County

$20,675           Lawrence County

The Shared-use Equipment program allows producers who cannot justify ownership expenses associated with certain equipment by helping them access technology necessary to improve their operations in an economical manner. County Shared-use Equipment Programs approved by the Board totaled $5,350 and included:

$5,350             Anderson County

The Technology program allows producers improve net farm income through cost share on technology that will improve farm operation efficiency and assist producers already exploring the use of technology in their operations.  County Technology Programs approved by the Board totaled $54,201 and included:

$54,201           Calloway County                                                        

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 $230 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 2,730 projects that have been funded through Agricultural Development Fund, since the inception of the program in January 2001.

*Please contact the County Cooperative Extension Office for more information regarding model programs and when the sign ups will be held in your county.