Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
Kentucky Grape and Wine Council Approved for $290,000

Frankfort, Ky.-The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved the Kentucky Grape and Wine Council for $290,000 in state funds to continue providing guidance of professional expertise in grape and wine production that is required within the industry. This proposal was one of the sixty-six projects, totaling $4,440,222, approved at the May Kentucky Agricultural Development Board Meeting.

The Kentucky Grape and Wine Council will use these funds to continue funding the state viticulturist, enologist, and a technical support person currently employed by the University of Kentucky, for an additional year. Funds have been used to conduct research, educate prospective growers and disseminate information through the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service to foster sustainable growth of this industry. This project will help increase the number of growers, particularly former tobacco growers that are profitably producing and marketing grapes.

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 $240 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 2,896 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 Mac Stone with the Kentucky Grape and Wine Council at (502) 564-4983. 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.