Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
Agricultural Development Funds Awarded

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 20, 2010) - The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB), chaired by Gov. Steve Beshear, today approved $3,629,731 in 29 agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth during their August board meeting.

$34,800  4-H Livestock Project Barn
The Fayette County 4-H Council was approved for $34,800 in Fayette County funds to construct a livestock barn for youth to house their animal projects.

$164,900  Commodity Cooking Facility Expansion/Construction
The Kentucky Pork Producers Association was approved for $164,900 in state funds to expand its existing cooking structure at the Kentucky Exposition Center and construct additional cooking buildings for the aquaculture and cattlemen’s commodity organizations.

$49,919  Demonstration Kitchen
The Cumberland County Extension District was approved for $49,919 in Cumberland County funds for the construction of a demonstration kitchen.  The facility will be utilized for both educational and value-added processing purposes.

$4,439   Marketing Facility Improvement
The Garrard County Fair Board was approved for $4,439 in Garrard County funds to construct a wash rack as an extension to an existing facility.  This addition will enable the farmers’ market to add more participants and the fair board to host additional livestock events.

$12,500  Vocational Agriculture Equipment
The Jessamine County FFA Alumni Association was approved for $12,500 in Jessamine County funds to purchase new equipment for the recently modernized high school vocational agriculture workshop.  The equipment will replace out-dated equipment and benefit both youth and adult education courses.

$10,000  Watershed Restoration
The East Buck Creek Watershed Conservancy District was approved for $10,000 in McLean County funds for debris and sediment removal from the East Buck Creek Watershed. 

$1,500   Youth Livestock Pens
The Mercer County Board of Education was approved for $1,500 in Mercer County funds to purchase livestock pens for agriculture education events in Mercer County to provide a safe agricultural learning environment.

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.  CAIPs approved by the board totaled $3,320,268 and included:

Adair County Cattlemen’s Association,  $ 100,000
Bracken County, Buffalo Trace ADD,   $ 250,000
Campbell County Conservation District,   $   32,575
Clark County Conservation District,   $ 250,000
Clinton County Farm Bureau,   $ 160,000
Edmonson County Cattleman Association,   $   86,415
Fleming County Conservation District,   $ 312,514
Hart County Cattlemen’s Association,   $ 320,000
Lewis County Conservation District,   $ 300,000
Lyon County Conservation District,   $   35,000
Mason County, Buffalo Trace ADD,   $ 250,000
Owen County Farm Bureau,   $ 300,000
Robertson County Soil Conservation District ,  $ 258,400
Rowan County Conservation District,   $   80,000
Simpson County Soil Conservation District,  $ 110,000
Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association,   $ 275,000
Warren County Conservation District,   $ 200,364

The Deceased Farm Animal Disposal Assistance Program serves as an interim measure to facilitate the coordination of environmentally sound and cost-effective disposal of deceased livestock for Kentucky producers. County Deceased Farm Animal Disposal Assistance Programs approved by the board totaled $31,405 and included:

Hardin County Fiscal Court,   $ 7,500
Hart County Soil Conservation District,   $ 7,500
Henry County Fiscal Court,  $ 7,500
Spencer County Fiscal Court,   $ 5,988
Warren County Conservation District,   $ 2,917

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Gov. Steve Beshear 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 $304.7 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 represent just a few of  more than 3,677 projects that have been funded through the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, since the inception of the program in January 2001.