Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
Agricultural Development Funds Awarded

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 16, 2012) - The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB), chaired by Governor Steve Beshear, today approved $664,443 for 10 agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth during its March board meeting.

State and regional investments included:

$370,000 Building a Local Food Economy
Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government was approved for $120,000 in state funds for the continuation of the "Louisville Farm to Table Program," which works to provide area farmers increased access to Louisville's consumer market.  Additionally, $250,000 was approved to be transferred to the Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation to administer the "Louisville Agribusiness Loan Program," which will provide low-interest capital to agribusinesses that process or add value to Kentucky grown or raised products in Louisville's Portland neighborhood.
 
County investments approved included:

$10,000 Farmers Back to School Program
Jessamine County FFA Alumni Association was approved for $10,000 in Jessamine County funds to provide financial assistance to farmers or their spouses in furthering their education through post-secondary or vocational school. 

$45,000 High School Greenhouse
The Franklin County Public Schools were approved for $45,000 in Franklin County funds for the construction of a greenhouse at Franklin County High School.

$31,414 Receiving Station Expansion
Scott B. Shackelford was approved for $31,414 in Todd County funds for the expansion of a produce receiving station that consolidates crops for produce growers in the region.

$3,783  Shared-Use Storage Facility
The Clark County Conservation District was approved for $3,783 in Clark County funds to purchase a semi-permanent facility to house the county's shared-use equipment.

$8,000  Youth Cost-Share Program
Jessamine County FFA Alumni Association was approved for $8,000 in Jessamine County funds to support youth 4-H or FFA projects.

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.  Three CAIPs were approved by the board totaling $185,000 for Harrison, Henry and Owsley counties.

The Shared-use Equipment Program is designed to benefit a high number of producers who cannot justify ownership expenses associated with certain equipment by helping them access technology necessary to improve their operations in an economical manner.  In June 2011, the KADB approved a special initiative to provide 16 counties that receive $15,000 or less in county funds access to state funds to implement a shared-use equipment program.  One Shared-use Equipment Program was approved by the board through the Shared-Use Equipment Initiative totaling $11,246 for Knott County.

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Gov. Steve Beshear and the Kentucky General Assembly 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 $368 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, made possible by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, represent just a few of the 3,936 projects approved, since the inception of the program in January 2001.