Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
Check Presented for the Nelson County Farmers' Market

Frankfort, KY. (August 11, 2006)- Keith Rogers, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, presented a check for $118,000 to the Nelson County Horticulture Advisory Board and the City of Bardstown in support of the Nelson County Farmers’ Market from the Farmers’ Market Competitive Grant program at the Nelson County Farmers’ Market Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting.

The Nelson County Horticulture Advisory Board and the City of Bardstown were approved for  $68,000 in Nelson County Agricultural Development Funds and $50,000 in State Agricultural Development Funds to construct a farmers’ market facility that will provide new direct to consumer sales opportunities for agriculture products.

Keith Rogers stated, “I am pleased that the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund is being used to provide additional marketing outlets for farmers in Nelson County. This project is a good example on how Agricultural Development funds can bring organizations together to provide marketing opportunities to local farmers so they are able to retain more of the retail value of the products they are producing.”

The Board approved two million dollars in state funds in support of the 2006 Farmers’ Market Competitive Awards Program. The 2006 Farmers’ Market Competitive Awards Program was designed for regional and community farmers’ markets across the state. Program funds are divided into the following investment areas: 25% allocated for Regional Farmers’ Markets and 65% allocated for Community Farmers’ Markets which will only go toward capital expenditures, as well as, 10% allocated for feasibility/business planning for both regional and community markets. The deadline for round two of this competitive awards program is September 1, 2006. Eligible applicants are any regional or community farmers’ markets fitting the respective definitions specified in the guidelines. 

Governor Fletcher and the Kentucky Legislature continues to make great strides towards lessening Kentucky’s dependence on tobacco production while revitalizing the farm economy by investing 50% of Kentucky's Master Settlement Agreement into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.  Since the inception of the program in January 2001, the Agricultural Development Board has approved over 2,595 proposals committing over $216 million to an array of county, regional, and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises.

For more information on this project contact Robbie Smith with the Nelson County Cooperative Extension Service at (502) 348-9204. 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.