Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
Agricultural Development Funds Awarded

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 16, 2010) - The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB), chaired by Gov. Steve Beshear, today approved $774,480 in eight agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth during their April board meeting.

The following investments were made with Kentucky Agricultural Development Funds:

$50,000           Agriculture Storage Facility
The Garrard County Board of Education was approved for $50,000 in Garrard County funds to construct a hay storage facility as part of their forage education program for local producers.  The facility will house forages harvested through the demonstration program.

$20,000           Agri-Energy Technical Assistance
Mammoth Cave Resource Conservation and Development Area Inc. was approved for $10,000 in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds and $10,000 in state agricultural development funds to provide a streamlined technical assistance process for producers and small businesses that apply for energy efficiency grants on both the state and federal levels.  This project was approved through the board’s Multi-County Agricultural Energy Initiative*, which provides incentives for agriculturally related renewable energy projects.

$310,000         Business & Technical Support
The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development was approved for $310,000 in state agricultural development funds to continue to provide business support services and technical assistance to rural agribusinesses across the Commonwealth. 

$1,000             Leadership Program Scholarship
Matt Jackson was approved for $1,000 in Henry County funds to help with tuition costs associated with the Kentucky Agricultural Leadership Program.

$20,300           Study of Lake Cumberland Region Biomass Power Potential
South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation was approved for $10,150 in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds and $10,150 state agricultural development funds to conduct a feasibility study of biomass power in the Lake Cumberland region.  This project was approved through the board’s Multi-County Agricultural Energy Initiative*, which provides incentives for agriculturally related renewable energy 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.  CAIPs approved by the board totaled $365,680 and included:

$135,680         Greenup County Farm Bureau of Greenup County, Ky

$230,000         Jessamine County FFA Alumni Association Inc.

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 $7,500 and included:

$7,500             Bourbon County Fiscal Court

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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 $299.3 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 3,633 projects that have been funded through the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, since the inception of the program in January 2001.

* The Multi-County Agricultural Energy Initiative funds are made possible through the Renewable Energy Partnership between the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP) and the Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Department for Energy Development and Independence. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).