Kentucky Ag Board Approves $955K for Farm Diversification

By Blake Jackson

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB) has approved $955,113 to support a range of agricultural diversification and rural development initiatives across the Commonwealth. The funding was announced at the board’s monthly meeting on Friday.

"Projects, like the ones approved today, serve to strengthen the agricultural framework that makes up our communities and our state," Commissioner of Agriculture and Board Chair Jonathan Shell said. "The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board is working to grow our economy by diversifying our agricultural base, benefiting all of Kentucky."

County and State Funded Projects

• Joseph Dale Bentley was awarded up to $51,300 in state funding for the construction and expansion of a small ruminant facility. For details, he can be reached at joebentley@hotmail.com.
• The Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) received approval for up to $209,000 in state funds for one year to sustain three of its core programs. For more information, contact Brooke D. Gentile at brooke@oak-ky.org.

County Programs

Several county-level initiatives also received support:

County Agricultural Incentives Program (CAIP): Designed to provide cost-share assistance to producers, CAIP helps farmers diversify and strengthen their operations. The program covers areas such as livestock, forage, farm infrastructure, horticulture, poultry, bees, timber, energy efficiency, marketing, and value-added production.

Seven CAIP projects were approved across Clark ($15,000), Edmonson ($50,000), Fulton ($46,000), Johnson ($32,250), Livingston ($71,838), Shelby ($320,000), and Washington ($88,600), totaling $623,688.

Deceased Farm Animal Removal (DAR): Washington County received $15,000 to support the environmentally responsible disposal of deceased livestock.

Shared-Use Equipment Program: Three projects totaling $31,625 were approved in Estill ($12,000) and Washington ($8,000 and $11,625) to provide shared equipment access for local producers.

Youth Agricultural Incentives Program (YAIP): YAIP encourages young people to engage in farming. Two projects were approved in Edmonson ($10,000) and Washington ($14,500), for a combined $24,500.

Application details and deadlines for CAIP and YAIP will be advertised locally.

Photo Credit: kentucky-agricultural-board