Hemp Seed Processing and Equipment Storage Projects Among 38 Agricultural Incentives Approved

More than $5.3 million invested in Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund

Frankfort, Ky. – June 22, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Gov. Steve Beshear, approved $5,328,053 for 38 agricultural diversification and rural development programs across the Commonwealth during its June board meeting.

Hemp Seed Processing
Atalo Holdings was approved for up to $500,000 in a combination of Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund grant and loan monies to purchase equipment for an industrial hemp seed processing facility in Clark County. Currently Atlao is contracted with 30 producers from 12 counties that will raise 545 acres of industrial hemp. For more information about this project, contact Andrew Graves at 859-321-3490 or Brickworks.graves88 (at) gmail (dot) com.

Equipment Storage
Pulaski County Conservation District was approved for $62,500 in Pulaski County funds to purchase existing buildings to store the county’s shared-use equipment. This will improve the accessibility and longevity of the 14 pieces of equipment Pulaski County has currently. For more information about this project, contact Nancy Carver with the Pulaski County Conservation District at 606-678-4842 ext. 3 or Nancy.Carver (at) ky.nacdnet (dot) net.

On-Farm Investments
The County Agricultural Investment Program (CAIP) offers 10 investment areas that give Kentucky agricultural producers the ability to increase net farm income, add value to their products and diversify their operation. CAIP benefits and enhances agriculture across the state by stimulating markets for Kentucky agricultural products. Seventeen CAIPs were approved by the board totaling $3,142,042 for Bourbon ($417,269), Calloway ($105,131), Clinton ($190,000), Daviess ($140,000), Elliott ($174,896), Grant ($241,586), Harrison ($389,778), Henderson ($38,000), Jackson ($342,315), Lawrence ($118,048), Magoffin ($112,042), McLean ($80,000), McCracken (139,337), Mercer ($270,000), Metcalfe ($301,665), Powell ($58,218), and Webster ($23,757) counties.

In addition to these new approvals, an additional $1,566,471 was approved to enhance existing County Agriculture Investment Programs in Ballard ($85,000), Bath ($114,000), Casey ($310,000), Clay ($139,000), Grayson ($175,000), Hardin ($100,000), Livingston ($1,273), Simpson ($14,000), Taylor ($138,600), Trigg ($83,346), Morgan ($226,321), Warren ($24,931) and Wayne ($155,000) counties.

Shared-Use Equipment
The Shared-use Equipment Program assists broad-based community organizations on the purchase of farm equipment. The equipment purchased is made available for producer use in a specific county on a leased basis. Two Shared-use Equipment Programs were approved by the board for Jackson and Taylor counties, totaling $28,493. The Jackson County Cattlemen’s Association Inc. was approved for $11,685 for a lime spreader and the Taylor County Conservation District was approved for $16,808 for a no-till drill to lease to producers.

Environmental Stewardship
Hardin ($7,500), Henry ($7,500), Spencer ($6,047) and Taylor ($7,500) counties were approved for the Deceased Farm Animal Removal Program (DAR) totaling $28,547. DAR serves as a measure to facilitate the coordination of environmentally sound and cost-effective disposal of deceased livestock for Kentucky producers.

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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 a portion of Kentucky’s Master Settlement Agreement Funds into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.

To date, Kentucky has invested more than $446 million in 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 more than 5,100 projects approved, since the inception of the program in January 2001.

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Contact
Angela G. Blank
502-564-4627
502-352-3723
angelag.blank (at) ky (dot) gov