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| Kentucky to help farmers hit by record ’07 weather |
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<b>By TIM THORNBERRY<br>
Kentucky Correspondent</b></p><p>FRANKFORT, Ky. — The economic devastation caused by last year’s record weather events is still being felt by many Kentucky farmers and probably will be for some time to come, but state officials said last week that help is on the way.<br>
Gov. Steve Beshear flanked by state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP) Executive Director Roger Thomas released details about the Kentucky Agricultural Relief Effort (KARE) initiative that will use $8.5 million in Kentucky Agricultural Development Funds to help farmers on the road to recovery from the 2007 Easter freeze and the record-breaking drought that followed.<br>
“Farming is a challenging way to make a living, and some years it’s more stressful than others, but because of the $8.15 million investment in the KARE program, we will be able to reach out to farmers whose crops were devastated,” said Beshear. “Farmers need help developing alternative water sources that will head off the impacts of future droughts; assistance with renovating and reestablishing pastures and hayfields; along with equipment and facilities that will help improve forage quality.”<br>
The money will come from two funds, the first being $6.15 million of tobacco settlement money, $4.1 million of which is county funds allocated using the House Bill 611 formula and $2.05 million of state funds allocated on a 50 cent to one dollar match of county funds.<br>
According to information provided by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the GOAP, producers must submit applications for funding to their respective county KARE program administrators by Aug. 1. The chief executive officer of the Kentucky Agricultural Develop-ment Board, which oversees Kentucky’s tobacco settlement funds, will award KARE funding for eligible projects.
The second fund is a $2 million statewide pool which can be tapped into by counties once their respective tobacco settlement funds have been committed. That money will be distributed according to a formula measuring the agricultural impact of last summer’s drought.<br>
The initiative will help farmers pay for “on-farm improvements and investments that will help reduce the impact of the drought” including water projects, such as drilling, piping or hook-up to municipal water systems; forage projects, and other projects such as fencing, feeding equipment, animal waste handling equipment and crop insurance.<br>
“For all the problems that the drought has caused we can’t make them up in one big swoop but today is a starting point for what I hope is a sustained effort to make farmers more water independent,” said Farmer at the announcement.<br>
Thomas said, “We in Kentucky have taken a comprehensive and forward thinking approach that will not only help our farmers now but also in the future. The KARE program will assist farmers by focusing on farm investments and improvements.<br>
“By making these improvements and investments it will not only help their farms today but will lessen the impact of future weather-related disasters.”<br>
Beshear, himself a farm owner, told reporters that he and his wife felt the effects of the drought last year after running out of hay for their horses in turn having to locate then pay hefty prices for reserve supplies.<br>
“Weather-related problems have plagued the land since the days of the Old Testament prophets. Rare is the year where rain, sun and warmth come in proper amounts at just the right time,” said Beshear.<br>
“Now more than ever farmers and farm families need our attention.”<br>
Producers may apply to be reimbursed for eligible expenses retroactive to Dec. 1, 2007. Guidelines were to be posted on the GOAP website, http://agpolicy.ky.gov, by close of business last Monday.<br>
<i>This farm news was published in the March 19, 2008 issue of the Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.</i></p><p> |
| 3/19/2008 |
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