FRANKFORT, Ky. – Several annual marketing grant opportunities are now available in Kentucky to help support individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Every year, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture offers a number of grant funding opportunities to support farmers, restaurants, and research institutions,” said Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Department of Agriculture Commissioner of Agriculture. “As we work to support small businesses and farmers who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, producers may find these grant opportunities helpful to their operations.”

For example, the Buy Local Program provides incentives for participating restaurants and other food service businesses to buy and use Kentucky Proud® products for their customers, according to the department.

“Kentucky Proud® stands for foods, nursery items, crafts, agritourism sites, farmers’ markets, state parks, and many other products and destinations with roots in Kentucky soil,” according to Kentucky Proud®. “Kentucky Proud® foods are raised, grown, or processed in Kentucky by Kentuckians.

“You can serve Kentucky Proud® foods to your family with the confidence that they came from your friends and neighbors just down the road – not from thousands of miles away,” the company said.

Established in May 2017, the Buy Local program offers participants a 15 percent reimbursement for the cost of eligible Kentucky Proud® farm food up to $8,000 a year or a lifetime cap of $36,000.

“Since then, the program has grown to include many restaurants and food service providers,” said Sean Southard, Kentucky Department of Agriculture director of communications and public affairs.

Ouita Michel, owner of Ouita Michel Family of Restaurants throughout the Bluegrass State, said of the Buy Local program, “We’re proud to have provided a stable, small market for our local farmers, and will continue to be dedicated to doing so. We love being part of Buy Local Kentucky Proud®.”

Stephanie Meeks, owner of Jack Fry’s in Louisville, Ky., said, “This (Buy Local) program is amazing, and is very helpful not only to individual businesses, but to Kentucky as well. Thank you so much for the years of support.”

Another example is the Farm to Fork program, which provides incentives for local organizations to host dinners that showcase local farms, farmers, producers, and Kentucky Proud® products, while benefiting a local charity.

“This cost-share grant reimburses up to 50 percent (no more than $500) of the approved applicant’s Kentucky farm-sourced food purchases and/or event promotional expenditures branded with the Kentucky Proud® logo,” the department said.

Southard said the Farm to Fork Program participants are able to make purchases from certain distributors and directly from local farmers that are active Kentucky Proud® members.

“There are many Kentucky-sourced farm products that are available to local businesses,” he said. “Participants are able to purchase meats, produce, sorghum, mushrooms, and even soy sauce. Each year, we require members to report back to us their purchases in order to be eligible for funding.

“To participate in Buy Local, participants must have active membership status in Kentucky Proud®, which can be completed online,” he added.

Moreover, the Kentucky Proud® Promotional Grant reimburses members for up to 50 percent of future eligible expenses for advertising, marketing, and reaching consumers at the point of purchase to promote agricultural products with direct Kentucky farm impact.

Grants are limited to 10 percent of the applicant’s reported, direct Kentucky farm impact up to $8,000 a year, or a lifetime cap of $36,000.

“The first year of the Kentucky Proud® Promotional Grant Program was 2009,” Southard said. “During the past five years, an average of 140 Kentucky Proud® members have participated in the program each year, with the average award being approximately $3,700.00 in matching funds.

“Participants have an overall positive impression of the program, and many credit the Promotional Grant Program as being key to them being able to advertise their farms, agribusinesses, and agricultural products without any major risk since they know they will receive 50 percent reimbursement by using the Kentucky Proud® logo on their advertising and marketing materials,” he added.

He said in order to be eligible to participate in this program, an applicant must have direct Kentucky farm impact.

“Direct Kentucky farm impact is the dollar value of agricultural products before any processing that are bought, sold, grown, raised, produced, and sourced from Kentucky farms,” he said.

Authorized and established Dec. 21, 2004, the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is a federal grant program aimed at supporting specialty crops in agriculture; applicants must describe how the projects will potentially affect and produce measurable outcomes for the specialty crop industry and/or the public.

Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticultural products, nursery crops (including floriculture), and honey.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture receives grant funding from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service for the Specialty Crop Grant Program, and conducts an annual competitive application process to award grant funds.

“The responses from the participants have always been positive and appreciative as the (Specialty Crop Block Grant) program gives participants a chance to work on projects they would otherwise not have the funding to do so,” Southard said.

“Applicants must be associated with some nonprofit organization and quasi-government entity, small business, or privately-owned company,” Southard said. “They must demonstrate the project will be beneficial to the agriculture community of Kentucky.”

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture will not award grant funds for projects that solely benefit a particular commercial product or provide profit to a single organization, institution, or individual.  

“A company cannot request grant funds to purchase starter plants or equipment used to plant, cultivate, and grow a specialty crop to make a profit, or to expand production of a single business or organization,” Southard said.

The deadline for 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Farm Bill Funds concept proposals is March 1.

For Buy Local Program guidelines and an application, visit: kyproud.com/buylocal.

For more information on the Farm to Fork Program, contact Alisha Morris at: alisha.morris@ky.gov. For guidelines and an application, visit: kyagr.com/marketing/farm-to-fork.html.

For more information on the Kentucky Proud® Promotional Grant, visit: kyagr.com/marketing/grants.html.

For more information on (and a comprehensive list of) on the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, visit: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp/specialty-crop.