Kentucky Farmland Transition Initiative (KFTI): “We have great support from our lawmakers at both the state and national levels.”

It has been a year since Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) announced the creation of the Kentucky Farmland Transition Initiative (KFTI) to help get us on a sustainable path to ensure our farmland remains in agricultural production.

In the last 20 years, Kentucky has lost 1.4 million acres of farmland and 17,000 farms. I have used those figures before, but I can never emphasize enough how badly we need to address this decline in farmed acres and the number of farms we have.

This is not just a Kentucky issue but one for our agriculture industry throughout the country. According to USDA Ag Census data, the number of farm acres has been steadily declining since 1997.

KFTI has gained such momentum as we work to provide resources to farmers and landowners seeking to keep more Kentucky farmland in the hands of active farmers.

Throughout the year we have reached countless numbers of individuals through the KFTI website, by way of numerous events, extension workshops, and various meetings.

We’ve built a network of 27 organizations united in promoting farmland retention and helped develop legislation based on the work of KFTI.

As we begin the 2025 planting season, farm families will begin focusing on getting their crops out as we do each year. For many of us, perhaps most of us, this has been our life’s work. It’s in our blood. However, as the average age of our farmers continues to rise, being able to transition family farms to a new generation becomes more and more critical.

It’s not always as easy as handing over the keys to the tractor and the deed to the land. There are processes and steps that have to be made in order make the transfer of properties happen.

If we are to be in a position to make farmland transition more easily accomplished, we must make all the efforts we can now to ensure this happens and this initiative is a success. Fortunately, we have great support from our lawmakers at both the state and national levels.

Kentucky U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell recently announced the Protecting American Farmlands Act (PAFA), which would allow landowners who sell to active farmers to defer taxes on the proceeds of the sale if they sell their land to those who will keep it in agricultural production for a minimum of ten years.  

In the Kentucky General Assembly, HB 703 was introduced by Representative Myron Dossett to make changes to the Kentucky Selling Farmer Tax Credit making the credit work for more farmers and provide greater certainty for sellers. Provisions of this bill were included in HB 775, which received final passage and became law.

We are so thankful for the work of our state and federal lawmakers who recognize the need to make KFTI a success for our ag industry, our farm families, and the consumers who depend on the American farmer every day.

Eddie Melton, President
Kentucky Farm Bureau