Louisville, KY (November 11, 2019) – Steve Kelley of Carlisle County will be honored as the 2019 Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) “Farmer of the Year” during the organization’s 100th annual meeting in Louisville in December.

Each year, KFB recognizes an individual whose efforts not only strengthen the state’s agriculture industry but also demonstrates service and leadership both on and off the farm.

“This award means so much to me. I am grateful to receive this honor. I know many of the other farmers who have received this award and to be counted among that group is humbling,” said Mr. Kelley.

After receiving his bachelor and master’s degrees in agriculture from Murray State University in 1973, Mr. Kelley returned home to Carlisle County to farm full-time.  Since that time, Mr. Kelley has raised cattle and row crops on the nearly 2,500 hundred acres that he farms today.

“My purpose is to leave my farmland in better condition than when we received it. This isn’t only my duty as a farmer, but my joy. We must be deliberate in our farming methods to reach that result. We do this not only for our two children who will inherit, manage and preserve our agricultural land but also for our environment and all future generations,” said Mr. Kelley. “To that end, we plan to increase our use of cover crops to conserve soil, water, and nutrients more extensively.”

In addition to his grain and livestock operation, Mr. Kelley also has a solar farm, timber land to produce saw logs, and leases land for duck, deer, and turkey hunting.

Mr. Kelley has served as member of the Carlisle County Farm Bureau board of directors, including several terms as County President. He has also served on Kentucky Farm Bureau advisory committees and participated in the KFB Young Farmer program early in his career.

Mr. Kelley is a Carlisle County 4-H Council board member and volunteer. He has served as president of the Carlisle County Extension Council. Mr. Kelley is also a member of the Kentucky Corn Growers Association Board of Directors, including service as a past Vice President. He was also Carlisle County FFA Chapter President while in high school.

He is a member of the Morris Valley Christian Church. He is married to his spouse, Melanie. They have two children, Kristopher and Katie, and two grandchildren.

In addition to the statewide recognition and prizes, Kelley will represent Kentucky in the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year contest, the South’s most prestigious agricultural award, in Moultrie, Georgia.

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Cutline:  Steve Kelley of Carlisle County is the 2019 Kentucky Farm Bureau “Farmer of the Year”.