Over the last three years, the West Kentucky river counties of Ballard, Carlisle, Hickman and Fulton have been at the center of an economic development initiative known as the West Kentucky Alliance for a Vibrant Economy (WAVE.)

While only about two percent of the U.S. population is involved in farming, for rural states like Kentucky, when farm income is down, those agriculture communities feel the impact, as well as affecting more than just that two percent.

Call me old fashioned but one thing taught to me at an early age was to say “thank you” when a situation called for it and sometimes, even when it didn’t.

CBOT futures traded most of the day on the plus side and closed with moderate to strong gains, led by Chicago wheat futures. Live cattle closed near steady while feeder cattle posted moderate losses, albeit about a dollar off the day’s lows. Lean hog futures closed sharply lower for a second day.

The American Farm Bureau Federation supports the Seeding Rural Resilience Act sponsored by Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), which is designed to help farmers respond to stress and decrease the stigma associated with mental health care in rural communities.

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Kentucky’s only ethanol plant, Commonwealth Agri Energy, is producing a record amount of fuel ethanol and other co-products following a recent expansion.  General Manager Mick Henderson discussed the growth of the facility, the increased production and other details as he presented the annual report to the Hopkinsville Elevator Cooperative this month.

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The recent announcement of a partial trade deal with Japan is good news for Kentucky farmers.  Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles talks about the trade deal, what it will mean for Kentucky Agriculture and the popularity of Kentucky products in Japan and other Asian Pacific countries.

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