The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) has approved 209 applications from growers who have been approved to cultivate up to 12,800 acres of industrial hemp for research purposes in 2017, nearly triple the number of acres that were approved for the previous year.

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Feldhaus visits with Bill Steele, Director of the Kentucky Division of Forestry, about its low-cost tree seedling program now underway. Steele says farmers, land owners, and home owners can get advice on appropriate planting options for various tree varieties. Steele says Kentuckians can get some good deals on species from Red Buds to White Oaks by going on line to:  forestry.ky.gov.

The Kentucky Beef Network was recently awarded over $900,000 in state funding by the Ky Ag Development Board. Feldhaus visits with network coordinator Becky Thompson about several successful, ongoing programs from the CPH 45 sales to Master Cattlemen certification.

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The Lake Cumberland region could soon have its own commercial grain elevator for corn, soybean, and small grain growers in that area.  Feldhaus visits with Brett Traver, Executive Director of the Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation which has just received an ag development grant to work with KCARD on a feasibility study for the possibility of an elevator along the Cumberland Parkway corridor.

High tunnels are a low tech version of more elaborate, and expensive, greenhouses for production of produce crops.  Dr. Shubin Saha, UK extension vegetable specialist says this form of “protected agriculture” is expanding, giving consumers more variety of products in more months of the year, and providing premium income for producers of these crops.

Feldhaus reports results on a first-ever Local Food Marketing Practices Survey that provides some telling data for high potential for direct sales of produce and foods.  Dave Knopf, director of the regional office of USDA’S National Ag Statistics Service provides details which can have immediate impact for Kentucky farmers.

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These prices, which represent the average total cost of 40 basic grocery items included in the survey, declined by .87 percent or $1.02. The total cost of the 40 items was $117.49. During this same period last year, the total price for these same items stood at $119.43.