Bath County Agricultural Development Council

Transcription

1 Bath County Agricultural Development Council December, 2007 Comprehensive Plan Chris Howard Chair Mike Downs Vice Chair Mary Bach Secretary Tony Smather Joe Karrick Billy Stewart Thomas Oldfield Jr. Nelson Garner Gary Hamilton Extension Agent 2914 East Highway 60 Owingsville, KY Fax:

2 I. Overview of county a. Agricultural statistics, trends, & projections. i. Traditional agricultural production Bath County s 3 major commodities are beef cattle, forages, tobacco and grain. Other minor commodities include vegetables, fruit, chickens, eggs, mushrooms and goats. We have 692 farms in the county which encompasses 107,574 acres making the average size farm 155 acres. The average age of Bath County farmers is approximately 56. In 2006 the total cash receipts for Bath County agriculture products was $ 14,530,000. Crop sales made up 46% of these receipts while livestock sales made up the other 54%. The average cash receipts per farm were $20,997. The following table shows the 2006 quantities and values of the commodities produced in the county. Commodity Value Acres Production Burley Tobacco $4,113, ,742,000 Pounds All Cattle and Calves * * 26,500 Head Beef Cows * * 14,500 Head Alfalfa Hay * ,000 Tons All Other Hay * 21,500 60,200 Tons Corn * ,200 Bushel Soybeans * ,400 Bushel Dairy 380 head * * 2,810,000 Pounds * - None or no estimates ii. Non-traditional agricultural production Bath County has the following non-traditional operations in place: one wholesale nursery business, one mushroom farm, commercial peach orchard, a fall mum producer, a 6 acre vineyard, black berry producers, a 25 vendor 3 day a week Farmer s Market and a two day a week wholesale Produce Auction. iii. New & emerging agricultural production At present there are opportunities available to Bath County and area farmers with the completion of the Agricultural Education and Marketing Center and it components: Farmers Market, Produce Auction, Commercial Value-Added Kitchen and just the facilities in general. A Free Range Egg Cooperative was just established this year and encompasses 25 members using the Center as a collection site for buyer pickup. iv. Tobacco dependency Even after the historical Tobacco Buyout, this crop continues to play an important role in the counties agricultural economy. In 2006 tobacco receipts accounted for 28% of the total farm receipts for the county.

3 b. Demographic data i. Social data Bath County is one of 120 counties in Kentucky. It is a rural area located between the mountains of north eastern Kentucky and the bluegrass area with a population of 11,626. Population continues to grow at a very slow rate. The average age of the population is 37.4 years. Only 10 % of our employed population is employed in agriculture. Bath County has 158,000 acres that are privately owned, 21,600 acres in federal land, 4199 acres covered by water, making a total land area of 181,800 acres. ii. Economic data Bath Counties has an unemployment rate of 6.6% compared to the state average of 5.7 %. In 2005 the median household income was $28,875 compared to the states $37,369. c. Inventory of resources Bath County has 181,800 acres of land acres of crop land, 68,900 acres od pasture land and 44,400 acres of forest. The land is well watered by the Licking River, Cave Run Lake, several creeks, numerous streams, pond and springs. Cave Run Lake furnishes much of the water source for homes in the County. I-64 crosses from southwest to northeast through the county with two exits near Owingsville the county seat. US 60 crosses the county from Mt. Sterling to Morehead and State Highway 11 crosses from Mt. Sterling to Flemingsburg. Highway 36 travels through the county from Carlisle to Frenchburg. Most smaller roads are blacktopped and provide adequate transportation. The population, most of whom have or have had a connection to agriculture, can provide know how, experience and positive work ethic. Bath County is bordered by the counties of Montgomery, Menifee, Rowan, Fleming and Nicholas. Our soil is rich, fertile and suited to grow many crops. II. Review of the Process a. How was the comprehensive plan developed By surveying County Agriculture Commodity Groups and The Extension Agriculture Advisory Council. b. Who had input into the plan Farmers, Non Farmers, Businesses and Government agencies and youth involved in Agriculture. III. Assessments a. Strengths $ I-64 Interstate access and the major highways of US 60, Hwy 36 and Hwy 11. $ Good water supply. $ A variety of land types with productive soils for small scale row cropping. $ Machinery adaptable to production changes.

4 $ New Agriculture Education and Marketing Center $ Large forage base and 14,500 beef cows. Strong Farmers Market and Produce Auction b. Weaknesses $ Hesitation of farmer to try different crops because of past experiences, profitability, lack of available market and resources. $ Age of farmers and the lack youth interested in production agriculture. Labor Issues (Dependability and Scarcity) c. Opportunities $ Improved marketing assistance $ Improved production and management of livestock $ Improved pasture and forage utilization $ Development of value-added opportunities d. Threats $ Continued loss of tobacco income and production $ Unprofitable commodity prices $ Weather $ Failing markets $ Over supply of products Rising input costs Insurance costs (People cannot afford to insure crops) Lack of available products (Fert., seed corn etc.) IV. County Council Objectives a. Mission/Vision Statement The Bath County Agriculture Development Council want farming to remain a vital part of their rural economy. We are proud farmers who wish to make a stand together to live in a community where agriculture is a valued part of community life. We want everyone to have the opportunity to farm profitably while using environmentally sound farming practices. We want our government to be responsive to the needs of the Bath County farming community. As a council, we have been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in the future of agriculture in Bath County. It is our goal to promote agriculture for current farmers and future generations. b. Short term priorities The Bath County Agriculture Development Councils short term priority is to provide rapid assistance to tobacco farm families suffering from the loss of income due to drastic reductions in tobacco quotas. We hope to accomplish this by giving priority to those proposals that will, in the council=s eyes, provide quick and long lasting results from the money invested. The Council prefers group proposals over individual proposals and sets a cap of $ per household on individual proposals. The Bath County Agriculture Development Council has identified the following short term priority areas and specific activities within those areas that should be considered for funding: Beef Cattle - Genetic Improvement

5 Working Facilities Backgrounding Programs Nutrition (Rations, Forage testing, Commodity feeds etc.) Marketing (CPH 45, PVP, Satellite etc.) Hay & Forages - Improved Variety Establishment Improved Grazing Systems (Fencing, Water, Shade) Storage Improvements Silage Hay and straw marketing Tobacco - The Council includes this commodity as a priority area but, cannot state at present any activities for funding. Horticulture -Mechanization Irrigation Farmers Market Farmer Marketing Cooperatives Direct Sales Light Processing Processing Facilities Product Development Promote variety at Farmers Market and Produce Auction Promote the Establishment of on Farm Markets New and Emerging Products - Production, Marketing and Value Added of. Food Processing and Value Added Capacity - Any Commodity. c. Long term goals The Bath County Agriculture Development Councils long term goals are to continue to help county farmers turn from a heavily tobacco dependant county to a more diverse agricultural economy. With the funds received from the National Tobacco Settlement we plan to invest in marketing assistance, new market development, market infrastructure development, production infrastructure and improved production methods to meet the needs of existing, new and developing markets. With continued funds from the National Tobacco Settlement we plan to improve and expand upon those markets that are profitable and meeting the needs of our county farmers. d. Tactics for leveraging funds i. Regional partnerships The Bath County Agriculture Development Council is open to and willing to invest in regional projects that will provide profitable marketing opportunities to our county farmers. These projects must be feasible as far as location, required producer input and profitability.

6 ii. State Ag Development Board resources The Bath County Agriculture Development Council will encourage applicants to apply for State Board funds if the proposed project(s) meet the requirements highlighted in section i. iii. Other local/state/federal resources The Bath County Agriculture Development Council will encourage applicants to apply for local/state/federal funds if the proposed project(s) meet the requirements highlighted in section i. V. Evaluation & Review a. How will proposals be evaluated Each proposal presented to the council will be reviewed and evaluated by all members of the council. Proposals will be ranked by the council using criteria set forth by the State Board and criteria set forth by this council=s comprehensive plan. Questions to be asked of each proposal: 1. Is this proposal for a self-sustaining program? 2. How many farmers will this proposal effect? 3. Will this proposal increase net farm income of tobacco farmers? 4. Does this proposal have a high potential for growth to include more farmers in the future? 5. How much of this proposal is for a capital investment and how much for subsidizing operating costs? 6. Is this proposal for enhancing existing farm products, the production of new farm products, or the expansion of existing markets? 7. What percent of total county funds does this proposal request? 8. Are matching funds or grants available to help with this proposal? Proposals may be sent back to the presenter for more explanation, or research.

7 No proposals may be denied consideration upon meeting all qualifications. b. How will success and failure be measured Success or failure may only be measured for each proposal or program on its design and implementation. c. How will the county comprehensive plan be revised The county comprehensive plan may or will be revised as the need arises.

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