Barren County Agricultural Development Council. Comprehensive Plan

Transcription

1 Barren County Agricultural Development Council Comprehensive Plan Adopted December 2000 Amended March 27, 2001 Updated December, 2007 Submitted by: Neil Allen, Chairman Wade Barton Glenn Barrick Jeromy Kinslow Larry Berry, Vice Chairman Kristie Payne, Secretary Jay Coleman Watha Wood Staff Support Gary R. Tilghman, Barren County Extension Agent for Agriculture Barbara Jackson, Barren County Extension Secretary-Recording Secretary

2 Barren County Agriculture Development Council Comprehensive Plan Adopted Amended March 27, 2001 Updated December, 2007 Barren County Overview Barren County is located in the south-central part of Kentucky, near the Mammoth Cave National Park. The county has an extensive agriculture base and is noted for the diversity of agricultural production. The county is extremely large in land mass with 240,440 acres involved in agriculture production and harvested cropland totaling about 96,144 acres (according to the 2002 Census figures). The Census also lists 2,021 total farms in Barren County, averaging 119 acres per farm. According to the Kentucky Agricultural Statistics of farm cash receipts, Barren County received in 2006, $19,026,000 from crops sold (ranked 21 st in KY), $52,285,000 from livestock (ranked 11 th ) and a total of $71,311,000 of total cash received from farming in Barren County, ranking 17 th in Kentucky from overall agricultural production income. The county is noted for production of many agriculture commodities. Consistently, Barren County is a top agriculture producing county for livestock, forages, and burley tobacco. According to the Kentucky Agriculture Statistics Service data, Barren County ranked #1 in burley tobacco production, yielding 5,446,400 pounds. They also produced 149,500 tons of hay other than alfalfa (ranking #2 in KY) and 40,420 tons of alfalfa hay (ranking #3 in KY during a severe drought season). -1-

3 Corn, soybeans, and wheat are produced in sections of the county and primarily used to support the livestock (dairy and some beef production). A few producers are active grain farmers and produce large quantities for sale from the southern and western locations of Barren County. The livestock produced in Barren County are mostly forage using animals taking advantage of the lush pasture lands available throughout. Beef production is ranked #1 in Kentucky with 39,000 head of beef cows roaming the pastures. Dairy production is also #1 in Kentucky with over 123,130,000 pounds produced annually. Overall Barren County ranks #1 in Kentucky with 89,700 head of all cattle and calves being produced throughout the farmland of Barren County. There are a few other commodities beginning production from Barren County farmland including: horticultural crops (mostly vegetables and some fruits), aquiculture species including fresh water shrimp and catfish, and most recently, Cagle-Keystone opened a processing plant in Clinton County and growers of broilers are currently producing broilers under contract production for them. A few meat and dairy goats are being produced locally, as well. Horses and mules are plentiful, used mostly for pleasure, recreation and some draft purposes. Demographic Data Population data for Barren County is related to information obtained for Barren County had a total population of 40, ,758 were males and 20,979 were female. -2-

4 22.9% were under 18 years of age. 14.9% of the people are 65 years old or older. Racial breakdown is 94.8% are white. 1.2% are Hispanic, 3.9% are African American, and 0.1% are of other races within Barren County. There has been a 1.07 percent increase in Barren County population from 2000 to The county seat is Glasgow. In 1997, Glasgow had a population of 14,054. Cave City, the second largest town had 2,078 people, Park City had 592, and Hiseville had a population of 223. Other communities and the rural areas within Barren County, total 19,723 people. The median household income (2004) was $33,531 compared to the statewide average of $37,046. Per capita income was $16,816 in statistics list persons below the poverty level to be 16.6% in Barren County, 16.3% for Kentucky. Statistical projections are for a population of 40,484 in 2010, and 42,155 in There were 17,510 housing units in Barren County in Home ownership rate for 2000 was 72.3%, with a median home owner-occupied value of $77,900 with 2.44 people per home in The civilian labor force is increasing, as well. In 1990, there were 16,494 potential people for the workforce and in 1998 it climbed to 18,719. The average number of Barren County citizens that were employed in 1990 was 15,620 and in 1998 were 17,920. In 1990, the annual unemployment rate was 5.3% and in 1998 it was 4.3%. -3-

5 Review of the Process The Barren County Agricultural Development Council has made strong efforts to collect input information and opportunities for local people to provide input to use in the direction of development of this plan. The council s theme is to involve all Barren Countians in order to make the plan usable for hopefully, anyone who wants to be involved. A public meeting was held October 10, 2000 to allow anyone who wanted the opportunity to express their interests publicly to the council. The meeting was held in the Barren County High School Auditorium and media announcements were used to invite participation. The session was opened by the council chairman, Neil Allen with a short overview of the council s mission according to the state board directives as available to date. As a special guest, Jeff Hall, University of Kentucky (liaison for U.K. to the state board), gave comments to those attending about the state board s function and mission. Sam Lawson, Kentucky Agricultural Development Board Member, also commented about the directions being considered for the state and county as the council secured information to develop their plan. Presentations were given by people throughout the community as to their thought of how to benefit the community with the funds. From the onset of the meeting, no proposals were to be introduced for discussion. However, discussion of community growth and direction was given by several citizens. Expressions of community opportunities and needs were noted by the council members in order to prepare this plan. -4-

6 Other meetings have been held, to discuss the plan development, seek information and prepare this document. Notifications and announcements of these meetings are made with local media. Notification for coverage is given to the media in observance of the open meetings law. Assessments Strengths: Barren County, noted as a large agriculture dependent community, is a hub for surrounding communities for retail outlets and industry. It is also considered a diverse agriculture community, progressive in modern production methods and aggressive in environmental practices. Terrain is varied, from gently rolling to land with only slight slopes and is available with adequate amounts of water resources. Soil types are varied as well, with the majority being clay loam based and highly fertile and productive. Many soils are extremely deep and moderate to well drained. Most soils are highly capable for excellent crop production. There are two watersheds associated within the county; one being the Green River/Mammoth Cave watershed and the other draining toward the Barren River. Barren River Lake reservoir is a man-made storage area. It serves several communities and most of Barren county, as well as, some surrounding area with public water. The reservoir controls flood hazards downstream toward Warren County, which is extremely beneficial to that area. Besides serving as an excellent water source for the communities, Barren River Lake Reservoir is a recreational asset year-round for tourists and recreational fishing. -5-

7 The Green River/Mammoth Cave watershed has also been highly touted as a well managed ecosystem for nationally controlled environmental improvement programs. It affects the northern half of Barren County and is monitored closely through the Mammoth Cave National Park system. This region is also a strong tourist area with several Barren County economic opportunities. In Cave City, the extremely nice convention center is available for many activities. It is currently undergoing an agricultural expansion project ( Phase I completed) which is offering a larger area for farmers to exhibit, sell, and receive educational opportunities for their enterprises and commodities. Improved manure handling systems have been constructed for over 150 livestock farms in Barren County. Other conservation practices have also been put in place to help the farmers to reduce erosion and improve the quality of water that is moving toward the county s vital watersheds and presenting the agricultural image as good stewards of our land and water resources. Best management practices (BMP s) with cooperation of the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Cooperative Extension Service have been enacted on many Barren County farms for an aggressive environmental protection program. Conservation plans and Water Quality Plans are completed for most of the 2,021 farms in Barren County. This effort is in place to protect the environmental sensitivity for both watersheds within the county. Forestry production is also protected through educational -6-

8 efforts by having loggers use practices associated with having a Master Logger on site while harvesting timber. This protects the logger, landowner, and environment with good tree removal practices mandatory during the harvest. A fantastic link of highways within and around the county is advantageous for movement of locally produced commodities. Interstate-65 and Cumberland Parkway and a future I-66 corridor are major links to the large metropolitan areas of the U.S. Other state and county roads are mostly blacktop surfaces. Along with the highway system the county has railroad service and an airport facility that is currently expanding for better service opportunities. The site preparation of an air park near Smiths Grove (eastern Warren County) for potential industrial expansion can also benefit the county and region with unlimited opportunities. Manufacturers and other industrial producers who will move to this potential facility can be an asset to assist farm families with added income to support their growth and maintenance for a smaller farm operation. Weaknesses: Low commodity prices for most locally grown commodities as compared to their production costs are affecting county producers. A need to stabilize agricultural commodity markets and provide at least parity in the marketing of farm products for the farmer would be of extreme benefit to producers. Marketing techniques, whether for an individual s farming operation sales or farmer group efforts, have a true need for improvement if farmers are going to be profitable. -7-

9 Most commodities grown in the county have a pricing structure that is not contracted or locked in; giving high risk each growing season for the producer as to what will be offered and received. Any possibility, statewide or locally, to increase marketing ability, would impact area producers. Opportunities: The best opportunities are from creation of better market potential. Adding value to existing commodities produced is also a real opportunity to increase profitability. Farmers within Barren County are very proficient in production and already have some equipment that is very adaptable to use in the production of many different crops. Some specialty equipment may be required for the production of many different crops. Some specialty equipment may be required for the production or harvest of some crops. Forages are Queen in Barren County as reported by its ranking in all hay and alfalfa. Whether the producer expands or develops a forage production operation, the potential to be a profitable commodity could benefit their farming program, large or small. Livestock that can also use these forages have a tremendous opportunity to expand further in Barren County. Cattle producers can, and are improving efficiency with controlled grazing techniques. Fresh, automatic livestock watering fountains are being installed with public water systems to assist with the grazing program technology, as well as, improve animal health from safer water sources. -8

10 Adding value to the local livestock is an opportunity to increase smaller farm profitability. Methods through educational trials and organization for marketing the animals can have potential to help producers increase their efficiency. Adding weaning lots on existing farms and creation of feeding facilities in the county can give producers the opportunity they may not currently have, due to the lack of cash flow to construct such needed fencing and housing. Uniformity of packaging (example: 50,000 pound load of cattle) can be accomplished by facility construction of weaning lots and bull lots to allow for calving seasons. They can also increase herd size by adding cows and use of grazing efficiency improvements on current land holdings. This will allow for increased efficiency for facility use and can help producers benefit with added income potential. Dairy heifer development has become a potential income source for producers from the standpoint of conversion of unused dairy facilities within the county. Idle feeding facilities and silage storage facilities can be used with little remodeling. A market or custom feeding operation could be developed to assist with this farming program if enough grower interest is shown. Vegetable production and other specialty crop production can be developed, again if markets are structured to be sound and consistent for grower acceptance. Making commitment for production has to begin with market consistency for growers to gain comfort to produce new, unaccustomed crops. Simply put, our farmers can be growers of many crops needed in the food chain but marketing issues holds them back. Market development must be made ahead of their willingness to produce. -9-

11 Besides the above mentioned opportunities easily identified through the currently ongoing agriculture situation, below are some general goals we see, as a council, that can encompass possibilities for future agriculture for Barren and surrounding counties. 1/ Improve the capacity of our agriculture community to identify and address opportunities that could benefit our citizens. 2/ Attain sustainability of agricultural economic development systems that can allow us competitiveness in the global market. 3/ Encourage the adaptation of healthy food through the development of high quality selective agricultural products growers can produce and market locally and beyond. 4/ Stimulate the opportunity for young people to enter or remain in the agriculture production sector and maintain their farming programs to have a viable business of farming in Barren County. 5/ Continue to improve the environmental quality by encouraging the implementation of sound environmental farming practices and the effective stewardship of our natural resources. Concerns: Market uncertainty is a true threat to any commodity considered for production. With the recent changes of the burley tobacco industry, farmers are faced with the needs to add income for their farm to stay afloat. Meeting cash flow problems and mortgage requirements is becoming a burden for many farm families. The financial -10-

12 stress is hitting a high level and causing producers to become very concerned over their future. Farm policy, nation wide is in real need for adjustments. Opportunities to blend a potential income into the farmers producing future, is a simple but frequently asked question still by many local farmers. County Council Objectives Mission Statement: The Barren County Agricultural Development Council has a mission to promote agricultural means of income and assistance to sustain an adequate standard of living for Barren County farmers. Short-term Priorities: The council wants to get any many and varied applications as possible from those entities who are interested, to fund projects that their constituents need support with, in order to create a modern position in their commodity s marketplace. (Beginning of Amendment #1 dated ) The Barren County Agricultural Development Council would like to invest county funds in the areas of Livestock Genetic Improvement programs, Forage Improvement programs, new Agriculture Enterprise Development programs and Agriculture Educational programs to assist as many Barren County farmers, as possible. Barren County Agricultural Development Council is not interested in setting goals for dividing the funds according to percent allocations due to the unknown opportunities that may be submitted and be positively responsive to the needs of Barren -11-

13 County s agriculture future. The Barren County Agricultural Development Council is also very interested in securing development of the Cave City Convention/Agriculture Center Project to allow the state, area, and local producers and citizens an opportunity to expand the educational and recreational opportunities associated with the tourism and agriculture interests of the area. It is the feeling of this ADC that this venture is an excellent example of local counties and state funding to support its development in an urgent and timely matter to benefit Kentucky agriculture as soon as possible. (End of Amendment #1: ) Long-term Priorities: The Barren County Agricultural Development Council wants to invest Phase I Tobacco Settlement Funds allocated to Barren County along with any other matching funds that qualify in the agriculture community to give long-range returns to Barren County producers. Tactics for leveraging funds: (regional partnerships, state ag. board resources, Local/state/federal resources) Barren County Agriculture Development Council funding will be considered for distribution according to the merits of the application s benefits for Barren County and/or this region for agriculture development opportunities. Higher consideration will be given to proposals that include individual, local, state and/or federal resources in addition to the county Phase I funds that are requested. -12-

14 (Amendment #2 dated ) The Barren County Agricultural Development Council (ADC) adopts a policy of requiring 50% matching funds from applicant for proposal payments with the exception of educational proposals which may be considered for higher levels of funding at the discretion of the Barren County ADC (Amended ) Evaluation & Review Evaluation and review shall be in accordance with the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board rules and guidelines. The Barren County Agriculture Development Council requests an updated progress report on approved proposals annually or one report upon completion if it occurs less than one year from the beginning of the project. All proposals and recommendations for funding approval will be forwarded to the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board after the Barren County Agriculture Development Council rates each proposal, as directed. Final approval will be made by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. (Amendment #3 dated ) The Barren County ADC adopts the use of a special form, developed by the state board, to rank all proposal applications submitted to the ADC for priority to their goals within the county plan. These priority rankings include: High, Medium, Low, and No Priority Given as the ADC s ratings for each proposal to be forwarded for funding by the state board. (Amended ) -13-

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