HOPKINS COUNTY AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Transcription

1 HOPKINS COUNTY AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Revised and Approved April 14, 2008 Submitted by: Allen LeGrand, (Chairman) Danny Peyton, (Vice-Chairman Gigi Smith, (Secretary) David Brumfield Roger Osburn Kenny Roberts Sam Frazer Wesley Slaton George I. Kelley-Program facilitator Matt Fulkerson-Program facilitator

2 Hopkins County Agriculture Development Council Comprehensive Plan OVERVIEW OF COUNTY Hopkins County is located in the Western Kentucky Coal Field Region and has historically been heavily dependent on goods-producing manufacturing, mining industries and agriculture. The county ranks ninth in the state in land area with 353,280 acres. About 141,000 of these acres are devoted to production agriculture, including 68,000 acres of corn and soybeans and 55,000 acres of hay and pastureland. Farm gate receipts in 2006 were $51.9 million derived primarily from contract poultry, field corn, soybeans, feeder calves, hogs and tobacco. The county ranks 22 nd in the state in total farm cash receipts and 18 th in livestock and crop sales. The number of full-time farmers has declined to 208 persons who currently list farming as their principal occupation. However, the county has 330 part-time farmers including a number of young professional and newly retired persons buying farmland and exploring agriculture enterprises. An increasing amount of the county s row crop land is being cash rented and managed by large acreage farmers from adjoining counties. Coal mining has experienced resurgence in the area. Some manufacturing jobs have been lost due to movement to Mexico. Local economic leaders have worked diligently to secure more manufacturing jobs and have been successful in attracting Land O Frost with 300+ employees. Meanwhile the county s agriculture economy has been strengthened by the location of a poultry integrator in the region in 1993 and ethanol production at Commonwealth Agri-Energy in nearby Hopkinsville. Farmers have access to a local grain elevator and several nearby river and rail terminals. The most common enterprise on our farms is beef cattle. Nearly 52% of the county s 538 farms produce beef. About 15 producers grow the county s 211 acres of burley and dark air-cured tobaccos. Most of the feeder cattle and tobacco is sold at markets within a 60 mile radius of Madisonville whereas hogs are primarily shipped directly to slaughter plants. An increasing amount of agriculture revenue is being generated from the horticulture sector which includes greenhouse plants, sod production and sales at the local Farmers Market. The timber industry also accounts for approximately $8 million dollars annually and employs 75 people.

3 Page 2 REVIEW OF THE PROCESS The Hopkins County Agriculture Development Council (HCADC) sought input from young producers who had farmed less than ten years. These producers represented the county s major commodity groups and geographical areas. They were invited to participate in a focus group held at the Hopkins County Extension Office for the specific purpose of providing input on how the county s portion of the funds should be used to grow the farm economy. Members of the Hopkins County Agriculture Extension Council and the Hopkins County Agriculture Development Council were also engaged in the process during separate meetings. A total of forty people offered comment. ASSESSMENTS Strengths The greatest asset the county has is its people. Hopkins County has 46,283 residents, ranking it 16 th in state population. Rural residents comprise 58.1% of the population. There are 17,760 households. The work ethic of the people and the growing number of young and active leaders in the business and agriculture community are definite strengths. Hopkins County offers state of the art health care facilities and services to a large area of primarily rural residents. The county continues to grow as a retail center for those who live in a 40 mile radius of Madisonville. The large health care industry (2,000+ employees), a large school corporation, as well as existing and new manufacturing jobs will continue to draw workers from a seven-county area, an area which offers a potential of 180,000 workers and consumers of goods and services. The Breathitt and Western Kentucky Parkways transverse the county and will become future I-66 and I-69 corridors. The interstates link the community to three million people who live within 100 miles of Madisonville. A good railroad system exists. The county has two public school districts with excellent facilities and three church affiliated systems. The Hopkins County School District includes eight elementary schools, three middle schools and two modern high schools with approximately 7,500 students. Madisonville Community College and Madisonville Technical College offer postsecondary training. Two high schools offer agriculture programs.

4 Page 3 The Hopkins County Cooperative Extension Service continues to serve the needs of landowners in the areas of farm management, production agriculture, horticulture, and community development. Farm and non-farm residents also have local access to the programs and services of the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Service, veterinary clinics, a grain elevator, four farm supply dealerships, a farm equipment dealer, numerous garden centers and the Farmers Market. Weaknesses Additional value-added industries, e.g., ethanol production facilities, snack food processing, is needed to add greater stability to the local grain economy. On a different level is the need to better inform local consumers and future generations about our modern food production system and its importance to all citizens. Opportunities Less than one percent of the county s feeder calves are being marketed through preconditioning sales. The Green River and Guthrie CPH Sales have demonstrated the profitability of grouped efforts, but many producers are still reluctant to change marketing habits. Phase I funding suggestions identified by a survey sent to 70 producers in October, 2007 were: 1) Temporary fencing for rotational grazing 2) Pasture renovation assistance 3) Concrete livestock feed troughs 4) Bull Purchasing 5) Cattle handling facilities 6) Hay barns 7) Precision agriculture tools Threats The continued urbanization of Hopkins County will challenge our community at several levels. The current economy has provided increased disposable income for many non-farm citizens of the county. More and more farmland is being purchased by non-traditional farmers. Urban sprawl has also created conflicts between livestock farmers and their city cousins in terms of waste management and opportunities for expansion. More restrictive environmental standards threaten the ability of crop and livestock producers in using normal production practices. If not abated, these restrictions will limit the ability of farmers to choose least cost-effective production practices such as the use of manures, tillage practices, and chemical control of pests.

5 Page 4 Mission Statement The Hopkins County Agriculture Development Council (HCADC) will work on behalf of the citizens of the county and specifically family farmers, to promote and encourage projects that will expand and grow the agriculture base of our community. Short term priorities The HCADC will review and rate grant proposals that are compatible with existing and new county model programs and projects submitted to the ADB from local entrepreneurs. The council will also review regional projects that add value to our raw commodities. We intend to allocate funds in these three categories: 1) Support of new agriculture enterprises 2) Support of existing agriculture enterprises 3) Value-added processing Long term priorities The HCADC will seek and assign a priority rating to grant proposals from eligible administrative units as long as county funds exist and requests are for funds from the categories listed above. Methods to Receive Funding The HCADC will use cost share as its method for funding projects. The council will expect proposals to show evidence of in-kind, matching funds, or other support equal to 50 percent of the total cost of the project. Consideration will be given to what percentage of the county s allocation the applicant is requesting. Any person, group, business, or organization applying for funding is expected to provide detailed information about the project including type of project, amount requested, total cost, an operational budget, the desired outcome, and how the project will benefit the county. Project Merit and Evaluation The HCADC will review each proposal to determine if the project conforms to 1) State Agriculture Development Board guidelines and 2) the local councils mission statement. Administrative bodies and approved applicants will be required to file specified reports.

6