HARRISON COUNTY AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Transcription

1 HARRISON COUNTY AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Revised JANUARY 1, 2008 Submitted by Keith Smith (Chairman) Steven Prows Pam Woods Tina Kinney (Secretary) Linda Stubbs (non-voting) Tom Zack Evans Mike Malone Joyce Ann Mullen John White Gary Carter, Agent

2 2 Demographic Data Ag Development Harrison County As of 2006 Harrison County=s population was 18,592 with Cynthiana, the county seat having a population of There are eight smaller communities within the county, with Berry, population of 240 being the only significant town. This reflects a 6% increase in population in recent years. Harrison County is located in the north-central part of Kentucky encompassing approximately 192,000 acres of land. The county is split in relation to geographic type: the southern part being Outer Bluegrass meaning it is more suited to farming and development and the northern part being Eden Shale area, limiting it=s potential for ag production. Both the South Fork and the Main Licking River traverse the county, providing major opportunity for development. The two rivers are the main source of water supply. Water quality, water quantity, and flooding are major concerns for both the South Licking and the Main Licking. Because of the availability of the public water system into the county 95% of Harrison County homes have public water accessible with the remaining having cisterns and wells. The Cynthiana Sewage System has been upgraded in October 2007 allowing for new industrial development.. There is evidence that throughout the county there is water contamination of private water sources. The handling of solid waste, the closure of the Harrison County landfill and the monitoring of it are of great importance. Water well testing in the county has shown little evidence of

3 3 agriculture pollutants. We do realize there is some pollution occurring from agriculture but a larger amount is coming from urbanization and development of the area. Two areas of the county where major growth is expected in the next five years are the Southwestern Area near Leesburg (the Toyota plant) and the northern most area (greater Cincinnati). There is a great desire to maintain the rural community setting between the urban areas of Cincinnati and Lexington where we hold traditional values and value the family unit. Most land is still zoned for agriculture use. The rural agriculture setting is a major attraction of our community. Land use is a major concern for the farming community. Industry chooses the easiest to develop land within the county, which generally is prime farmland. Rejection by planners of less suitable land for industrial use is occurring. Existing highways do not provide easy access for economic development and employment opportunities within the county. It is hoped that completion of improvements to US #62 to Georgetown, a new bypass around the western side of Cynthiana and the upgrading of US #27 North to a four-lane highway will improve the situation allowing our county to receive some benefit from the Toyota plant development in neighboring Scott County. Currently there are 7,012 households, averaging 2.53 persons per household. Median household income for Harrison County is $38,140; for Kentucky it is $37,046, which shows Harrison County is slightly above the state median income.. The 2000 federal poverty level for a family of four is $17,050. Of the 7012 households in Harrison

4 4 County, 13.6% or 953 households are below the poverty level, less than the state average of 16.3%.. Farming=s contribution to the total county earnings decreased from 26.6% in 1969 to less than 10% in In 1982, there were 1253 farms. By 1997, that number had decreased to In 1982 farm size was 144 acres. This has increased to 157 acres in 1997 indicating consolidation of small family farms to larger operations. Land acreage in farming had decreased from 180,000 acres in 1990 to 169,000 in 1997 showing increased development into housing, roads, etc. OVERVIEW Traditionally, Harrison County=s agriculture is made up of tobacco, livestock, and forages. Tobacco has been our main stay amounting to two-thirds of our income. With the number of small farms which are still trying to operate, the loss of tobacco income has created a major depression on the Harrison County agriculture economy. Beef Cattle have surpassed tobacco as the largest income producer for the farm community. Because of the 180,000 acres of land, beef cattle have offered an expansion area to allow extra income to replace the lost tobacco income. The 21,000 head of beef cattle have remained the same. The major gain comes from improved breeding, growth, and marketing. Nearly $13,000,000 is now realized from beef production. Forages play a major role for our county. This product is consumed by our livestock enterprises, so it becomes an essential part of expansion for our beef cattle

5 5 production. Additional income development has been realized through the sale of hay crops created by the Phase I programs. Minimal amounts of grain are produced due to the topography and types of land available. Grain that is grown in our county is used mainly for livestock feeding with very little cash grain marketing. Many of the nontraditional crops are in their infancy stages. The funds from House Bill 611 will allow for expansion and development of infrastructures for marketing and development. Vegetable crops are one of the alternatives being considered by a few producers. The main reason more producers have not shown an interest is heavy labor requirements and the added costs to develop an infrastructure. New enterprises consist of sod farming, flowers and ornamentals, exotic animals, timber from tree farming, aquaculture, vineyards, lawn care, and tree trimming. All of these opportunities have been adopted due to lost income from farming. Harrison County Agriculture has been in a downward spiral since During that season Harrison County created nearly 37 million dollars of agricultural crops and livestock income. Also, during 1994, burley tobacco created nearly 18 million dollars income. Following the elimination of the tobacco program in 2004, and the reduction of production in 2005, the crop has maintained or slightly increased production in the last three years. Tobacco now makes up $8-10 million of income for local producers and allows those producers, who are interested, to continue to produce.

6 6 METHODS OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Harrison County Comprehensive Plan was formed through a number of methods. We, as a board, have allowed producers and citizens of Harrison County an opportunity to voice their ideas and suggestions through public forums and written suggestions. Through a series of newspaper articles we tried to keep the community informed and offer citizens an opportunity to develop ideas for public discussions. Other media used were Internet web site, radio, newsletters, and direct mailings. The local board of Harrison County assumes the responsibility of the Comprehensive Plan with little or no funding. A formal plan would require funds for surveys, personnel for interviews, and trained professionals to direct and assist in this process. Our local county government funded a public forum with a meal to encourage the farm community to take part. The only other funds utilized were provided by the Harrison County Extension District Board for mailings. One additional source or reference has come from the eight appointed board members. These members were selected because of their involvement with the farming community. Who else would be a better resource than someone who was selected by his or her peers to serve as a community representative? POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS Our community is blessed with many positive characteristics that would seem to

7 7 lead to a bright future for developing new approaches to agriculture. Some of these include. 1. Harrison County is located within 15 miles of two major interstate systems that travel across the United States. 2. We have an abundance of forage that does support our livestock enterprises and we could add value to our forages for sale to dairies in the south and horses in the central Bluegrass area. 3. Nearly 95% of our farms and homes in Harrison County have access to public waterlines on their properties. 4. Harrison County has two major water sources. The east side is bordered by the Main Licking River and the center part of the county is transversed by the South Fork of the Licking River. 5. A new Industrial Park is in the beginning phases of development, with the first business developed, which will add a stronger job base to the community. 6. One local slaughter facility has shown growth as well as a potential market for a few farmers in the community. Recently the plant has undergone extensive renovation and has been upgraded to USDA inspection standards. 7. The Scott County Vegetable Co-op, located 15 miles from Cynthiana, offers producers marketing opportunities for supplemental crops. 8. Licking Valley Community College, a branch of Maysville Community College, is headquartered in Cynthiana and a building expansion is planned for the near

8 8 future, with additional expansion planned for the future.. 9. Harrison County has Farm Bureau, Beef Cattle Association, Ag Development Council, Community Farm Alliance, and Harrison County Young Farmers organizations with strong leadership for local farmers. 10. Central Kentucky Vocational Technical School, which serves as a training program for high school students, is located in Harrison County and is adjacent to the local High School. 11. A strong group of ag organizations serve the ag community in Harrison County. They include the Harrison County Extension Office, Harrison County Farm Service Agency, and Harrison County Conservation District. All of these offices serve the local community and farmers with ag programs and education. 12. Cynthiana has replaced five tobacco warehouse companies with one local buying station. This is a major loss of employment for the local community. 13. Harrison County continues to expand its local hospital (Harrison Memorial Hospital), which serves the local area and some surrounding counties. This has helped to bring in additional medical professionals to improve medical services. There are five major problems that expansion of agriculture has to deal with. They are: 1. Land type and topography. The northern two-thirds of Harrison County is basically pastureland. Most of this land is covered with endophyte-infected

9 9 fescue. Although pasturing is a simple answer to this problem, a lack of understanding or an apathetic attitude because of tobacco creates a major problem. Because of the steady source of income from tobacco, it has not been as critical to deal with this issue. 2. With the completion of US 62W, we continue seeing loss of employment in Harrison County and growth of employment in Scott County. Even though a new Industrial Park has been open, our community has not realized the job possibilities which normally come with new industry. There was hope that agriculture producers and spouses would realize new employment opportunities to supplement their farm community. This has not occurred and citizens continue to travel out of county for job opportunities. 3. Low unemployment has also created a problem for the farm community. Under these conditions the availability and the quality of available labor are limited therefore outside sources of labor have been required. 4. Income from dependence on tobacco has always paid the bills. Many of those who lived, drank, and slept tobacco are having a hard time adapting. Change is hard to accept and tobacco farmers may be the most difficult to accept change. 5. Age of the active farmer in Harrison County is approximately 59 years. Many younger farmers have already accepted the change and have sought additional or new employment. Finding additional job opportunities or adopting more intensive labor jobs may be difficult.

10 10 OPPORTUNITIES The Harrison County Ag Development Council has determined, through meetings and suggestions from local county producers, that the following areas show the greatest opportunities for development in the agriculture sector. LIVESTOCK & FORAGE ENHANCEMENT - Harrison County=s beef cow numbers have reached nearly 21,000 head. Because of this, the income from calves and cows have reached nearly twelve million dollars. With the vast amount of grazing land available in the county an expansion of this area seems to be an opportunity for local producers. Along with expansion, there is a real need for improving the management of our livestock operations. This has included better genetics, intensive grazing, pasture management, expansion of water supplies, and better nutrition. All of these areas allow for improvement on farms in our local county. ALTERNATIVE CROPS - Prior to 1998, very few alternatives to traditional enterprises such as tobacco and beef cattle had been explored by farmers in Harrison County. With the drastic cuts in tobacco quotas that have occurred in the past two years, farmers have begun considering crops such as fruits and vegetables, greenhouse production of flowers and shrubs, sod, and tobacco. The resolve is strong in our farmers to find alternatives that will allow them to continue making their living in production agriculture. Harrison County has many assets that should provide an advantage for our farmers to excel in the production of some or all of these enterprises. These assets include:

11 11 1. Abundance of water resource for irrigation, filling ponds, etc. 2. Adequate fertile soils for small acreages intensive management crops. 3. Under utilized greenhouse facilities, as well as experience in greenhouse production of plants. 4. Access to migrant labor and experience in their employment. 5. Located within 15 miles of two interstate highways. Located within one hour=s drive of two major metropolitan areas. Located within 15 miles of the Central Kentucky Growers Cooperative, and located within one day=s drive of nearly all of the eastern half of the United States. There also are some challenges that must be met if our farmers are to be successful in these alternative enterprises. The challenges include: 1. Markets being developed and marketing skills must either be learned or hired. 2. Specialized facilities and equipment will be required. 3. Production skills must be learned. 4. Capital investment is required. 5. Product liability issues must be dealt with. The potential is very strong for some of these new enterprises to replace large part of the income lost in Harrison County as a result of quota cuts of tobacco. Our location and climate should allow our farmers to fill a niche created after southern production has ceased and northern production has not yet come to market.

12 12 FORESTRY MARKETING PROGRAM - The Harrison County Ag Development Council does intend to offer a marketing program to all land owners in Harrison County to assist said owners to market standing timber which is at maturity. At the basis of the plan is the hiring of a timber buyer that will work as an agent for the farm owner. This individual will be hired on a base salary plus commission basis. It is the hope of the Harrison County Ag Development Council that other adjoining counties will also be interested in offering this service in their respective counties. If such counties show an interest in this program, perhaps several counties could share in the expenses, as well as the rewards of this venture. EDUCATION - The old adage that anyone can farm is no longer true. As trends change producers must also change in order to continue to see a profit. The Harrison County Ag Development Council has set aside a portion of funds to help farmers and/or families obtain the necessary methods and educational fundamentals to enable them to continue their farming occupations. SPECIAL PROJECTS - With the decline of tobacco income, there is a definite need for new projects. There are many products that are consumed here but originate from out of state. Many of these products can and should be produced here. This will require much thought and research for individuals to find what to produce and what they want to produce. For some products, we have assets already in place such as irrigation and spray equipment. Other projects will require different facilities and equipment. As a board, we feel it necessary to fund some individual projects to get them started and as their success builds, other farmers will see the viability of their projects.

13 13 These ideas are relatively new and unknown at this time. As ideas and proposals develop, changes may need to be made in funding percentages. TOBACCO - Harrison County is one of the largest burley producing counties in Kentucky. Tobacco plays a major role in the local economy. AGRI-TOURISM - With the location of Harrison County being in a fifty-mile radius of two large population areas, our county needs to look at ways to attract these populations. Our county has two major rivers and rolling landscapes which should attract urban populations to our area. This is a new area of emphasis for our community but our meetings have shown some interest from local land owners. A large Recreation Park is now being developed. This park will offer community pride and recreational opportunities for all citizens of the community. This park is also the future home of the Harrison County Farmer s Market. This will add additional farm income for vegetable and fruit producers. As shown in the areas of interest in our county there are many opportunities to increase ag production. These deal with marketing of our natural resources, marketing and purchasing our products together which give us a stronger buying potential for inputs, and developing new markets for our products. THREATS Harrison County is a rural area which creates a considerable appeal by many outside interests. Because of this, land values have continued to escalate due to the demand for building sites and citizens looking for small farm options. Over the last few years a large number of new homes have been built. This leads to an urbanization of

14 14 our local community. The western side of the county has grown to a point that houses are lining many of the roadways. Several of these new citizens lack the knowledge and understanding of farm life. Therefore, many of the less attractive issues are becoming more important between farm and non farm interest. One major area of growth in this plan deals with livestock production. Increased numbers of livestock creates additional waste problems. This could be a major threat to any farm growth or expansion. One other issue that the farm community will need to deal with is the continued environmental issues that are being strengthened on a year to year basis. As standards increase in severity, farm life will become more difficult to maintain. MISSION/VISION STATEMENT The infusion of income from the Phase I funding will allow Harrison County farmers an opportunity to explore alternative and supplemental enterprises and enhance existing enterprises to replace the lost income created by the reduction of tobacco. Keep Farmers Farming! SHORT TERM PRIORITIES The Harrison County Ag Development Council has developed the following short term priorities: Allow access to the Phase I monies by every producer in Harrison County with priority given to farmers suffering the greatest loss from tobacco.

15 15 Develop a working relationship with the State Board. Develop a form for producers to use. Make proposal forms available to producers as quickly as possible. Speed up process to receive proposals. Approve and fund proposals on a timely basis. Identify similar ideas that might create a regional approach. *SHORT TERM PRIORITIES Several areas of cost share assistance have been identified by our local board. These areas should have positive impact on a large number of our county farmers in these particular areas. The main needs identified to this point are livestock and forage utilization. Our short term priorities are to spend approximately 50% of our county funds on programs to improve livestock and forage income. LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CURRENT UPDATE The local Ag Development Board continues to service tobacco farmers in Harrison County. Since 2002 Harrison County has completed 1791 projects for a funding of $2,319, This means the Phase I program has generated over 5 million dollars of business for the local community. The reason for the large investment is that each program requires a match. Did you know: * 467 Beef Bulls were purchased amounting to $291, * 352 Cattle Handling investments amounted to $399, * 271 projects of Fencing amounted to $437, * 198 projects of Hay and Grain Storage amounting to $526, * 136 projects of Lime applications amounting to $90,

16 16 * 30 Water Enhancement Projects amounting to $58, * 27 Heifer Improvement Projects amounting to $27, * 203 Forage Projects amounting to $196, * 47 Goat Diversification projects were begun at a cost of $60, * 48 Diversification projects amounting to $164, * 12 larger county programs amounting to $67, This program was designed to help tobacco producers diversify away from tobacco production and into other income opportunities. Many of these programs are beginning to show dividends for the future of agriculture in Harrison County. This program will continue until funds are eliminated with the hopes that Harrison County farmers will become more diversified in all types of agriculture. LONG TERM GOALS term goals: The Harrison County Ag Development Council has developed the following long Accept proposals that will generate the greatest impact for the future of agriculture. Develop a working relationship with neighboring counties so future endeavors will be possible (i.e., regional approach.) All funds should be matched equally with producer dollars 1) so that producers share in the risk and 2) to allow funds to reach a greater number of producers. Keep Farmers Farming. In livestock projects such as forage improvement, genetic improvement, and livestock facility improvement the maximum a producer will be able to receive is $5,000 or $60/cow up to the $5,000 maximum.

17 17 TACTICS FOR LEVERAGING FUNDS Many of the areas of emphasis our council has identified are similar to other counties in Central Kentucky. We will support proposals from other communities if we can agree on goals and objectives fitting our comprehensive plan. We feel the beef and forage initiative will be considered by many local communities along with area and state groups. This should be an area that our community can share a proposal for state funding. Matching multiple county or state funds must show evidence of benefit to the producers of Harrison County. EVALUATION AND REVIEW Each proposal will be evaluated based on its effects on our local economy. Whether it creates an opportunity for one person or for a group of individuals, it will be considered. The Council will consider proposals as they are received. The Council will determine whether each proposal fits into the Comprehensive Plan which has been developed. The evaluation of these proposals will be based on criteria established by this council and by the standards established by the state board. Our board assumes that the state board, upon approval of a project, will create some type of reporting form either monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. The Harrison County Ag Development Council has determined priorities for the comprehensive plan. The following percentages have has been established and their priorities are:

18 18 Livestock & Forage Enhancement - 30% Alternative Crops - 20% Unique Agriculture Situations & Special Projects - 23% AgriTourism - 5% Education on farm and off farm - 10% Timber Marketing - 2% SUCCESS OR FAILURE A local council prioritized the comprehensive plan. After the initial proposals are considered, the board may see reason to change some of the emphasis pertaining to the overall direction of the comprehensive plan. At that present time, the board has based its priorities on the areas which have the most need as well as the most opportunity. This could change as more producers take part. This document is based on current information available to our council. As the county situation changes the need for changes in the comprehensive plan may become evident. Therefore, the Harrison County Ag Development Council will make any changes necessary to continue growth in Harrison County.