Letcher County Agriculture Development Council Comprehensive Plan

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1 Letcher County Agriculture Development Council Comprehensive Plan OVERVIEW OF LETCHER COUNTY Letcher County, located on the geographic corner of eastern Kentucky, is primarily a mountainous region that utilizes many natural resources for economic and financial substance and security. Agriculture became a lower priority for Letcher County citizens to coal mining and timber harvesting within its recent economic history. Only within the last few years have many looked to agriculture for alternative income sources to the resurgence of the coal industry and the limits of opportunities in the harvest of high quality forest products. In Letcher County, the number of farms has declined steadily since 1944 from a high of 2,625 farms to 46 farms in The acres of land utilized in farming have decreased from 109,202 to 2,869. Today, we primarily see a limited usage of farming in the traditional areas of cropland, pasture and livestock production. The market value of agricultural products sold as reported by the US Census of Agriculture in 2006 was only $236,000 for farm products and livestock and products. Compared to the total earnings in Letcher County from mining at $45,872,000, the value of agriculture within the local economy was miniscule. Letcher County has a unique situation where a few farmers are going beyond cattle and swine as livestock with the introduction of goats as a marketable commodity. Presently, herbs, mushrooms, ginseng and other alternative crops are being explored within the community; as is; aquaculture, bee keeping and timber harvesting, due to the strong timber resources with our deciduous forest. However, with increasing fuel costs, rising costs for groceries and essentials, we foresee an increased interest in home gardening to supplement income in the coming years. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA Regional Economic Information System - Bureau of Economic Analysis report details the bear fact demographics of Letcher County as: Letcher is one of 120 counties in Kentucky. It is not part of any metropolitan area. The county 2006 population was 24,237. In 1999, Letcher had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $11,984 and well below the state average, $18,093. In 2007, the median household income was $24,548 far from the state average of $37,046. The 2007 economic date showed that 24% of the population still lives in poverty. Even though, coal mining within the region has increased employment and income to our local, we still see a decrease of miners necessary to remove the same tonnage per year.

2 RESOURCES & GEOGRAPHY Letcher County was formed in 1842, and located in the Eastern Coal Field region of the state on the border with Virginia. The elevation of the landmass in Letcher County ranges from 3720 to 940 feet above sea level. In 2006, the county population was 24,237 in a land area of 339 square miles.. Pine Mountain Ridge runs through the county from the northeast to the southwest. The Pound Gap through Pine Mountain was an important passage over the mountain range for early settlers, and though most moved onward, settlement in the area began around The county was named for Governor Robert P. Letcher. The county seat is Whitesburg. Letcher County was the setting for the early twentieth century novels The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come and The Trail of the Lonesome Pine of John Fox, Jr. due directly to the many wonderful natural resources of the county and region that was preserved then and now. Kingdom Come State Park is located in the southwest of the county on the border with Harlan County. Lilley Cornett Woods, second largest tracts of protected old-growth forest in the state, is located in the county and under the administration Eastern Kentucky University. Bad Branch State Nature Preserve is a 2,639-acre area in Letcher County containing Bad Branch Gorge, a forested gorge on the south face of Pine Mountain dedicated in September of This is one of the most significant and beautiful natural areas in the state. This preserve protects the scenic beauty of the gorge and one of the largest concentrations of rare and uncommon species known in the state. The preserve protects Kentucky's only-known nesting pair of common ravens, and the stream, Bad Branch, has been designated a Kentucky Wild River. Features include a hemlock gorge, Bad Branch Falls, high-quality stream, numerous rare species, trails along mountain crest with access of a foot trail and bridges, trail over uneven terrain. Little Shepherd Trail, a rural and scenic trail runs along the backbone of Pine Mountain and Jefferson National Forest with one portion that extend into Letcher County, also along the ridge of Pine Mountain, is located on the Kentucky-Virginia border covering 845 acres. The terrain along Pine Mountain is mountainous and steep, with narrow ridges and numerous rock outcroppings, entirely forested in mixed hardwoods. Fish Pond Lake, located outside the city of Jenkins, consists of 40 acres and is available for fishing, limited boating, camping and other recreational activities. There are also a few private lakes and ponds across the county. REVIEW OF THE PROCESS Members of Letcher County Agricultural Development Council, a coalition of agricultural based agencies and community farmers, developed the Letcher County Comprehensive Plan. Council members provided input for the plan during monthly meetings. Community input was provided to the council proactively as they developed the plan. Council members that provide community-based services talked to people within the community and visited agencies to get a wide sample of community input from people who might not otherwise attend meetings. Citizens of Letcher County were made aware of Council happenings via The Mountain Eagle (our weekly paper). Meeting dates and times were posted regularly, Council members names and contact numbers were listed, and the community was informed of proposal guidelines and deadlines.

3 ASSESSMENTS Strengths: Letcher County has multiple strengths that provide us opportunities to grow in agricultural production and marketing. The diversity of the terrain within the county provides many possibilities for alternative crops and agricultural endeavors. With the bulk of the land within the county covered in timber, the potential for lumber production and utilization of forest products on the local level exists. Due to the removal of natural resources such as coal and lumber within the county, individual landowners could explore the possibilities of enhancing grazing operations upon reclaimed stripmines and cleared hillsides due to clearcutting. Letcher County is blessed to have a school infrastructure not only at the K-12 level but also the post-secondary level with the branch campus of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. The county has multiple agricultural oriented agencies where farmers can utilize the many resources of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Letcher County Conservation Office. Weaknesses Few landowners within the county are presently involved in agricultural enterprises. Due to a long historical dependency on the coal industry, many young people must be reeducated to the possibilities of agribusiness as a source of sustainable income. Within the county there presently exists a lack of a comprehensive marketing plan for producers of their inventory outside the immediate region. The transportation system, in and out of eastern Kentucky, does influence directly outside agribusiness from investing in farming operations, product distribution and marketing. The county has a limited land base suitable for traditional farmland operations like row crop production. Very little land acreage is defined as prime agricultural lands. The highly erodibility of the soil base provides many obstacles for farmers to sustain their operations using traditional methods of farming. No-till farming and orchards are more beneficial to our community. Opportunities Opportunities lie in Letcher County in the ability to return landowners into agricultural farming operations. With the development of new local controlled boards, partnerships and cooperatives, new young farmers can see the monetary potential for new innovative enterprises and investments. Opportunities now exist for agricultural enterprises on land that is presently underused or out of production. In the areas of alternative crops, (mushrooms, herbs, blackberries, blueberries, etc.), beekeeping (honey), horticultural crops, and livestock production, (goats, beef, etc.), more marketing alliances will allow producers to gain market power. Another opportunity exists in the recruitment of other agribusiness related support industries into the area to utilize these innovative operations in unique and exciting new agricultural crop production that addresses the needs of specialized industries and marketplace. Presently, there exist no processing facilities for livestock within the county.

4 Local utilization for our growing livestock population to address the local consumer s needs is very limited. Threats Due to limited prime farmland availability, continued urbanization in the lower river bottoms of the county does threaten to limit the introduction of new agricultural practices on land historically used for farming. A threat to the county agricultural development is the outward migration of potential younger farmers from the county due to limited employment opportunities. This outward migration of the younger population hinders the potential for new investment revenue into agribusiness. The environmental threats come in the form of the close proximity of agricultural operations to residential homes. The possibilities for run-off to contaminate water supplies exist due to the steep topography. The utilization of normal farming practices could be hindered in areas such as tillage practices, waste management, and chemical control of weeds, insects, and diseases because of the terrain itself. Water quality issues could eminently impact agricultural operations due to the limited supply of water for agricultural endeavors and the potential for run-off problems. LETCHER COUNTY COUNCIL OBJECTIVES The goals and objectives of the Letcher County Agricultural Council will be to serve as leaders and advocates for the development and enhancement of farming operations within Letcher County; to serve as catalyst for the development of projects and programs that will recruit new and younger farmers into the economic base of agriculture; and to provide a referral system that will help develop self-sustaining agricultural operations for farmers and producers in the areas of: i. technical assistance ii. cost share or equipment loans iii. funding sources and assistance We hope to preserve the small family farms structure as a viable means to provide opportunities for many generations. We intend to diversify the economy to include agriculture as a viable means of economical development. We intend to solicit input from many individuals of different and diverse backgrounds within and outside of farming and agriculture to understand the community needs and assist through planning, implementation and evaluation of support services.

5 Mission Statement The mission statement for the Letcher County Agriculture Development Council is: The Letcher County Agricultural Development Council, working on behalf of the citizens, is dedicated to the advancement of agricultural as a viable economic resource and seeks to promote and encourage the innovative advancement of projects or programs that will expand the agricultural base of the county and region. We seek to foster an atmosphere of cooperation and support to local and regional landowners and farmers that will promote greater stewardship of the land and the other natural resources of the region. Short Term Priorities The Council has selected the following short-term priorities in agriculture enhancement and expansion for Letcher County: 1. Enhance Livestock production and Haylands Improvement 2. Horticulture/crop production 3. Alternative Agriculture (exp. Beekeeping) 4. Timberlands Restoration and Utilization 5. Enhance Water Resources and Better Utilization The five areas have the greatest potential for innovative startup projects that would demonstrate to the citizens the potential for agricultural expansion in Letcher County. The Council will support projects that through cooperation will assist many farmers or producers with agricultural enhancement and development. We will accept project plan proposals that will show evidence that it will expand new opportunities for economic gains and rewards for farmers and landowners. We encourage innovative pilot projects that will open new opportunities to the citizens of Letcher County and eastern Kentucky. Long Range Goals The long-range goals and objectives are to: 1. Develop the infrastructure of economic viability for farmers and producers. 2. Increase alternative agriculture opportunities for farmers of tobacco and other crops.

6 3. Develop self-sustaining agricultural operations by providing a referral system for farmers and producers in the areas of technical assistance, cost share or equipment loans, funding sources and assistance. Through cooperation among farmers, entrepreneurs and leaders, the agricultural advancement of projects within Letcher County bring many economical gains to this region. Through the expansion of alternative crops, silviculture and the diversification of crops and livestock, we hope to foster new exciting opportunities for agriculture in eastern Kentucky. We believe that the establishment of pioneering projects, support programs and renewed marketability of products within and outside the region will strengthen the role of agricultural in Letcher County and eastern Kentucky. Tactics for Leveraging Funds The Council believes that adequate funding resources can be found though regional partnerships, direct assistance from the State Agricultural Board, KY Div. of Conservation Cost-Share program and other local, state and federal sources. The Letcher County Agricultural Development Council will support direct grant proposals that demonstrate a clear vision for farming within the county and the potential for expansion beyond the initial project. The council will expect each proposal to meet all the local and state requirements within the plan and to show that through direct cost share, in-kind matching money, or other monetary support sources that the enterprise is feasible to the enhancement of agriculture on the local level. The proposals should be direct as to who will be responsible for the expenditures. A budget outlining expenses, expected revenue sources, cash flow, and growth potential should be detailed. The Council encourages landowners, farmers and entrepreneurs to work with the Small Business Administration or other professional support services to develop sound business plans. All applicants should show evidence of benefit to Letcher County. EVALUATION AND REVIEW The Council will consider each proposal based upon the established objectives. Each proposal will be weighed based upon a point system that will measure five essential elements of the proposed plans. The five areas to be evaluated include: a.) Sustainability of the plan, proposal or operation enhancement; b.) Compatibility to the state eligibility guidelines; c.) Economic impact on the county or regional agricultural environment; d.) Expansion or potential for Value Added; e.) Availability of resources, (suitable lands, equipment, support staff, etc.), for implementation or expansion of agricultural practices on the landowners property.

7 The plans with higher scores within each sign-up period will be submitted to the state board for consideration and approval. We expect semi-annual progress reports on the status of each project in form of financial statements, producer involvement, and project activities. These projects should have short term and long term goals from which the council may judge their progress. Continued support by the board is determined by the progress and the viability of the practices.