Monday May 6, 2024
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Gov. Matt Bevin, along with Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles, today proclaimed May as Beef Month in Kentucky, citing beef’s nutritional benefits and its impact on Kentucky’s economy. They were joined by Beef Council chairman Steve Dunning, Beef Council president David Lemaster, Kentucky Cattleman’s Association executive vice president Dave Maples, Kentucky Beef Council director of Consumer Affairs Kiah Twisselman, and the Governor’s Office of Agriculture Policy executive director Warren Beeler.
“Kentucky is the leading beef cattle producing state east of the Mississippi River and ranks fifth nationally in total number of farms,” said Gov. Bevin. “We have a rich agricultural tradition and history, and beef cattle comprise a big part of that.”
“Cattle generated more than $1 billion in farm gate cash receipts in 2014,” Commissioner Quarles said. “That means income for Kentucky farm families and economic activity throughout the Commonwealth. Beef is also an important part of a balanced diet with protein, vitamins, and minerals we all need to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.”
Kentucky ranks eighth in the United States with just over 1 million beef cows as of Jan. 1, the National Agricultural Statistics Service reported. The Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association says some 38,000 farming operations in Kentucky produce beef cattle.
“Kentucky is home to a million cows supporting thousands of farm families, rural communities and our commonwealth,” said Beeler. “Kentucky’s investment in the beef industry has only enhanced production and quality levels to new heights.”
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture helps Kentucky beef cattle producers raise and market their products. The Office of the State Veterinarian works with farmers, veterinary practitioners, the state livestock disease diagnostic laboratories, and its counterparts in other states and at the federal level to protect Kentucky livestock herds from disease and eliminate disease outbreaks when they occur. The KDA’s marketing office helps Kentucky producers find new markets for their products.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is accepting applications from community organizations interested in hosting Kentucky Proud dinners now through fall of 2016.
The Kentucky Proud Food to Fork Program will provide funding to qualifying applicants for dinners that showcase local food products. The program will also promote local agritourism businesses and provide educational background on locally produced agricultural food and products.
“The purpose of the Kentucky Proud Food to Fork Program is to raise awareness of local farms, farmers, producers, and Kentucky Proud products while helping a good cause,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said. “I encourage local organizations to send us your proposals.”
Applicants must agree to display the Kentucky Proud logo in all graphics and promotional materials for the event. Successful applicants will agree to make every effort to source local agricultural products from area farms and producers. Applicants must designate a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization as the beneficiary of the dinner. The department will provide a 50-50 match for eligible expenses. Funding limit will be based on attendance.
Applications must be submitted by Sept. 2 to Alisha Morris, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Office of Agricultural Marketing and Product Promotion, 111 Corporate Drive, Frankfort, KY 40601 or alisha.morris@ky.gov. Successful applicants must hold their events no later than Nov. 30.
To download an application and guidelines, go to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s website,www.kyagr.com, and click on “Kentucky Proud” in the Forms menu.
Farm Safety Symposium opens 2016 Dixie Fire School in Elizabethtown
Three Kentucky farmers who survived major accidents will address the 23rd annual Louis Crosier Farm Safety Symposium on Friday at 7 p.m. EST at the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. Dale Dobson, administrator of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Home Safety Program, will lead the Farm Safety Symposium and serves as president of the Dixie Fire School.
“These courageous individuals are willing to share their experiences so no one else suffers what they have suffered,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said. “The best way to deal with a farming accident is to prevent it from happening in the first place. That’s the purpose of KDA’s Farm and Home Safety Program – to educate people to practice safety at all times, on and off the farm.”
Gary Rock of LaRue County, Jack Trumbo of Shelby County, and Anna Ellis of Eddyville will tell how they were injured, how they endured the long and often painful road to recovery – and how their accidents could have been prevented.
The Farm Safety Symposium kicks off the 2016 Dixie Fire School, a three-day event that provides continuing education for first responders and youth on a wide variety of subjects, including rescue from grain storage facilities and large-animal emergencies. Some courses offer college credit hours.
The KDA’s Farm and Home Safety Program travels all over Kentucky to deliver farm, ATV, and lawn mower safety demonstrations. The program operates a one-of-a-kind rollover tractor simulator that demonstrates how a rollover protective structure (ROPS) and seat belt can save a tractor operator from injury or death in the event of a rollover. The program uses a miniature grain bin and gravity wagon to show the risk of becoming trapped in grain, and a power-take-off (PTO) apparatus that demonstrates the dangers of getting caught in a moving PTO, which is a rapidly rotating drive shaft used to power farm implements.
