At the March Kentucky Agricultural Development Board meeting, the Board approved eight projects totaling $292,200 in the first round of the 2005 Agri-tourism Competitive Awards Program.

The eight agri-tourism businesses receiving state and county Agricultural Development Funds for agri-tourism endeavors included:

• Acres of Land
• Boyd Orchards
• Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Inc.
• Evans Orchard and Cider Mill, LLC
• Farmer Bill’s, LLC
• "R" Farm Pumpkins & More, LLC
• Serenity Hill Farm
• Terrapin Hill Farm

The 2005 Agri-tourism Competitive Awards Program was designed to assist producers as they venture into Kentucky’s emerging agri-tourism industry. The Board set aside $1.0 million ($500,000 in each of two rounds of awards) in state funds for the the development of agri-tourism businesses and regional organizations in the competitive awards program. The deadline for the next round of competitive agri-tourism applications is August 1, 2005.

The Kentucky Legislature continues to make great strides towards lessening Kentucky’s dependence on tobacco production, while revitalizing the farm economy, by investing 50% of Kentucky's Master Settlement Agreement funds into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund. Since the inception of the program in January 2001, the Agricultural Development Board has approved over 1,950 proposals committing over $171 million to an array of county, regional, and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises.

To learn more about the 2005 Agri-tourism Competitive Awards Program and other grant and loan programs available though the Agricultural Development Fund, contact the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy at (502) 564-4627.