Have you ever wondered what the little “Kentucky Proud” logo meant?
Ben Shaffer of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture provided Owensboro Living with a brief synopsis. Shaffer said, “Kentucky Proud is the official State Department of Agriculture marketing program.” “We affix our logo or sticker to goods that are grown, made, or processed by small agri-businesses, family farms, or farmers in Kentucky.”
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If you start looking for that small insignia, you’ll see it practically anywhere that sells goods produced or grown in Kentucky, including restaurants, local farms, Nona’s Downtown Market, and almost every other establishment.
On their website, they state that being Kentucky Proud is an investment in the state’s people, land, and future in addition to being a safe and wholesome food source for your family. Purchasing Kentucky Proud goods accomplishes two goals: #1) Supporting Kentucky’s farm families and ensuring that you’re eating fresh, wholesome food is possible when you purchase Kentucky Proud at farmers markets or farm stores like Reid’s and Trunnell’s. #2) By keeping money in the neighborhood and fostering a sense of belonging, purchasing additional locally produced goods also supports our local economy.
There are 3,500 Kentucky Proud members across the entire state. Numerous local farms and businesses in Owensboro/Daviess County derive significant benefits from the program. “The entire Kentucky Proud initiative has shown such support,” said Maria Kelly, the owner of Nona’s Downtown Market. Commissioner James Comer of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture noticed that 80% of Nona’s vendors are Kentucky Proud, making the restaurant somewhat distinctive. Commissioner Comer requested me to serve as an ambassador for this market idea across the state, Kelly said, adding that he was there for our ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Goat Ridge Farm in Utica, owned by Karen Pruden, is one of Nona’s Kentucky Proud suppliers. Although they had raised cattle for 13 years, they have only recently begun breeding goats. In January 2013, they joined Kentucky Proud. “We’ve been able to grow and bring more products to the market since being in Kentucky Proud,” Pruden stated. At Nona’s, goat-milk-based lip balms, soaps, and lotions from Goat Ridge Farm are highly sought-after. Karen is quite happy with the program and says she has had a great experience with Kentucky Proud. “The individuals were a pleasure to work with, and the online application process was simple. Increased public availability of fresh, natural products is facilitated by Kentucky Proud.
The Kentucky Proud Program provided funding to the Owensboro Regional Farmer’s Market last year for promotional purposes. Farmers Market President Suzanne Cecil White states, “Since we started advertising more, we’ve seen a significant increase in customers.” “Having that kind of advertising definitely helped spread the word about our farmer’s market.”
A Fresh Look at Kentucky Farms.
The top three things that a thousand people worldwide will always be able to name about Kentucky are horses, bourbon, and fried chicken.
For many, it is the de facto identity of the Commonwealth. States in similar circumstances can be found elsewhere. A mouse that lives in the most wonderful spot on earth is largely responsible for the yearly migration of millions of people to Florida, while Maryland is famous for its crab cakes and Iowa for its corn. Geographical correlations are unavoidable. In Kentucky, we’re just lucky to have a few of exceptional ones.
It is no coincidence that Kentucky’s standing in the world depends on a small number of key sectors. Furthermore, it is no coincidence that Kentucky farms have had a significant influence on how the world views us. Virginia’s 1776 maize Patch and Cabin Rights Act attracted new settlers to the Kentucky area, and they soon discovered that maize grew exceptionally well in Kentucky’s fertile soils. If settlers agreed to cultivate maize and build cottages, the legislation granted them 400 acres of frontier land in Kentucky. Scotland and Ireland were among the nations that encouraged emigrants to traverse the Appalachian Mountains, bringing with them their knowledge of whiskey distillation from their own countries. Soon enough, a novel kind of whiskey with a mash bill primarily made of maize was becoming popular across the country.
For almost two centuries, Kentucky’s equestrian sector has flourished, in large part due to the state’s natural geography. The limestone-rich, undulating hills of Central Kentucky supply a wealth of vital nutrients to the soil, producing excellent grazing habitat suitable for producing the world’s finest Thoroughbred horses.
There’s no doubting Kentucky farms are responsible for producing the greatest of both, whether you believe limestone in the soil is the cause of Derby-winning race horses or limestone spring water is the secret to world-class bourbon. What about the fried chicken, then? That feather in our cap, well, that’s mostly the fault of a particular Colonel from Kentucky dressed in a white suit and a string tie. That being said, there is a substantial poultry sector in the state. Poultry is really one of Kentucky’s top five agricultural exports, and in 2019 it gave Kentucky farmers over $1.1 billion in revenue.
With about 38% of all available land being used for agriculture, it is the biggest human enterprise on Earth. Approximately 13 million acres in Kentucky are used for agricultural purposes. That represents slightly more than half of the state’s overall area. Furthermore, farming is still mostly a family enterprise in Kentucky, where 97% of farms are held by families. The average American farm is 434 acres, out of the 915 million acres that are cultivated nationwide. Nonetheless, half of all farms in Kentucky are smaller than 50 acres, making small farms the foundation of the state’s agricultural industry.
Kentucky has a wide variety of farms as well. Kentucky farms develop and raise a vast variety of crops, animals, and other goods, ranging from cereals, tobacco, and fruit to cattle, sheep, and even aquaculture. In Kentucky, the proportion of female farmers rose by more than 35 percent between 2012 and 2017. Furthermore, although it’s frequently discussed that the average age of American farmers is 58, there are over 13,000 farmers in Kentucky under the age of 35.
Modern agricultural technology, or “ag-tech,” is being widely used on farms in Kentucky in an effort to boost profitability, identify efficiencies, and improve yields. As soon as new goods and research are launched, the newest robotics, farm management software, and mechanizations are put into practice. Four people were fed by one farmer in 1930. 166 persons are being fed yearly by one farmer both domestically and overseas.
Although sales of horses are the commonwealth’s hallmark industry—it ranks first in the US for equine sales—the state’s economy also heavily depends on sales of cattle, poultry, and other agricultural animal products. Kentucky ranks ninth nationwide in total inventory of cattle and has more beef cattle than any other state east of the Mississippi River. In Kentucky, there are around 1,400 hog and pig enterprises with over 285,000 animals. In terms of meat goat production, Kentucky is ranked seventh in the US, while milk goat production is ranked 19th. Furthermore, over 50,000 dairy cows in Kentucky generated 126 million gallons of milk in 2018.
Most people undoubtedly identify Kentucky-grown maize with whiskey, and each year, distilleries in the state need between 15 and 20 million bushels of corn. While not a commodity often associated with Kentucky, soybeans were farmed on almost 1.8 million acres in 2019 and brought in $778 million in revenue. Livestock is fed soybean meal, but soybean oil is also used to make ethanol and a variety of culinary items, such as salad dressing, candies, and margarine.
There is so much more to discover and like about Kentucky farms, even if the world may only know us for our fried chicken, bourbon, and horses. The official state marketing campaign for agricultural products, Kentucky Proud®, promotes locally produced food, farmers’ markets, farm stands, agritourism attractions, and a host of other goods and places with a connection to Kentucky. Over 10,000 businesses that are Kentucky Proud members represent every facet of the commonwealth’s agriculture. Customers may interact with farm companies and items manufactured using ingredients from Kentucky farmers through Kentucky Proud.