Event celebrates the cream of Kentucky's youth crop
Commissioner Richie Farmer
You’ve heard me say it before, but it bears repeating — Kentucky’s most important agricultural product is our youth.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is going to honor hundreds of young people from across the Commonwealth for their achievements on Saturday, Dec. 6 at the annual Kentucky Proud Points Banquet at the Frankfort Convention Center.
These young men and women were among some 1,100 exhibitors who participated in the Kentucky Proud Points program this year. They are some of the finest our Commonwealth has to offer. They are our farmers and leaders of tomorrow, and they deserve to be recognized.
The KDA’s Division of Show and Fair Promotion established the Kentucky Proud Points Program during my first year in office four years ago to recognize the top scorers in each livestock species with awards for their accomplishments during the show season.
Exhibitors who earned the most Kentucky Proud points will be invited on stage at the banquet, presented with plaques and have their photos taken. Every livestock exhibitor who participated in a preview show, district show or junior livestock exposition during 2008 is invited to attend the banquet along with his or her family.
Kentucky Proud Points earned in the three Kentucky Junior Livestock Expos (KJLEs) at Morehead State, Murray State and Western Kentucky universities carry more weight in the Kentucky Proud Points competition than those of any other show except the Kentucky State Fair.
Each two-day KJLE is more than just a livestock show. The first day is educational, with seminars from some of the nation’s top livestock professionals, a livestock judging contest with oral reasons, and a skill-a-thon. The competition moves to the show ring on the second day for 4-H and FFA exhibitors. Each expo concludes with a round-robin showmanship competition among the top two exhibitors in each species for the title of supreme overall showman.
The KDA’s commitment to Kentucky’s youth doesn’t stop there. The Division of Show and Fair Promotion promotes Kentucky’s livestock industry by sponsoring more than 100 district, state and national livestock shows and sales for youth and adult exhibitors. The division administers the Aid to Local Agricultural Fairs Program, which assists 105 local county fairs in promoting and advancing Kentucky agriculture. The KDA provides premiums for these shows and programs totaling more than $1 million annually.
The Department has contributed nearly half a million dollars to Kentucky 4-H and Kentucky FFA since I took office in 2004. Earlier this year, when the KDA suffered severe budget cuts along with the rest of state government, I felt it important to maintain our commitment to 4-H and FFA. More than 245,000 Kentuckians ages 9-19 participate in 4-H, while FFA is open to 7th- through 12th-graders enrolled in an agriculture course at a public school.
For more information on the Kentucky Proud Points program or youth livestock shows, visit the KDA Web site at http://www.kyagr.com/marketing/fair/index.htm.
