Vol. 5 No. 1 • January 17,
2012
A new day and a new way at the KDA
Agriculture Commissioner James R. Comer hit the ground running in his first two weeks in office. Right: Commissioner Comer takes the oath of office as his wife, T.J., holding their infant daughter Aniston, looks on. Their children Reagan and Harlan also were on hand for the ceremony on Jan. 2 in Frankfort. (Photo courtesy Tim Thornberry) Below left: Commissioner Comer announces Jan. 11 that he has asked state Auditor Adam Edelen, left, to conduct an audit of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. (Photo by Chris Aldridge) Below right: Commissioner Comer chats with former Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith at the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association convention Jan. 13 in Lexington. (Photo by Chris Aldridge) Look for more pictures from Commissioner Comer's first two weeks in office on the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's page on Facebook.
 
Agriculture Commissioner
James R. Comer
Words cannot express how grateful I am for
the opportunity you have given me to serve as your Commissioner of Agriculture.
I am humbled by your confidence in my leadership, and I pledge to work hard
every day to live up to your expectations. ... more
Agriculture Commissioner James Comer asks state auditor to examine previous KDA administration
Agriculture Commissioner James Comer on Jan. 11 formally requested that Auditor of Public Accounts Adam Edelen conduct a special examination of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. ... more
CSAs help producers cushion
the risk while sharing the bounty of their labors
CSA subscribers pay up front to ensure
that they get their share of the farm’s bounty, but they also share the risk
with the farmer that their basket may not be as full sometimes due to a poor
crop. ... more
Jean Farris Winery strikes
double gold in San Francisco
Jean Farris Winery earned a double gold
medal for its 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine
Competition. The award is the greatest achievement to date of any Kentucky wine
in the nation’s largest competition of American wines. ... more
Kentucky National Guard Agribusiness Development Team 4 mobilizes for Afghanistan
More than 60 members of the Kentucky National Guard’s Agribusiness Development Team 4 were honored during a farewell ceremony today at the Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church in Midway. ... more
Kentucky delegates help set national ag priorities at AFBF annual meeting
As the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 93rd annual meeting came to a
close in Honolulu this January, Kentucky’s 26 voting delegates and other Farm
Bureau leaders from around the country weighed in on numerous agricultural
issues of national importance. ... more
Kentucky Horse Council asks horsemen to participate in Kentucky Equine Survey
The Kentucky Horse Council is asking Kentucky horsemen to participate in a full, statewide survey of all breeds and disciplines of horse, ponies, mules, and donkeys, the first such survey in Kentucky in 35 years. ... more
50 years of helping farmers
manage their business
Kentucky Farm Business Management
specialists helping producers from all commodity groups get a better handle on
their finances through accurate farm records. ... more
UK soil scientists increase wheat yields through better use of nitrogen
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture soil scientists have conducted studies on the effectiveness of remote-sensing
nitrogen applicators and have developed an algorithm to use in the equipment
that has proven to increase yields in Kentucky. ... more
Kentucky's food prices fall in
fourth quarter of 2011
The latest Marketbasket Survey, conducted
by the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation in December 2011, indicates that average
retail food prices in supermarkets across the state decreased by 1 percent
during the most recent quarter. ... more
Coming up
MarketReady training
Midsouth Eventing and Dressage
Association annual meeting and awards luncheon
Kentucky Commodity
Conference
Kentucky Pork Producers Association annual
meeting
Eastern Kentucky Beekeeping
School
Heart of America Grazing
Conference
Kentucky Landscape Industries winter
conference
Mid-States
Horticultural Expo
Allen County Beekeeping
School
Southeast Kentucky Beekeeping
School
National
Farm Machinery Show
2nd Annual Organic
Conference
Kentucky Farm
Bureau Beef Expo
Kentucky Farm
Fact
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
arrangements enable producers to earn their income from subscribers up front and
share some of the inherent risks of farming with their subscribers. For more
information on how a CSA works and how to get started, go to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's CSA
page.
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