FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, November 9, 2007

For more information contact:
Bill Clary

(502) 564-4696

Angela Blank

(502) 564-4627

AG TASK FORCE CONTINUES WORK ON STRATEGIC PLAN

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Agriculture Council Task Force on the Future of Agriculture put the finishing touches on its strategic plan for Kentucky agriculture today at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

The Task Force reviewed comments from six regional public forums in October and gave direction and final input to staff and consultants working on the plan. The panel discussed priority objectives for the plan along with four items it felt needed more input, including youth education, labor, health care, and land use issues. The meeting was held in conjunction with the Farm-City Luncheon and the North American International Livestock Exposition.

Dr. Tony Brannon, dean of the School of Agriculture at Murray State University and chairman of the task force, will appear before the legislative Subcommittee on Rural Issues Nov. 14 in Frankfort to present the top 10 priority objectives drawn from the draft plan for the 2008 session of the Kentucky General Assembly

“On behalf of the executive committee of the Kentucky Agricultural Council, I want to thank each of the 50 organizations represented on the Task Force along with the public for their participation in the six regional forums,” said Dr. Brannon. “It takes the commitment and support of all Kentuckians involved in agriculture to accomplish the short-term and long-range goals that come as a result of this process, and I feel that so far it has been a success.”

The Task Force next will meet Dec. 17 in Frankfort to approve the Strategic Plan for Agriculture.

For more information contact Dr. Tony Brannon at (270) 809-6923 or at tony.brannon@murraystate.edu. A summary of the comments received during the public forums is posted on the Kentucky Agriculture Council’s Web site, www.kyagcouncil.org.

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