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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer urges farmers’ market leaders and people with agritourism businesses to apply for grants and forgivable loans from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board.
The board is offering $2 million in the 2006 Farmers’ Market Competitive Awards Program and $1 million in the 2006 Agritourism Competitive Awards Program.
“Agritourism and farmers’ markets are helping Kentucky producers make a better living on the farm,” Commissioner Farmer said. “These funding opportunities will help the recipients grow and prosper.”
The Farmers’ Market Competitive Awards Program will award grants for regional farmers’ markets (25 percent of program funds), capital expenditures at community farmers’ markets (65 percent) and feasibility and business planning for regional and community markets (10 percent). The deadline for applications for the first round of grants is April 1, and the deadline for the second round is Sept. 1. Any regional or community farmers’ market that meets the definitions specified in the program guidelines is eligible.
The Agritourism Competitive Awards Program will award forgivable loans to agritourism businesses for business development and grants of up to $50,000 to regional agritourism organizations for promotion. The application deadline for the first round is Feb. 1, and the deadline for the second round is Aug. 1. Eligible applicants include producers with an on-farm agritourism business and regional agritourism organizations engaging in marketing or promotion for agritourism businesses in multiple counties. Applicants shall not have received agritourism award funds through last year’s program.
For more information on these funding opportunities, contact the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy at (502) 564-4627 or go to its Web site, www.agpolicy.ky.gov.
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