Strategic Roadmap for Kentucky Agriculture: 2025-2030
Foster more supply chain coordination to improve market access.
Supply chain development for Kentucky food and farm products is essential to developing a thriving and resilient agricultural economy. Tactics in this area are geared toward investing in infrastructure for and incentivizing the purchase of Kentucky-grown and raised food and farm products among large volume purchasers of food including, but not limited to, K-12 schools, colleges/universities, hospitals, and State Parks. —Dr. Ashton Potter, Strategy Lead
View Updated Working Group Document (.docx)
Tactic 1: State-funded Institution IncentiveHelp change incentive structure at state level to purchase KY grown farm products for schools, state parks, and universities (both state run and state-funded). a. Identify common metric and point person for local tracking mechanisms, and regular enforcement through a specific person is needed. Standardize local definition. b. Seek administrative/legislative change to put an explicit process in place to contractually obligate, monitor, and track KY grown purchases e.g., each state institution incentivized to buy 5% from Kentucky farm products. State institutions need mechanism to track and comply before enforcement. c. Create infrastructure to pool buyers by size for incentives, e.g. state institutions, schools, small restaurants. d. Identify similar or neighboring states who have robust farm to school or state institution statewide requirements e.g. WV buy local model and Tennessee. When? November 2024-2025 Where? Email communications, KDA, Kentucky General Assembly | Project Leads
Partners for Delivery
Collaborators Food and Health Partners Working Group |
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Tactic 2: Local Food in SchoolsPrioritize and seek food system investments to leverage school and farm relationships. Encourage a 5% goal. a. Identify ways to leverage schools as largest produce buyer and help them communicate needs in a quantifiable way, prioritizing buy local. Translate needs to grower through Farm to School Census. b. Consider possibility of creating points for award with state school nutrition association for food service directors using KY Proud. c. Farm-to-school relationship-building: Work with KDA administering USDA $3.2M farm to school grant by April 2025 with goal continue local products going into 80-90 schools (all KY farm foods) when grant is completed. End date is April 2025 for full expenditure. Share success stories and institutional models for future use. d. Look at similar or neighboring states who have robust farm to school or state institution statewide requirements to learn best practices e.g. West Virginia buy local model and Tennessee. When? Winter 2024-2025 | Project Leads
Partners for Delivery |
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Tactic 3: Distributor ExpansionEncourage/discover incentive structure for distributors to expand purchasing from more KY farmers and refine traceability/farm identify.a. Expand sub-hubs and customer base through purchasing KY farm products. Look into information coordinator or hub potential to direct buyers. b. Consider vendor requirements (e.g. % of purchasing KY products) for those with state contracts. Standardization of food safety audit types. c. Demonstrate growth in specialty crops. d. Help farmers understanding of processor/distributor requirements across all types of farms and traceability. When? November 2024-2025 | Project Leads
Partners for Delivery Collaborators Economic Development Working Group |
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Tactic 4: Grow Grain InfrastructureIncrease grain production, storage, and processing in Kentucky. Help farmers understand quality concerns, processing needs, storage options, and market channels (need more clarification). When? November 2024-2025 Where? Grower meetings and communications | Project Leads
Partners for Delivery
Collaborators Ag Diversification & Innovation Working Group, Value-Added Working Group, Economic Development Working Group, KY Distillers’ Assn. |