<b>By TIM THORNBERRY<br>
Kentucky Correspondent</b> </p><p>

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Nearly a year ago a group of agriculture leaders came together to hear and accept a challenge from then-Gov. Ernie Fletcher to create a strategic plan for the future of agriculture in Kentucky.<br>

Last week, those leaders presented Gov. Steve Beshear the plan titled A Pathway for Kentucky Agriculture and Its Rural Communities: 2007 to 2012 Strategic Plan.<br>

“I challenge Kentucky agriculture to bring forward a plan that embraces the goals and objectives of the entire industry and creates a roadmap to guide our farm families to a brighter and more profitable tomorrow,” said Fletcher on March 15, 2007.
The initiative created the Task Force on the Future of Agriculture which is comprised of representatives from farm organizations and entities.<br>

The group, through a series of meetings, worked on creating strategies, key action plans, and benchmarks and from a survey of 45 agricultural organizations across the state, developed topics that address challenges and opportunities in the areas of education, rural communities, labor, alternative fuels/energy, health care, and agricultural production and marketing.<br>

Last October a draft of the plan was presented to the public by way of a series of public forums. The presentation of the plan was made during the Kentucky Press Assoc.’s annual conference where Beshear praised the efforts of those involved in the project.<br>

“I want to commend the agricultural leaders who came together to ask tough questions about their industry and its place in the 21st century,” Beshear said. “The ideas they have developed in this strategic plan will be essential to achieve the long-term goals of our agriculture and rural communities.”<br>

The plan begins with a letter from the task force’s chair Tony Brannon.<br>

“Although this document contains many specific goals and action plans, two basic and overarching themes must be understood: First, and foremost, Kentucky must continue its financial investment in agriculture through the Agricultural Development Fund, created through House Bill 611,” he wrote.<br>

“This program, which was voted as one of the top 50 ‘Innovations in American Government Award’ winners, provides for strategic investments in new and expanding agricultural initiatives and diversification. However, reliance on this fund as the sole path for funding basic agriculture and rural development needs is indeed a dangerous path.<br>

“As described in the following pages, we must continue to invest General Fund dollars in basic agricultural and rural projects to ensure that our state remains competitive in the ever changing and dynamic local, state, national and global agricultural economies. Second, we must not forget that Education, both of our children and of our public, is basic and most important to our future Agricultural Development.”<br>

Those general fund dollars may be hard to come by though with the tough economic woes facing the state. Since taking office last December, Beshear is facing the possibility of a nearly $300 million shortfall of revenue for the remainder of this fiscal year.<br>

That being said, Kentucky’s agriculture industry has produced record farm cash receipts over the last two years despite terrible weather during 2007 and the coming year could see even more.
The latest economic outlook published by the University of Kentucky reported that 2008 could see $4.3 billion in farm cash receipts assuming normal growing conditions with no disease outbreaks.<br>

Highlights of the plan include the continued investment of 50 percent of Kentucky’s share of tobacco settlement funds into agricultural diversification along with those general fund investments; the continued support the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Proud marketing program; upgrading the University of Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center and Murray State University’s Breathitt Veterinary Center in Hopkinsville; addressing the shortage of large-animal veterinarians in Kentucky; developing policies and infrastructure to support Kentucky’s biofuels industry; and funding the proposed Kentucky Agriculture Heritage Center in Mercer County.”<br>

“I appreciate the hard work of the Task Force on the Future of Agriculture to create this strategic plan,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “Kentucky agriculture has made great progress toward diversifying our farm economy and making agriculture more profitable. With this plan as a guide, we will be able to build on the gains we have made.”<br>

For a copy of the plan, go to www.kyagcouncil.org