Kentucky: Post-buyout world

Source from:  Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader 10/18/2004

Ag board should continue boosting small farmers Rural Kentucky is on the verge of something scary and exciting. Thousands of small farms are losing their traditional prop with the end of tobacco price supports. But the quota buyout will also bring an infusion of cash to invest in new farm ventures. All this makes the work of the Agricultural Development Board even more urgent and important. As the board meets at Lake Cumberland today and Friday to take stock, it should think local and small. The beauty of the federal tobacco program was that it offset the pressure to get big or get out. As a result, Kentucky has more small farms than almost any state. All those farms and the expertise that resides on them is an economic and cultural asset. Small farms also are more environmentally sound than industrial-scale agriculture. The board, which oversees ag's share of the tobacco settlement, can help fill the tobacco program's void by focusing on making small farms more profitable. The best way to do that is for farmers to add value to their crops and livestock in Kentucky and to sell locally. That's why the board should encourage regional and local farmers markets. And why, instead of encouraging larger dairy herds, the board should help farmers process and promote Kentucky-made cheese and ice cream and cater to the growing niche that pays a premium for organic milk. And why the board should stick to helping small independent pork producers rather than financing another project for a huge corporate hog operation. Kentucky farmers also are going to need more help than ever developing business plans. Technical assistance should be a board priority, especially for small producers in areas highly dependent on tobacco. Finally, the board should resist any urge to reinvent the wheel. Sure, some adjustments are in order. It's critical that recipients of tobacco settlement aid account for what they've done with the money, if only so others can learn from their experiences. Gov. Ernie Fletcher's appointees now dominate the board. We understand the new administration's impulse to make change. But the ag development process has been based on local planning and strategic coordination, not politics of any stripe. Most of what agriculture has accomplished with the tobacco settlement money has been solid. Uprooting all that now would be a terrible blow to the farm community at a critical time. Enditem