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News Release

Clark County is slated to receive $190,000 in funding from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF). According to Representative Ryan Dotson, the announcement was shared with legislators at the monthly meeting of the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee. The legislative committee reviews funding awarded by the KADF.

The funds for Clark County were specifically appropriated for two different loan programs the committee oversees. $150,000 was allocated for the County Agricultural Investment Program, which is designed to assist producers in the improvement and diversification of current operations in a wide variety of investment areas. An additional $40,000 was allocated for the Youth Agricultural Incentives Program, which helps to fund opportunities encouraging youth engagement in agriculture. The Clark County Conservation District is the recipient of both investments.

“This is an exciting investment for Clark County, with nearly $200,000 being invested in new agricultural initiatives. The disbursement of these funds from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board reaffirms the commitment of the legislature to growing Kentucky’s backbone industry. This is an especially exciting time, as these funds are spread out among multiple programs, including one which encourages increased youth participation in the industry. I am thrilled that we are investing in the farmers of tomorrow, and look forward to the positive outcomes this will bring to our community.” Representative Dotson said.

The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement fund was established as a result of an accord that was reached in 1998 between four major tobacco product manufacturers and 46 states. Kentucky’s portion of the payout has surpassed $2.2 billion in what remains the largest civil settlement in U.S. history. The legislature has since utilized these funds for exploring new opportunities to benefit Kentucky farms now and in the future.

In addition to monitoring awards from the tobacco settlement, lawmakers also review the long-term trajectory of both county and state-wide agricultural development plans. As a result, the Committee is tasked with devising investment strategies to revitalize and diversify tobacco farms, promoting research in alternative crop production methods, and most importantly, directly assisting local farming activities. Alongside agricultural initiatives, a large portion of the settlement money has been invested in early childhood development programs and public health programs.