Great Leadership strengthens the Hancock County Agricultural Community

By Jennifer Wimmer

As Kentucky celebrates All in for Ag Week, this is the perfect opportunity to showcase the Hancock County Extension Office, and Evan Tate, Agriculture and Natural Resources and 4-H Youth Development Agent.

The many programs offered through the office are vital in maintaining a strong and thriving agricultural community in Hancock County, and Evan began in this valuable position in September of 2015. Whitney Carman served in this important role previously, and the main focus is always to provide the very best opportunities for local farmers, young leaders, and residents.

“At the end of the day, my job is really science based,” Evan said. “My job is to make sure a farmer can go out and do his job every day, to make sure that they have the science and the education they need to go out and be profitable, and provide them access to resources that they may need, not only for information but for opportunities.”

A standout feature of Hancock County’s agricultural outreach is the community garden at The Oaks Personal Care Home in Lewisport. The garden was started several years ago, and this year will be expanded to double its size.

“They are using those fruits, vegetables, etc., in their meals at The Oaks,” Evan said. “The residents are also the ones that are kind of taking care of it, so they’re getting some activity out of it as well. That is a conjunction between us (the HC Extension Office) and Julie Newton (Coordinator for Audubon Area Community Services). Julie is a big part of that.”

This excellent resource highlights the power of partnership in enhancing health and sustainability in the Hancock County community. The garden provides the residents at The Oaks with an engaging activity that promotes independence, well-being, and also fresh nutritious foods.

The Hancock County Young Ag Leaders program is an initiative designed to empower the next generation of farmers.

“It hasn’t started yet,” Evan said, “We’re forming it. We hope that we get to start a new class this year but I don’t know that we will. Our goal is to get it up and going, hopefully, by July or August. As part of that, we will be doing a Farm Transition Seminar, and that would be in July. They will learn how to transition assets from one generation to another, in an effort to avoid inheritance tax. A lot of farming operations exceed the $5M valuation for the tax cap. This offers ways to transition farms correctly, and early before death ever occurs. It’s on trying to figure out how to get that ground transitioned from one generation to the next, without losing the operation.”

Annie’s Project in Kentucky is an educational program geared toward empowering women in agriculture, and provides practical skills and knowledge in order to enhance their farm business management skills.

Hancock County currently has three local participants. They learn from experts and peers, and take classes that cover topics such as financial management, risk assessment, and communication/networking.

“This 8-week program is for women who have an interest in business management,” Evan said. “There was a farm transition workshop included, as well as a mental health workshop. Record keeping skills were taught as part of this program as well, through UK.”

Marking its fifth year as of this month, the Youth County Agricultural Incentives Program (CAIP) continues to invest $10,000 annually in local youth.

“$5K of that comes from our Ag Development Fund, in Hancock County. And, $5K comes from the youth participant, so it’s matching funds,” Evan explained.

The Hancock County Cattlemen’s Association is approved each year for up to $5,000 in Hancock County funds to support this local youth agriculture cost share program as well.

“The youth ag cost share program hasn’t started yet,” Evan said. “Our goal is to, hopefully, start it by the end March. We haven’t released anything yet. I hope to have a meeting with them very soon.”

Around five solar systems have been installed so far at different farms in Hanock County. Through working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Agriculture Finance Program, it has caused no loss of seeding ground, and is also a great opportunity for farmers going forward.

The rooftops of participating farming facilities are utilized for these solar systems. They lower the energy dependence of local farms, without losing any valuable seeding ground.

“It’s producer by producer, so if a producer decides to enroll in that program they can,” Evan explained. “Every one of those are individual installations.”

No productive farming acreage in Hancock County has been lost so far with the use of these rooftop solar systems, which tends to be one of the biggest concerns with using solar.

Hancock County’s commitment to sustainability shines through its conservation programs. Approximately $120K is invested in conservation programs in the county, each year. That amount changes every year, Evan said, depending on cigarette tax dollars.

In addition, Evan said they are currently gathering data to begin forming a document that can be used for recruitment of agriculture business and industry toward the development of the Agriculture Business Recruitment Initiative in Hancock County. This strategic effort led by the KY Dept. of Ag is aimed at attracting and supporting agribusinesses, fostering economic growth, and job creation.

The Hancock County Extension Office continues to sow seeds of progress through partnerships with local universities and community leaders. Evan is dedicated in making sure that agriculture remains a cornerstone of Hancock County for many generations to come.

For more information, please visit the website at: hancock.ca.uky.edu. The phone number is (270) 927-6618. The office is located at: 1605 US Hwy 60 W., Hawesville, KY.

To learn more about ag and programs in the county that provide education, training and technical assistance to individuals, businesses, and youth, contact Evan Tate at: [email protected].