Education

Planning for the Future: A Starter Guide to Farm Transition Planning

Planning for the Future: A Starter Guide to Farm Transition Planning

Farming is a risky business with significant costs, and one of the most expensive mistakes is failing to plan or oversimplifying the transition of the farm. At its core, successful transition planning boils down to clear, honest communication and planning ahead. When communicating across generations, consider addressing key issues early to build mutual understanding and ensure a smoother transition.

Unlock New Opportunities with KCARD's Farm Diversification Workshop

Unlock New Opportunities with KCARD's Farm Diversification Workshop

KCARD will be hosting a Planning for Farm Diversification workshop on October 22 in Murray, KY to assist agricultural producers who are transitioning out of dark tobacco and diversifying their farming operations with produce or raising livestock for value-added products. The workshops will provide information on business planning, marketing, produce safety practices, and production resources.  

How to Host Workshops on Your Farm

How to Host Workshops on Your Farm

A well-hosted class or workshop can be one of the more profitable (and fun!) ways to engage visitors on your farm and offer agritourism opportunities. However, they can be quite labor-intensive and require lots of planning and thoughtfulness. Check out these tips to get you started!

Q&A with Terryn Varney, Business Development Specialist: How Does KCARD Work with Farmers Markets?

Q&A with Terryn Varney, Business Development Specialist: How Does KCARD Work with Farmers Markets?

KCARD works specifically with farmers markets on a wide range of topics, including where to find funding, how to structure the market, and how to think of the farmers market as a business entity. In this post, Terryn Varney, KCARD Business Development Specialist who specializes in farmers market assistance, answers questions about how and when KCARD can help your farmers market.

Engaging Visitors on the Farm with Agritourism

Engaging Visitors on the Farm with Agritourism

Engaging visitors on your farm through agritourism can transform a simple trip into a memorable experience. As more people seek authentic, hands-on activities, farms have a unique opportunity to diversify their income and connect with visitors by showcasing daily operations, offering interactive tours, and hosting fun, educational events.

Since agritourism is such a growing industry, you may also be wondering how to set yourself apart from everyone else. Here are 5 ways to engage visitors on your farm. 

Q&A with Kati Bowman, Marketing and Business Development Specialist: How Can KCARD Help with Marketing?

Q&A with Kati Bowman, Marketing and Business Development Specialist: How Can KCARD Help with Marketing?

KCARD helps clients with a variety of services, including business planning, grant facilitation, recordkeeping, and financial development. In addition to those services, KCARD works with clients on developing marketing plans and social media strategies. Kati Bowman, Marketing and Business Development Specialist, answers a few questions about how KCARD can assist you with your marketing.  

Starting Right: Early Steps to Take When Starting a Commercial Kitchen

Starting Right: Early Steps to Take When Starting a Commercial Kitchen

“What do I need for a commercial kitchen?” is a question we often hear at KCARD. Typically, the answer is not a simple one as several factors play into what will be needed for a commercial kitchen to be a useful and efficient endeavor.  In this post, we’ve included some of the first steps we discuss with those interested in a commercial kitchen and resources to learn more. 

Q&A with Kellie Padgett: How Does KCARD Help With Business Planning?

Q&A with Kellie Padgett: How Does KCARD Help With Business Planning?

While KCARD is able to provide a variety of services to clients, our staff spends a large percentage of time working with clients on business plans. Here are a few questions with one of our Business Development Specialists, Kellie Padgett. 

Beyond Cash: Accepting Alternative Payment Methods

Beyond Cash: Accepting Alternative Payment Methods

There’s no denying that the world is different than it was before COVID-19. One demonstration of this is the reality that people often don’t carry cash, even when they’re heading shopping or to a farmer’s market. With this in mind, it’s important to consider offering different payment methods (most of which can be contactless). Check out these options for accepting alternative payment methods that don’t require hardware or a full POS system.

Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Frequently Asked Questions

Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Frequently Asked Questions

The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program is currently accepting applications until April 5th for Infrastructure and Equipment-only projects that expand capacity for aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of food products, for specialty crops, dairy, grains for human consumption, aquaculture, and other food products, excluding meat and poultry.

We’ve been asked lots of questions about the program, so we worked with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to develop this list of frequently asked questions.