Q: What is your role at KCARD? 

A: I help coordinate our work in Eastern Kentucky and with our partners in Appalachia.  On the ground, that means I meet with many of our farmers and farmer organizations to look for ways to improve and grow their business.  I try to help farm businesses market better or see how we can work with others outside Kentucky to provide opportunities for farmers.   

Q: When is the best time to reach out to KCARD for assistance? 

A: If you have an idea of what you want to do, go ahead and reach out.  If you are already farming and want to expand your farm, reach out.  If you are ready to retire and want out of farming, reach out.  We help with all of these stages. 

Q: What prep work does someone need to complete before reaching out to KCARD? 

A: Reaching out is less about your preparation than your commitment.  Do you want this bad enough to work through the nitty-gritty items?  To think about your tomato prices?  To think about which ewe needs to be culled?  To consider attacking a new market?  Business planning is a continual process.  Revisit it every year.  Reach out if you just want to look through your business and see what you could be doing differently.  Be prepared for a lot of questions, though.  We tailor our work to your business and want to make sure your business plan is customized to your needs.   

Q: Are there any fees associated with KCARD’s work? 

For business planning and help applying for funding, no.  However, some workshops have a fee to help cover things like food costs and printed materials.  If you have a big idea that you can’t explore on a small scale, we do offer feasibility plans and other more intensive processes than a business plan, for which we have fees based on the project scope. 

Q: Do you have a favorite Kentucky food product?  

A: I’ll tell you I would fight other KCARD staff to get to work on cheese projects.  I love cheese.  I have a fondness for Ale8, and I love fresh vegetables and fruits.   

To learn more about KCARD and its services, contact us at 859-550-3972 or via email at kcard@kcard.info.