The USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program is a cornerstone for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers who wish to diversify their operations and expand their value-added products. For the current 2025 cycle and future cycles, there are some significant changes that you need to know if you’re interested in applying.
Learn about opportunities and challenges for the Kentucky dairy industry in this guest blog post from our friends at the Center for Crop Diversification!
As we enter the new year, many people will begin to look back at their records from 2024 to analyze their financial position and begin to prepare for the upcoming tax season. If you have an effective and efficient recordkeeping system, this process can be smooth and straightforward. Check out these tips to improve your recordkeeping system in 2025!
Businesses registered with the Secretary of State (such as LLCs or corporations) are now required to report Beneficial Ownership Information. As of December 26, 2024, the deadline for BOI filing has been suspended until further notice. However, the report is expected to be required in the future. We recommend voluntarily completing the report to avoid having to monitor future deadline updates.
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.
Question: I’m still not sure how COVID-19 is going to affect my farm business. I have 5 employees and I don’t know what to tell them if anything. What do I tell my employees?
Your employees already know this is not a normal spring season. Clearly communicating your plans and decisions will help them avoid assuming the worst and enable them to plan for the coming weeks.
Question: How do I manage cash flow when I’m concerned about the effect of reduced travel/walk-in traffic on my business?
Answer: The next two weeks and the next two months are going to be critical for many small businesses as we all figure out what the eventual impact will be. Click to read about a few rules of thumb for businesses.
Coronavirus is a new challenge to our healthcare system and all of us are learning as we go. However, good practices on crisis management apply here just like they do with other crises. KCARD will be providing additional Q&A posts about how to handle the specific problems we are hearing from businesses with whom we work with, so stay tuned.
Two weeks ago we talked about dealing with the crank in person - that person that leaves a bad review, yells at your staff, decides to leave and never come back and tells all their friends to do the same. What happens when the person complains online?
For most farm-based products, you do not collect and submit sales tax in Kentucky. However, if you are selling non-food items, such as soaps, painted gourds, or other farm-related crafts, you must collect and remit sales tax. In Kentucky, you do this quarterly. What if you sell online, in other states?
This past Friday and Saturday the 4th Annual Eastern Kentucky Farmer Conference was held at the Morehead Convention Center in Morehead, KY. A technical assistance “ThinkTank” and an Eastern Kentucky Grower Buyer Meetup added to the conference this year, giving attendees the opportunity to not only network with other producers but also buyers, funders, and technical assistance providers. The conference offered 16 different sessions, including 4 short courses on Friday discussing topics such as high tunnel production, food safety regulations, business planning, and online marketing. Saturday included 12 different sessions on topics such as starting a CSA, no-till vegetable production, non-timber agroforestry, agritourism, and small fruit production.
Have you thought about getting crop insurance but assumed it would be too expensive or that it was only for large-scale operations? Crop insurance can be an option for your farm to help you cover the risk associated with weather or revenue. Today, the federal government helps cover 38% to 80% of your premium, depending on the amount of coverage, the policy, and what you grow.
We all have that one customer that refuses to let it go. I stopped at the local frosty freeze to pick up food one night and when I was looking up the phone number on their Facebook page, saw a bad review. It was harsh, laying the business out for something so silly that you had to laugh. My first reaction was, “This guy has never run a business.”
If you attended the National Farm Machinery Show this past week, the temptation of a bright, new shiny piece of equipment was a tempting one. Here is an “oldie but goodie” article from 2016 about making a big purchase for your operation.
The 4th Annual Eastern Kentucky Farmer Conference is taking place February 28 and 29, 2020 at the Morehead Convention Center in Morehead, KY. Topics for this year’s conference include high tunnel production, GAP and post handling practices, selling in today’s digital market, small fruits production, understanding your processor, no-till vegetable production, livestock management, and many more that you won’t want to miss.
The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development is a non-profit organization established to facilitate agricultural and rural businesses in Kentucky. We are supported primarily through grants provided by the USDA Rural Cooperative Development Program and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. Additional support is provided through our work with partners around the state and through fees charged for select client services.
