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.
If you are new to direct meat sales and have just read our blog posts about having your meat processed for the first time and pricing your meat for profit, we’ve pulled together some more resources for you to explore.
The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) is launching the Kentucky Local Food System Expansion Initiative to expand the work of multiple organizations that have laid a foundation in Kentucky for local food purchasing. Organizations involved in the project include the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Horticulture Council, Feeding Kentucky, Bluegrass Farm to Table, the University of Kentucky, and the Community Farm Alliance.
Chances are you are already doing some social selling if you have a Facebook business page, Instagram business page, or professional Twitter page. So, what is social selling? It is the art of using social media to find, connect with, understand, and nurture sales prospects. In short, it is the modern way to connect with current and potential customers to develop meaningful relationships. The goal with social selling is to bring value to your customer by anticipating their needs rather than just spamming them with “buy now” posts. We’ve put together some best practices to include with your social selling strategy.
Did you know that the average email subscriber receives about 13 commercial emails each day? How does your business break through that fog of emails to reach your customer? We’ve included a few tips below to help you get started, in addition to these marketing basics.
Fact: people are cooking and eating at home more. Those who weren’t cooking at home are now making meals several days a week for their families. Of those making meals at home, 35 to 40% of them started cooking for the first time, according to global management consultant SSA & Company. So, what does that mean for your food business? How can you educate new customers about your products so that you retain them once things get back to normal? Below are a few ideas for targeting the “new” home cook.
If you are new to direct meat sales and have just read our blog post about having your meat processed for the first time or are looking at updating your pricing, here are two questions you need to ask: What are your competitors’ prices; and, what is your minimum price to break-even. Check out the following blog post to get started on pricing your meat to make a profit.
U-Pick operations are a critical direct marketing approach for many farms in Kentucky and provide customers with a unique hands-on connection to fresh produce grown locally. Here are some key points to keep in mind before you open for the season.
With restrictions on in-person sales and the challenges many markets are now facing, it is more important than ever to collaborate with neighbors and fellow producers. Collaboration can open new doors such as new customers, new retail locations, or the ability to sell online. We have listed a few ways you can collaborate with neighboring growers to give new and existing customers access to your products.
KCARD is fielding a lot of questions from farmers who are looking to sell meat from their farm for the first time, so we thought it would be a good idea to help answer a few of these questions through a post.
Some of you are ramping up your online communications for the first time. It’s easy to make some rookie mistakes in the process. Here are a few we have seen recently come across our desk that we wanted to point out.
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.
