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.
Holidays are a time of fun, festivities, and feasting. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some of KCARD’s team members favorite family recipes to make around the holidays. This week, we are highlighting Brent’s Peppermint Ice, which is a recipe his daughter, Hannah, created recently.
If you are not offering your customers extra products or upgrading a specific item, you are missing a great revenue opportunity. Upselling and cross-selling doesn’t have to be complicated or a daunting task. It is a way to increase not only your bottom line but also the value you offer to your customer.
Holidays are a time of fun, festivities, and feasting. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some of KCARD’s team members favorite family recipes to make around the holidays. This week, we are highlighting Haleigh’s Cranberry Salad, which is a recipe passed down from her grandmother.
Growing fresh-cut flowers can be a beautiful way to utilize your farm ground. However, like any new business, it’s important to set yourself up for success. A few key points to work through before tilling your first flowerbed:
Holidays are a time of fun, festivities, and feasting. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some of KCARD’s team members favorite family recipes to make around the holidays. This week, we are highlighting Kellie’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, which is a family favorite.
In October and November, KCARD hosted a 6-week webinar series to help people work on their business and figure out what funding resources are out there that are good fits. Below are our top 5 takeaways from the series.
KCARD works with a lot of farmers and business owners. Some are happy with their business, some are happy with their personal life, but the ones that are happiest with both aspects have found a way to align their personal goals with the goals that they have for the business. Sometimes, that means stepping back from their business and acknowledging that the plans that they once had for the business no longer match their current lives.
Holidays are a time of fun, festivities, and feasting. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some of KCARD’s team members favorite family recipes to make around the holidays. This week, we are highlighting Olivia’s Swedish Tea Ring, which has been passed down from her great-aunt to her grandmother to her aunt and mother and now her.
Keeping records is VITAL to your business. It helps you measure your growth (or decline), see what is costing you the most, and give you an idea of how much money you have at a given time. A business owner must think about how they can best keep records to ensure the system will be useful. We’ve listed three types of systems you can choose from or blend together.
In September, KCARD and program partners were awarded a grant for the Connecting Kentucky Veterans to Agriculture Opportunities (Kentucky AgVets) program. Main program partners include the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Horticulture Council, Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office and the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK).
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.
