United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Kentucky office exists to increase the economic prosperity and quality of life in the rural areas of our great commonwealth. While we have a myriad of programs, we can lump them into three general categories: Affordable housing, Business programs, and Community facilities programs.
Our housing programs have a positive impact on thousands of rural Kentuckians every year, and since March, we’ve all been reminded of how important a home can be. Many of us have transformed a home into so much more. We’ve cleared off messy countertops and made them into work places and school desks. Working with our valued lending partners, over the last three-and-a-half years we at Rural Development have helped over 17,000 rural Kentuckians transform a house into a home.
Rural communities are faced with unique challenges in meeting the infrastructure and public service needs of their residents. Whether it’s expanding rural broadband, helping a small volunteer fire department build a rescue truck bay or helping a municipal water system provide safe, potable water, our Community Facilities and Water and Environmental programs help communities across rural Kentucky overcome those challenges.
Let’s face it … not many would be able to buy a house or have a need for public services without businesses and the employment that goes along with them, and that’s where our Rural Business-Cooperative Service comes in. With over 40 programs ranging from multi-million dollar loans to small grants, we can help businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Agricultural producer businesses looking to expand can apply for our Value-Added Producer Grant, which helps the business generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities and increase producer income. Equus Run Vineyard’s Cynthia Bohn used a VAPG to help expand product offerings at their Midway location as well as the marketing and advertising of their new offerings. Our VAPG was also used by Allison Horseman with Woodstock Lavender Co. in Somerset to increase the processing and sales of items from lavender grown on their farm.
Aside from expanding product offerings, businesses can also realize a better bottom line by reducing costs, and that’s a huge benefit of our Rural Energy for America Program, which helps rural small businesses employ reusable energy or make energy efficiency improvements. This is the program Mike Long used to save install new lighting and make energy efficiency upgrades at Long’s Pic-Pac in Bell County, which is saving over $23,000 per year in energy costs. It’s also the program L&T Poultry LLC used to install LED lighting and add insulation to their broiler houses, saving over $49,000 per year in energy costs.
From the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers in Wickliffe to Appalachian towns like Whitesburg, we’re here to better the lives of rural Kentuckians – whether that’s through critical infrastructure like water and broadband or homeownership and business growth – because when rural Kentucky prospers, America prospers.
Post written by Hilda Legg, Rural Development Kentucky State Director