According to the National Association of Attorneys General, cigarette consumption across the country dropped by more than 50% since the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement on tobacco. Kentucky receives a share of these funds every year, and the state contributes most of the money to its Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF).
Legislators established the fund and associated board 25 years ago to bolster farming initiatives, with the goal to improve the economy and health of communities across the Commonwealth.
One priority of the agricultural development board is supporting local farmers markets, and more than 70 counties now have permanent farmers market facilities. Bill McCloskey, Deputy Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy, said Letcher County will hopefully be the next to join that number.
“There's 25 farm families right now involved in the farmers market there in Whitesburg. If anybody’s had a chance to experience that, you see it's a vibrant farmers market. I was able to attend their market several years ago,” said McCloskey. “So, they're looking forward to having a permanent structure versus right now closing off part of the street there in downtown Whitesburg.”
This year, the KADF also supported projects like the Community Farm Alliance and 4-H efforts in Metcalfe County. State senator Robin Webb of Grayson said these funds are especially vital for eastern Kentucky, and it’s the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee’s mission to continue its legacy of development.
“This committee's got a statutory mission- we are the stewards of this money. Other states did not do what we did. Every year, when they see that pile of money, other entities are salivating over that money, especially if there's not much money to go around. And it's our job to protect it, and you can see the programs that we've been successful in throughout the state. It goes back to tobacco impact,” said Webb.
Projects are granted funding by the month. Communities and county officials can find the KADF application on the Kentucky Department of Agriculture website.