Farmstead Media

State Board of Agriculture approves Checkoff MOU with Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association

(A version of this article appears in the October 4, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

By Ray Bowman

  One of the duties of the Kentucky State Board of Agriculture is oversight of the ten promotional programs that have been created by statute and are administered by commodity groups. These programs are more commonly referred to as check-offs, which derive their funding from assessments on the…

LAND links Ag, manufacturing sectors

(A version of this article appears in the October 4, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

By Ray Bowman

 The agriculture community works hard to overcome misinformation and misconceptions among consumers about how their products are produced, but it’s possible that some of those communication hurdles might also exist among their partners in the business and manufacturing sectors.

To promote dialog…

Poultry Education Center opens

(A version of this article appears in theAugust 2, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

By Ray Bowman

When Ohio County farmer Daniel Hayden met his bride-to-be Danielle Beard at Oklahoma State University just over four years ago, Danielle had some negative views of the poultry industry. Having limited exposure to the business, her perception was shaped largely by myth and misinformation. Daniel…

Quarles discusses trade at state Chamber of Commerce meeting

(A version of this article appears in the August 2, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

By Ray Bowman

As Congress considered legislation to moderate the Trump administration’s aggressive trade measures, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce was holding its 13th Annual Business Summit and Annual Meeting in Louisville.

Kentucky Agriculture commissioner Ryan Quarles participated in a panel discussion…

USDA undersecretary talks trade in Kentucky

(A version of this article appears in the June 21, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

by Ray Bowman

 United States Department of Agriculture undersecretary for trade Ted McKinney came to Lexington to speak to the 2018 state FFA convention but managed to work in a couple of other stops in the process.

McKinney addressed a meeting of the Kentucky Agriculture Council and joined the Commonwealth’s…

Some farmers find little to celebrate during June Dairy Month

(A version of this article appears in the June 7, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

by Ray Bowman

Greg Goode of Casey County brought one of his cows to the Capitol lawn for the June Dairy Month proclamation signing

After a morning of intermittent thunderstorms, dark clouds still scudded up and down the Kentucky River as preparations were being made on the state capitol lawn for the proclaiming…

More milk to flow to food banks

(A version of this article appears in the April 19, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

by Ray Bowman

Doug Ackerman, CEO of The Dairy Alliance, says the average family that is food insecure only gets about a gallon of milk a year.

“The need is great,” Ackerman said. Along with the nutrition provided by drinking milk, Ackerman says it’s needed for many of the foods that are prepared at home. “One…

USDA Secretary visits Kentucky

(A version of this article appears in the April 19, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

By Ray Bowman

Sonny Perdue made it clear from the beginning that he was more interested in listening than talking.

  Montgomery County FFA students greet USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue at the Chenault Agriculture Center near Mount Sterling

  The Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture recently…

Interest in Hemp production growing

(A version of this article appears in the April 19, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

By Ray Bowman

Judging from the turnout at the 2018 Kentucky Hemp Industries Association annual meeting, interest in producing the controversial crop is continuing to grow. The meeting, held at the Fayette County extension office, drew a capacity crowd consisting of participants currently engaged in the…

Kentucky Cattlemen’s ground beef goes to market

(A version of this article appears in the April 5, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

by Ray Bowman

Kroger stores across the Commonwealth have a new feature in the meat case. Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef is now available in 85 Kentucky supermarkets.

However, Steve Doan, general counsel for the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, said in an announcement at Kroger’s Beaumont Center store…

Cattle producer education series debuts at the YARDS

(A version of this article appears in the March 1, 2018 edition of The Farmer’s Pride)

By Ray Bowman

The Beef Education Center at Lexington’s Bluegrass Regional Marketplace is a first-of-its-kind facility that is attempting to bring agriculture education opportunities to a wide range of audiences without neglecting its principle focus, continuing education for producers who grow the cattle that…

Farmer connects to consumers with parody videos

(A version of this article first appeared in The Farmer’s Pride, February 14 issue)

By Ray Bowman

In 2012, Greg Peterson was finishing up a degree in Agriculture Communications at Kansas State University. While entertaining some friends with agriculture-related parody lyrics to popular songs, Peterson decided to employ his knack for video editing and appreciation of pop culture to make a music…

By Ray Bowman

(A version of this article first appeared in The Farmer’s Pride, February 1 issue)

In 1983, while serving as chairman of the Senate sub-committee on nutrition, Kansas Senator Robert Dole recognized the continuing problem of hunger in America, saying, “While our agricultural surpluses provide ample evidence of this nation as a major world food producer, it’s intolerable to most…

By Ray Bowman

(A version of this article first appeared in The Farmer’s Pride, February 1 issue)

The agriculture committee of the state Senate was slated to hear from agriculture commissioner Ryan Quarles during its first meeting of the 2018 session of the Kentucky General Assembly, but first, the committee needed to act on two measures.

One of those, House Bill 153, had already sailed through…

(First appeared in Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association publication Cow Country News December issue)

By Ray Bowman

 The temperature hovered around 40 degrees and a light rain fell as visitors made their circuit around the pens and listened to shivering presenters at the 2nd Annual Tibetan Yak Exhibition in Morehead. The yaks, however, were loving it.

Greg Dike, one of the coordinators for the event…

(A version of this article first appeared in The Farmer’s Pride, January 18 issue)

By Ray Bowman

 You might say Kentucky Ag Commissioner Ryan Quarles plowed a little new ground when he addressed the 2018 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference.

The Commissioner chose this venue to announce a new first-of-its-kind program to incentivize the inclusion of more locally-grown produce in summer meal…

By Ray Bowman

Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles, Bill Thomason, president and CEO, Keeneland Thoroughbred Racing and Sales, and Chauncey Morris, executive director, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders recently met with media representatives to celebrate the signing of a trade accord with China that allows the export of live horses to that…