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Kentucky State University’s Small-Scale Farm Grant was granted up to $1,359,000 over the next two years by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board.

From the Small-Scale Farm Grant’s inception in December 2012 through August 2023, more than $4 million has been awarded to 1,105 successful applicants in 113 counties across Kentucky.

“I am so proud to have been part of this project for the past 10 years, and I’m very excited about the upcoming changes that will benefit even more small, limited-resource, minority farmers in the state,” said Joni Nelson, Manager of the Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families at Kentucky State University.

Nelson said it is rewarding to see how far a “small” grant can go for Kentucky farmers.

“It is not a ‘small’ grant to them. It is a life-changing event,” Nelson said.

The Small-Scale Farm Grant frequently helps farmers sustain their business or venture in directions they otherwise could not have.

Jim Embry, an agrarian intellectual activist in Madison County, has received two Small-Scale Farm Grants, which have funded necessary equipment and helped him purchase hives and beekeeping tools.

“I became a beekeeper thanks to KSU,” Embry said.

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved more than $3.3 million for agricultural diversification and rural development projects at its October board meeting.

For more information about the Small-Scale Farm Grant, contact Joni Nelson at joni.nelson@kysu.edu.