Dear Thorobred Family,
Public universities are built on a relationship of trust with the people we serve.
For Kentucky State University, one important aspect of that trust is expressed through
our status as an 1890 land-grant university. With this comes a responsibility to deliver
education that expands opportunity, research that solves real problems, and outreach
that meets communities where they are.
That responsibility guided my work this week in Washington, D.C., where I met with
elected officials and USDA leaders to advocate for the impressive public value Kentucky
State delivers through our land-grant mission. I was also grateful for the opportunity
to connect with fellow presidents and senior leaders from across the country at the
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Council for Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) Washington Conference. Many of those leaders
guide institutions that, like our University, are part of a larger national network
built to serve the public good.
At last count, there are 111 land-grant institutions in the United States, spanning
points of creation in 1862, 1890, and 1994. This network includes 19 Historically
Black Colleges and Universities and 35 tribal colleges, with institutions located
in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. The uniting
purpose is clear: connect teaching, research, and outreach to practical outcomes that
strengthen communities.
When people ask what the land-grant mission looks like in practice, I often point
to work that is immediate and useful.
A strong example is our new Hay Testing Lab in Glasgow, based in our Cooperative Extension office in Barren County and offered free of charge
to Kentucky producers, including beef and dairy farmers who rely on high-quality forage.
Since the lab opened in June 2025, it has analyzed more than 600 hay and forage samples
for more than 120 farmers across 25 counties, delivering rapid results and expert
interpretation that helps strengthen decisions. That reach matters because, at last
count, forages and hay occupy nearly 1.8 million acres across about 37,000 Kentucky
farms, and forage quality directly influences livestock performance and farm economics.
That same practical focus is evident in the statewide scale of Kentucky State’s Cooperative
Extension work. Each year, Extension delivers education programs to more than 30,000
Kentuckians and supports more than 1,000 small-scale farmers with technical assistance.
Through the Small-Scale Farm Grant Program, Kentucky State has distributed more than $5 million in direct support, helping farmers
generate average revenue increases of $15,000 annually, with work now reaching 116
of Kentucky’s 120 counties. Our aquaculture training and technical assistance has
also saved farmers and producers more than $1.3 million, reinforcing how applied science
and on-the-ground support can protect livelihoods.
Research is another way we earn trust, especially when it is mission-driven and community-centered.
Much of that work is advanced through Evans-Allen grants, a federal USDA program that
supports applied research at 1890 land-grant universities. In our current portfolio,
Kentucky State is advancing 34 Evans-Allen projects led by 30 faculty and staff investigators
across agriculture, natural resources, and aquaculture, with 18 projects currently
active. I appreciate the leadership of Dr. Marcus Bernard, dean of the College of
Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources and director of the Land Grant Program,
in helping expand this work and strengthen its reach.
Stewardship is part of this responsibility as well. Nearly one in three bites of food
depends on pollinators, and Kentucky State is a national leader in apiary research
of both honey bees and native bees. With our recent Bee Campus USA designation, we are expanding native pollinator habitat, refining land-management practices,
and advancing applied learning that supports the long-term health of essential species.
The designation places Kentucky State among a national network of colleges and universities
improving landscapes and operations to sustain native pollinators.
As you reflect on the privilege of learning and working in this innovative educational
community, I hope you will also feel a deeper connection to our land-grant purpose.
Kentucky State’s 1890 mission asks us to translate knowledge into action and make
our impact visible in the lives of the people we serve. Thank you for helping our
University keep that promise.
Onward and Upward,
Koffi C. Akakpo, Ph.D.
President
Kentucky State University