KY Center for Ag & Rural Development

06/01/2026

📢 We're Hiring!

KCARD is seeking a full-time Administrative Assistant to support our team and help advance our work serving Kentucky's agricultural and rural businesses. This remote position offers flexible scheduling, benefits, and opportunities to work with a variety of agricultural sectors across the state.

To apply, send a resume and cover letter to [email protected] by June 22, 2026.

Learn more about the position and qualifications: https://www.kcard.info/news2/kcard-hiring-administrative-assistant

05/29/2026

Interested in the USDA Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) grant opportunity?

Join KCARD on June 11 at 6:30 PM ET for a webinar covering program details, eligibility, and application considerations!

Register here ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/MPPEPwebinar

05/28/2026

KCARD staff recently took part in a hands-on training focused on setting up and operating a farmers market booth. 🌱 From vendor setup and customer engagement to overall market best practices, the training offered valuable perspective on what it takes to create a successful market experience.

We are always striving to learn from real life experiences to better support farmers and agricultural businesses across Kentucky with practical, relevant guidance.

Thank you to our special guests: Elmwood Stock Farm, High Five Farm, and Center for Crop Diversification!

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, KCARD honors and remembers the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. We are grateful for their sacrifice and wish everyone a safe and meaningful holiday. 🇺🇸

05/22/2026

As KCARD continues to celebrate 25 years, we’re taking time to recognize the partnerships and collaborations that have helped support and strengthen our work with Kentucky agriculture. 🌱

Today, we’re featuring a testimonial from Brett Wolff with the Center for Crop Diversification. CCD's resources and expertise are frequently incorporated into KCARD’s work to help support Kentucky farmers, local food systems, and agricultural diversification efforts across the state. We’re grateful for their continued partnership and collaboration.

Stay tuned as we continue sharing reflections from partners and friends who have been part of the KCARD journey over the past 25 years. 🌾

05/21/2026

📢 Reminder: LAMP grants are due on June 5th! Reach out to us for help!

📣 LAMP Grant Funding Now Open!

The USDA Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) grants are now open! This program includes three key funding opportunities: the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP), and the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP).

These grants support projects that strengthen local and regional food systems. KCARD can help you explore ideas, check eligibility, and shape your proposal early!

📩 Reach out to KCARD for help anytime! We’re happy to talk through your ideas and help you decide if this opportunity is right for you.

05/20/2026

Thinking about applying for grants for your farm or food business? 💭

Before you dive in, take a step back and ask a few key questions to make sure the opportunity is the right fit and that you’re ready to apply.

⬇ Swipe to walk through what to think about before you start applying.

Have questions or want help exploring funding options? KCARD is here to help support your next steps.

05/14/2026

Farm transitions, financial stress, and difficult conversations can be challenging to navigate alone. Agricultural mediation provides Kentucky farmers with a confidential, neutral space to work through complex decisions and move forward productively.

Through KCARD’s Kentucky AgriLegacy Solutions Program (KASP), these USDA-supported mediation services are available at no cost to producers.

In our latest blog post, we answer common questions about how agricultural mediation works, what issues it can address, and what producers can expect from the process.

Read more: https://www.kcard.info/news2/agricultural-mediation-faqs-kentucky

05/13/2026

Help shape the next Eastern Kentucky Farmer Conference! ⬇️

🌱 We Want Your Input! 🌱

Planning is underway for the 2027 Eastern Kentucky Farmer Conference, and we want to hear from you.

Whether you’ve attended in the past or would be joining us for the first time, your feedback will help shape conference sessions and topics that are practical, relevant, and valuable for farmers and agricultural professionals across the region.

⏱ The survey takes about 3–5 minutes to complete.

Take the survey here: https://tinyurl.com/EKFC2027

05/11/2026

📢 Calling all USDA-inspected meat processors!

USDA Rural Development has opened Phase 4 of the Meat & Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) for USDA-inspected facilities that primarily process cattle. The program helps expand processing capacity and strengthen local meat markets.

💰 $60 million available nationwide
📅 Applications due August 7, 2026

If you are considering applying, KCARD can help guide you through the process. Reach out to learn more!

USDA Rural Development has opened Phase Four of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Grant Program. The primary purpose of MPPEP Phase 4 is to support the American Beef Industry by diversifying the meat and poultry supply chain and opening local market opportunities. The applicant’s facility must primary process cattle in order for the project to be eligible for the program, however, funds or equipment may be used for processing meat and poultry at the facility.

Grant funding in the amount of $60 million is available under this Program.

Applications will be accepted from May 7, 2026, through August 7, 2026. Applications must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on August 7, 2026, through Grants.gov.

Two types of applications for each of the funding competitions will be accepted:

1. Processing Expansion Projects. Awards will range from $50,000 to $2 million to support a range of activities to increase and diversify processing capacity of American meat and poultry, including Equipment-only purchases over $250,000, and necessary improvements, upgrades, renovations or retrofits to an existing Facility needed to install the Equipment. A match requirement of 50 percent of the project cost is required for Processing Expansion Projects.

2. Simplified Equipment-Only Projects. Awards will range from $10,000 to $250,000 for projects that only request the cost of equipment and do not include renovation, labor, installation, or certification costs. A match requirement of 25 percent of the project cost is required for Simplified Equipment-Only Projects.

Visit https://aamp.com/page/grants for more details.

The home page for MPPEP Phase 4 is https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/meat-and-poultry-processing-expansion-program-phase-4

The Grants.gov page for MPPEP Phase 4 is https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/362298