Programs that help farmers improve management, production and marketing practices are a continued priority identified by the Oldham County Ag Development Council and Extension Council.  Tax information and other farm business management resources were identified as important needed information to assist new and existing farmers, based on client calls.  The Oldham County Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent partnered with the UK Extension Farm Business Management State Coordinator to plan and hold a Farm Tax Basics workshop in October 2021 to help meet this need.  

At the same time as workshop planning was taking place, UK Extension provided information for agents to help farmers navigate the new requirement of applying for a farm sales tax exempt number.  This information was sent to farm owners and managers in the county to ensure they were aware of the application process and deadline.

Topics covered in the workshop included:

• Farm Sales Tax Exemption
• Farm Tax I.D. Numbers
• Types of Business Organizations
• IRS Schedule F vs. Schedule C
• Recordkeeping
• What Constitutes a Farm Business vs. a Hobby Farm

Outcomes of the workshop and correspondence to farmers included the following:

• 15 people attended the workshop and learned new information about the basics of keeping records and details involving filing farm taxes
• 15 people received related follow-up information about business and enterprise planning, financial records, and resources for assistance
• 10 people obtained direct help from the Oldham County Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent for questions relating to the application for a farm sales tax exemption number
• 337 clients involved in farming were contacted by email or U.S. mail with details on the farm sales tax exemption number application process
• Comments included, "I would not have known about the requirement to apply for a tax exempt number if it hadn't been for info received from the Extension Office", and "I would have missed this deadline if it hadn't been for the message you sent out"
• Oldham County Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent wrote an article, Resources for Beginning and Experienced Farmers, shared on the Oldham County Extension blog site and by email in January 2022