Due to COVID – 19 Leslie County has not ran a Kentucky Department of Agriculture Policy, Tobacco Settlement Agreement program in two years, this brought funding from the Kentucky Agriculture Development Fund to $60,000 to disperse into the county via a cost share program. Leslie County Soil Conservation and The County Ag Development board voted to administer the funds in the form of a County Agricultural Investment Program (CAIP). Since a program had not been ran in two years extension felt that we needed to show the community what CAIP funding was and how funding could be used to benefit producers in the county. On June 22, 2022, the Leslie County cooperative Extension office partnered with Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy, Leslie County Soil Conservation district and Kentucky Environmental and Energy Cabinet to hold a CAIP cost share informational meeting. The meeting was held to help producers’ complete applications, update, and complete ag water quality plans, offer educational material to meet CAIP educational requirements, answer questions and inform producers on rules and opportunities for investment areas.  

The meeting had 20 producers in attendance. All completed applications for cost share funds and either updated their current ag water quality plans or developed a new plan where one was needed. All producers had opportunities to discuss investment areas and determine what was the correct investment area per the individual applicant. Producers also had the opportunity to learn about state cost share opportunities and ways to combine CAIP funds and State Cost share funds to complete bigger projects.

As this program progresses the Extension Service, Conservation District and State of Kentucky EEC will continue to collaborate and provide assistance and guidance for this cost share program for the producers in Leslie County.