Situation and Target Audience

Breathitt County is located in eastern Kentucky where 28% of the population (13,718 people in 5,506 households) live in poverty (per capita income is $20,654 according to the 2021 US Census estimate).  Sixty percent of the 160 farms are family farms.  Thirty-six percent of the farms are under 50 acres.    Cattle and calves provide the majority of agriculture income.   (2017 Census of Agriculture)

On July 27^th2022, eastern Kentucky was flooded and shortly after declared a federal natural disaster area. Some areas of the county received over 8 inches of rain that night, causing unprecedented flash flooding -. The North Fork of the Kentucky River, -which runs through the heart of Breathitt County and -downtown Jackson, reached an all-time record high of 43.44 feet. Records on the KY -River in Jackson date back to the early 1900’s. To put that number into perspective, the normal river tide is 1-2 feet and flood stage is 29 feet.

As a result of the flood, more than 80 farms in Breathitt County were impacted. The impacts ranged from washed out fencing and roads, to losses of livestock, barns, tractors, crops, and bridges. Some farmers also lost their homes, cars, and personal belongings. In total, millions of dollars in damages have been recorded in Breathitt County.

Action

Within days after the flood, the Breathitt County Extension Agent for Agriculture secured a warehouse to receive and house donations of feed, hay, and farm supplies.  The Mountain Cattlemen’s Association (an organization that spans 9 counties) partnered with Extension and provided -volunteers to accept, organize, and distribute supplies according to the needs of farmers in Breathitt, Perry, Letcher, and Knott Counties.   Donations of supplies, money ($250,000), and physical labor came from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and South Carolina.    

Distribution of supplies began within a week of the flood. An agricultural needs assessment was used by ANR Agents in the impacted counties for farmers to complete and note the impact the flood had on their farm (e.g. loss of hay, building damage, etc.). The needs assessment was then used to distribute donated supplies. While each farm, and farmer, had their own unique losses, the common needs were livestock feed, hay, and fencing.

Outcomes

Over 300 farmers from the four counties benefited from donations.  The donations that have been received have been such an asset to farmers who are continuing to farm in our area. In the words of one Breathitt County livestock producer, “without the donations it would be easy to give up, but thinking someone cares enough to send me help keeps me pushing on, the farmer flood response has been amazing”!