Madison County, Kentucky has a long history of agriculture. Tobacco was historically the largest agriculture commodity though it has been replaced with cattle and forage production.

While there is an appreciation of farming in our community, the general population knows very little about the agriculture that surrounds them every day.  The county has changed greatly over the years. The county population has grown over 20% since 2000. Nearly 80% of Madison County is considered farmland yet only 2% of Madison County residents are farmers. 

The Madison County Cooperative Extension Office held a Farm City Banquet in the fall of 2022. Several entities such as the local Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club, Farm Bureau, the Conservation District and Bluegrass Energy collaborated with the Extension Office on the event. The planning committee wanted the event to highlight and celebrate agriculture in the community.

Several awards were given during the event, including the Urban Conservationist Award, Youth Agriculture Award and Extension Agriculture Hall of Fame. In addition to the awards, each table had several trivia cards related to agriculture in our county and state. Also, a meal was provided and attendees were entertained by a local jazz group. In addition to local farmers, local leaders and elected officials were in attendance.

According to one of the groups presenting an award that evening the event showed that, even with all the residential development, agriculture is still strong in Madison County. One award winner commented they were honored to receive the award in that setting. He went on to say that our county is getting more diverse and it was a good place to bring everyone together.