The Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF) administers a Youth Agriculture Incentives Program (YAIP), to provide support to youth actively engaged in agriculture education activities. YAIP applicants may receive up to $1500 reimbursement per year and is for ages 9-18. This 50-50 cost share program is available to county entities interested in applying to be an administrator for this program.

The Warren County 4-H Council became a YAIP administrator in the fall of 2021. For the past two years, the 4-H council has received a total of $45,000 to distribute to youth participants with qualified agriculture projects. A total of 57 Warren County youth participants have been funded receiving an average of $780 cost-share reimbursement per person.

The funding jump-started many agriculture projects including the following: poultry, lambs, goats, greenhouses, gardening beds, rabbits, dairy heifers, swine and much more.

Of the 33 youth who received funding in the 2^nd year, 14 of these applicants are on their 2^nd year of funding. These youth were able to expand their goat operation by purchasing more breeding stock; increase their breeding sheep operation by buying more stock and equipment including gates and panels; expand their swine breeding facilities; and run electricity to their chicken houses.  Current year applicants bought dairy heifers, show supplies, built greenhouses, built chicken coops, improved facilities and bought livestock handling equipment.

One youth who received funding said, “There are so many learning experiences that agriculture opportunities can teach you. Showing has taught me much about hard work and dedication. With having my own heifers, it helped me to develop lifelong skills that are needed in the real world. With showing my dairy heifers, I spend more time with my family instead of going out and I spend most nights in the barn with my dad”.

In the past two years, a total of $90,000 was spent on these youth agriculture projects. This money was not only an investment in youth projects but an infusion of economic impact to our local agriculture industry.

This reporting agent conducts the Youth Agriculture Incentives Program (YAIP) in Warren County for all county residents who qualify for the program. This agent has spent numerous hours/days working to make sure all reimbursements are qualified expenses. Even though the funding opportunity is outside the normal realm of a county extension agents' job, this agent works hard to make sure this agriculture funding opportunity is available to youth in Warren County.