With the recent closure of the stockyards in Laurel County, area producers have been faced with limited options for selling their animals. Many have been transporting livestock to markets in other areas, which is a costly option due to fuel prices and loss of weight of the animals due to the stress of the transport. 

In 2002, Extension agents in the eight county Wilderness Trail Area worked together to construct the WTA Marketing Alliance, which provided producers a location to group, sort, and sell their animals by 50,000-pound tractor-trailer; however, the facility is no longer large enough to accommodate the number of animals area producers need to sell.

The Laurel County Agriculture agent, in collaboration with other local entities, prepared a grant proposal to the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF) to enlarge and further develop the facility.  In addition to doubling the holding pen area for livestock, the grant would provide funding to build restrooms onsite for proper handwashing and sanitation and create a working area for area sheep producers to store and utilize their shared-used handling equipment.

The Laurel County Agriculture agent presented the project proposal to the KADF and was awarded cost-share funding for the $689,000 project.  Half of the funds were secured by cash and in-kind contributions from local entities, including the Cattlemen’s Association, WTA Marketing Alliance Board, Cattlemen’s Association, Laurel County Fiscal Court, Kentucky Farm Bureau, Farm Credit, and Southeast Kentucky Sheep Producers Association. The other half of the funding was being provided by the KADF and allocations by Ag Development Councils from fourteen counties.

Construction on the project is currently underway and is expected to be completed by April 2024, in time for the Laurel County Cattlemen’s Annual Heifer sale.  The Sheep Producers Association will also be hosting their annual sale at the facility in July.