For more than twenty five years the Kentucky Agriculture Development Fund has been a staple of Nelson County agriculture advancement.  To date over $3,500,000 has been distributed to farmers and farm businesses in our county.   Entities like Boones Butcher Shop and McIntyres Winery were early beneficiaries of the funds and that helped rebuild and develop these Nelson County staples.   The fund has helped make farms safer by revamping countless cattle handling facilities, increasing safety equipment availability to our first responders, and keeping dead livestock from contaminating our water supplies. Many farms have improved genetics for their herds and improved the quality of forages through better management and storage.  

In 2025 Nelson County Agriculture Development Board disbursed $25,000 for the Next Generation CAIP program, $84,950. for the General CAIP program, 5000 for the Youth Agriculture improvement Program (YAIP), $15000 for Dead animal removal.  Nelson County Soil Conservation administers the CAIP programs and was able to fund 90 farm families with a matching $1,500 grant.