Author: Daniel Allen
Planning Unit: Kenton County CES
Major Program: Ag Water Quality Program
Plan of Work: Addressing Water Issues
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
With the decline of dairy farms in Kentucky, following the closing of the Dean milk processing facility in Louisville, it has resulted in the loss of dairy farms across the state of Kentucky. On average, farmers spend $1.92 to produce a gallon of milk and make $1.32 when they sell it to processors. This is the fourth year in a row that farmers’ milk prices have dipped below the cost of production. Diary Farmers like Kenton County’s EdMar is looking for any way to help offset overhead expenses to preserve their family farm. In addition to bulk milk sales, EdMar is also producing and selling eight kinds of cheese locally. However, one major overhead expense that faces EdMar Dairy is his need to address flooding of his lagoons into the local streams. By building another overflow lagoon EdMar will be able to retain and keep the waste water entirely on his property, thus making his farm more sustainable and protecting the Banklick Stream. Kenton County ANR Agent, Dan Allen did research into grants and other funding to assist in developing this third lagoon. Allen sits as an advisor on the Banklick Watershed Council (which is the watershed that EdMar Diary is located). The Council has access to Kentucky Division of Water grants to address water source pollutants. Introductions, conversations ,recommendations and work with a local engineering firm, were made on EdMar Dairy’s behalf to the Kentucky Division of Water about this situation. Due to the work of the Agent EdMar Dairy received a grant for $28.000 to install another lagoon to prevent waste water from getting into the Banklick Watershed area. The result is long term both economically and environmentally.
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