~~As the local agricultural focus continues to diversify from tobacco to other areas, beef cattle has become the main livestock production choice for Laurel County farmers.  To help local beef producers increase profits, the Laurel County Cooperative Extension Office collaborated with the Laurel County Cattlemen’s Association to present a series of educational workshops and demonstrations geared toward improving production practices.  Educational topics featured:  beef futures and marketing outlook; breeding synchronization; rotational grazing; and animal health.   Workshop presenters have included Ag Commissioner Ryan Quarles; Travis Gabbard from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture; Dr. Michelle Arnold, DVM; and local extension educators.  The average attendance at each workshop was 51 producers, representing 47% of the membership in the local Cattlemen’s Association.  Further collaboration between the organizations was the administration of the County Agricultural Investment Program through the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy.   For the 2016 program that ended in August 2017, a total of 115 producers were approved for cost-share funding to receive up to $1,886 per producer.  Currently, in the 2017 program, 125 producers were awarded a share of the available funds and are eligible for reimbursement of up to $1,130 per producer for completing approved projects.  Cost-share funds can be used for any of the ten project areas, including:  genetics programs for beef and dairy cattle; farm storage facilities; forage improvement; fencing and on-farm water; and technology to assist with farm record keeping.  In the last seven years alone, this program has provided over $1.3 million in cost-share funds to Laurel County producers.