The Livingston County Cooperative Extension office was contacted by the Livingston County Judge to ask if it was feasible to participate in the USDA Farm to Families program.   This USDA programs helps farming operations by purchasing fruits and vegetables that would not be sold to viable markets and redistributes them to families that are in need of food.

  After speaking to the Judge, the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent and Expanded Food and Nutrition Program Assistant began to work out the details.  We offered our Extension facilities as a delivery and distribution center.  Our central location in the county made this the ideal place to distribute the food.   We began to promote the distribution on all the Extension social media sites and contacted local radio stations.  

   Early on the morning of August 24^th, a semi-truck delivered a load of fruits and vegetable to the Livingston County Extension facilities.  Precautions were taken due to COVID-19 restrictions, a drive-thru line was established in the Livingston County Extension Fair Barn parking lot.  With volunteers from the Livingston County Extension, Livingston County Future Farmers Chapter, Livingston County employees and local businesses, a total of 1,700 cases of fresh produce were distributed to five hundred and sixty seven households.  The Livingston County Judge Executive was quoted as saying “We as a county would not have been able to accomplish the distribution of over 1,700 boxes of fresh produce without the help of the many volunteer that stepped in to help.  They include the  University of Kentucky Livingston County Extension Office family, the Livingston County Future Farmers of America program,  Barnes Outdoor Equipment and many others who came to help with the distribution.”