Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) and the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development are offering relief to western Kentucky farmers who incurred damages during the tornado outbreak in December.
Eligible farmers can visit eight participating farm stores to collect up to $1,500 in supplies to repair or replace damaged items. Such supplies include hand and power tools; rope and bungee cords; fencing, gates, posts and tarps; mineral, feed, hay and accessories; and more.
KFB president Mark Haney said the relief program was born out of the need to address damages that would not have been covered under the company’s insurance policies but were still crucial to the operation of farms.
“Being Farm Bureau, we want to see agriculture protected,” Haney said. “We want to see the farm made back as complete as we could prior to the devastation.”
KFB chose to distribute relief through farm stores instead of entering communities directly to avoid undercutting businesses that are deeply rooted there.
“It wouldn’t be fair to those people that have served those farmers for years and years,” Haney said. “They know who their customers are, and they know who’s been hit with the storm and who needs these supplies.”
To access this “menu” of selected items, farmers must provide their name, address and Farm Service Agency number to their local farm store, which will subsequently fulfill those needs by drawing upon a $1.5 million fund. The fund itself is composed of donations ranging from $5 to $150,000 from individuals, churches, agricultural manufacturers and more.
The following farm stores are participating in the program:
- Christian/Trigg counties
- Southern States - Hopkinsville Cooperative - Cadiz Branch (2829 Hopkinsville Road, Cadiz, KY 42211)
- Hopkins County
- Calhoun Feed Service/Southern States (515 Nebo Road, Madisonville, KY 42431)
- Logan County
- Southern States - Russellville Cooperative (209 North Bethel Street, Russellville, KY 42276)
- Butler County
- Drake’s Farm Service (340 Logansport Rd, Morgantown, KY 42261)
- Caldwell County
- Akridge Farm Supply & Ace Hardware (55 Wyatt Street, Fredonia, KY 42411)
- Fairview Farm Center (100 Ladybug Lane, Pembroke, KY 42266)
- Graves County
- Falder’s Farm Home and Industry Supply (1428 Cuba Road, Mayfield, KY 42066)
- Hart County
- Hedgepeth Farm Supply (1406 Hedgepeth Rd, Canmer, KY 42722)
Haney said the response of farmers who have taken advantage of the fund has been “really positive” thus far, mainly because of the straightforward nature of the process.
“We still have a lot of money left, and that’s okay because a lot of people have not been able to go to work,” he said. “The money’s going to be there when they get the labor supply, or when the weather warms up and the mud’s dry and they’re ready to go.”
Contributions to the fund can be sent via check to KFB Executive Vice President Drew Graham at 9201 Bunsen Parkway in Louisville, Kentucky, 40220 — made payable to the Kentucky Farm Bureau Education Foundation for the KFB for Kentucky Relief Fund.
Any excess money remaining after farms have been rejuvenated will be donated to the American Red Cross humanitarian organization.
