The Kentucky Farm Bureau represents around 500,000 people throughout commonwealth. 

As a far reaching organization they make an effort to provide input on policy decisions both nationwide and right here in Kentucky. They decide what their priorities are through a democratic process. 

"We get our policy from our members all across the state, and then our Board of Directors set out priority issues that we work from when we go into a new session," explained Kentucky Farm Bureau President Mark Haney. 

They have several priority issues they will be focusing on when lawmakers convene again in Frankfort for 2019. One of the top priorities--is dealing with wildlife and wildlife management. 

"The deer population, and the bear population, and the turkeys and all that create a lot of crop damage, create a lot of accidents and create a lot of damage to automobiles, and puts folks in danger," Haney said. 

KFB is seeking effective wildlife management that will help reduce the wildlife population. Taxation is another issue they are focusing on in 2019. KFB says they want Kentucky to be competitive with surrounding states. 

"We have some exemptions that are very important to us in Agriculture on sales tax," said Haney. "The farming community buys all their inputs for ,the most part, at the retail level, whether a farm store or typical business. No other small business operates in that mode. When we sell our product we sell it at a marketplace--not retail. So we buy retail, sell wholesale. If we didn't  have the benefit of being able to exempt those input taxes it would be very burdensome for the farm community." 

While KFB is not worried this exemption will be removed, Haney says they like to remind lawmakers the importance of it. 

Supporting the rural secondary and county road aid programs and continuation of the 22.2 percent allocation of the state gas tax revenue is another top priority for KFB. There has been talks of increasing the gas tax to help fund these roads and programs, and Haney says its something they could support. 

"We aren't opposing any gas tax, we might not be out there beating the drum to get one, but we certainly would take a look," said Haney. "We wouldn't be opposing that." 

Rural development is another top issue KFB will be focusing on in 2019, including supporting broadband and high speed internet service to rural areas. 

"Broadband service is not only a priority issue currently, but it has been a priority issue for awhile now. It is so important to us. We have to be able to get the coverage out to what we call the 'last mile' out into the really rural areas," said Haney. 

Some other state issues they will be focusing on is maintaining allocating 50 percent of the Master Settlement Agreement funds to the Agricultural Development Boards, supporting continued funding of the Soil Erosion & Water Quality Cost-Share Program, and supporting the modernization of the grain insurance fund to adequately protect current and future Kentucky grain producers. KFB is also supporting various priorities dealing with water resources, regulatory authority and forestry. 

KFB focuses on national priorities as well. One of the big ones was the passage of the 2018 farm bill, something they advocated strongly for. 

"The farm bill is probably the most important piece of legislation for rural America, not just rural Kentucky, but rural America," said Haney. "It's how we feed our nation, that's the SNAP program, what we used to call food stamp program. About 80 percent of the budget goes to that, which really creates a big market for us as producers." 

Another issue especially important for those in agriculture is trade. About 40 percent of products produced in Kentucky has to be exported. 

"That means we have to have good trading partners," said Haney. "We don't like tariffs, we think tariffs are not a good way to treat your trading partners. Yet, if they are not treating you fairly you have to negotiate something to get them back to the table, and honest."

Ensuring infrastructure is kept up is another important issue for KFB. As is supporting regulatory reform. Health care reform is another top national policy priority for KFB. The ability to provide association health care coverage is something that excites KFB.

"We want to be able to have an opportunity to get health care providers, health care clinics, assisted living places and rest homes in rural Kentucky be affordable for our members," said Haney." All that happens with tax policy, is there tax incentives in place that makes it possible to play in that arena?"

Immigration and farm labor reform is another top national priority for the farm burea, as many farmers rely on guest workers. KFB says they would like to see the H-2A program restructured. 

"We are struggling to get farm labor, we have to have the availability of guest labor," said Haney. "Seasonal guest worker program is important, H-2A works for us, we would like to see it enhanced. It's cumbersome, it's expensive, it requires a lot of things."

KFB would also like to protect the rights of producers to protect their livestock and property against wildlife predation.