KENTUCKY — On this week’s “In Focus Kentucky” program, we’re taking a look at agriculture across the Commonwealth.

Kentucky is home to a wide variety of agriculture production, from horses and beef cattle to tobacco and corn. And according to recent data, Kentucky is home to more than 69,000 farms, from large to small.

During this segment, Kentucky’s 36th Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell, R-Lancaster, of Garrard County joins the program to share updates from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture about the state’s agriculture industry season and what to expect as the fall growing season is underway.

“You know, I think that if you had to sum up 2024 in one word in agriculture, it would be challenging. There’s been a lot of challenges this year, specifically in our grain operations across the state of Kentucky, whether it was early on in the year, in our corn, beans and wheat. There’s a lot of water, and so it pushed back planting season. And then here later, corn crop on most of it looks pretty good. It’s a fairly average crop. But the beans, early beans look good, but late beans that are coming on right now are struggling a little bit. We had a great wheat crop this year. Dry weather during harvest really helped out. Depending on what commodity you’re in, in the state of Kentucky, beef cattle is really good. Our horticulture and vegetable production in the state’s really great. But depending on what commodity you are, is whether or not you had a good year or great year. But farming is all about resiliency. And you know, that’s what that’s what our farmers are looking forward to, because next year is always more important than this year, and our farmers right now are in middle of harvest,” said Shell. 

Shell also comments on the 120th Kentucky State Fair, which wrapped up a successful 11-day run in late August, that included several days of record-breaking attendance with great weather, big crowds and unique activities.

“It was absolutely wonderful. And I growing up as a kid, we raised 200 acres at a backup until about seven years ago. So I never got to go to the state fair until I got elected as state representative, and I’d go on Ham Breakfast day, and that was about it. I didn’t get to participate in much because I was always working on the farm. So this was really my first full 10 days of being at the state fair, multiple days being there, and I absolutely loved it. I tell staff here that it was best vacation I ever had. I really loved and enjoyed the high pace and getting to see all the people. And I’ll tell you my staff at the Department of Agriculture, who helped to put this on, we logged so many hours of that thing. We’ve got about 180 that volunteer to go up there and work around the state fair to really help provide something special for the citizens of Kentucky. What’s most intriguing about the state fair, though, is that to me and in agriculture, Mr. Beck says it best, the CEO of Kentucky venues, that it is the largest classroom in Kentucky, and that is one of the things that is irreplaceable for us in our industry, is being able to get people who are not necessarily on the farm and understanding it, to come in and get a piece of Kentucky, agriculture at the state fair,” explained Shell.

You can watch the full In Focus Kentucky segment in the player above.