Evaluation of Ag Development Board Funding

In 2008, the University of Kentucky completed an evaluation of Kentucky’s Agricultural Development Board Investments in Kentucky agriculture from 2001-2006. The evaluation provided findings on the overall economic impact of the investments in addition to the number of tobacco farmers impacted, new or expanded markets and jobs created. All large and medium and a sample of small sized non-model programs were interviewed to provide a project-specific rating of success. CEDIK (Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky) housed within the College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment at the University of Kentucky proposes to complete a second evaluation that spans all investments between 2007 and 2014. CEDIK proposes the following scope of work to conduct this second stage evaluation. 1. Create a team of researchers and extension personnel to collect and organize data, survey distribution, site interviews, “truth testers/on the ground experts”, and analyze all data. 2. Collect data from Governor’s Office on Ag Policy (GOAP) and Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation (KAFC) on all county programs, projects and KAFC investments. 3. Conduct site visits with all large, medium, and a sample of small projects. The survey instrument/interviews will be modified based on the availability (if applicable) of new reporting requirements by grantees. 4. There were a number of recommendations provided in the first report that, if followed, would likely enhance the impact of ADB investments. We will explore the impact, where applicable, of following these recommendations. For example, did KAFC follow the recommendation to be a bit riskier in their investments? If so, was the return on investment greater than the previous study period? 5. Explore, and if possible, estimate the relationship between ADB and KAFC investments and overall Kentucky agriculture by comparing investments with Census of Ag data from 2002, 2007, and 2012. 6. Estimate the economic impact of the ADB and KAFC investments in terms of additional income and jobs. 7. Summarize survey responses and provide ratings to all large and medium sized projects. 8. Summarize and interpret data for county programs by program and county 9. Identify best management practices and lessons learned. 10. Provide recommendations for future monitoring, reporting, and funding of new ADB investments. 11. Present results to LRC and other audiences as requested by GOAP.