Kentucky Value Chain Collaborative - Implementation

Kentucky Value Chain Collaborative Abstract There is a growing need among Kentucky farmers for targeted marketing assistance for local food and farm products. The 2019 Kentucky Cooperative Extension Community Assessment Statewide Report identifies 1) the sustainability of family farms 2) more awareness and support for agriculture and agribusiness 3) more market opportunities for farmers 4) more profitable farms 5) more crop and livestock production opportunities as “important” community issues that warrant more attention and investment. The Kentucky Value Chain Collaborative (KYVCC) helps meet the needs of Kentucky farmers, addresses issues of concern from Kentucky communities, and improves the health and economic vitality of our food and farm economy in the Commonwealth. The KYVCC supports three full time positions (value chain coordinators (VCCs)), in the form of “soft infrastructure” to support farmers in cultivating meaningful and sustainable markets for their local food products and relationships with scale- appropriate distribution channels. The VCCs serve a number of roles (market matchmaking, technical assistance, relationship building, innovating ideas, resource prospecting, research & assessment) to meet farmers where they are and assist them with selling their products and meeting the demand for locally grown food in a coordinated and collaborative way with an emphasis on institutional/food service markets. This allows farmers to spend more time on the farm and for them to access markets they may not have otherwise been able to access. These VCCs will work collaboratively with existing partners and organizations involved in VCC work while serving as anchor personnel whose primary function is to develop intentional, transparent, and sustainable relationships with farmers, processors, distributors, and buyers in their regions. The VCCs will work across commodities (produce, protein, small grains, dairy, value-added products, etc.) and will regularly convene meetings and/or conduct site visits with farmers, processors, distributors, and buyers to continue to build sustainable and equitable local food value chains in Kentucky.