Central Kentucky has deep roots when it comes to agriculture. With that in mind, a new partnership has been formed to help build up innovative start ups in the agriculture section in the region.
Bob Helton is the new executive director of the Bluegrass Ag-Tech Development Corporation. He said the commonwealth has a lot of offer the agriculture sector.
“The natural geography of Kentucky where we have different regions of the state, the far west in the flat lands are used for large farming and large farm operations, central Kentucky with our equine and eastern Kentucky in the mountainous region a while different type of agricultural needs.”
The Bluegrass Ag-Tech Development Corporation and is made up of the city of Lexington, the State Department of Agriculture, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food, and Development, and All-Tech.
Helton said they have several goals for this collaboration.
“A resilient regional food system, part of that came from the concept of supply chains that we experienced through the pandemic that we were relying on someone in California or overseas for some of our product or even agricultural products such as fertilizer or other things needed.”
Helton said while some Ag-Tech companies have failed in Kentucky, there is still interest in building up that sector.
Hear more with Bob Helton coming up later this week on Eastern Standard, on WEKU.
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
