Farmers as entrepreneurs

1. Farmers as
Entrepreneur’s
Courage
Risk takers
Inventors

2. Farmer Inventory
• 2.2 millions farms in US – 97% family owned and
operated – 2% of population
• Gross farm income nationally @ $400 billion
• 21 million workers produce, process, sell Ag products in
US – 15% of the work force
• $115 billion in US Ag exports annually
- 1 in 3 acres planted for export
- 31% of gross farm income due to exports
- 23% of raw Ag products are exported
• Farmers receive 16 cents of each food dollar
- in 1980 31 cents

3. Trend in Agriculture
• Produce more with less
• 1950 – 2.47 billion people in world
• 2000 – 6.06 billion people
• 2050 – 7.87-9.32 billion projection
• 1961 – 1.601 billion acres (World’s
farmland)
• 2001 – 1.670 billion acres (+69 million
acres)
• 1997 (42.2%) – 2007 (40.8%) – lost 22
million acres of farmland in U.S.
To feed the 2050 population we will have to produce 100% more food!!!

4. Kentucky Agriculture
$6.548 billion
#1 Poultry $1.279 billion
#2 Cattle $1.045 billion
#3 Horses $955 million
#4 Soybeans $954 million
#5 Corn $897 million
#6 Tobacco $448 million
#7 Dairy $256 million
#8 Wheat $235 million
#9 Hay $142 million
#10 Swine $133 million
#11 Nursery, Vegetables,
other crops $176 million
Agriculture is producing more with less and with the most efficient use of
resources ever in history. Greener and more sustainable with less of a carbon
footprint. The problem is no one knows.

5. Ag Economics
• 1. Risk management
- Crop insurance
- Contracting product
- Contract farming
• 2. Generational turnover
- average age farmer 62
- $5,000,000 limit at tax rate of 40%

6. Local Food
• Small farmers
• Dollars stay local
• Re-connects public to the
farm
• Farmer Markets 160 in 110
counties
• 27 USDA meat processing
plants up from 15 just 10
years ago
• New product development -
Beef
• Value added processing - milk

7. Greenhouse
2 acre greenhouse – lettuce 22 days 2 semi loads a day
(Ashland)
15 acre green house Lincoln Co
Vertical Greenhouse west Louisville (Foodport)
High tunnels
Year round production

8. Agri-tourism
• Field day to the farm
• Educational opportunity
for agriculture
• Wineries
• Bourbon trail - Breweries
• Livestock farms
• Trail rides
• Gardens and nurseries
• Orchards and mazes
• Road side markets
• Farm attractions

9. Dairy - 2200 -645
Produce 1 billion pounds of
milk
Process 2 billion pounds of milk
Increase cheese production

10. New Crop - Canola, Chia, Goldenrods,
Sumac, Hemp
• 3rd year of pilots
• 4,500 acres
• 24 processing companies
• Seed and fiber
• CBD oil
• Lotion, salve, feed, food
• Clothes, textiles, paper
• $2.4 M processing plant –
contract 58 farmers/ 19
counties 2,400 acres

11. (Manure to organic fertilizer)
• Price of oil
• Price of chemical fertilizer
• Value of manure
• $150,000 per year (4,000 head
barn)
• Poultry 175 tons year X $40 a ton =
$7,000
• 1/3 cost of chemical fertilizer
• Natures most perfect fertilizer

12. Grain elevator - ethanol
4000 farmers
78 cents a bushel

13. More with less
• Compared to 1950, farmers today produce:
• 176% more pork per sow with 44% fewer sows
• 81% more chicken per bird
• 333% more corn on 11% fewer acres
• 53% more eggs with 3% fewer hens
• 11 times more soybeans on 5 times fewer acres
• 69% more wheat on 6% fewer acres
• 63% more milk with 58% fewer cows
It’s amazing!!!

14. Remember…
• Today’s farmers are producing more, safer and higher
quality products on less land than ever in history.
• Today’s agricultural production is environmentally
friendly, green, totally sustainable with only a shadow of
the carbon footprint as compared with the past.
• Today livestock are the most comfortable and cared for
ever in history.
• The greatest thing is we are learning and improving
everyday. It just going to get better.

15. Today Farmer Care

16. Warren Beeler
• Governor’s Office of Agricultural
Policy
• kyagpolicy.com
• Office – 502-564-4627
• Cell – 270-991-3438
• Questions??