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Agriculture poster and essay contest deadline March 7
Kentucky students can enter the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s (KDA) annual Poster and Essay Contest by the March 7, 2025 deadline. Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell announced the theme of the 2025 contest is “Kentucky Agriculture Makes Me Proud” encouraging contestants to illustrate in words, original artwork or photographs how agriculture gives them pride. Students…
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Local farmers to benefit from $95K investment program; Martin County gears up for Heritage Day
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — At Thursday’s Kiwanis Club luncheon at Masterpiece Kitchen & Café in Inez, guest speaker John “AJ” Haney dropped two significant announcements. One focused on new opportunities for local farmers and the other on Heritage Day, an event set to kick off this Saturday. Haney, a retired educator and…
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Level 1 drought declared in all Kentucky counties
FRANKFORT — The Office of the State Climatologist and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, in coordination with the Kentucky Drought Mitigation Team, are issuing a Level 1 Drought Declaration for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Level 1 Drought signifies moderate to severe drought conditions mainly affecting soil moisture and vegetative health. Serious impacts to…
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U.S. Department of Commerce invests $752,000 to support apple sorting facility in Martin County
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced Wednesday that it is awarding a $752,000 grant to the Martin County nonprofit Community at the Core Inc. in Debord. The EDA stated in a press release that this grant will support the procurement of production equipment at a new apple sorting facility.…
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LiKEN releases educational video ‘Afrolachian Agroforestry with Ruby Daniels’
The Appalachian Beginning Forest Farming Coalition and the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN) have released a new educational video titled “Afrolachian Agroforestry with Ruby Daniels.” This video is a cornerstone piece of an ongoing initiative to highlight sustainable agroforestry practices in central Appalachia, focusing on the integration of medicinal, edible, decorative and handicraft crops under…
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New Extension Agent eager to boost agriculture in Martin County
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County welcomed a new Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources earlier this month. David Pelphrey, hailing from Johnson County, assumed the position in July and brings with him a wealth of experience in the field of agriculture. Pelphrey’s background is diverse. He has served as an agriculture…
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Tug Valley FFA advocates for agriculture at state capitol
BY EMILY WHITED TVHS FFA REPORTER CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Tug Valley High School FFA members recently traveled to the West Virginia State Capitol in preparation for FFA Week. The FFA is a student-run organization focusing on leadership development through agriculture education with almost 851,000 members nationally. Local members attended an Agriculture Advocacy training, were recognized…
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Disease affecting cattle detected in Kentucky; tick previously detected in Martin and other counties
FRANKFORT — Two cases of a new, potentially dangerous disease of cattle has been detected in Kentucky, according to Kentucky State Veterinarian Dr. Katie Flynn. Theileria orientalis Ikedia, which is a protozoon known to be carried by the Asian Longhorned tick, has been diagnosed in two beef herds, one in Fleming County and the second…