The Cultivate KY partnership is a collaborative initiative, spearheaded by The Food Connection, aimed at growing our specialty crop sector in Kentucky, with a particular emphasis on farm to institution supply chains.Our efforts are focused on produce growers, and specifically supporting producers’ adaptation to rapid changes in produce food safety regulation and auditing. 

Our partnership is composed of on and off campus partners from across the food and farm system including The Kentucky Horticulture Council, the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD), the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), the Food Systems Innovation Center (FSIC), the Center for Crop Diversification (CCD), and the UK Horticultural Research Farm (South Farm). We work together in developing strategic and innovative programming to support the development of wholesale ready producers in the Commonwealth.

Our program’s Senior Extension Associate, Bryan Brady, works directly with Kentucky farmers and food aggregators, and delivers both one-on-one technical assistance, field days, workshops, webinars, and publications.

Program materials and other information for the partnership are housed at UK’s Center for Crop Diversification website.

To learn more about the GAP audit cost-share program and see a list of third-party audited farms in Kentucky, visit: https://kyhortcouncil.org/good-agricultural-practices-gaps/.

To contact our Senior Extension Associate, email bryan.brady@uky.edu.