Tobacco Buyout

Dear Editor: Imagine a business coming to Kentucky that would bring home more then $2.5 billion of federal dollars, create 7,000 new jobs spread out over our entire 120 counties and make our farmers more competitive in the world marketplace. There is legislation introduced in Washington that could have the same impact and with your help, we hope to make the dream of reforming federal tobacco policy a reality. Through the hard work of our Congressional Delegation, tobacco farmers and others who have spent countless hours on the issue, tobacco buyout legislation has been brought to the forefront of national debate.

The Farm Service Agencies have been informed that letters will be mailed around the first of March concerning the tobacco buyout. To the best of our knowledge, sign-up is to be March 14-June 17. This is basically all the information we have at this time. Please be patient. All eligible parties will have sufficient time to sign forms. Stafford elected Charles Stafford was elected representative for the local administrative area No. 3 at the Boyle County Farm Service Agency Committee election Dec. 9. Stafford began a three-year term in January.

LANCASTER - Garrard County Fiscal Court approved an amendment to the occupational tax ordinance after its second reading at Monday's meeting. The amendment will exclude tobacco transit money from being taxed by the occupational licensing fee. As of March 13, any farmers who received tobacco buyout and Phase II money would be exempt from paying occupational taxes, according to Rita Hines, occupational tax administrator. "Most other counties have already done this, and since the whole thing has been such a hardship on our farmers we've incorporated it too," Hines said.

Tobacco buyout information "Quota Owners (those who leased their tobacco quota away each of the years 2002, 2003 and 2004) are encouraged to come to the local Farm Service Agency Office to complete the necessary forms for the 2005 Buyout," stated Woodie Leavell, Boyle County executive director. All persons who grew tobacco on their farm or were tenants on another farm are requested to wait until after April 1 due to software delays. "Whether your sign up now or later, no one will be left out," stated Leavell.

A tobacco buyout plan has yet to move forward and has farmers on edge as they await the next step. The purpose of the buyout is to eliminate the current federal tobacco quota and price support programs, and make compensation payments to quota owners and transition payments to active growers. The bill is included within the "American Jobs Creation Act of 2004," which was originally written as a corporate tax overhaul bill. The House and Senate versions are different in the way they affect the buyout program.

Effective for the 2007 Tobacco Transition Program (tobacco buyout) the executor or administrator of a deceased producer must bring in a copy of the death certificate and the will, in order to complete forms in our office which will establish the payments as an estate. If the estate is settled, heirs of the deceased producer must bring in proof of the heirs and complete the required forms. The Boyle County Farm Service Agency can be contacted at (859) 236-4062, ext. 2.

HARRODSBURG - It was almost standing room only for the people who attended the fourth annual Mercer County Farm-City Breakfast Thursday morning. Rodger Bingham, or Kentucky Joe, as he was known to fans of the "Survivor" television series, was the guest speaker, and about 200 people turned out to hear him and have breakfast. The breakfast is a joint effort of Mercer County Chamber of Commerce, Mercer County Conservation District, Mercer County Cooperative Extension Service and Mercer County Farm Bureau.

LOUISVILLE - Adapting the state's agriculture economy to the post-tobacco buyout environment that begins taking shape next year with the end of the federal tobacco program will be a key topic of discussion during Kentucky Farm Bureau's 85th convention. More than 1,500 farm leaders, delegates and guests are expected for the annual meeting Wednesday through Saturday at the Galt House in downtown Louisville. Top political and business figures are on the convention's speakers list, including U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis and the chief executive officer of Southern Farm Bureau Insurance Co. J. Joseph Stroble.

LANCASTER - Julia Rowand appeared before the Garrard County Fiscal Court Monday pleading for money. "I've heard that the county is getting $18,500 in the tobacco money - and I'd like to ask that you donate $10,000 of it to the Herrington Lake Conservation League," she said in a polite manner. Judge-Executive E.J. Hasty said he was unsure what money Rowand was referring to. Magistrate Walter Hester asked the court if the tobacco money already was designated for Garrard County, but no one spoke up to clarify.

Dear Editor, On the front page of Monday's Advocate-Messenger (Oct. 27) Sen. Mitch McConnell is described as campaigning in Boyle County against Bruce Lunsford on the basis of all the money he has secured for Kentucky and Boyle County - the tobacco buyout, money for historic preservation of the McDowell and Brinton houses, and so forth. What McConnell is bragging about, of course, is his ability to secure earmarks or pork for Kentucky and Boyle County. But that, of course, makes no sense in light of the fact that one of the most important cornerstones of the Republican Party's platform and of John McCain and Sarah Palin, is the total elimination of pork and earmarks from the federal budget.

The Farm Service Agency for Lincoln, Garrard, Boyle and Mercer counties said 2013 tobacco buyout payments that were eligible to be made were paid on Jan. 15. If you have a direct deposit on file, check with your bank to verify deposit. If you changed bank accounts and did not inform FSA of the change, your payment has probably been returned. You will need to come to the office to revise your direct deposit.  Anyone who does not have a direct deposit on file will receive a paper check, but it will take longer to receive.

A federal tobacco reform in October 2004 has changed the landscape of Jessamine County tobacco farming in 2011, Jessamine County Extension Agent Rob Amburgey said. “The tobacco buyout has significantly decreased the total amount of tobacco raised in Jessamine County,” he said. “It went from about 2,600 acres down to 400 acres now. We went from many, many tobacco farmers to about a dozen left in the county.” The Fair and Equitable Reform Act signaled the end of federal government intervention and left tobacco farmers to fend for themselves when it came time to sell their crop.

The following classes and programs are being offered by Garrard County Community Education. For more information, or to request a class, call Brenda Powers at (859) 792-1690. Ring the bell for Salvation Army: Anyone wishing to ring the bell for Salvation Army may call Powers to schedule a date at the Dollar General Store or Wal-Mart in Stanford, Kroger in Danville and many more locations. Call if you would like to volunteer for an hour or two. Farmers computer class: A computer class is planned for farmers who took the tobacco buyout.

Centre collecting for Salvation Army Centre College students will be going door-to-door in Danville neighborhoods from 3-5 p.m. Saturday to collect canned goods and other non-perishable items to donate to the Salvation Army in support of community members in need. For more information, contact Patrick Noltemeyer at patrick.noltemeyer@centre.edu or (859) 238-8752. Guitar class canceled in Garrard LANCASTER - The Garrard County guitar class scheduled for Monday is canceled because the instructor had a family crisis.

Dear Editor, On the front page of Monday's Advocate-Messenger (Oct. 27) Sen. Mitch McConnell is described as campaigning in Boyle County against Bruce Lunsford on the basis of all the money he has secured for Kentucky and Boyle County - the tobacco buyout, money for historic preservation of the McDowell and Brinton houses, and so forth. What McConnell is bragging about, of course, is his ability to secure earmarks or pork for Kentucky and Boyle County. But that, of course, makes no sense in light of the fact that one of the most important cornerstones of the Republican Party's platform and of John McCain and Sarah Palin, is the total elimination of pork and earmarks from the federal budget.

Gwenda Adkins had no idea what she started when she suggested a "quilted barn" project in Elliott County in eastern Kentucky. Her Clothesline Quilt and Beyond project has grown into the Kentucky Quilt Trails Project and is spreading throughout the state. Preservationists in Boyle County are organizing in an attempt to get quilt patterns displayed on old barns that were abandoned when the tobacco buyout program left little use for them. "When the tobacco buyout began, I had a fear of losing our tobacco barns," said Adkins.

The farming industry in Jessamine County has seen many changes over the years, but many farmers agree the biggest changes have come as a result of the 2004 tobacco buyout. "You don't see as many crops (tobacco) out," said long-time farmer Tommy Burton. "You can drive the roads, and you just don't see as much tobacco. It used to be that's all you ever saw around here. " Farms on the decline In 1997, Jessamine farmers produced 8.15 million pounds of tobacco on 3,988 acres devoted to the crop.

For more than 80 years, the Boyle County Stockyards has operated from its location on Hope Street in downtown Danville. When it opened in 1924, it was one of the largest stockyards in central Kentucky, according to Miller Horn, one of its owners. The downtown location was chosen because of its proximity to the railroad tracks, he added, which were used to transport the livestock in those days. Despite its long history, many in Danville don't notice the stockyard except for the smell, which becomes even more apparent on Mondays when hundreds of cows are brought to town for the weekly sale.

LANCASTER - Keith and Kevin Middleton have worked in tobacco alongside their dad all of their lives, but they realize there's still plenty to learn about growing and marketing the crop. "If we plan to stay in business, we need to learn as much as we can," says Keith Middleton. The 43-year-old Middleton twins want to continue the farm family tradition of their father, Maurice Middleton, foreman for the large Teater Brothers Farm for more than 40 years. Though many growers quit raising tobacco after the federal buyout, the Middletons decided to continue.

Woodworking Class - 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for eight weeks beginning Sept. 26 at KY-Tech Garrard County Education Center. Mike Oakley is instructor. Cost of the class is $75. To enroll, call (859) 792-1690. Beginning Computer Class for Farmers - 6-9 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Garrard Middle School Computer room on the first level. Introduction to computer class for farmers who have taken the tobacco buyout. Four-week class. Cost is $25. The instructor is Tonya Warren. A session will follow on how to teach use a computer for farm records.