A Bath County farmer who has just been re-appointed to Kentucky’s Agricultural Development Board says more of the state’s tobacco settlement money should be spent in the eastern and central parts of the state. Betty Bailey serves on the 15-member panel that decides on applications for use of the funds.
She says too many farmers from her region are having difficulty transitioning from tobacco to alternative crops…
"Bath County was one of the 10 most tobacco dependent counties in the state…that’s about the only main income they had in the county. The tobacco money was just vital to these small counties and communities. " - Betty Bailey
Bailey says those smaller communities are the ones that need the most help to diversify their agricultural economies.