Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell visited Owensboro on Wednesday, highlighting agriculture’s role in the state’s economic development.
Shell spoke at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum about how agriculture impacts jobs and industries throughout Kentucky.
“This was a great meeting focusing on agriculture as economic development,” Shell said. “Across Kentucky, agriculture is often the largest employer and investor, especially when it comes to land resources, income, and jobs created by ag businesses.”
Shell’s Owensboro event was the third in a series of meetings across the state. Previous meetings were held in Murray and Morehead to educate local leaders about agriculture’s importance and potential for growth. Shell and the Department of Agriculture have additional meetings planned across the Commonwealth.
“Our focus is on creating markets and profitability for farms, which in turn creates jobs in manufacturing and processing,” Shell said.
He pointed out that locating agricultural processing facilities closer to farms helps reduce transportation costs and boosts rural development.
Daviess County Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen praised Shell’s efforts, noting that agriculture drives many local industries, such as repair services, seed businesses, and equipment manufacturing.
“Many local businesses have grown from the agriculture industry,” Castlen said. “Farmers often encounter problems and figure out how to solve them themselves. That ingenuity turns into a business; before you know it, they’re providing services or products to others. It’s a prime example of how agriculture fuels innovation and economic growth in our community.”
Claude Bacon, President and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation, stressed the importance of collaboration between the agriculture community and economic development efforts.
“The relationship between economic development and the agriculture community is critical to our future,” Bacon said. “When we work together, we can form new relationships and strengthen existing ones. The turnout today showed that we’re on the right path.”
Shell said agriculture remains a cornerstone of Kentucky’s economy, so events like this aim to foster collaboration and ensure growth in both rural and urban areas.