Agriculture committee hears about efforts to curtail farmland loss

Agriculture committee hears about efforts to curtail farmland loss June 5, 2025

Rep. David Hale, R-Wellington, speaks during Thursday’s meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture. Legislators heard from those who are working to stop farmland loss in Kentucky. A high-res version is available here.

FRANKFORT — Kentucky is known for its rich and vital farmland, but members of the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture heard testimony Thursday about how much is being lost and efforts to prevent the trend.

Eddie Melton, president of Kentucky Farm Bureau, and Aleta Botts, coordinator of the Kentucky Farmland Transition Initiative, testified that many organizations are working to stop farmland loss through the initiative.

The KFTI network includes 28 members, connecting attorneys, certified public accountants, estate planners, business advisers and others. Members include businesses, organizations and universities.

“In 20 years, we’ve lost 1.4 million acres of farmland in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Melton said.

But what really jumped out to stakeholders was that from 2017 to 2022, more than 500,000 acres of farmland were lost, he said.

“We also lost about 6,500 farmers in Kentucky in those five years. And if that continues on with the loss of the farmland and the loss of farmers, in 60 years, we’ll lose over half of the farmers that we’ve got left in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Melton said.

Melton said updating a tax credit program aimed at farmer retention has been good. He thanked Committee Co-Chair Myron Dossett, R-Pembroke, for introducing the legislation during the 2025 regular session. It was ultimately enacted as part of House Bill 775, he said.

The tax credit was increased to $50,000 for land sold to a beginning farmer. Credits can be approved prior to a sale, and all active farmers can benefit from the incentive to keep farmland in production, according to KFB.

Rep. David Hale, R-Wellington, said he’s excited about the process and the effort behind the Kentucky Farmland Transition Initiative. He said he hopes it’s successful because something needs to be done to retain farmland.

“I’m concerned. I’m very concerned as we move forward. Even in my rural district…we are seeing such a loss of farmland right there in the three counties that I represent – Menifee, Bath and Montgomery County,” he said.

Sen. Robin L. Webb, R-Grayson, said she supports the initiative. She discussed a recent instance in which a family sold a portion of their hayfield for commercial purposes. The tax valuation increased to the point of a commercial site for the remaining land, she said.

“I think that’s unconscionable. I think we’ve got to address that because it’s going to negate the initiatives that we do, if that’s the case,” Webb said.

Rep. Anne Gay Donworth, D-Lexington, said the information she garnered was great, and asked about the tax credit for new farmers.

“It seems like a lot of it is having to do with transitioning from older generations to the next generation. Is there any aspect of it that is helping first-time farm owners, especially when you’re talking about only 20% coming in – only 20% making it through the second generation,” she said. “How are we supporting people who don’t come from farming families but are interested in going into it?”

Botts said she thinks they are getting more inquiries from those interested in becoming first-generation farmers. She mentioned it can be a challenging process, but options are possible.

“That selling farmer tax credit – a non-generational or a first-generational farmer would be eligible as this purchaser, as the buyer, for that selling farmer,” she said.

Jessie Hancock, executive director of nonprofit Bluegrass Land Conservancy, and Ashley Greathouse, counsel and director of conservation for BLC, also testified.

“I think that it’s really heartening to hear this conversation happening on a state level. I think that there’s a lot of different angles to the conversation and people are really speaking about this a lot. So, it’s wonderful that we’ve got different organizations that are working on the same effort,” Hancock said.

“We use a tool called conservation easement to do that. We work with working farmers and working land to ensure that that land stays available for farming in the future,” she said.

According to BLC, Kentucky has lost 17,000 farms during the last 20 years and loses 12 acres per day of forest land.

Dossett thanked Hancock and Greathouse for testifying and said it’s tremendously beneficial to pass on important information to his constituents.

Except for a special session, the Kentucky General Assembly can’t act on legislation until the regular session begins in January 2026. The next IJC on Agriculture meeting is scheduled for July 10 at 9 a.m.

---

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#Ag-060525