BackgroundIn 2019, the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association completed a Long-Range Plan that assessed the challenges and opportunities facing the Kentucky beef industry. Out of those objectives came the idea to create a center that would foster education, innovation, marketing, and research by collaborating with other livestock partners across the state.
Over the course of several stakeholder meetings, the Kentucky Cattlemen's Foundation with members of the Kentucky Livestock Coalition drafted what would be included in the Livestock Innovation Center and how those elements would strengthen our collaborative efforts in advocating on behalf of farm families and Kentucky agriculture. |
Public-Private PartnershipIt has been shown that university-industry partnerships are essential to grow the next generation of a highly trained workforce, resulting in economic benefits (job growth, business growth, and profitability).
The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MG-CAFE) was the obvious choice to create the public-private partnership with the Kentucky Cattlemen's Foundation. For over 130 years, MG-CAFE has improved Kentucky’s agriculture landscape through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and Extension. As part of this unique partnership, the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation have entered an 80-year land-lease to site the Livestock Innovation Center on 15 acres of the C. Oran Little Research Center farm in Woodford County. |
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Industry Support
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The idea for an innovation center began with a strong statement of need from industry leaders.
Members of the Kentucky Livestock Coalition, agriculture groups, and county cattlemen's chapters across the state had several meetings between 2019-2024 to develop a combined effort of support for a Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center. A letter-writing campaign was launched during Kentucky's 2024 regular session, and over 60 letters indicating support were sent to all state legislators. In April 2024, $22 million was appropriated to construct the Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center on the C. Oran Little Research Farm. |
                   Industry Partners Involved in the Kentucky Livestock Coalition |
