Harlan County Comprehensive Plan Developed By The Harlan County Agriculture Development Council July 1, 2001 Cooperating Partners:

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Harlan County Cooperative Extension Council Harlan County Conservation District Harlan County Farm Services Agency Harlan County Agriculture Development Board

Harlan County Agriculture Development Council Comprehensive Plan July 1, 2001 Submitted by: Jerry Metcalfe, Chairman Glenn Saylor, Vice-chairman Bill Clem Will Clem Carolyn Lowe Christian Metcalfe Dannie Saylor Lonnie Saylor

Harlan County Phase I Comprehensive Plan Overview of Harlan County Harlan County located in the southeastern corner of the state and consists primarily of mountainous terrain. In the early 1900s agriculture became a lower priority for the citizens of Harlan County due to the mining of coal. Only within the last few years have the citizens looked to agriculture as an alternative source for income due to the declining coal industry. In Harlan County, there are 27 farms consisting of 2,326 acres. The average farm size is 86 acres. The market value of agriculture products sold as reported by the US Census of Agriculture in 1997 was $184,000 for farm products and livestock. Compared to the total earnings in Harlan County from the mining of coal at $189,000,000 in 1999, the value of agriculture was a fraction of the total economy at $184,000. The number of tobacco farms is one with a total land use being less that 10 acres. Therefore the dependency for tobacco for the local economy does not exist. Presently farmers of Harlan County are looking to alternative agriculture sources. Such as bee keeping, aquaculture, timber harvesting, fruits and vegetables, and other alternative crops. Aquaculture is being looked at by a local institute of higher education as a viable solution to the declining mining workforce in the region.

Demographic Data Harlan County has a population of 34,820 (1997). The per capita personal income is $14,265. The number of persons unemployed is 603 that is 6.9 % of the population (March, 2001). Harlan County’s largest industries are mining, educational field, medical field, and industry.

Geography & Resources Harlan county was formed in 1819. It is located in the Eastern Coal Field region of Kentucky along the Virginia border. The elevation of the landmass in Harlan County ranges from 1040 to 4145 feet above sea level which is the highest in the state. The county seat is Harlan and the highest peak is Black Mountain, elevation 4145 feet above sea level. Harlan County consists of 467 square miles of primarily mountainous land. The Pine Mountain Ridge runs through the county from northeast to southwest. The Little Shepherd Trial runs atop a portion of Pine Mountain giving scenic view of the valley floor. Also atop Pine Mountain is the Kingdom Come State Park. The park is one of the most beautiful areas in Kentucky. It is known for it’s scenic overlooks and numerous mountain hiking trails. Also, the county features Blanton Forest. The Blanton Forest is an old growth forest situated on the south face of Pine Mountain. Martin’s Fork Lake is another feature of Harlan County. The lake is located in the south-central portion of the county. The lake was built by the United States Army Corp of Engineers as a flood control project but offers scenic beauty and recreation to the area.

Review Of The Process Members of the Harlan County Agricultural Development Council, a coalition of agriculture based agencies and community farmers, developed the Harlan County Comprehensive Plan. Council members provided input for the Plan during monthly meetings. The Council has been meeting since March 2001 to work on the plan and to determine the options for the advancement of agriculture in Harlan County. Community input was provided to the council proactively as they developed the Plan. The citizens of Harlan County were made aware of Council happenings via the Harlan Daily Enterprise newspaper. Meeting dates were posted, and the community was informed of proposal guidelines.

Assessments Strengths: Harlan County has multiple strengths that provide us opportunities to grow in the production of agriculture and marketing. Alternative crops and endeavors are possibilities because of the terrain within the county. With the majority of the land covered in timber, the potential for lumber production and utilization of forest products on the local level exist. Due to the removal of natural resources such as timber and coal, landowners could use the cleared areas to enhance grazing with livestock. Also, the county offers a potential to use clean and clear water from abandon coal mines for aquaculture production enterprises. Just recently, Harlan County has started a farmer’s market. Although, being a small outlet, the market will help farmers to sell their excess vegetables and the citizens of the county will be able to purchase “county grown” items. This could lead to farmers and gardeners to grow additional crops for supplemental income. Harlan County is blessed to have a school infrastructure not only at the K-12 level but also the post-secondary level with Southeast Community College and Cumberland Valley Technical College. The county has two agricultural agencies where farmers can use the resources of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Weaknesses The number of landowners in the county that are involved in agricultural enterprises is few. Due to the long time dependency on the coal industry, many people must be re-educated to the possibilities of the agriculture business as a source of sustainable income. Within Harlan County, there lacks a comprehensive marketing plan for producers of their inventory outside the region. The transportation in and out of eastern Kentucky, does influence outside business from investing in farming operations, product distribution and marketing. The county has a limited

amount of land suitable for traditional farming operations such as the production of row crops. The high erodibility of the soil also provides an obstacle for farmers to sustain their operations using traditional farm methods. Opportunities Opportunities for Harlan County lie in the ability to return the landowners into agriculture farming operations. With the development of locally controlled boards, partnerships, and cooperatives, young farmers can see the potential for new innovative enterprises and investments. Opportunities do exist for agriculture enterprises. In areas such as alternative crops (mushrooms, blackberries, pumpkins, etc.), aquaculture, horticultural crops, timber management, horticultural crops, and livestock production, more marketing groups will allow producers to gain market power. Threats Due to the limited amount of farmland, urbanization in the lower river bottoms of the county does threaten to limit the introduction of new agriculture practices on land that was once used for agriculture. A threat to the development of agriculture in the county is the outward migration of potential younger farmers from the county due to the limited employment opportunities. The environmental threats come in the form of the close proximity of agricultural operations to residential homes. Due to run-off normal farming practices could be hindered in areas such as waste management, tillage practices, and chemical control of weeds, insects, and diseases because of the terrain itself. Water quality issues could impact farming operations due to the limited amount of water for agriculture endeavors and the potential problems associated with the run-off of water. Another threat is wildfires that are detrimental to the timber industry in the county.

Harlan County Council Objectives The objectives of the Harlan County Agricultural Development Council is to serve as leaders for the development and enhancement of agricultural operations within Harlan County; to serve as a catalyst for development of programs and projects that will show new and younger farmers the economic base of agriculture; and to provide a referral system that will help develop sustaining farming operations.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Harlan County Agriculture Development Council is to sustain the existing agriculture enterprises and to bring new sources of agriculture income to Harlan County for many years to come. Short Term Priorities The Harlan County Agriculture Development Council has selected the following priorities in agriculture development and enhancement: 1. To expand and support the county’s farmers market. 2. To enhance agriculture education at the K-12 and post-secondary level. 3. Facilitate the start up of alternative agribusiness. 4. Expand and support the county’s aquaculture production endeavors. 5. To enhance and educate the landowners in timber management and marketing skills. 6. To support the livestock marketing alliance. 7. To support the local vegetable cooperative. Long Range Goals The long range goals are to: 1. 2. 3.

Increase the opportunity for farmers of tobacco to invest in alternative crops. Develop an infrastructure of economic viability for farmers and producers. Develop sustaining agricultural operations by providing a referral system for farmers in the areas of technical assistance, cost share or equipment loans, funding sources and assistance.

Tactics for Acquiring Funds The Council believes that the adequate funding resources can be found through regional partnerships, assistance from the State Agriculture Development Board and other sources. The Harlan County Agriculture Development Council will support direct grant proposals that demonstrate a vision for agriculture in the county and for the expansion beyond initial projects. The council will expect each proposal to meet the local and state requirements in the plan and show that the enterprise is feasible to the enhancement or expansion of agriculture in the county. The proposals should be direct as to who will be responsible for the expenditures. A budget outlining expenses, expected sources of revenue, cash flow, and growth potential should be detailed. The Council encourages the landowners, farmers, and entrepreneurs to work with the Small Business Administration or other professional support services to develop sound business plans. All applicants should show evidence of benefit to agribusiness in Harlan County.

Evaluation and Review

The Harlan County Agriculture Development Council will consider each proposal based upon the established objectives. Each proposal will be weighed based upon a recommendation system that will measure five essential elements of the proposed plans. The five areas to be evaluated include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Sustainability of the plan, proposal, or operation enhancement. Compatibility to the state eligibility guidelines. Economic impact on the county or regional agricultural environment. Expansion or potential for value added products. Availability of resources, (suitable lands, equipment, support staff, etc.), for implementation or expansion of agricultural practices on the landowner’s property.

The plans with higher scores within each sign-up period will be sent prioritized to the state board for consideration and approval.