Our Partners MarketReady partners with several different agencies and service providers to offer you the highest quality information and assitance. Check out each of our partner organizations below.
Kentucky Center for Agriculture & Rural Development [KCARD]
KCARD is a 501 (c)-3 non-profit organization established to facilitate agricultural and rural business development in Kentucky. KCARD provides technical assistance, educational opportunities, and business support services to businesses that are mutually owned by producers. KCARD is supported through grants from the USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant program and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.
Click here to visit their website. Check out their YouTube page here. Some of their business development services include assisting with feasibility studies & marketing assessment, business management & operations analysis, incorporations & adoption of legal agreements, the recruitment and hiring of managers, developing organizational charts, administrative & personnel policies, & job descriptions. Some of their business maintenance services include: on-site business consultations, business plan development, record keeping assistance, cost analysis, marketing plan development, facility and store layout assessment.
Kentucky Horticulture Council [KHC]
The Kentucky Horticulture Council represents the horticulture industry within the state including specialty crop growers and green industry business owners. The KHC offers cost-share programs, ag water quality testing, farm-to-school resources, and so much more. The Kentucky Horticulture Council is one of our go-to places for information. Check out their website here and YouTube channel here.
Kentucky Department of Agriculture [KDA]
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is a consumer protection and service agency that affects the lives of all Kentuckians every day. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture administers Kentucky Proud, the state's official farm marketing program. The KDA has many services, programs, and resources which are helpful for producers. A few highlights and programs to consider are:
- Kentucky Proud [Register to be a KY Proud Member here]
- Appalachian Proud
- Homegrown by Heroes
- Buy Local
- Farm to Campus & Farm to School
- and so many more! Click here for a full program list: KY Proud Programs
Center for Crop Diversification [CCD]
The Center for Crop Diversification is a specialty crops focused cooperative extension organization based out of the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food & Environment. The Center provides price reports, large and small scale budgets, and so much more! Check out their website here and their YouTube channel here.
The Food Systems Innovation Center
The Food Systems Innovation Center [FSIC] provides technical and business development services to facilitate the profitable production, processing and marketing of locally produced and processed food by Kentucky-based enterprises and entrepreneurs.
The FSIC was created to assist processors, producers and entrepreneurs to maximize their market capabilities by having access to UK's technical and business expertise. The center is a collaborative effort of a number of departments within the College of Agriculture including the Department of Animal and Food Science and the Department of Agricultural Economics. The FSIC is one of our program partners and often serves as a guest speaker in some of our MarketReady Adv Topic trainings.
Check out their website here.
[FSIC] provides technical and business development services to facilitate the profitable production, processing and marketing of locally produced and processed food by Kentucky-based enterprises and entrepreneurs.
The FSIC was created to assist processors, producers and entrepreneurs to maximize their market capabilities by having access to UK's technical and business expertise. The center is a collaborative effort of a number of departments within the College of Agriculture including the Department of Animal and Food Science and the Department of Agricultural Economics. The FSIC is one of our program partners and often serves as a guest speaker in some of our MarketReady Adv Topic trainings.
Check out their website here.