Information about the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program
Urban Agriculture in Kentucky
Nia Ragland, Graduate Research Assistant Cora Teets, Research & Extension Associate Theoneste Nzaramyimana, PhD, Assistant Professor for Urban Agriculture Editor: Marie Merci Uwimbabazi
Urban agriculture in Kentucky is rapidly becoming a viable solution to food insecurity, economic development, and environmental sustainability. By growing food in urban settings, communities can increase access to fresh produce, reduce food costs, and foster local engagement.
■ Kentucky’s Urban Agriculture Landscape shows that most urban growers in Kentucky farms are for personal or community use, with only 11% operating for profit.
The Sustainable farming practices are widely used in urban agricultural settings (Poulsen, Neff, & Winch, 2017). These include:
o 60% use composting
o 54% practice crop rotation
o 49% follow organic growing methods
o 46% use low-till or no-till practices
Kentucky’s agricultural landscape is changing with the number of farms decreased from 75,966 in 2017 to 69,425 in 2022, an 8.6% decline (Szumigala & Szumigala, 2018).
■ The average farm size in Kentucky is 179 acres, compared to the national average of 463 acres (Szumigala & Szumigala, 2018).
■ The state’s largest urban farm spans 40 acres, with seven known urban farming operations statewide (Szumigala & Szumigala, 2018).
Farmers and households are encouraged to participate in urban agriculture by establishing more community initiatives. These initiatives help maximize land use, improve access to fresh produce, and strengthen local food security, making urban farming an essential component of Kentucky’s agricultural future.