SHELBY COUNTY, Ky. — Farming is in Amanda Gajdzik’s roots.

“My household has at all times conventionally farmed corn, soybeans, beef cattle after which my husband and I once we began farming developed a little bit of a distinct segment market with the apples and peaches,” Gajdzik, proprietor of Mulberry Orchard, stated.  

“Now we have over 20 Kentucky proud farms that promote inside our operation as nicely,” Gajdzik stated. “So now we have beef that’s ours, however we promote pork, rooster and lamb that’s all raised in Shelby County, native eggs, honey, elderberry syrup, cheeses, lotions, pottery, espresso. All types of nice Kentucky proud merchandise.”

The Kentucky Agricultural Finance Company will approve greater than $2 million in loans, together with 9 Starting Farmer Loans (BFLP). BFLP assists people with some farming expertise who want to develop, broaden or purchase right into a farming operation.

It turns into a major change for these trying to get began within the business.

“So it provides them alternatives that they could not have had to have the ability to leap into agriculture,” Gajdzik stated. “A Lot of the packages have monetary planning points, issues like that so that they actually stroll via the numbers and ensure they’re setting you up for fulfillment.”

Seven counties, together with Shelby, had been chosen as a part of the Starting Farmer Mortgage Program.

With almost 50,000 guests every year, Mulberry Orchard has been exposing youngsters and households to agriculture with hopes they encourage others to do the identical.

“To have these conversations we do an amazing quantity of faculty excursions within the fall too,” Gajdzik stated. “So we’ll have a number of thousand elementary youngsters out and get to show them about agriculture and expose them to that as nicely.”

Together with Shelby County, farms in Barren, Bourbon, Graves, Hardin, McLean and Webster will obtain loans.