This is a sample article that I sent in to a local magazine. I hope to write for them in the coming months.
Lexington, KY -- Kentucky Proud is a brand that has become increasingly popular since the program was founded in 2002. The initiative, which was created by Kentucky Department of Agriculture, allows for the marketing of locally grown or crafted products and has made obtaining them easy for Kentuckians. Kentucky Proud products are as diverse as the citizens of the Commonwealth and a new partnership of three Kentucky businesses will make enable products to be distributed efficiently. Not only will this effort allow consumers to have new healthy, sustainable products available to them, but it will create new markets for farmers and food producers, stimulating the economy.
In the Bluegrass, Critchfield Meats is one hub for the network which is distributing beef raised by Kentucky farmers. The family-owned Lexington business has teamed with the Brown Foodservice in Louisa and Southern Foods of Bowling Green for this distribution network. “These [distributorships] are families that are deeply rooted in the state of Kentucky and proud to be Kentuckians. So this was a natural for us,” said Larry McMillan, CEO of Critchfield Meats. These businesses have a history in their communities and are dedicated to providing the highest quality products to their consumers and distributing beef and dairy products allows easy access to products rich in protein.
“This network addresses a
long-standing challenge in the growth of Kentucky Proud,” Commissioner Farmer
said. Linking counties from McCracken to Greenup, and those in between,
Kentucky Proud beef products will able available for all consumers and will not
be restricted to their immediate local areas. In turn, the awareness and demand
for products under the Kentucky Proud brand will increase. “That means
more sales for Kentucky producers and businesses, and that means more income
for Kentucky farmers, more jobs for Kentucky workers, and better, fresher food
products for Kentucky consumers.” Farmer said. “I’m grateful
to these three Kentucky-based distributors for making it possible for Kentucky
producers to find markets for their meat and dairy products.”
Many health benefits come from
eating locally produced foods. By eating local, one knows where their food is
coming from. The products distributed include beef raised by the Greathouse
family of Midway and other Kentucky cattle purchased through Kentucky’s
Certified Pre-Conditioned for Health (CPH-45) program. This program ensures
that the cattle are raised on a strict health regimen. The scientists at
Alltech in Nicholasville have developed a nutritional diet for the cattle,
which is processed by PM Beef of Windom, Minnesota.
Alltech is committed to making
sure that the cattle is healthy through the specialized diet it has developed,
but also providing benefits for consumers who purchase the beef products. Local
food tastes better and is better for you. Alltech beef contains organic
antioxidants which are essential for health.
Another aspect of this initiative that will be a driving force for awareness of the Kentucky Proud brand is a $125,000 grant which will be used for promotional items such as point-of-purchase signage, truck wraps and advertising. Kentuckians are connected by the Kentucky Proud program’s use of social media. The Kentucky Proud blog is updated with information about the availability of products along with Facebook and Twitter pages. “This program has the potential to eliminate the most significant challenge to the growth of Kentucky Proud – the ability to get products to the farthest reaches of the Commonwealth.” Farmer said.
Those involved with this distribution program have great
hope for its potential. Though it is starting with beef, the expectation is
that Kentucky Proud pork and poultry will be included soon and will be found in
meat cases across the state. Farmer said that he is hopeful this network will
distribute many other Kentucky Proud products in the weeks and months to come.