WHO WE ARE
Kentucky has 38,000 cattle farms (2009) with the average herd size of 27 head and the majority being family-owned. The state is home to over 2.15 million cattle (2012) making it the fourteenth largest cattle state.
KY’s beef cow herd consists of 995,000 head of beef cows (2012) making Kentucky the eighth largest beef cow producing state in the United States and the largest east of the Mississippi River.
CLIMATE & SOIL
CROPS & LIVESTOCK
GENERAL
Chart Courtesy of www.agclassroom.org/ky
Kentucky has 38,000 cattle farms (2009) with the average herd size of 27 head and the majority being family-owned. The state is home to over 2.15 million cattle (2012) making it the fourteenth largest cattle state.
KY’s beef cow herd consists of 995,000 head of beef cows (2012) making Kentucky the eighth largest beef cow producing state in the United States and the largest east of the Mississippi River.
CLIMATE & SOIL
- The state of Kentucky has a moderate climate, characterized by warm, yet moist conditions. Summers are usually warm, and winters cool.
- Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 87.6° F to a low of 23.1° F.
- Kentucky’s weather patterns are influenced by the Gulf of Mexico, especially during summer.
- Much of Kentucky’s average 46” of precipitation a year falls in spring, the rainiest season. From south to north, precipitation decreases.
- Southern Kentucky receives the highest average precipitation, about 50” a year, while the north averages only 40”.
- Kentucky is located in a path several storm systems follow. Storms happen year-round; however most storms occur between March and September.
- The Crider soils are extensive, making up about 500,000 acres in Kentucky and occurring in 35 counties in the state.
- Crider soils are highly productive. Corn, small grain, soybeans, tobacco, and hay are the main crops grown in this soil.
CROPS & LIVESTOCK
- Lexington is the world’s largest burley tobacco market. Annually, Kentucky produces 262,500,000 pounds of burley tobacco.
- Union county is the top producing county of both corn and soybeans in the state.
- Kentucky ranks 1st in the production of non-alfalfa hay.
- Livestock and livestock products account for about half of Kentucky’s farm income.
- Kentucky ranks 1st in both the thoroughbred horse breeding industry and in the value of sales at $1 billion.
- The top agricultural commodities in 2008 were: horses & mules, broiler/meat chickens, corn, cattle & calves, and soybeans.
GENERAL
- Farmland covers 54%, of the total acreage in the state.
- Kentucky is in the top five nationally for having the highest number of farms within a state.
Chart Courtesy of www.agclassroom.org/ky