By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell urged Kentuckians to donate to the “ag tag” program and help it reach $1 million.
Ag Tag money is generated through the $10 donation Kentuckians make each year when they buy or renew their farm vehicle license plates. To get an agricultural license plate, the Kentucky website states a person must be “engaged in the production of crops, livestock, or dairy products.”
Funds collected this way are split evenly between the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky FFA and Kentucky 4-H program. Matthew Estes, president of the Barren County FFA chapter, said at a recent Barren County Fiscal Court meeting that the chapter received roughly $1,000 through the Ag Tag program.
Barren County Clerk Helena Chase Birdwell said at the court meeting that the money helps provide for some of the chapter’s needs.
The department uses its share of the Ag Tag funds for various programs such as the Ag Athlete of the Year awards, the Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award, Kentucky Women in Agriculture, the University of Kentucky Grain and Forage Center of Excellence, and the newly established farm to school program.
Last year, the program yielded $931,201.81, which broke 2023’s record by nearly $200,000, the op-ed states. According to a 2024 bulletin on Kentucky Agricultural Statistics, Barren County was the leading county in cattle and calves, beef cows, milk cows, and farms.
