Foothills Products & Services - In October 2015, the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) completed a six-month study of Foothills Products & Services on how to increase sales, improve operations and upgrade all aspects of the business. The company is already Kentucky Proud and supplies no antibiotics, no preservative pork sausage, pork tenderloin and pork burgers to outlets, including Good Foods Co-Op in Lexington. One important element KCARD recommended was that Foothills Products & Services needed to add a refrigerated delivery vehicle if they were ever to get product into grocery stores and other sizeable outlets. Currently, Foothills Products & Services delivers in a company van with product in coolers which is not acceptable for Kroger’s and IGA for example.
The SOAR Small Production Loan Fund is a low-interest financing resource designed to assist small producers grow healthy, nutritional foods so that they can move into commercial production. The goal is to support and educate growers to develop a strong local food system in eastern and southern Kentucky that will be market-supported and result in a profit for the growers.
