Brandon Roark - Brandon Roark grew up in the Artemus community of Knox County and has farmed in the area for half his life, or about 16-years. He cuts hay which he rolls for sale and owns a herd of cattle. The farms on which Mr. Roark works are scattered throughout the community. His tractor can be difficult to move and limits some of the areas where he can cut hay. With the $7,500 SOAR Farm Loan, Mr. Roark will purchase a second smaller tractor to allow him to lease more hay pasture and improve his efficiency as he will not be having to continuously move tractors from field-to-field.
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.
