LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. —
Laurel County’s best kept secrets were discovered by locals on Thursday during the Laurel County Cooperative Extension Annual Farm Industry Tour. The annual tour promotes Laurel County farmers and Ag-related businesses and reinforces the “buy local” initiative, said Bonnie Sigmon, extension agent for Horticulture.
The first stop was Laurel County Emergency Management, an asset not only to Laurel County but to 10 neighboring counties. Laurel County Emergency Manager for Laurel County Albert Hale informed visitors the facility will become the epicenter of information during any natural or man-made disaster in the 10-county region, and was utilized as such during the tornado in March of this year.
The facility is home to the Chemical Stockpile and Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) and CSEPP Coordinator Rob Lowe spearheads a locally trained HazMat team of 100 on-call individuals and 30 technicians. As a shelter site, the facility is capable of holding 5,000 displaced persons from surrounding counties in the event of a chemical disaster at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD).
“We prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Hale said.
The second stop on the tour was Bill Brock’s farm located on North Hwy. 1223. His beef cattle are primarily grain-fed.
Trollies also made stops at the Laurel Ridge Landfill where manager Bruce Crouch conducted an odor-free tour as an 18-wheeler dumped garbage within view of the trollies.
“It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I was expecting a garbage smell but there was nothing,” said Eileen Estridge, staff assistant for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Horticulture. “It could have been a botanical garden; it was so beautiful.”
The landfill covers up pits of garbage to extract the gas, which generates power for the facility. The facility is in cooperation with Kentucky Power and generates enough electricity to power 2,300 homes, Estridge said.
“With tour stops such as the Laurel River Landfill, we hope to increase environmental awareness and encourage everyone to preserve and protect our environment through efforts such as recycling,” Sigmon said.
The last stop at Hart Baptist Church provided visitors a first-hand look at a food pantry mission from the community garden to distribution. Church members used black plastic irrigation to shelter growing vegetables from destruction during the summer drought.
When the trolleys rolled back into the London-Laurel County Farmers Market, dinner was ready to be served. The Extension Council provided a “trash can” supper of all local vegetables. Approximately 70 people attended the dinner and were entertained with a live performance by the Laurel Mountain Boys bluegrass band.
For more information about the Laurel County Cooperative Extension, visit ces.ca.uky.edu/laurel/ or call 606-864-4167.
mmccrarey@sentinel-echo.com
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Related Photos
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A grain silo featuring the American flag stands tall at the Brock Farm - a family farm that’s been in business for more than 100 years in Laurel County. Photo by Magen McCrarey
September 20, 2012
Cooperative Extension Farm Tour promotes local farmers, Ag-related businesses
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