Our Mission

Citizens for Bourbon County Foundation’s mission is to offer research-based resources to community members and landowners to protect Kentucky's prime agricultural land while encouraging community engagement to strategically grow our urban areas in a sustainable and fiscally responsible manner.

Research

Policy

Engagement

Education

Data that drives informed local policy.

Data-driven changes that positively impact the region.

Connecting farmers, community members, and leaders.

Inspiring public support and unity on growth issues.

Why it matters:

According to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, the state has lost about 17,000 farms and 1.4 million acres of agricultural land over the past 20 years. In just the last five years, from 2017 to 2022, roughly 6,500 farms have disappeared and around 546,000 acres of farmland have been lost—averaging well over 250 acres per day. Without strong policy action, financial incentives, and support for younger or new farmers, this loss threatens not just agriculture but the health, social fabric, and economic resilience of the Commonwealth.

Property tax revenue generated by sprawling developments rarely keeps pace with the long-term costs of maintaining this infrastructure, leaving cities and counties with structural budget shortfalls. In contrast, infill and higher-density development makes more efficient use of existing infrastructure, lowering per-household taxpayer costs while keeping farmland intact. Redeveloping brownfields can improve public health, clean up environmental hazards, and reinvigorate neighborhoods, while infill development curbs sprawl, lowers traffic congestion, and strengthens the vibrancy of city centers.