Kentucky's Vegetable Industry

The vegetable industry in Kentucky is undergoing a rapid change.  Vegetable crops acreage has increased nearly 10% annually for the past several years.   The leading vegetable crop in terms of acreage is sweet corn, with nearly 3,000 acres planted.  This is followed by pumpkins with over 1300 acres planted.  Staked tomatoes, bell peppers, watermelons and cantaloupes are other important crops with over 2200 combined acres planted.  The Kentucky vegetable industry is varied with a large number of wholesale growers who sell their products to major markets all over the Midwest and East coast.  Kentucky is ideally situated in the mid-atlantic region and is within a day’s drive of much of the major population centers in the Eastern half of the U.S. 

In addition, we have seen a significant increase in farmers’ markets and people growing for them.  We now have over 110 farmers’ markets in Kentucky with more being added every year.  Farmers markets have been the focal point for the “buy local” movement in Kentucky. Many consumers have a feeling of satisfaction when they know they are supporting local farmers.  In fact, farmers’ markets constitute nearly a quarter of the value of the vegetable crop in Kentucky.  

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