Kentucky Proud

     The Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Kentucky Proud program is designed to market and promote Kentucky grown or processed products. The logo, below, should be a very common symbol to Kentucky consumers on anything grown or produced in Kentucky, by Kentuckians.

     It is a symbol of quality to both consumers and producers and can be found on products at farmer's markets, roadside markets, and major retailers including Walmart and Kroger. Fruits and vegetables are commonly grown and sold across the state throughout the growing season, but there are a variety of foods produced in the state including meats, milk, cheese, honey, nuts, fish, and shrimp.

    The Kentucky Department of Agriculture has a Kentucky Proud website, http://www.kyproud.com/ listing products, producers, and retail locations for products ranging from certified organic coffee, honey, maple syrup, wine, bourbon, livestock, nuts, crafts, soaps, and Christmas trees. This site is a one-stop shopping center and offers many unique gift ideas. Keep in mind that many of the roadside and farmer's markets are closed during this season but most products can be purchased directly from the producer.
    
    With Christmas here and many serving country ham, I would like to suggest Penn's Country Ham, of Mannsville, Kentucky. Donald Penn began curing and selling aged country hams in 1957 at the farm, using the same traditions and recipes of his family. Today, Penn's products can be found in retail stores across the state from small family-owned businesses to larger retail outlets. Some of their most popular products include Whole Country Hams, Cooked Country Hams, Sliced Country Hams (in vacuum packs), Sausage, Bacon, and Jowl.Their products can be shipped. Penn's is located at the farm, 8 miles outside of Campbellsville, Kentucky, on Hwy 70 East. Email address: pennshams@aol.com, phone: 270-465-5065 or 1-800-883-6984, fax: 270-789-3344. I can assure you that after many years of consuming Penn's products, they are delicious!!

     Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese is another Kentucky success story. Kenny Mattingly began looking for new ideas in the early 1990's when he became concerned with the future of the commercial milk industry. This led to a trip to Europe and studying the handmade cheese industry. In 1998, Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese began in Austin, Kentucky, with the family making Gouda cheese from milk produced on their 120-cow dairy farm. The business has grown substantially from the first year when 4,000 pounds of Gouda was made, to the 70,000 pounds of a variety of cheeses produced last year. I know some members of the Mattingly family and they work hard to produce the quality products that I purchase often at our local grocery store. Contact Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese by calling 888-571-4029  or visit  their website at http://www.kennyscountrycheese.com/.

     I have included a very small amount of information about the many products and producer information that can be found at the Kentucky Proud website. Have fun looking at the variety of products and watch for me to spotlight many more of Kentucky's producers and business owners.