Earlier today, Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell gave keynote remarks during Kentucky Farm Bureau’s (KFB) annual Commodity Luncheon at the organization’s 106th Annual Meeting. The luncheon is one of the most anticipated sessions at the yearly event held at the Galt House in Louisville, celebrating the strength and resilience of Kentucky’s agriculture industry, while looking ahead to the future.

KFB President Eddie Melton emceed the event, recognizing the organization’s executive leadership team and the many distinguished sponsors, partners and guests in attendance.

Louisville Metro Mayor Craig Greenberg welcomed KFB members to Louisville, emphasizing how vital Kentucky’s agriculture industry is to the city’s economic ecosystem. He also shared some of the key partnerships his administration has developed to keep more farms in business and put more Kentucky Proud products on local tables.

“With Commissioner Shell, we've been working to find ways that we can strengthen relationships between rural Kentucky and urban Kentucky right here in Louisville,” said Mayor Greenberg.

Commissioner Shell opened his keynote remarks with humor but quickly grounded his speech in gratitude for Kentucky Farm Bureau and its role in shaping him as a young leader. He echoed Mayor Greenberg’s comments about their work together, noting his department’s unexpected but powerful partnership with Louisville and Jefferson County.

“If you told me that I would spend 50% of my time as Commissioner of Agriculture in Jefferson County and Louisville, I would have told you you were lying to me,” Shell said.

“Jefferson County is our biggest partner, our biggest asset that we have in ag today,” he added, highlighting economic and logistics powerhouses like Kentucky Farm Bureau headquarters, major agribusinesses, riverports, the Kentucky Fairgrounds, national livestock and machinery events and J.B. Swift Co., which processes more than 10,000 hogs a day. Shell also described collaborative efforts with Mayor Greenberg around expanding local food procurement and the “Food is Medicine” initiative. He added that efforts are underway to remove federal, state and local barriers that prevent greater use of Kentucky-grown foods.

As he addressed ongoing pressures facing farmers, Shell acknowledged the difficulty of current market conditions, including three consecutive years of depressed grain prices. He referenced an upcoming federal aid announcement, adding, “What our farmers want is not a government check. They want a market open, and they want a market available.”

A central topic in his speech was profitability. “Our farmers, we're getting squeezed every single day,” said Shell. He linked these challenges to broader issues facing rural communities, including the rising pressure to convert farmland. Shell emphasized the need to restore farm profitability so that farmers retain the ability to choose their future.

Shell highlighted the statewide success of the “All In for Ag Education Week” initiative, sharing examples of innovative classroom engagement. “The people that are going to be solving the problems of the future … are going to be these kids that are in elementary schools today.”

Shell spoke candidly about reassessing his priorities after recent political violence and entering the Christmas season with a renewed desire to “put Jesus back” into his daily life. He urged attendees to reflect on what truly matters — faith, family, service and the legacy they are building for future generations of Kentucky agriculture.

In closing, he expressed optimism about the future. Although there are challenges, he believes Kentucky has the right leadership, the right partnerships and the right momentum to drive agriculture not just “four miles down the road,” but “40, 50, 60 miles” into a prosperous and resilient future.