Kentucky Farm Bureau News: The Federation, Content, Editors and Readers
Profile updated November 2026
Kentucky Farm Bureau News is the four-color magazine of the Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB), published ten times a year and focused on agriculture, policy priorities and rural communities. It goes to members of the fourth-largest Farm Bureau in the nation, an organization of more than 474,000 members with a presence in every Kentucky county.
| Publisher | Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Ten issues a year |
| Format | Four-color magazine with online digital editions |
| Federation founded | November 1919, Louisville |
| Membership | More than 474,000 members (2025) |
| President | Eddie Melton |
| Official website | KYFB.com: KFB News |
History of Kentucky Farm Bureau News
Kentucky Farm Bureau held its first meeting in Louisville in November 1919, the same month the American Farm Bureau Federation organized nationally. It has called itself the Voice of Kentucky Agriculture ever since, presenting farmers' views to lawmakers in Frankfort and Washington.
Insurance followed in 1943, and KFB now describes itself as the largest insurance company domiciled in Kentucky, one organization with two sides, advocacy and insurance. Membership grew to about 500,000 families by the 2010s, placing Kentucky among the largest state Farm Bureaus.
Pulaski County farmer Mark Haney served as president from December 2008 through the federation's centennial, which began at the 99th annual meeting in November 2018. Eddie Melton now leads the organization and writes the president's column in KFB News.
Kentucky Farm Bureau News Today
KFB News comes out ten times a year, with combined editions such as June/July and November/December, and its back issues are archived in an online digital edition viewer. Each issue opens with a column from the president; the November/December 2025 edition reflected on a year of uncertain weather and markets met with optimism.
The magazine's focus, in KFB's words, is agriculture, policy priority issues and rural communities, and it accepts advertising through the KFB News editor.
What Kentucky Farm Bureau News Is Publishing Now
Policy priorities
Coverage of KFB's legislative agenda in Frankfort and Washington, from farm programs to taxes and rural infrastructure.
Agriculture
Features on Kentucky crops and livestock, commodity markets, young farmers and Ag in the Classroom.
Rural communities
Certified roadside farm markets, scholarships, women's leadership, safety and county Farm Bureau news.
Kentucky Farm Bureau News Editors and Staff
KFB leaders and the magazine's editorial contacts on record include:
- Eddie Melton - President, Kentucky Farm Bureau
- Tim Thornberry - KFB News Editor
- Todd Bright - Editorial contact
- Mark Haney - Former President (from December 2008)
Kentucky Farm Bureau's headquarters is at 9201 Bunsen Parkway, Louisville, KY 40220.
Who Reads Kentucky Farm Bureau News
KFB News readers include farm families raising cattle, poultry, corn, soybeans, tobacco, hay and horses, along with hundreds of thousands of rural and suburban members who join through Farm Bureau Insurance. Kentucky county-level farm statistics are available in USDA's Quick Stats.
Nationally, the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 1.9 million farms, 95% of them family farms, and ERS data show cattle were the largest animal product in 2021 at $72.9 billion.
Kentucky Farm Bureau News readers know the state's farms run on cattle, corn, bourbon barrels and strong opinions about basketball. For a breather between issues, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor about life from the Purchase to the mountains, plus ranch humor for the Bluegrass cow-calf crowd. Its farm jokes age well, a bit like the state's better-known product.
The outlet behind those laughs, farm.FM, is the nation's first satirical farm site, complete with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers. A farm.FM humorist's archive shows what a week of it looks like.
Kentucky Farm Bureau News Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Kentucky Farm Bureau: KFB News magazine - frequency, focus and editor.
- Kentucky Farm Bureau: Fact sheet - founding, programs and headquarters.
- Kentucky Living: 100 years for Kentucky Farm Bureau - the centennial.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Kentucky crop and livestock statistics.
- USDA ERS: Animal product receipts - cattle, poultry and livestock sales.
Kentucky Farm Bureau News FAQ
How often is Kentucky Farm Bureau News published?
Ten times a year, as a four-color magazine with online editions.
Who is president of Kentucky Farm Bureau?
Eddie Melton, who writes the president's column in KFB News.
How big is Kentucky Farm Bureau?
More than 474,000 members, the fourth-largest Farm Bureau in the nation.
When was Kentucky Farm Bureau founded?
It held its first meeting in Louisville in November 1919.
Ten times a year, Kentucky Farm Bureau News brings the Voice of Kentucky Agriculture to members in every county.