For the first time in several years, local and area cattle producers will have a place to buy and sell their animals, as a Lexington-based marketing group has acquired land and plans to construct a facility there by early 2012.

In a press release late last week by the company, it said “The Blue Grass Livestock Marketing Group is excited and proud to announce it has acquired land in Clinton County for the construction of a new livestock market that will operate as Blue Grass Stockyards of Albany.

“With the loss of the market in Wayne County to an unfortunate fire earlier this year, Albany becomes a logical location for a new market to serve the customer base of several counties in Kentucky and Tennessee. The dramatic improvements in road infrastructure in the region along with the already important travel routes created by U.S. Highways 90 and 127 will make it very accessible to many farmers,” stated Jim Akers, COO for the Blue Grass Group.

The market will be constructed on property recently acquired at the corner of KY 90 and Hwy. 639, about five miles northwest of Albany.

The property is immediately across KY 90 from the Somerset Community College Clinton Center in the Snow Community of central Clinton County, and is also situated about a half-mile west of the intersection of KY 90 with U.S. 127.

“This is an ideal location with great accessibility, ample room for parking and expansion and is located in a sparsely populated, agricultural area,” said Akers.

Gene Barber, Chairman of the Blue Grass group stated, “We have never felt so welcomed by a community, our level of excitement over this project and the prospect of serving the farmers of this area is very strong. We really appreciate the work and help provided by local government and business leaders in our work to develop our business plan.”

The group plans a very aggressive time line on the project with ground breaking in late August and a planned opening in early 2012. The project will include a 50,000 sq. ft. cattle barn with an additional 5,000 sq. ft. of arena and office space which will accommodate seating of more than 150 people. “We want to have a market in place for the spring run, and one that everybody in the community can be proud of,” said Bill Arnett, Manager of Blue Grass of Albany.

The Blue Grass group already operates six livestock markets in Kentucky along with an internet cattle marketing business.

“We are excited to bring our style of service to the area,” stated Akers. “We hope the farmers of the area appreciate our way of doing business, we don’t buy cattle, we partner with the farmer to sell them for the highest price. We believe in the auction market system, it is the most secure and competitive arena for farmers to market their products.”

“With the closing of the Eastern Livestock buying station in Edmonton, the fire in Monticello and the reluctance of farmers to sell their animals directly off the farm to roaming buyers because of the lessons learned in the Eastern Livestock collapse, the time is right to open an honest, well run auction in this area. The strength of the Blue Grass organization will be a big benefit to the cattle market in our area,” said Arnett.

Clinton County Judge/Executive Lyle Huff told the Clinton County News on Monday there were a lot of individuals, groups and organizations involved in making the livestock market project a reality.

Huff said discussions actually began with Arnett after the untimely fire that destroyed the market in neighboring Monticello this past spring, which prompted a look at Clinton County as a possible location for a stock market facility.

The judge/executive noted that various organizations, including Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, Governor Steve Beshear’s office on Agriculture Policy and local farm organizations, as well as the UK Agricultural Extension Service in Clinton County, among other groups and individuals were involved in the negotiating process.

The judge, along with Magistrate Willard Johnson and Tommy Guffey of Warner Fertilizer were among local residents who attended a Blue Grass Marketing Group Board of Directors meeting earlier this summer and promoted Clinton County as a favorable area for the business.

Phil Smith, Clinton County Extension Agent, said the local Agriculture Policy Council had worked with the project in its first phase to help with funding from tobacco settlement money and local agriculture officials had supported the project, although not directly involved with funding or the negotiation process.

Huff called Clinton County “cattle country” and said the local market would be a boom for the county. He estimated local sales along with area counties in Kentucky and Tennessee to be 50,000 to 60,000 head of cattle would be marketing annually here. He said he had already received inquiries about the market from as far away as Monroe County in Kentucky to Putnam County in Tennessee.

Huff also projected that with Blue Grass Group’s marketing ability, they would make a very good corporate partner, especially in the area of agriculture related projects.

“We want to make them welcome and say to everyone we are ‘open for business,’” he added.

A ground breaking ceremony is expected to be held after the property is cleared and the site will be excavated by Conley Gregory Construction of Monticello.

Several officials are expected to take part in that ceremony. If Governor Steve Beshear cannot attend personally, Roger Thomas, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, would represent his office.

Thomas noted in a correspondence with the judge/executive’s office that he had met with Jim Akers of Blue Grass and had also discussed the project with members of the Clinton County Agriculture Council about the project.

An official date and time for the ground breaking ceremony is expected to be announced within the coming days.