LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 21, 2025) — What began as a way for a group of Lexington-area farmers from Africa to grow food for their families has become a pathway to financial independence—and now, a model of community leadership recognized by the City of Lexington.

Kentucky State University agricultural economist Dr. Siddhartha Dasgupta, professor and associate research director in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, has been named a recipient of the Spirit of Lexington Award. This civic honor is presented by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to individuals and groups for outstanding service to the community. Dr. Dasgupta’s assistant, Mr. James Howard, was also honored. Dasgupta and Howard received the award during the African Harvest Celebration at Calvary Baptist Church on Oct. 11, 2025.

Dasgupta was cited for his work to help beginning farmers move from subsistence growing to sustainable, revenue-generating agriculture. Through Kentucky State’s Farming for Cash program, Dasgupta and Howard partnered with Empucate International, which organizes farmers from Africa who are establishing new lives in central Kentucky. Many of the growers had been using borrowed land mainly to grow food for their own households.

“In our trainings, we focus on modern, commercial-scale vegetable production systems and practical market pathways,” Dasgupta said. “We’ve shown growers that, with the right plans, they can earn tens of thousands of dollars annually through production and sales. We are now in the process of helping them form a local food co-op to aggregate their produce, sell via social media, and secure pre-payments through platforms like PayPal—steps that build self-sufficiency and stable income.”

Kentucky State’s long-standing Farming for Cash program has been supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 2012. Most recently, Dasgupta led a “tractor school” for beginning farmers, helping participants safely operate equipment and prepare to scale up production. This current project, Farming for Cash: A Training Program Leading to Farm Ownership, is funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (Grant No. 2024-49400-43605), with Dasgupta serving as project director.

The Spirit of Lexington Award underscores Lexington’s commitment to community vitality, welcoming cultures, and equitable opportunity—values mirrored in Kentucky State’s land-grant mission to cultivate innovation that feeds, heals, and sustains. Through its extension educators and researchers, the university connects producers with practical training, market development, and business tools that strengthen family farms and the regional food economy.