This conversation is lively because Berea native and candidate for the state's 81st District, Andrew Simpson (R), has a thorough grasp of land use issues that are most pressing to Madison County, and it was good fun to banter the policymaking possibilities for slowing growth, developing according to community needs not zones, supporting agriculture, and respecting property rights.

Simpson is a life-long conservative who came to farming through his wife's family, and who is now a leader in the state's agricultural community, formerly serving as the chair of the Kentucky Farm Bureau's Young Farmers District 8 (farmers age 35 and younger). In this role, Simpson said he learned about the land use pressures facing farmers across the Commonwealth, but especially here in Madison County where two of the nation's fastest growing communities--Richmond and Berea--are located. 

Reporting from The Edge of Appalachia in Berea, Kentucky.