Kentucky Chapter is preparing to launch a 3-year regenerative agriculture campaign we're calling "Kentucky Thrives." These ZOOM meetings will be held on Friday, May 21, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST, and on Saturday, May 22, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm EST. Please RSVP to attend this introductory program, which will consist of talks by organic food and agriculture professionals from around the state and then a short panel discussion. The speakers will talk about what they do and what is needed to build regenerative agriculture in Kentucky. Audience members will have the opportunity to volunteer to help the campaign. Topics include Farm to School programs, a Kentucky Soil Health program, urban agriculture, and access to farmland.
The purposes of “Kentucky Thrives” are to:
- Help Kentucky farmers and processors move from industrial agriculture to regenerative organic agriculture.
- Help Kentucky consumers move from eating industrial food to eating food from regenerative organic agriculture.
- Help ensure that the above efforts are inclusive, equitable, and just.
The name “Kentucky Thrives” was chosen following the lead of national Sierra Club which, as part of the Green New Deal Network, helped draft a "Thrive Agenda." This agenda, a nonbinding resolution introduced in Congress in 2020, contains this call to action:
“To create opportunities for family farmers and rural communities, the economic recovery plan must untangle the hyper-consolidated food supply-chain that feeds Wall Street profits and instead invest in local and regional food systems that support farmers, agricultural workers, healthy soil, and climate resilience...”
A new bill based on the Thrive Agenda and called The Thrive Act (Transform, Heal and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy) is expected to be introduced in Congress soon. It would invest $10 trillion in renewable energy, green infrastructure, and climate justice initiatives over the next decade.
Regenerative agriculture is a large, complex topic, and we have a list of facets on which we could focus. We’re hoping ideas from the speakers and from your participation will help us decide where to focus. Please RSVP to join us. Kentucky Thrives intends to help build a regenerative agriculture for the benefit of climate, soil, and all life.
RSVP for Friday, May 21, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST
RSVP for Saturday, May 22, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm EST