Global energy demand is expected to double by 2050, and large-scale renewable energy “farms” are being deployed across the United States with increasing frequency to meet demands for clean energy generation and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to climate change.

Start where you are: plan where you want to go. Talk to someone who already has a homestead, the animals, or the garden you think you’d like to have. Budget for the time the farm needs; it will always need more time than you expect. It’s difficult not to want to rush headlong into doing everything all at once. I get it because I wanted to as well, but that’s the best way to  burnout and feel like a failure.

During this webinar, Professor McEowen reflects on previously ruled-on cases as a guide to how proceedings may go in a court case. Ryan Goertzen-Regier joins to share resources that may be helpful to specialty crop growers and beyond. The webinar concludes with a Q&A session and the opportunity to connect with Professor McEowen.

KRC celebrates board member Karen Willey. Karen Willey is a PhD scientist and 3rd District Douglas County Commissioner who manages a 115 acre farm in eastern Kansas raising grass-fed beef cattle while restoring native pasture. She also has experience in no-till crops, cover crops, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys and bees. As an entrepreneur, Karen has created and led a variety of successful businesses including an engineering and manufacturing business, Bluestem Machine Works, Inc., with her husband and business partner Scott Eudaly. Recently Karen and friend Brad Bradley have created FarmTender, a land-linking website seeking to connect regenerative farmers with eco-friendly landowners.

Kansas Rural Center staff share their accomplishments of 2023 and give insight into what they’re looking forward to next year.

The Kansas Rural Center’s mission is to promote the long-term health of the land and its people through research, education and advocacy that advance an economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just food and farming system. The three tools at the heart of KRC’s mission are research, education, and advocacy. Perhaps no piece of our work more perfectly ties those three tools together than the efforts of our Policy Analyst, Paul Johnson.

Enjoy this look back at the start of the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops. Kansas Rural Center has been a proud supporter of this from its inception and enjoys seeing Kerri Ebert’s continued work.