Spring 2014 – Interested in the future of Kansas farms, food and communities?  If so, join the Kansas Rural Center and the city of Greensburg for the Southwest KS Farm-to-Fork Summit on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 in Greensburg, KS.  The event will be held at the Kiowa County Community building, 720 N. Bay Street, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration for this summit is $15 per person and includes lunch.

The Southwest KS Farm-to-Fork Summit is one of at least three regional meetings that will be held across the state to open up dialogue about the current environment around Kansas farms, food, and community health.  Participants at all summits will have the opportunity to participate in that dialogue and connect with others who share similar interests or concerns for their communities.

Policy is a strategy that can bring desired, long-term change to a community, region, and state.  The summits will focus on specific policies that impact small to medium scale market production and accessibility of locally produced food at community, regional, and state levels.  Participants will have the opportunity to voice feedback on several different policy ideas that could help advance the vision desired for the farm and food future.

Examples of topics that could be discussed at the Southwest summit in Greensburg include current and future water issues that impact food production, regulatory clarity and coordination across agencies that enforce food laws in Kansas, or support for producers to increase production.

After the Southwest summit April 29, stick around for a tour of Greensburg!  In 2007 the city was destroyed by an EF5 tornado.  Since then, Greensburg has risen from the rubble and now has the most LEED certified buildings per capita in the world.  This progressive community’s eye for future offers a state of the art school and hospital, downtown shopping, and entertainment.

The next Farm-to-Fork Summit will be held in Iola, Kansas May 29.  Check back soon for more information and registration this and other summits across the state at kansasruralcenter.org.

These summits are part of the Kansas Rural Center’s “Community Food Solutions for a Healthier Kansas” initiative that will seek to advance the farm-to-fork food system across the state during the next three years.  This year KRC and their partners will help develop the Statewide Farm-to-Fork Assessment and Plan.  The Assessment and Plan will be used as a tool to help identify specific barriers, opportunities and policies needed to advance the farm-to-fork vision identified by state, regional, and local grassroots constituents working in all realms of the food system.

For more information about this initiative visit kansasruralcenter.org/community_food_solutions or contact Initiative coordinator, Natalie Fullerton at 402-310-0177 or nfullerton@kansasruralcenter.org.