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This introduction is acting as a placeholder for Kansas Rural Center friends and enthusiasts to find us as we prepare to launch our podcast series. There is a lot going on in Kansas, and we want you to know about it and be inspired by those working to make a difference in our State.
As you listen to Tom’s description of everything Kansas Rural Center represents and advocates for, we hope you get excited with us about the bright future Kansas can have.
Full Script Below:
Since 1979, the Kansas Rural Center has worked the ground with Kansas farmers and their communities to advance a food and farming system that is socially just, ecologically sound, and economically viable. The Kansas Rural Center provides information, education and opportunities to build healthy community, facilitate meaningful conversations, and cultivate grassroots civic engagement across Kansas. Over the past 40 years, we have focused on ecological farming methods, climate change, sustainable energy paradigms, rural communities, equitable access to health care, infrastructure, women in farming, policy related to farm and food systems and other issues that impact the lives and health of Kansans.
In the mid-1980’s, the Kansas Rural Center was the first Kansas farm organization to coordinate a response to the Farm Crisis. Our staff activated and trained a network of regional Farm Advocate groups to develop policy solutions and connect farmers to counseling, financial, and business assistance. We worked to decrease the loss of family farms by introducing farmers to more sustainable agricultural practices. Practices that help prepare farmers to adapt to and endure the uncertainties of fluctuating economies and changing climate systems in order to keep farmers on the land and feeding Kansans.
Today, the Kansas Rural Center continues this work through our efforts to engage farmers, community leaders, and advocates to be active participants in local, state, and national policy. We work with our partners to strengthen regional food systems, increase access to healthful local foods in schools, train new and beginning farmers, and expand local food markets to ensure security well into the future. Through our workshops and trainings, we provide hands-on education to help farmers learn the skills and acquire the tools they need to work with the land to grow food that nourishes Kansans.
We work diligently to bring solutions to those interested in creating a healthy and sustainable farm and food system, and to mobilize our network of farmers and rural constituents to change the system for the better. We aim to increase the prevalence of farming practices that enhance biodiversity and improve soil and human health, leading to thriving ecosystems and communities. We protect pollinators and wildlife. We work to increase water, soil, and air quality. By encouraging diversification in all aspects of agriculture, from diversity in farming methods and products to biological and cultural diversity, we create social, ecological, and economical resiliency across Kansas.