Kansas Rural Center Launches 4-year Statewide Integrated Voter Engagement Initiative
The Kansas Rural Center has launched a new Integrated Voter Engagement program, Sunflower Stories, that will seek to amplify the stories of farm and food system workers and advance civic activity related to foodsheds across the state of Kansas. The program, which kicked off on August 1, 2021, will include collaboration with community stakeholders actively involved in local farm and food systems work in both rural and urban areas. Throughout this program, KRC will work to mobilize Kansans to encourage greater civic participation between election cycles on issues specific to local foods and farming in order to strengthen communities and increase local and regional food system resilience. This program is supported by a generous 4-year grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.
This project builds upon KRC’s previous Integrated Voter Engagement work connecting the importance of voting and civic engagement with long-term individual and community health. By convening communities in conversations around local food systems, amplifying their storytelling capacity, and strengthening their grassroots mobilization toolkits, this project seeks to fulfill the Kansas Health Foundation’s goal of empowering communities to shape their food systems.
KRC’s Interim Executive Director, Zack Pistora, says of the project, "We’re incredibly grateful to the Kansas Health Foundation for supporting KRC’s important work of increasing access and participation of Kansans to preserve, develop, and improve their community’s food and farm future. This project is so exciting as it will enhance the appreciation and progress of a community toward culturally-appreciated healthy and local foods, a thriving environment and social structure, and meaningful livelihoods... all good things that help our Kansas towns stay resilient and vibrant.”
If you or your community is interested in becoming involved with this project, please contact KRC Local Food Programs Director, Kaitlin Stanley at kstanley@kansasruralcenter.org or 866.579.5469.