The Kansas Rural Center will host its annual Farm and Food Conference November 17 and 18, 2017, in Manhattan, Kansas, at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel. This year the two-day program will highlight how biological, human and economic diversity builds resilience, and how we can make it happen on our farms, our communities, and in our part of the world.

The conference promises to have something for a broad spectrum of attendees—from conventional and organic farmers, to beginning and established farmers, conservationists and environmentalists, and local food advocates and community leaders.

Keynote presenters and breakout sessions will illustrate the theme, “Driving the Change that Matters: Practical and Political Solutions to our Farm and Food Future.” Day one, Denise O'Brien, Women Food and Agriculture Network founder and longtime Iowa farmer and activist will provide an inspiring outlook on how to put yourself in the driver’s seat and create a healthy and just food and farm future and society. On day two Ferd Hoefner, Senior Strategic Advisor for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition will share his experience on working in D.C. to shape sustainable agriculture policy and what’s on the horizon with the 2018 Farm Bill as well as the future for sustainable agriculture. Both keynote speakers have over 30 years of experience in their work and have strong interest in passing on their legacies to a new generation of activists and advocates.

Each day will also include 12 to 15 breakout sessions featuring presentations and panel discussions of how we transform our farms and our food system to better meet future environmental, economic and social challenges. Sessions will also include practical production and marketing information, farm transition ideas for the next generation, conservation practices and management, and informative sessions on state policy, community organizing efforts in Kansas, and more. A more detailed agenda will be available soon.

Call for Sponsors

KRC’s annual conference would not be possible without the generous support of sponsors. KRC invites sponsors to help support this growing conference. Sponsors have the opportunity to network with the over 200 participants each year by hosting an exhibitor booth. Other sponsorship opportunities include an ad in the conference program, or helping with the costs of local food, scholarships for students and beginning farmers to attend and more. Sponsorship allows KRC to produce a top quality conference complete with top experts, diverse workshops, exhibits, locally sourced food and other opportunities that create a positive, meaningful experience for conference participants. To sponsor this year’s conference, please visit - http://bit.ly/ConfSponsor2017.

Register

Cost to attend the conference is $70 per day or $135 for both days which includes access to all presenters, lunch and snacks both days, and a Friday evening social hour. Both days will include a lunch from locally-sourced ingredients and will offer conference attendees time for networking and visiting exhibitor booths in order to connect with and learn more about the great people and exciting things happening in farming, food production, and the environment, in Kansas and beyond. To register, please visit - http://bit.ly/ConfReg2017.

To learn more about becoming a sponsor, registering, or scholarships at this year’s conference visit www.kansasruralcenter.org or call Natalie Fullerton at 866-579-5469 Extension 701 or email info@kansasruralcenter.org.

The mission of KRC, a non-profit research, education and advocacy organization founded in 1979, 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. For more information, visit www.kansasruralcenter.org.