A first-ever national conference focused on farming, land use and food policy is coming to Kentucky in the fall.
Agriculture Commissioner James Comer gathered with former Gov. and first lady Brereton and Libby Jones, officials of American Farmland Trust [AFT] and Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in the Capitol in early February to make the announcement about the Farmland, Food and Livable Community Conference, coming to Lexington on Oct. 20-22.
“One of the challenges that we have in agriculture is the average age of the farmer continues to increase, so we try to inspire a new generation of farmers in Kentucky through our work with 4-H, FFA and our schools that have agriculture programs, both high school and postsecondary education,” Comer said during the announcement. “We also are trying to fight hunger in this state, so we are working very closely with the food banks and different associations to provide surplus farm commodities to those in need who suffer from hunger. We are also trying to preserve and protect farmland for the next generation.”
This new conference will focus on these issues. Comer noted that an acre of farmland is lost to development every minute, a concern that the former first couple has worked on since their days at the Capitol.
Brereton Jones said people are coming together now to focus on this problem.
“This became quite obvious some years ago, and there’s nothing more important than to be able to have the food that is prepared, grown and is available, that we all need,” he said. “To be a part of this is very special.”
Libby Jones, an AFT board member, said the conference combines discussions about agriculture at the ground level and land-use policy with innovative strategies for growers and farmers and regard for the importance of American security and a self-sustaining national food supply.
“We need every inch of our good, protected farmland in America to be producing for Americans and the world,” she said. “This gives Kentucky a chance to have an even greater leadership role in discussions of agriculture.”
Libby Jones also said that the AFT began its relationship with state government in Kentucky during the Jones administration.
“They provided excellent technical assistance and valuable support, which led to the establishment of several public and private farmland protection entities,” she said. “Since then, these groups have permanently protected more than 70,000 acres across the commonwealth.”
Mayor Jim Gray said the news of the conference being held in Lexington is extraordinary and the involvement in protecting, preserving and having an insight for the future of the farm economy is something that has really grown in Fayette County. He added that today, roughly two-thirds of the county is still rural because of its history of land preservation.
Andrew McElwaine, president and CEO of AFT, made the official announcement and told the gathering his organization was created 33 years ago to help protect farmland, to promote best practices in conservation in the agriculture community and to help keep farmers on the land.
“We face great challenges in doing that,” he said. “United States farmland and Kentucky farmland are among the most productive on earth — in fact, the most productive. For every acre we lose, according to the USDA, it takes a minimum of an acre and a half to two acres elsewhere on earth to replace that productivity.”
McElwaine added that most of that land would come out of rainforests and highly erodible soils in very fragile places, creating significant environmental damage.
“Keeping American farmers on the land and keeping them productive are in the best interest of all of the world. This summit will begin to address that,” he said. “This is the first time a national conference will bring together these diverse interests to comprehensively address the 21st-century challenges of agriculture. The conference will encourage greater understanding and collaboration to support agricultural viability and vibrant community food systems.”
According to information from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the conference programs will address four principal themes: ensuring high quality farmland is available and affordable for agriculture; supporting agricultural viability and a fair and just food system; creating opportunities for the next generation of farmers; and addressing emerging issues for women in agriculture.
The conference will also include a number of workshops, farm tours, a banquet featuring local foods and a Kentucky Proud reception, which will open the conference.
For more information on the conference, visit: www.farmland.org.