TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansans are encouraged to attend the upcoming Northwest Kansas “Voting for the Future: Dinner & Dialogue” forum, a free dinner and program organized by the Kansas Rural Center. The forum will take place on Tuesday, August 14th, from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the newly renovated Heaton Building located at 112 S. State Street in Norton.
At the event, a complementary dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients from the High Plains Food Coop will be prepared by Destination Kitchen, and will be available starting at 5:00 pm with the program following. Registration is required in order to ensure an accurate count for dinner. Please register no later than Friday, August 10 at https://kansasruralcenter.org/community-food-solutions-civic-agriculture-for-civic-health/voting-for-the-future-dinner-and-dialogue/.
KRC staff will provide information on federal and state legislation and activity that affects food and farm systems and rural communities within the broader context of the Farm Bill, state budget and revenue issues. Joey Hentzler, Director of Advocacy at Kansas Appleseed will present on legislation and activity that affects impoverished and excluded communities particularly around food access.
Local leaders including Scott Sproul, Executive Director of the Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, and Dani Holzwarth of the Western Prairie Food Farm and Community Alliance will provide information about local and regional level efforts to strengthen community access to food, resources for farmers, and other critical efforts in Northwest Kansas. The League of Women Voters will also be on hand to share information about voting this election year.
Time will be provided for roundtable dialogue focusing on questions important to ask candidates this summer and fall, resources, ideas, and ways to work together to reach the common vision of a healthy, local food system.
The forum will be the first of four in KRC’s “Voting for the Future: Dinner & Dialogue” series across the state. Each forum will be a little different but each will offer the opportunity to learn more about how to amplify your voice during this important election year.
Other upcoming “Voting for the Future: Dinner & Dialogue” forums will be held in Cimarron, Wednesday, August 15, Girard, Tuesday, August 28 and Concordia, Thursday, August 30.
There is no cost to attend, but registration is required to ensure a meal. Please register no later than Friday, August 10. To register, please visit https://kansasruralcenter.org/community-food-solutions-civic-agriculture-for-civic-health/voting-for-the-future-dinner-and-dialogue/, or contact Caryl Hale at chale@kansasruralcenter.org or call 866-579-5469.
These forums are part of KRC’s “Community Food Solutions for a Healthier Kansas” initiative and Integrated Voter Engagement project, which aims to improve economy, community, environment, and health in Kansas by strengthening civic engagement and public policy support that better incorporates Kansas farms and communities into the state’s healthy food supply chain.
The mission of KRC, founded in 1979, is to promote the long-term health of the land and its people through community-based research, education, and advocacy that advances an economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just food and farming system in Kansas. For more information, visit kansasruralcenter.org.
— Kansas Rural Center
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