KDA officials among summit speakers

Special to Kentucky Agricultural News

Two Kentucky Department of Agriculture officials will be among the speakers at the Bluegrass Food Security Summit March 18-19 at Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington.

Angela Caporelli, the Department’s aquaculture marketing specialist, and Tina Garland with the Department’s Farm to School program will speak during one of four workshop tracks on food security March 19.

Participants in the summit will discuss creating and expanding collaborations, raising awareness of the need to improve Kentucky’s food security, exploring the need for a Food Policy Council to develop an integrated food security strategy for Kentucky, involving people of faith, creating more school gardens, integrating school gardens into school curricula, and other topics. Bryan Station High School student Lucy Arthur-Paratley will give a presentation based on her award-winning essay on the greening of her high school. State Finance Secretary Jonathan Miller and eco-activist Jim Embry also will speak.

The Summit will begin on with a Recognition Dinner and Town Hall Meeting March 18 at 6 p.m. Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry will present a proclamation declaring March 19 Bluegrass Food Security Summit Day and encouraging all citizens “to find ways in which our city can create better food security.”

Registration for the March 19 activities is $45 each or $30 each for two or more people from the same congregation. Registration for the March 18 recognition dinner is $20. Scholarship opportunities to cover the registration fees are available.

For more information on the Bluegrass Food Security Summit, call (859) 312-7024, e-mail embryjim@gmail.com, or go to www.sustainlex.org.