Climate Resilience in Central Appalachia: Impacts and Opportunities was presented at a recent webinar hosted by Appalachia Funders Network and Invest Appalachia. This analysis was produced by Invest Appalachia documenting projected climate crisis impacts on the Central Appalachian region. I was able to attend this webinar and was inspired by the intentional look at how climate change is impacting my home region. Often Appalachia is overlooked or misportrayed. This report is a great resource created by folks living in the region, advocating for investable solutions to combat what climate change is doing to their, my, home. Among those investment themes is food and agriculture, which includes market development, healthy food access, conservation and sustainability, food hubs, sustainable production practices and carbon offsets. 

The Cocklebur has come to be one of my favorite media outlets. I appreciate the candid commentary from writer, Bryce Oates and how he embeds the rural perspective in each piece on politics, policy, people, and places.  In my opinion, if you are looking to gain an understanding of rural communities and how current policy actions are impacting them, this is worth subscribing to. 

Before joining SAFSF, I worked for Community Farm Alliance (CFA) a Kentucky non-profit that has created programs and fought for policies that uplift the family farmer since the 1980s. One project I was able to be a part of before I transitioned to my current role was the Kentucky Black Farmer Fund, now known as the Mattie Mack Farm Fund. A natural storyteller and activist, Mattie Mack used her story to connect with other minority farmers and fight against the disadvantages they faced. To learn more about her and the Fund, check out this article featured in Morning Ag Clips.