Cole Cottin will be presenting the following: 9:00 a.m. Feeding Kansas: Because Feeding the World Must Include Feeding Ourselves with Cole Cottin
Cole Cottin is the primary writer and analyst for the newly released report Feeding Kansas: A Statewide Farm & Food System Assessment with Recommendations for Public Action. Cole is a Program Coordinator at the Kansas Rural Center (KRC), where she helps lead the organization’s local/regional food system and specialty crop programs. She views food as medicine and is passionate about making ecologically-raised, nutritious whole foods widely-accessible for and utilized by Kansans from all walks of life. Cole, a native Kansan, obtained a BA in Anthropology with honors from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2007 and has been engaged in diversified agriculture and food production ever since. Cole and her husband, Dan Phelps, founded MAD Farm in 2010 to produce vegetables and fruits for neighboring Kansas communities.
In a state that prides itself on “feeding the world,” we currently struggle to adequately feed and nourish ourselves, reports Cole Cottin, lead analyst and author of the newly released report titled Feeding Kansas. After over a year spent in dialogue with hundreds of individuals across Kansas, this report from the Kansas Rural Center identifies seven pressing priorities Kansans can pursue right now to help strengthen the capacity of Kansas farms and farmers to more adequately nourish themselves and their communities. In this session, Cottin highlights key findings and recommendations from Feeding Kansas, and shares a vision and a roadmap for transforming Kansas’s agricultural and food landscape into a model of well-being and success to sustain future generations. Come join in this exciting conversation, and learn how you can take part!
