WATCH Growing Hope: Climate and Community Resiliency

The fifth session of NCAT’s annual conference, Growing Hope: Practical Tools for Our Changing Climate, looks at the connection between the climate and community resiliency.

The session begins with a keynote address by Dr. Elizabeth Heilman of Wichita State University.

A discussion follows featuring Kendra Kimbirauskas of Goat Mountain Pastured Meats and Senior Director of Agriculture and FoodSystems with State Innovation Exchange (SiX); and Jeremy Brown of Broadview Ag.

Farming and ranching is a stressful occupation under the best circumstances, but adding the unpredictability of climate change makes it especially challenging. Producers will have to overcome adverse circumstances at some point in their careers, and there are resources available to support them.

This session highlights ways farmers are building resilience on their farms in the face of increasing weather extremes, along with the stories of farmers who have gotten through disaster and learned important lessons along the way.

The panel was moderated by Elise Haschke, NCAT Climate and Agriculture Program Manager.

The sixth and final session considers the power of community.

The session features Kimberly Ratcliff of Caney Creek Ranch and Thea O’Carroll of Yield Organic.

To help build farm and farmer resiliency, organizations and individuals are consciously pursuing another kind of building — community building. Communities cultivate curiosity and spark conversation, empower one another through shared learning, support and lift each other through difficult times, and celebrate progress along the way.

This session includes stories of community building and focuses on the importance of social support to make agriculture socially as well as ecologically regenerative.

NCAT Agriculture Specialist Mike Lewis moderates the session.