Relevance: The Food Connection hosted its sixth annual Kentucky Local Food Systems Summit on March 20, 2024. The Summit consisted of two keynote presentations and full day of workshops, networking, and conversations designed to bring together local food professionals and advocates who work on the front lines of growing our local food and farm economy. The goal of the Summit is to bring together local food systems practitioners from across Kentucky to share challenges, opportunities, best practices, and build capacity for our local/regional food economy. KERS credit was offered for Cooperative Extension personnel. Speakers included Cooperative Extension personnel. Sessions included: Local Food As Medicine Panel; It's a SNAP to Diversify your Customer Base; Centering Equity and Resiliency: Amplifying the Voices of Kentucky Led Partnerships to Reimagine the National Food System Movement; Moving the Movement: Ideas + Infrastructure Needed to Institutionalize Cultural + Systems-Level Change; Restaurants Aiming for Local: Evolving Opportunities, Persisting Challenges, Delicious Results; Uplifting Kentucky Food Stories; Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and Local Food for Schools; and FreshRX for Moms and Other Food Prescription Programs.

Response/Results: Over 260 attendees participated in the 2024 KY Local Food Systems Summit at Kroger Field in Lexington on March 20, 2024. The Food Connection secured over $25,000 in sponsorships to support the event. 

Public Value Statement: The Kentucky Local Food Systems Summit continues to be a seminal event for local food systems practitioners to strengthen their knowledge base and connections across the Commonwealth.