Please join us Saturday, June 10 from 10:00 am until 2:30 pm for our 26th Annual Meeting On the Horizon: Organizing Communities for a Just Transition, taking place at Rural Action’s Chesterhill Produce Auction located at 8380 Wagoner Rd, Chesterhill, OH. Live Music, Optional Tours, Kids Activities, Sustainability Awards, Lunch Included. Regiester at ruralaction.org

We have an exciting meeting planned in a beautiful setting and can’t wait to share all of the many good things happening at Rural Action during our meeting. Lunch will be provided.

All are welcome, however registration is required. RVSP Here: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=du8cg7iab&oeidk=a07ee615pdgcf4360a0

Annual Keynote
We are pleased to announce that Dee Davis, Founder, and President, of the Center for Rural Strategies, will keynote our meeting this year. The Center for Rural Strategies seeks to improve economic and social conditions for rural communities through the creative and innovative use of media and communications. By presenting accurate and compelling portraits of rural lives and cultures, the center hopes to deepen public debate and create a national environment in which positive change for rural communities can occur. During his presentation, Mr. Davis will share his experiences, discuss the current landscape as he sees it and where we can go from here.

More about Mr. Davis
Dee has helped design and lead national public information campaigns on topics as diverse as commercial television programming and federal banking policy.

Dee began his media career in 1973 as a trainee at Appalshop, an arts and cultural center devoted to exploring Appalachian life and social issues in Whitesburg, Kentucky. As Appalshop’s executive producer, the organization created more than 50 public TV documentaries, established a media training program for Appalachian youth, and launched initiatives that use media as a strategic tool in organization and development.

Dee is the chair of the National Rural Assembly steering committee; he is a member of the Rural Advisory Committee of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Fund for Innovative Television, and Feral Arts of Brisbane, Australia. He is also a member of the Institute for Rural Journalism’s national advisory board as well as the advisory board of the Rural Policy Research Institute. Dee is also the former Chair of the board of directors of Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation.

Experience Chesterhill on 60 Minute Guided Tour (Optional)
From 10:00 am until 11:00 am you have the option to go on one of three optional tours. You will arrive at the location of your tour and meet with your guide. At 11:00 am you will head to the meeting location at the Chesterhill Produce Auction. Additional tour information is provided on the registration page.

Option 1: Tour the Chesterhill Produce Auction.
Since 2004 the Chesterhill Produce Auction has been a cornerstone project of Rural Action’s Sustainable Agriculture program. It has been owned and operated as a social enterprise by Rural Action since 2010. Learn how the 10-acre site has developed over the years and future plans for the site.

Option 2: Visit a Master Garden in Chesterhill.
Ken and Karen Peters will take you on a tour of their hillside garden nestled between their cottage, silo and home creating an enclosed garden from the road. This tour offers a preview of the Morgan County Master Gardener’s annual Garden Tour which is to take place the following day.

Option 3: Learn About Local History at the Multicultural Genealogical Center in Chesterhill. The center which is located on the site of an Underground Railroad stop was created to document and share the contributions of multicultural and multiracial families to the social, cultural, political, religious, educational and economic development of the Ohio River Valley.

Sustainability Awards
We will recognize an individual, a business, and a Rural Action partner that: create new models for living with respect to the earth and its systems that others can follow; have a generous spirit and willingly share knowledge, experiences, and personal resources with others; and leave the world a better place because of their personal and professional behavior. Additionally, our board will present a lifetime achievement award during the meeting. As a token of our appreciation, all recipients will receive a certificate from Rural Action and a handcrafted wooden bowl by John Wood of Homecoming Farm.

Strategic Plan Update
Over the past year, Rural Action’s Board of Directors along with staff have worked to update our Rural Renewal Strategy through 2019. We are pleased to be able to share our vision with you, highlight important work that is taking place and provide an update on our membership and development goals as we continue working with members and partners to organize our communities for just transition in Appalachian Ohio.

Business Meeting
A short business meeting will take place during the event led by our Board of Directors.

Activities for Kids’
Bring the kids, just make sure to register them! We will have fun and educational activities during the meeting.