In August 2015 the inaugural Cultivating Change Summit kicked off in Atlanta, GA. The Summit started a long-overdue conversation to acknowledge and value the presence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in the agricultural industry.
Ten months later, that conversation continued at the second annual Cultivating Change Summit in Sacramento, CA, the epicenter and capital of the number one agriculture producing state in the nation. Over 200 industry leaders, innovators, educators, role models, trailblazers, and creators joined conversations focusing on Ag Education, Government/Public Service, Production Agriculture, and Urban Agriculture.
Cultivating Change Foundation at The White House Convening on Advancing LGBT Progress in Rural America. Pictured with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsak (2016).
The Cultivating Change Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization was launched at the start of 2016. The Foundation’s mission is to value and elevate LGBTQ agriculturists through advocacy, education, and community. The Foundation will continue to develop new programs and educational materials to ensure our conversations reach a broad audience and promote positive change for LGBTQ individuals in agriculture.