>> He calls himself a sacred Earth activist Jim Bembry, our good friend strive to connect people to their relationship with the earth and desires communities to think and act not just out of the box but out of the barn.

A conversation with the founder and director of the Sustainable Communities Network Gym member, 8 now on connections.

♪ ♪ Welcome to connections today.

Thank you for joining us.

I'm Renee Shaw, Perth nurture or Jim Embry founder and director of the Sustainable Communities Network has spent a lifetime helping central Kentuckyian the world really, Dan appreciation for our roots from the ground up Dam is built a network of activism, Senate around agriculture history and social justice.

His work has earned him international acclaim.

And most recently he learned of a prestigious honor by the culinary nonprofit organization, the James Beard Foundation, whose mission is to celebrate support an elevator people behind America's food culture and champion a standard of good food.

It's good to have our good friend Jim Embry with us to talk about this outstanding recognition and what else he's cooking up.

Good to see you, Jim.

Wonderful.

>> Great to be here again with the K 2 family.

Yeah.

All the staff and all the audience member.

Yeah.

Around the state all around the region.

Actually.

Sure.

Well, every time you come on, we get lots of feedback about you, even from other stations that have carried the interviews elsewhere and not just in the south but other places.

And first, I have to say congratulations for being bearded.

>> Is James Beard now we know why people like we do.

Michael, we Sam for who has a Sri Lankan restaurant in Lexington.

There was a gentleman who was a chef and Woodford County who was nominated.

But you are a finalist in the leadership category us for this prestigious culinary outfit that really is devoted to sustainability and making sure that there's good food.

Yes.

How did you even get into this and how did they know you?

>> Well, you know, Renee of for the love, thank you all you.

In particular.

Be on your show?

I think 3 or 4 times.

Okay.

you are going to believe in what I do.

Great supporter of some 20.

Thank you all.

You and the KET family.

I think I have here, you know, a videotape from I've been the first.

>> A show we did.

Yeah.

Are you how did this whole thing come into being?

Of course, you know.

I call myself an agrarian Electra and the a family.

Who can Kentucky in your 1800 and inflated condition?

Okay.

And but they on of the land, they learned the floor in the or the law of the land.

And so and they begin this tradition.

Folks who agrarian yes.

Intellectual, you know, college graduates, but also activists.

So my work is following that tradition.

Well, you know, when James there, you know, said, hey, you know, you know, you you've been nominated, you know, and and your your your your you've got to you're you're in the ring, OK?

You had to ring and tell us what the self.

So how much time you've Haha.

>> And so you know how that works.

You get nominated.

And then the ask you to send more information right?

Renee, I sent a bunch of stuff.

But what I sent him.

Where the links.

0, 2, 0, K t interviews and also the one member and a chef that Kentucky life, Kentucky so.

If it's the >> Gladly things that I can say.

I got right?

Yeah, yeah.

But also what happened?

You know.

>> As you know from being in the in the TV media.

So James Beard Awards, they're like the Oscars, too.

The food and restaurant business.

Okay.

Like the Oscars.

It's teaching all awards with all the big time shots and whatever.

So what for 5 years ago?

They were criticized right to sleep because these award they were getting out were largely absent from people of color okay.

And we've been playing a role in food got a whole lives, OK?

So they decided to commit to be more inclusive.

Okay.

And to not only of a judging panel.

But include people of color.

That's after Americans as well as categories that were more.

Brother represented.

They opened up this leadership award.

Okay.

Recognizing people who work.

This is showing a chef.

Or restaurant dry, you know, honor.

But they were deeply committed and deeply embedded and the food and agricultural system.

>> Yeah.

And one of the things that you said that they really liked was last year and your joy and justice durning in June.

You drove across country for 35 days.

6,000 Miles visited.

25 cities, 15 states, 12 food cooperatives, 13 plus urban and rural farms.

12 state and federal parks.

20 family members spoke at 3 universities and 15 slow food chapters and gave out 500 packages of Usama.

Yes seeds.

Yes, yes, absolutely.

>> So, yeah, activism and you've always been doing this kind of work.

But I do want you to talk to us about why so much effort and doing that particular exercise last June.

And will, you know, as you know, I grew up in the civil rights movement.

I was 10 years old, a member of core.

My mother was the president.

>> Man, she thought I want my sons out here with me on the picket lines, Wade into whatever else will begin at 10 years old.

And during those years, we're always does each other.

He would come from the north on the way south to the Fremont stop by House.

But 10 farmer with come buy a house in Econ Britain.

Own beans will come when south.

So that whole idea people visit each other.

What the strength, the civil rights movement.

So part of my think thinking.

On the head, I were a flow food.

Let's create these slow food ambassadors like me.

And then we would travel to the very slow food chapters.

So then we I hope, you know, like the manifesto with home yeah.

J Edgar, including Justice manifesto for slow food.

And we have this campaign called joy in Justice okay.

And I thought, wow, I haven't been out West will want to travel a whole lot.

Let me just commit next summer traveling for a whole month.

You know, out West now visit.

I were different hats.

Most of the Good Foods Co-op One was a slow food hat.

One was of this whole question of of a food justice organizations hat.

What was your mom seeds and so forth visit all these different locations, the spreading all me that the thought of Justice.

But enjoy along with that because in part the reason why, in my view it comes to climate change and all the different pandemic overlap.

You know, we can't spend some more year trying to figure this stuff out for you.

We have to network with people engage with people, encourage people to be more involved only in the justice work around social justice, although we'll call environmental justice and how we begin to regard the earth as the sacred planet.

SOT begin doing last summer.

I'm going to going in the summer.

So again, one of the 10 year folk ask.

Talks which have been doing, I said, well, okay.

I said, well, so last summer and you know, yeah, I didn't have a bunch of videos from my talks at with California.

You know, up in Minneapolis, which George 4th Square, for example, and I put it to flowers and that sacred Place moment of flour for George Floyd and what was a flower for Breonna Taylor trying to connect their spirits there said something about the videos.

I had done a bunch of opinions around June teen and a regular interviews.

That and they said, well, we're just haha or all the things you did.

Could you do all that?

>> And still return home full of energy and great with a great, you journey about joy and justice.

>> Yeah.

And the intersectionality between environmental Justice appreciation for literally our roots along with all of these other issues that we're dealing with, whether it's the endemic or it's the racial injustice pandemic.

>> Also part of that and James boredom teams beer excuse me award and part of the considerations.

What I sent them was this thought that and our country.

The foundational contradiction of our country as around stolen land and business people.

Stolen labor from African people to do what to do.

Agriculture.

Okay to do for agriculture is the foundation of our country's injustice.

I'm also aware 15,000 years ago, okay.

Women get the outs with agriculture, but with agriculture, however, the Mittman sometime the most exploit it underpaid, harassed, export and whatever.

So not only is them food, ag.

The point of foundational injustice.

It's also the the focal point transforming our society and we can transform those initial contradictions in food, ag, then we can then also begin to transform all of our and then toss aside.

That's my premise.

One panel Al Gore couple years ago around climb on the ground.

I mentioned that country as well.

He says now a C why you're so passionate.

Write about food and AG because it's a fulcrum for transformation.

Has absolute.

>> Right.

It is if if ad commissioners and those who are in those positions would also have adopt that same kind of frame of mind.

I do want to talk about what you said.

A term slow food and movement.

I want you to find that.

But also the seed So it's hard to start with slow.

>> Okay, first.

Well, slow food court.

The winds have been knowing.

For 15,000 years as we develop food and agriculture.

Okay.

And also within our own families.

I want to farm now probably from goes back to 18, 90 in our fun, OK?

KET I was going for the first term of 2008, she says with Jimmy why you're going to Italy.

It was about slow food to the West.

Low food.

What you've been doing your whole life, right, right.

But slow food is which means.

Taken care of the family and the property loving the earth loving each other, going food locally.

Okay.

Going good.

Food, healthy food and just being in games and the smaller scale communities.

So slow food began as an organization the 80's and Italy as they were trying to resist McDonald moving to Italy and they can prevent because of all the different trade agreements I thought, well, if we're against fast food.

Then what are we for riffle, slow and their birth.

The organization?

Called Slow food been around since the 80's.

And now we have which will call national associations and about every country in the world, OK, many of But in fact, if you look at the James Beard Award categories, bayliss slow food as part of award categories committee recognize how important that whole theme is.

It's about food that is all good.

Clean and fair, right?

Not joined up 2008 as an organization, but you know, I helped found confirms co-op.

In 1972.

And we're already devoted to local food recall getting food, healthy food and have been since 72.

I'm Alex Lowe.

Food and again, and the national on network.

And that fact is putting one mention this past summer, the face of the face.

We've had a slow pace.

Then the founder and gotten caught up to training Italian.

But just last year we elected a guy from Uganda, made him a key.

As now the president of slow food international interest, a young guy.

35 years old, you know, you've got going farmer, you know, Bill actual is a new face that saying, hey, we recognize that the future lies in the hands of young people.

The future also lies more in the global south and global north.

It also lies and how well Africa.

Rises.

We've got more of a world leader in terms of modeling, slow food on the see the end of it.

But we haven't slow.

Food is called the Ark of Taste.

The collection of seeds globally, OK and trying to preserve and protect and create.

But what about diversity?

2 years ago during COVID epidemic.

People got into gardening.

But what happened?

You've got a line trying to find seat and you couldn't government all sold out.

Many of us who've been involved in movement said, wow, this that well, if we know that wife, okay, fine seeds.

Then we know black folks.

Can you find it even worse?

So we formed this co-op and to form an alliance and response to COVID a lack of around 2 years.

You know, not newbies.

So now I work is to create this network.

Across the world.

Actually right now of people who are seat farmers, seed savers.

And we're trying get people to become see farmers.

We know that this growing to eat right.

Common greens, growing to harvest the seats.

We have different projects like the one we have.

What's called the heirloom Collard project.

We invite like you and all the KET listeners joined in The Ellen Color Project, which means grow out, Palmer's was into the Grow and collards.

But we Renee 30 varieties of cowards in our collection.

While we also have what's called the ultra crawls.

Okra project.

And we have in our collection this front.

I think Chris Smith, a Nashville, we have 200.

Cons of oak room.

So we're a believer in terms of climate change, We have to create a greater biodiversity.

Right?

And what we're growing and saving at the bow regional level.

But how do you do that on a mass scale?

Is that is that harder to achieve on a mass scale will will take some work because, you know, >> there are people who already doing some of the work.

We've got some friends of ours, for example.

Again, we was called an African network.

Got friends in the got friends in Africa.

So from all over the name, Daniel and Jamal, who's in Kenya?

And he's been doing for about 12 years.

And they've got 80,000 people.

Same thing with network 80,000 people.

So, it's going to be supported going out west this summer.

I would be focused on this idea of creating these the call seed Commons.

And the different bile regions of getting people again.

Who are we doing?

Great Got gardens farms, you know, whatever else to think about growing out for seeds, share those and we'll be creating, you know, I mean that we have a and the national scene vote up I think a small way, way up to the North Pole, which is where OKC to being stored.

And we say we have to also create these seem vaults and see cleaning warehouses and our region.

So our job mom.

Say, you know, 5 your vision, this to have 50.

50 see Commons hubs across the country.

Well, so part of my work and going west to summer is to help create that.

Gloria have commitments from folks like again, mentioned Al Gore's farm.

You know, Kenya for farms in Nashville Minneapolis, the DC area and Kentucky has been identified.

Calls on here in college is here.

So Kentucky, this region, what will a for was your mom collective right.

And so how does this get at the issue of food and security?

Because we all know that and even health disparities.

Okay.

Great.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Well for them.

>> Again.

The foundation of food security.

And food, sovereignty.

Our If you don't have scenes.

You can have food security, but also we have already networks of all kind of wonderful work being done colleges.

TCU's land grant colleges around trying to better quality food and our communities access trying to honor people of color.

People called traditions around food.

It's already there and come away.

And we're just saying that's and this seed component where you are growing great food.

To deal with questions of, you apartheid in a neighborhood, you know, and and come food, desert, food, apartheid.

Addresses those but also gives us greater resilience.

Okay, around for climate change because we're now Russ to curing seeds for a local So for us, it's just part of an extension.

The good work already being done.

Yeah.

Yeah.

>> Is black soil involves?

Yeah, you know, just asked, you know, we love so much, right?

Yeah.

He's got some sweet potatoes not too long ago.

Yeah, I you were bringing and the James Beard, folks, the coming in to interview him to film I work in Lexington on the 14th.

>> I hope we can hope you can.

You can be part of of our recall.

You know, our beloved Ashley Judd says yeah, Miss John Elder Embry.

Be there.

She's involved as well.

you know, we work with example, was down last fall when I team.

We attended what's called the Federation of Southern Cooperatives annual meeting and workshops and they've been around, as you know, serving black farmers in the south of 55 years.

Doing great work, OK?

We approached him about coming on board and joining collecting around, sees what have you ever thought about having you on seed?

No one ever half even thought about you go to one of 4.

This is one but about saving the 101 seeds.

To share with your farmers and the rest of the knot.

We sure haven't.

But wow, what you're saying.

It said it's a game changer for a new COVID next year.

And we're going to have okay some scenes, OK, available to annual meeting.

to where the saying that?

You know, scenes and what's called trees.

That flowers and seeds and around 200 million years.

Okay.

So when you look at the seed, you're looking at 200 million years.

Of history and wisdom.

Only because the Earth had produced this magnificent biodiversity.

That humans came along to 3 million years ago.

Okay.

And it's what we're told by indigenous people.

But the seeds are family.

As you recall about the of 3 Okay.

The they're not just corn.

It's not just squash and beans.

There are 3 sisters up North.

I want the folks harvest wild rice.

They call the rise So what we're saying is that gives us a chance.

To reclaim our sanity.

about the sickness food soil, agriculture and so forth.

So our work is about not just providing see 2 people, this great diverse of the but helping to transform these injustices right.

>> When we think about our great farmers and agriculture and heroines like Ashley Smith.

Yes, like saw yes.

>> You know how?

How are you grew?

Ming and nurturing a new generation.

>> Of Agra Tech shoal, intellectual activists.

Yes, absolutely.

>> We know I've been working with young people.

My whole life.

Okay.

I was grateful that my parents pulled me OK, and the civil rights movement.

So while I'm aware of how important it is for and generational dialogue and generational movement, building, as you know, years begin here, Lexington, Green Corps, and we're engaging young people in all kinds of ways and part of our engagement was now the Art Garden named Isaac Murphy.

Right?

And that was all about providing young people a chance to come to the stand, create a garden gross stuff and take it to their neighbors when they can get a sense of responsibilities and submission.

But we again, we're having here late April around my birthday weekend would call this spring convening people coming in the fall.

Was California.

Vermont, Detroit, Minneapolis, all around the South.

Well, coming in from these 4 days all around this question of seeds and seed and have to focus our young people.

Okay.

Tristan part about networking, right?

Got sister name Amira Mitchell and Virginia a small seed company.

Think it's called black seeds are the exact name.

Okay.

Which is about.

25 points and I was oh, yeah, OK?

So we recognize how important it is to engage young people going to the Minneapolis.

Well, 4 days around June teen speaking and whatever.

And we are already working on a program on that 70 to engage about 100 young people.

Okay.

The garden setting and I'll be speaking about the importance of seeds and justice.

We'll be planting some things.

Okay.

With those some 100 young people while and I spoke last year, the California Santa Cruz, 2 news college students who are in their ago programs about 60 of them.

Okay.

So yeah, we're talked to were deeply committed and and the arranging to involve young people in every way.

Yeah.

>> And even if they don't have necessarily desires to have that as a vocation, just getting them interested for their own fat from family and community sustainability because, >> you know, Renee, it's kind of funny.

Everybody eats.

Haha.

Okay.

Everybody eats were all involved in the food movement.

Okay.

Now our 11 Wendell Berry says when his quote, he says eating as an agricultural act.

So we're saying an we should all be aware of how.

What the impact is.

With the climate change on food production, part of our work remains also we're going universities, research and own work researching see that station.

The climate change.

The court was homes already changing.

What we're going to Kentucky now, 10 years from now.

Maybe the grown here that were actively involved in researching and that Haitian and that's done largely okay by younger college Okay.

Again, we're bringing remain here in April.

Frost, reconvening young folks and faculty from Spellman, Tuskegee, Harvard Crimson Princeton.

Whatever Hochul coming in here with these young people to make sure that we have in these in a generation on dialogue to engage young people.

And also we just think that this whole again in the SEC to food bag right?

Is pivotal for everybody because it allows us to begin to resolve these foundational contradictions.

But it also allows us to engage in with everybody and this work this but can be transformative.

Yeah.

>> Well, we're so proud of you, Jim.

And we love your passion and your commitment.

This not just the errant passion, but it's a passion that is deep rooted for bad pond there.

And we're so proud of you and we'll be looking in June for you to bring home that James Beard Award show.

Will you can count on it.

You will do it.

Thank you so much for joining us today for this great conversation.

Their previous shows where Mister Embree Elder Embree.

>> Has been on with us and you can find those online at KET Dot Org, slash connections.

Listen to our podcast.

Also, they're there as well.

When you're driving in on your commute and then make sure you tune in each week night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and Inspire.

Thank you for joining us until I see you again.

Take really good care.

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