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8th Annual Celebration of The Bluegrass – October 13, 2021

 
Bluegrass Tomorrow Moving Forward with 8th Annual Celebration of the Bluegrass
 Wednesday, October 13 at the Historic
 Round Barn at the Red Mile.

  WKYT’s Sam Dick and Land Use Advocate Gloria Martin to be honored. Get your Tickets Today! 
PRESENTED BY: 


 
PRESENTING GOLD SPONSORS

 

 
 
 
PRESENTING SILVER SPONSOR
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
HONOREES
Sam Dick
Gloria Martin
VISION SOCIETY
Corporate Partner Members
Checks should be made out to Bluegrass Tomorrow Inc.
PO Box 34185
Lexington, KY  40588
Contact Rob Rumpke: rob@bluegrasstomorrow.org

Bluegrass Tomorrow Executive Committee Votes to Move Forward with Event.
With only one month until Celebration of the Bluegrass ’21, the Bluegrass Tomorrow Executive Committee passed a motion at its last meeting to move forward with the in-person event on Wednesday, October 13.
The festivities of the evening will be presented in the safest way possible as we gather to honor Sam Dick and Gloria Martin. Sam and Gloria will be presented with the
Bluegrass Legacy and the Josephine Abercrombie Awards, respectively–the most prestigious of Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Vision Awards.

The Round Barn was once an actual barn giving us many opportunities to create a safe floor plan. Weather permitting, the doors of the barn will be open for dinner and we will offer the cocktail reception outside.
While we are not requiring proof of vaccination, Celebration of the Bluegrass is best enjoyed vaccinated or with a recent negative COVID test.  We will follow local, state, federal masking guidelines as recommended for October 13.  You will receive more information upon registration as changes may occur as the event approaches.
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Bayou Bluegrass, Locally Owned & Operated Business, Catering a Sumptuous Bourbon & Kentucky Themed Dinner.
Bayou Bluegrass is a Lexington, Kentucky based, offering full-service catering and event planning to the Bluegrass and surrounding areas. With one owner from Louisiana and the other from the heart of Kentucky, you can get the best of both worlds with a little Bayou in the Bluegrass.  The catering company has two exclusive venues, Copper Roux and The Round Barn, and does year-round catering for events and weddings.
MENU
 
Hors d’oeuvres
Country Ham and Pimento Cheese Mini Biscuits, Tomato Parmesan Tarts
 
Salad
Mixed Harvest Greens with Homemade Ranch and  Balsamic Vinegar dressings
 
Main Course
Grilled Chicken with Crimini Mushroom Sauce & Bourbon Spiced Pork Loin.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Sriracha Aioli, 
and Herb Roasted New Potatoes
 
Dessert
Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
 
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Sam Dick, long-time News Anchor at WKYT and Land Use Planning Advocate Gloria Martin to be Presented with Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Featured Vision Legacy Awards.
Sam Dick, has spent 34 years as News Anchor at WKYT-TV. Gloria Martin is a long-time land use planning advocate and the current chair of the LFUCG Rural Land Management Board. Each will be honored with the featured awards at Celebration of the Bluegrass on Wednesday, October 13, at the Red Mile’s Historic Round Barn.
Dick, who retires at the end of the year from WKYT, will receive the Bluegrass Legacy Award. Martin, who has also served as a LFUCG Council Member and initiated minimum lot size in Fayette Country rural areas from 10-40 acres, will receive the Josephine Abercrombie Award.  These are the two highest Vision Awards honors that Bluegrass Tomorrow bestows each year.
The annual Vision Awards are a time-honored tradition paying tribute to the best of the 18-county Bluegrass Region each year, related to improving quality of life and place, Bluegrass Tomorrow’s mission.  The dinner event fundraiser is open to the public and tickets can be purchased using the link at the bottom of this email.

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The Board of Directors of Bluegrass Tomorrow cordially invites you to a special evening where we will present our most distinguished Vision Awards honoring Sam Dick of WKYT with the Bluegrass Legacy Award, and Gloria Martin long-time land use planning advocate, chair of the LFUCG Rural Land Management Board and former LFUCG Council Member, with the prestigious Josephine Abercrombie Award.
The evening will include cocktails and a wonderful dinner, live music, a fabulous auction and more.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
The Historic Round Barn
1200 Red Mile Road
Reception & Cocktails at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Business or Cocktail Attire
Table Sponsorship (8 guests) $1,000
Individual Tickets:  $100
Individual Ticket & One Year Membership:  $150
Presenting Sponsors (includes table of 8) – $1,500
Silver Sponsor:  $750
Bronze Sponsor:  $500
Ticket Donation for those not able to attend: $50.

Historic Round Barn at the Red Mile location for Celebration

 
Sam Dick and Gloria Martin to Be Honored 
at 8th Annual Celebration of the Bluegrass
Wednesday, October 13 at the Historic
 Round Barn at the Red Mile.

Register Now!
PRESENTED BY: 


 
 
 
SPONSORSHIP
VISION SOCIETY OPPORTUNITIES
 
 
Corporate Partner
Platinum Sponsor 
$5,000
 
– All of the privileges accorded to a Bluegrass Tomorrow Partnership Trustee
– Logo on Save the Dates, invitations, e-mails, e-news, websites and all other collateral materials.
– Logo on Powerpoints and Event Signage
– Preferred Table of 8
– Full Page in Vision Report Magazine, Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Annual Report and Celebration event program
 
Presidents Trustee 
Gold Sponsor
$2,500
 
– All of the privileges accorded to a Bluegrass Tomorrow Trustee
– Logo on invitations, e-mails, website and all other collateral materials
– Logo on Powerpoint & Event Signage
– Preferred Table for 8
– Full Page in Vision Report Magazine
Checks should be made out to Bluegrass Tomorrow Inc.
PO Box 34185
Lexington, KY  40588
Contact Rob Rumpke: rob@bluegrasstomorrow.org
 

 
 
Sam Dick, long-time News Anchor at WKYT and Land Use Planning Advocate Gloria Martin to be Presented with Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Featured Vision Legacy Awards at Celebration of the Bluegrass this Fall.
Sam Dick, has spent 34 years as News Anchor at WKYT-TV. Gloria Martin is a long-time land use planning advocate and the current chair of the LFUCG Rural Land Management Board. Each will be honored with the featured awards at Celebration of the Bluegrass on Wednesday, October 13, at the Red Mile’s Historic Round Barn.
Dick, who retires at the end of the year from WKYT, will receive the Bluegrass Legacy Award. Martin, who has also served as a LFUCG Council Member and initiated minimum lot size in Fayette Country rural areas from 10-40 acres, will receive the Josephine Abercrombie Award.  These are the two highest Vision Awards honors that Bluegrass Tomorrow bestows each year.

Everything You Didn’t Know About the Historic Round Barn-
From Civil War to Renowned Architect to Floral Artists to Bookies.
Located in the heart of Lexington, the Round Barn Stable of Memories is one of Lexington’s historic landmarks and architectural treasures. Built adjacent to the track in 1882, the four-story barn was designed as an exhibition hall then later used to house horses and tack for the races. After being restored as a museum, The Round Barn became a unique, historic location for special events. A stunning chandelier suspended through the center creates a warm, welcoming ambiance for special events.
The Stable of Memories, Inc. is the custodian non-profit organization dedicated to protect and preserve the “Round Barn,” the historic structure which has stood as the gateway to The Red Mile harness racing track since 1880.
The building was originally built through a $25,000 grant from the United States Congress, for damages Union troops caused to the old fairgrounds in Lexington during the Civil War. The KY Agricultural and Mechanical Fair Association used the grant money to purchase new land and then commissioned the state’s most prominent architect, John McMurtry, to design a floral exhibition hall.
Completed in 1882 at a cost of $5,000, the resulting structure was named Floral Hall and had a two-story rotunda in the center of the octagonal building. In 1883 an interior third level was added to house art exhibits. It was designed with its center open so judges could see all the exhibits on three levels and compare entries easily.
Four sides of the building featured doors and were set off with decorative woodwork popular during the Victorian era. The roof of the third floor was originally flat and encircled by a railing. In 1896 the distinctive cupola was added. Sometime between 1918 and 1944, the red brick building was painted white.
Although the building is constantly undergoing repairs to protect and preserve it, any changes since this time to the exterior appearance have been modest. Early on, Floral Hall was called into service for gambling. In the post-Civil War period, bookmaking in Lexington centered in its finest hotel, the Phoenix Hotel.  By the 1880s however, criminal elements were entering the picture and forming “betting rings” around the country.
Known as one of the “grandest bookie enclosure” in the country was Floral Hall at Lexington’s Red Mile.   Trotting horse races began at the Red Mile track in 1875; eventually the Kentucky Trotting Horse Breeders Association acquired the track and Floral Hall.  Betting followed the races of course. When Lexington outlawed gambling inside the city limits in the late 1800s, the bookies had to leave the Phoenix and downtown hotels.  Floral Hall, however, was just outside the city boundary; the track itself was not.  The bookies moved their operations into Floral Hall and the betting pools for the fall trotting meet were held there.
In 1896, the grounds were purchased from the fair association by trotting horse enthusiasts and Floral Hall was used for stabling. Stalls were built on the first and second floors and the third floor housed the grooms, or the horses’ caretakers.
Immortal Hall of Fame trainer, Tom Berry, stabled horses there, including the 1930 Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity winner, Hanover’s Bertha. Other great horses stabled there included Greyhound, Wing Commander, and Merrie Annabelle.
The “Round Barn” stands as the gateway to The Red Mile and is an iconic Lexington landmark. The Stable of Memories was incorporated in 1972 to preserve the building and is registered with the National Register of Historic Places and The Blue Grass Trust.

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The annual Vision Awards are a time-honored tradition paying tribute to the best of the 18-county Bluegrass Region each year, related to improving quality of life and place, Bluegrass Tomorrow’s mission.  The dinner event fundraiser is open to the public and tickets can be purchased using the link at the bottom of this email.
The Board of Directors of Bluegrass Tomorrow cordially invites you to a special evening where we will present our most distinguished Vision Awards honoring Sam Dick of WKYT with the Bluegrass Legacy Award, and Gloria Martin long-time land use planning advocate, chair of the LFUCG Rural Land Management Board and former LFUCG Council Member, with the prestigious Josephine Abercrombie Award.
The evening will include cocktails and a wonderful dinner, live music, a fabulous auction and more.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
The Historic Round Barn
1200 Red Mile Road
Reception & Cocktails at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Business or Cocktail Attire
Table Sponsorship (8 guests) $1,000
Individual Tickets:  $100
Individual Ticket & One Year Membership:  $150
Presenting Sponsors (includes table of 8) – $1,500

3rd Annual Golf Scramble Results

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Results & Thank You’s: BGT’s 3rd Annual Golf Scramble at Gibson Bay Golf Course

 PRESENTING SPONSOR

*****

CHAMPION SPONSOR

*****

BEVERAGE CART SPONSORS

 

 

*****

SPECIAL CONTESTS & 

HOLE SPONSOR

******

HOLE SPONSORS 

*****

PRIZE SPONSORS

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A special thank you to our Golf Committee Members.

 Tim Schuler, Co-Chair

Mark Dill, Co-Chair

Rich Newsome

Megan Hogan

Terri Hudson

Allen Norvell

Ben Coates

3rd Annual

Bluegrass Tomorrow Golf Scramble

Presented By: 

 

 

Thank you to all of our players and sponsors for our 3rd Annual Bluegrass Tomorrow Golf Scramble last week.  We really appreciate your participation and your charitable support.

RESULTS

1ST PLACE: ALPHA RADON TEAM

Michael Rumpke, Marc Rumpke, Keaton Lipsett, & Jackson Hargus. (Score 56)

!st Place Prizes: Bottle of Premium/Select Bourbon, donated by the Kentucky Distillers Association,  Cooler Back Packs with gifts donated by KU, and Srixon golf balls.

 

2ND PLACE: FORCHT BANK TEAM

 

Houston Hall, Marcus Miller, Jeff Ricketts, & Jason Atwell.

(Score 59)

2nd Place Prizes: Four $50 BHG/Malones Gift Certificates donated by East Ky. Power, Srixon Golf Balls and four rounds of golf donated by Gibson Bay.

 

 

 

 

3RD PLACE IN A SCORECARD PLAYOFF: PLAYING FOR COMMUNITY TRUST BANK

 

Arnold Coffey Sr., Doug Garth, Ken Johnson, & Robert Murray.

(Score 59)

 

3rd Place Prizes:  Gibson Bay Golf Hats, four rounds of golf donated by Gibson Bay, and Srixon golf balls.

 

 

 

 

3RD & 1/2  PLACE: FAMILY WEALTH GROUP TEAM

 

Mark Fischer, Rick Hughes, Don Jaeger, & Brian Staples

(Score 59)

Family Wealth Group also set up a tent on #10, Gave away polo shirts and an Igloo Cooler won by Lisa Smith

 

 

 

 

3RD & 1/2  PLACE: TRADITIONAL BANK TEAM

 

Tim Schuler, Glenn Irving, Richard Fuller, & Shawn Woolum.

(Score 59)

 

 

 

SPECIAL CONTEST WINNERS

 

Number 18, Longest Drive: Robert Murray Playing for Community Trust: Prize: Special Bottle of Maker’s Private Select donated by the Ky. Distillers Association.

 

Number 18, Longest Drive/Split the Pot: Marc Rumpke

 

 

Number 9, Women’s Longest Drive:  Lisa Smith, Columbia Gas, Prize $50 BHG gift certificate donated by Council Member Plomin.

 

Lisa Smith of Columbia Gas (right in blue) also played for LFUCG Council Member Plomin’s team with Council Member Josh McCurn & Brittany Roethemeier of the Fayette Alliance.

 

 

Number 17, Men’s Closest to the Pin: Jeff Ricketts, Forcht Bank. Prize Bottle of Blade & Bow Bourbon, donated by EKPC. Gresham Wilson, Traditional Bank, $75. (Pictured above in the 2nd Place Team)

 

 

Number 6, Women’s Closest To the Pin: Crinda Francke WKYT:  Prize Wine and Bourbon Foursome, donated by BGT Board Members

 

Don Trail, Kevin Smith, Crinda Francke, & Billy Parks

 

 

As a Special Thank You to all Players, each participant received a stainless steel hot/cold tumbler with Bluegrass Tomorrow logo.

 

 

UK Offensive Linemen Playing for the UK Health Care Team: John Young, Jager Burton, David Wohlabaugh and Grant Bigham.

(Score 68)

Merrill Lynch Team: Mark Dill, Chase Johnson, Ross Buskey and Tim Bickel finished just out of the prizes.

(Score 60)

 

PRESENTED BY:

3rd Annual Bluegrass Tomorrow Golf Scramble

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
 
3rd Annual
Bluegrass Tomorrow Golf Scramble
Thursday, July 14, 2022
 
Gibson Bay Golf Course
Richmond, Kentucky
Presented By: 
Lunch & Practice Range – 12:00 pm
Scramble Format with
Shotgun Start – 1:00 p.m.
Awards Reception Following Play

$125 per player | $450 per foursome
4 Beverage (alcohol & non alcohol) Tickets Per Player Included
*$5 Mulligans limit 2 per person
Benefits Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium & Bluegrass Forever Green Projects & Programs 
In keeping with our regional nature, this year we are moving the BGT golf scramble to the challenging and beautiful Gibson Bay Golf Course in Richmond. We hope you will  join us with your team!
All levels of players are invited and we encourage all 18 counties in Bluegrass Tomorrow’s footprint to be represented by a team in the tournament. Our goal this year is a full field of 18 teams of four, or 72 players.
Register Now!
I can’t make it

*Regarding threat of weather, if the golf course is open, the scramble will be held. No refunds for players who do not attend.
Sponsorship Opportunities 
& Associated Benefits
· Presenting Sponsor (1) $3,000. Includes your logo on all social media, e-blasts, registration forms, as the presenting sponsor of the tournament. Your logo will also be on the special gift for each player TBA. Only the presenting sponsor will be on registration form.
· Champion Sponsors (2), Co-Presenting Sponsors-$1,500 each. Same as presenting sponsor, but two logos on everything instead of one. If two organizations / companies choose to be Co-Presenting Sponsors both logos will be added to the registration form.
· Beverage Cart Sponsor (1):$1,000.Signage on Beverage Cart(s) that will be serving to all 72 players on the course, and your logo will also be included on all pre and post scramble promotional materials.
· Hole-GPS Sponsors: (18 available) $300 each: Sponsor “golf ball” sign at the hole of your choice and logo on GPS yardage systems in each golf cart. · You can also participate by providing prizes for the players! These prizes can include golf items, rounds of golf at other courses, dinner gift certificates, attraction gift certificates, etc.
We will also be accepting items for Swag Bags (water, tees, golf balls, snacks, granola bars, sun screen, hand sanitizer, etc.) If you provide items for the swag bags (quantities of 100 please) or prizes for the contests your brochure or card can be added to the swag bag.
Don’t miss it! It’s going to be a great time, and a great fundraiser for Bluegrass Tomorrow.
Register Now!
I can’t make it

*Regarding threat of weather, if the golf course is open, the scramble will be held. No refunds for players who do not attend.

Bluegrass Forever Green Summer Conference 2022

Bluegrass Forever Green Summer Conference 2022

Presented by:

Focusing on Bluegrass Tomorrow's Vision for a Sustainable Future in the Region with the preservation of our most precious land as the centerpiece.
Transylvania University Campus Center
Lexington, Kentucky
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Cost $50, includes full day conference & lunch.
Registration Deadline: June 24th.
Join leaders from local government, business, and education to learn valuable skills helpful to increase use of local foods, make informed decisions on land use, employ cleaner energy sources, and develop your own sustainability plan for your organization, business, or community.
Luncheon Keynote by Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture.
Registration Deadline: June 24th
I can't make it
The Bluegrass Forever Green Summer Conference is intended especially for regional leaders, elected officials, planners, local and state government staff, K-13 and higher education, business, and community organizations. Sessions and activities refer to the four cornerstones of our Bluegrass Forever Green partnership with the region.
  1. Land Use/Agriculture
  2. Smart Growth/Preservation
  3. Environment, Conservation, Sustainability, Natural & Cultural Resources
  4. Recreation/Trails/Healthy Living
Registration Deadline June 24th
I can't make it
Schedule:
Showing Confirmed Panelists, with More to Follow
8:00 a.m.  Registration
8:30 a.m.  Overview and Introductions
                 Welcome & Comments:  Billy Van Pelt,
                 American Farmland Trust
9:00 a.m. Use More Local Foods in your organization, business, school district, university.
  • Robert Eversole, Director of Sustainability, University of Kentucky Dining/Aramark
  • Brian Hutzley, Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Centre College,
  • Marty Flynn, Child Nutrition Consultant
  • Moderator:  Ashton Potter Wright, Director The Food Connection, University of Kentucky.
10:30 a.m. Find the Facts for Land Use Planning & Smart Growth Decisions: This session explores factors that should be considered as communities and organizations implement energy innovations while meeting the overall objectives of local land use planning.
  • Stan Harvey, Principal, Lord Aeck Sargent above the moderator.
  • University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food & Environment TBA
  • Moderator:  Brittany Roethemeier, Executive Director Fayette Alliance.
 
12:00 p.m. Luncheon Keynote Address:   Commissioner Ryan Quarles, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
1:30 p.m.  Use Cleaner Energy: This session explores the choices and decisions you make in your businesses and communities to increase use of cleaner energy innovations and sources for HVAC, light and electricity. 
  • David Crews, Vice President Power Supply, East Kentucky Power Cooperative
  • David Gardner, General Manager, Salyersville Water Works
  • Erich Evans, Director Strategy & Risk, Nisource / Columbia Gas of Kentucky
  • Moderator: Rachel Norton, Energy Specialist, Mountain Association
3:00 p.m. Develop a Sustainability Plan for your Community, Organization or Business: This session provides an overview of why a community, business, college or school district might consider creating a sustainability plan.  Panelists will describe the paths they have taken to adopt and implement their plans. 
  • Shane Tedder, Sustainability Officer, University of Kentucky
  • David DeVore, Sustainability Compliance Engineer, Lexmark International
  • Emily LaDouceur, formerly with City of Berea, and now with Mountain Association Business
  • Moderator: Dr. Blaine Early, Stites & Harbison PLLC
4:15 p.m.  Outside Walk & Talk to West Sixth Brewery for further conversation and networking with participants and panelists.
Registration Deadline June 24th.
I can't make it

Ron Mack Receives 2022 Vision Award for Diversity

Congratulations to our 2022 Vision Award for Diversity recipient, Ron Mack & Legacy Equine Academy.
The Vision Award for Diversity recognizes a unique and transformational approach to bringing diversity and the equine industry together.
The Legacy Equine Academy is meeting the needs of the Business and Equine Industry in partnership with Fayette County Public Schools, by identifying and overseeing a structured pathway for students that promotes entrepreneur, equine, and agricultural career related pathways.
We are honored to present this year’s Vision Award for Diversity to Ron Mack and the Legacy Equine Academy.

Y-Academy & YMCA of Central Kentucky Receive 2022 Vision Award for Human Services

Congratulations to our 2022 Vision Award for Human Services recipient, Y-Academy & YMCA of Central Kentucky.
The Vision Award for Human Services recognizes those who respond to community needs, and in this case did so during a global pandemic.
The Y-Academy enabled staff to be present to assist each student in the program to complete both virtual meetings and in-person assignments, communication with teachers virtually about learning objectivies, and manage up to 10-12 schedules per room daily because each school developed their own virtual schedules. This was all a truly remarkable collaboration between University of Kentucky and the YMCA, and an amazing and wonderful service to working parents and their children of this community.

Michael Blowen Receives 2022 Vision Award for Equine Agriculture

Congratulations to our 2022 Vision Award for Equine Agriculture recipient, Michael Blowen of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Scott County.
Michael began his career as an educator, earned a master’s degree from Emerson College and pursued his career as a writer, which led to his first career as the Boston Globe’s top film reviewer.
An editor at the Globe invited him to the racetrack one day, it sparked a new interest, and eventally a new career. He even worked on the back stretch of Suffolk Downs for a time to learn about horses. When he retired from the Globe, he accepted a postion as the Operations Manager for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Kentucky, and we’re glad he did as he launched Old friends in 2003 and it has become one of Scot County’s top tourism attractions.
We are so proud to honor Michael Blowen and the Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm with our 2022 Vision Award for Equine Agriculture. He’s the best friend retirement horses have ever had.

Bettie Kerr Receives 2022 Vision Award for Historic Preservation

Congratulations to our 2022 Vision Award for Historic Preservation recipient, Bettie Kerr.
An Important element of Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Forever Green Division is its preservation emphasis, encouraging all types of historic preseration, adaptive reuse restoration, and infill. Perhaps no other individual has had more impact on Historic Preservation in Lexington than Bettie Kerr.
Bettie’s current work encompasses all aspects of historic preservation. It includes the study, research, and survey of properties and neighborhoods being considered for designation as Local Historic Districts. She also conducts architectural surveys and study of historic properties county-wide for nominations of historic properties to the Federal National Register of Historic Places and so much more.
Bettie has essentially touched every piece of historic preservation in Lexington for the last 30 years. We are very proud to honor Bettie Kerr with the 2022 Vision Award for Historic Preservation.

Anthony (A.J.) Jackson Receives 2022 Youth Vision Award

Congratulations to our 2022 Youth Vision Award Recipient, Anthony (A.J.) Jackson.
Anthony (A.J.) Jackson is a senior at Carter G. Woodson Academy and Locust Trace AgriScience Center, who has signed to play baseball and continue his education at Kentucky State University.
AJ is very accomplished at seventeen years old. He has held office in his school’s Student Government Association, is a member of the Bowtie Society for students with 3.5 or greater grade point average, and is a member of National Beta Club. He has served as a member of the Principal’s Ultimate Panel (Student Advocacy Group) and was awarded Honor Roll with Distinction, all four years of high school.
Additionally, AJ is on the Frederick Douglas High School Varsity Baseball Team and has made Academic All State – First Team, every season. He was selected to attend the Kentucky Farm Bureau Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders, was the Healthy Lifestyles Chair for FFA, Vice President of Jr. Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Relatted Sciences (MANRRS). He was named Jr. MANRRS Outstanding Member of 2019.
AJ is currently President of Carter G. Woodson Academy’s chapter of FFA, Vice President of Locut Trace’s Jr. MANRRS chapter and a student intern at AppHarvest.
AJ was a finalist for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Ag Athlete of the Year and recently was awarded the Fayette County Public Schools Nutrition Association Scholarship, The Legacy Equine Society Scholarship, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 1890 National Scholars Program Scholarship.
AJ will graduate at the top of his class, never earning less than a 4.0 GPA weighted. In his senior year, he has earned 12 college credits that will follow him to the College of Agriculture at Kentucky State University. He plans to major in Agricultural Communications.
Former U.K. Basketball Star and AppHarvest team member Ramel Bradley, who guided AJ in his senior co-op with AppHarvest says this:
“It’s not every day that you come across a young scholar so dedicated and committed to serving his community. As passionate about sports as he is about furthering his education, AJ is driven to create sustainable solutions to the challenges we face in the Agriculture industry. AJ is becoming a force for good. I am proud to witness his journey.”
Bluegrass Tomorrow is proud to present it’s 2022 Youth Vision Award to Anthony (AJ) Jackson!

AppHarvest & Jonathan Webb Receive 2022 Vision Award for Agriculture & Sustainability

Congratulations to the 2022 Vision Award for Agriculture & Sustainability Recipients AppHarvest & Jonathan Webb.
AppHarvest categorically defines sustainability, and is totally aligned with Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Land Use and Agricultural mission. Even Martha Stewart has invested in this remarkable innovation in agriculture founded by entrepreneur Jonathan Webb.
AppHarvest is adding three more farms in the Bluegrass in 2022 adding berries and salad greens. It’s newest indoor farms in Morehead and Somerset are preceded by the flagship facility growing tomatoes in Morehead. The 30 acre Somerset facility will grow berry crops, a 15 acre facility in Berea will grow leafy greens; and a 60 acre facility in Richmond will grow vine crops. AppHarvest’s goal is to operate 12 high-tech indoor farms by the end of 2025.
AppHarvest also has offices in Lexington and public retail space at the new Greyline Station. Bluegrass Tomorrow and AppHarvest will be kicking off a new program called “Green Stars of the Bluegrass” The program will take us to the top sustainability attractions in our region for tours and green drinks. the first one will be at AppHarvest in the Greyline Station on August 11th.
It is with great pleasure we presented the 2022 Vision Award for Agriculture to an organization reinventing farming on an ever-changing planet. We are so glad they are doing that here in central and eastern Kentucky.

Daryl Smith Receives 2022 Robert N. Clay Award

Congratulations to Daryl W. Smith of Kentucky Utilities for being awarded the 2022 Robert N. Clay Award.
The Robert N. Clay Award is named for Bluegrass Tomorrow’s first President, who operated Three Chimneys Farm. This Vision Award is essentially a most valuable player award for Bluegrass Tomorrow. It is presented to a board member for outstanding service, improvement and promotion of Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Mission through the years. The award is given with the approval of the selection committe and executive committee.
Our 2022 Robert Clay Award winner has been a rock star for Bluegrass Tomorrow. We could have asked for a better representative and public relations advocate for the organization over the last decade. He has served 5 terms for the organization including two years as vice chair and three as chair. Daryl Smith has also been the right leader at the right time. He has skillfully and creatively guided the organization through difficult financial and programmatic pandemic times.
One of the projects that came out of Daryl’s “Strategic Doing” brainstorming sessions was a public service campaign called “Fall in Love with the Bluegrass All Over Again”. The campaign spots ran on local TV stations and cable outlets.
Daryl has been as actively involved in the day-to-day business of Bluegrass Tomorrow as any chair we’ve ever had. He has been onsistently present and leading all of our board and executive committee meetings for three years. He has also chaired our Education Division, been integrally involved in the start ups of our Regional Land Use Partnerships, and part of our most recent success with the Presidents/Superintendents Summits in partnership with the Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative.