Full Name
Ms. ashley carol smith
Business or Org Name
Black Soil KY
Title
Executive Director
Speaker Bio
A native of Lexington, KY, Ashley C. Smith co-founded Black Soil: Our Better Nature, an agribusiness with a mission of reconnecting Black Kentuckians to their heritage and legacy in agriculture in August 2017.
Under her leadership as COO, Smith rebranded the company to Black Soil KY to reflect its broader impact in agriculture regionally, nationally and globally. Currently, as Executive Director, Smith leads the one-of-a-kind Black woman-owned agribusiness which specializes in procurement, sourcing, grant writing and education for Kentucky Black farmers, chefs and makers representing less than 1.4%.
Smith has brought forth barrier breaking inclusivity to Kentucky agriculture and its local food system by centering Black farmers and elevating their visibility and perpetuation of Black farming and land ownership. An award winning and nationally recognized company, Black Soil KY has invested over $1.5 million into Kentucky’s tiny, yet mighty Black farming sector since 2017 through strategic partnerships, product placement and cooperative economics.
Her industry leadership includes the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Agribusiness Industry Council, Kentucky Black Farmers Conference founding organizer, Kentucky Black Farmer Fund founding member, Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Workgroup, and farming consultant to agriculture coalitions and alliances in Indiana, Tennessee and Mississippi.
Smith holds a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from the University of Kentucky. She is the proud mother to fraternal twins, Caroline and Trevor, Jr.
Under her leadership as COO, Smith rebranded the company to Black Soil KY to reflect its broader impact in agriculture regionally, nationally and globally. Currently, as Executive Director, Smith leads the one-of-a-kind Black woman-owned agribusiness which specializes in procurement, sourcing, grant writing and education for Kentucky Black farmers, chefs and makers representing less than 1.4%.
Smith has brought forth barrier breaking inclusivity to Kentucky agriculture and its local food system by centering Black farmers and elevating their visibility and perpetuation of Black farming and land ownership. An award winning and nationally recognized company, Black Soil KY has invested over $1.5 million into Kentucky’s tiny, yet mighty Black farming sector since 2017 through strategic partnerships, product placement and cooperative economics.
Her industry leadership includes the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Agribusiness Industry Council, Kentucky Black Farmers Conference founding organizer, Kentucky Black Farmer Fund founding member, Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Workgroup, and farming consultant to agriculture coalitions and alliances in Indiana, Tennessee and Mississippi.
Smith holds a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from the University of Kentucky. She is the proud mother to fraternal twins, Caroline and Trevor, Jr.
Speaking At
