Spending a day at the lake swimming and water skiing, and then taking in a Spaghetti Western starring Clint Eastwood were some fond memories Carlene Carter shared as she talked about her youth growing up with music legend parents June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash.

“I don’t know why I was blessed to be born into this family, but it’s fun to share tidbits and memories with my audiences. It’s the best way to connect to the music, knowing the story behind the songs,” Carter said in an exclusive interview with the Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Carter is also very fond of her time living in the Santa Ynez Valley the past 10 years, and decided that she wanted to do one last show before her and her husband Joseph Breen move back to Nashville to be close to family. She will be performing with Breen at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, at Standing Sun Wines in Buellton. Standing Sun owner John Wright was a former neighbor to Carter and she said she was excited to be playing his venue before they moved.

“I have seven grandchildren and I want to be near them. I remember being close to my grandmother and watching her canning, crocheting and teaching me to sing,” Carter said.

Tickets to the show are $30 for standing room and $35 for reserved seating. There will be a food truck on site and tickets are will call only. Contact Standing Sun at 805-691-9413. For more information on the winery and other upcoming shows log onto www.standingsunwines.com.

For the full interview with Carter and more on growing up in the first family of country music, see the March 20 edition of the Santa Ynez Valley Star!

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For the second year, the American Farm Bureau is offering a one-day conference to help entrepreneurs tap into billions of dollars that venture capital managers are looking to put into agriculture and food businesses.

The 2018 Farm Bureau Agriculture Investment Summit, part of the organization’s annual convention, is slated for Jan. 6 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Geared toward entrepreneurs, investors and Farm Bureau staff who want to support entrepreneurs in their states, the conference will address “pitching” ideas to investors and working with them in the early stages of business development, attracting later-stage private equity investors, and dealing with legal issues.

“As a start-up, there is a cost to going out and meeting people and raising capital. One of the best things about this conference is the American Farm Bureau is bringing together some of the top ag tech investors in the country. Having access to those resources in one place, at one event, is an outstanding opportunity,” said Casey Niemann, founder of AgriSync, an app that allows advisors to reach their farmer-customers on any connected device.

The costs to attend are $195 for Farm Bureau members and $225 for others.

To register, visit www.strongruralamerica.com. For more information, email Lisa Benson at lisab@fb.org.

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Karen Kingsbury – Photo contributed

Former Los Angeles Times reporter and New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Kingsbury, will share a message of hope and faith at 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, as part of the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church Second Sunday lecture series.

Kingsbury worked as a sports and feature writer for the LA Times in the late 1980s. Today she has more than 25 million copies of her award-winning books in print and several of her novels have been the subject of recent record-breaking Hallmark original movies. Kinsbury’s bestselling Baxter Family series is in development by Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, and MGM Studios as an upcoming television series. Kingsbury is also a sought-after nationally renowned speaker, frequently sharing how people have one chance to write the story of their lives.

The theme for the evening is, “Let me tell you about my God.”

“I want you to laugh and cry and remember why faith and family are so important,” Kingsbury said of her upcoming Santa Ynez talk. “I’ve been looking forward to this event for a long time. We will share a very special evening, and walk away closer to God and each other.”

Kingsbury and her husband, Don, raised six children – three of whom were adopted from Haiti. This fall their youngest child, Austin, left for Liberty University in Virginia – where all of their boys have attended. Their oldest child, Kelsey, 27, is married to Christian recording artist Kyle Kupecky. Kingsbury and her family live in Nashville, Tenn.

To accommodate Karen’s travel schedule, this Second Sunday program will begin at 4 p.m. in the church sanctuary. Admission is free. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. for early seating, with live music by Alan Satchwell and The Band of Brothers. During the program, the singing of three of Kingsbury’s favorite hymns will be accompanied by Satchwell and led by baritone Bill Malloy.

At the conclusion of the program, a reception will be held in the Welcome Center, across the patio from the sanctuary.  Several of Kingsbury’s books will be available for $10 each, with profits going to her own adoption charity, the One Chance Foundation. Kingsbury loves meeting and greeting her readers and will be available for book-signings and photos. Root beer floats will be available at the reception.

The Valley Presbyterian Church is located at the corner of Alamo Pintado Rd. and Baseline Ave. in Solvang. Ample parking is available adjacent to the sanctuary.

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