Louisville's sustainability spurs Prince of Wales' visit

Bailey Loosemore | The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Video | Kirby Adams with The Buzz on Prince Charles and Camilla visit Kirby Adams with the story on the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.

LOUISVILLE — Even the Prince of Wales — the man first in line to the British throne — knows it's difficult to say no to Christy Brown.

The Louisville resident, widow of former Brown-Forman chairman Owsley Brown, has an impressive track record for founding and participating in organizations aimed at encouraging sustainable practices, and her efforts align with many of Prince Charles' own.

So when Brown invited the prince to visit her city last fall, he couldn't exactly turn down the offer, said Patrick Holden, founding director of The Sustainable Food Trust.

"She's a very compelling woman," Holden said.

On Friday, months of coordination between local leaders and the British Embassy will come to fruition when the prince and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Corwnall, visit Louisville as part of a four-day trip to the U.S.

The couple's visit will be packed with stops — including at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Neighborhood House, a food literacy project and Churchill Downs — and will coincide with a health and environment symposium that will highlight local leaders' work to create a more healthy, compassionate and sustainable city.

The city's efforts, led by Mayor Greg Fischer, are of interest to the prince, who believes all businesses, governments and individuals are capable of acting more sustainably, Holden said.

"His interest in sustainability goes back to the '70s," said Holden, who has worked with the prince since the 1980s and helped plan the coming trip. "He's traveled more than maybe any other human being on the planet — other than his mother, possibly. And he's seen it firsthand the precariousness of the environment and the damage that my generation has done to the planet's ecosystems."

The prince and Brown first spoke about their mutual interests in 2003, when Brown visited the prince's farm with her husband and other Brown-Forman representatives while marketing an organic wine.

Inspired by the visit, the Browns soon after launched a company-wide sustainability initiative to improve processes and reduce waste, said Lois Mateus, a former senior vice-president of Brown-Forman. They have maintained a relationship with the prince since.

But Brown-Forman isn't the only company practicing sustainable efforts in Louisville. With the trip, the prince hopes to bring attention to numerous community leaders making positive change and encourage other cities to take note.

Mayor Fischer said some of those changes include improving the food system, building interfaith relationships and emphasizing air quality.

"(The prince has) identified Louisville as one of the cities in this country that's really pushing and being progressive in these areas for the environment, our people and for business," Fischer said.

Neither the mayor's office nor the Louisville Metro Police Department could provide specifics on what preparations for the visit entail, but the mayor said it will be a great honor.

"The spotlight of the world will be on us that day, as it is many times throughout the year, so we want to make the best out of that for our city," Fischer said.

Though the prince's visit will last only a day, the health and environment symposium will continue through the weekend, Holden said. Scheduled events include lectures by the manager of Highgrove Farm, located at the prince and duchess's home; a writer who co-authored the prince's latest book, "Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World;" and the headmaster of a grade school that has put the Harmony principles into practice.

"It's like a pilgrimage to Louisville," Holden said. "... It's attracting a great deal of interest from all over America."