The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky at the University of Kentucky, has earned international accreditation from ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum for its work in horticulture and native plant conservation.

The Arboretum, located on UK’s campus,  is a 100-acre public garden with native plant collections, a living museum and walking trails. 

“ArbNet Accreditation highlights the Arboretum’s commitment to horticulture and conservation, and our commitment to serve the people and communities of Kentucky through our mission,” Scott Smith, The Arboretum director at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, said.

Founded in 1991 and designated the Official State Botanical Garden of Kentucky in 2000, The Arboretum promotes environmental education, research and conservation through year-round programming and attractions such as Walk Across Kentucky and the Kentucky Children’s Garden, according to ArbNet.

The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program, in partnership with The Morton Arboretum, recognizes arboreta that meet professional standards for plant collections, horticulture, conservation and education. 

The Arboretum has received a level three accreditation. According to ArbNet, “Level III accreditation is granted to arboreta with a minimum of 500 species or taxa and those that contribute meaningful involvement in scientific research, conservation, or ex situ collections.”

Level three accreditation also requires a governing group, paid management, extensive educational and public programming initiatives and collaboration with other institutions, according to ArbNet.

“Accreditation is a significant step on our path to excellence and distinction at the Arboretum,” Smith said. “It is worth noting that accreditation is not only about great botanical collections but is also based on excellence in community education and programming.”

With this recognition, The Arboretum is now listed in the Morton Register Arboreta, a global database that shares arboreta and gardens dedicated to plant conservation.

An infamous chapter in Kentucky history will make its big screen debut at the renowned 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival, held in Austin, Texas in March.

Part true crime, part cartoon — and featuring a whole lot of weed — festival organizers announced that “Cornbread Mafia,” directed by Louisville native Evan Mascagni and produced by Merry-Kay Poe, CEO of Unbridled Films, will make its world premiere at the annual event.

“This is a true Kentucky grown story and we are really excited and honored to have the film included in the lineup at the 2026 SXSW,” Poe told the Courier Journal. “This is the second largest film festival in the country after Sundance so it’s a big deal for the project and the Kentucky film industry.”

The festival will be the Kentucky-made documentary’s world premiere, telling the true story of the Cornbread Mafia, a group of Kentucky farmers, all sons of tobacco farmers, moonshiners, and bootleggers, who built the largest domestic marijuana syndicate in U.S. history.

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What followed was straight out of Kentucky folklore: lion cubs on the farm, backroad police chases, and a code of silence that baffled prosecutors. Part true crime and part cartoon, the film blends community, the war on drugs, and a whole lot of weed with the humor and heart of the folks who lived it.

The Cornbread Mafia was run by Johnny Boone, a charismatic modern-day folk hero who came to be known as the “Godfather of Grass.” Boone died in 2024 but several living members of the group, including Joe Keith Bickett, Jimmy Bickett, and Bobby Joe Shewmaker, will attend the SXSW film premiere in March and sit on a panel.

“Cornbread Mafia” is scheduled to screen three times at SXSW on March 12, 16 and 18.

“After ‘Cornbread Mafia’ screens at the festival, our plan is to sell the documentary to a streaming service,” Poe said. “We’d also like to created a scripted series. It’s such a crazy story.”

The SXSW Festival, founded in 1987, features conferences, festivals and workshops and is known as a major destination for innovation. The 2026 SXSW Festival runs March 12-18.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.