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Kansas City has a new ‘passport’ for visiting farmers markets around town this summer

KCUR | By Zach Perez
Published May 9, 2026 at 4:00 AM CDT
Kansas City artist and designer, Lauren Allen, designed the cover the 2026 Kansas City Farmers Market Passport.
Zach Perez
/
KCUR
Kansas City artist and designer, Lauren Allen, designed the cover the 2026 Kansas City Farmers Market Passport.

The 2026 Kansas City Farmer’s Market Passport is your guide to 23 different markets across the metro, including what languages the farmers speak and how to care for fresh produce. Plus, residents can win prizes the more they visit.

Farmers market season in Kansas City has begun, and now there’s a way to win prizes for visiting as many as you can.

It’s called the Kansas City Farmer’s Market Passport, and while it won’t get you across the border, it can help connect you to over 20 different farmers markets and farm stands across the Kansas City metro.

The passport, a collaboration between the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council and Cultivate KC, is meant to help connect local residents to affordable fresh produce, offer resources for navigating markets, and educate people on how to support the local urban farming scene.

Which farmers markets and stands are in the 2026 passport

There are 23 different locations listed in this year’s passport. Find each of them below — and check out their websites for their hours of operation.

@kcur893 Farmers market season in Kansas City has begun — and you can get prizes for visiting new ones. No, this “passport’ won’t get you across the border, but it can help connect you to over 20 different farmers markets across the Kansas City metro this summer. The Kansas City Farmers Market Passport, a collaboration between the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council and Cultivate KC, is bigger than ever for 2026. It’s meant to help connect local residents to affordable fresh produce, offer resources for navigating markets, and educate people on how to support the local urban farming scene. You can pick up your passport at any of the 20 farmers markets around the metro, several Kansas City Public Library branches, and other locations. KCUR’s Zach Perez breaks down what to expect in the passport and why urban farmers need the boost this year. 📹Hosted and produced by Zach Perez 🖥️Filmed and edited by Gabe Rosenberg #kansascity #farmersmarket #urbanfarming ♬ original sound - KCUR - Kansas City

You can pick up the passport at any of the markets and stands above, as well as the following locations:

What’s new in the 2026 passport

Attendees at the the 2026 Kansas City Farmers Market Passport kick off event were able to take home exclusive merch from Cultivate KC and various other partner organizations.
Zach Perez
/
KCUR
Attendees at the the 2026 Kansas City Farmers Market Passport kick off event were able to take come exclusive merch from Cultivate KC and various other partner organizations.

This is the third year of the passport, and it's bigger than ever.

“We're really excited about the way that this has kind of taken hold,” said Alana Henry, director of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council. “Folks really see this as a kickoff to the market season, and a celebration of the farming and local food community.”

This year, organizers partnered with Kansas City Public Schools and the Kansas City Public Library, to promote the passport in local schools and several library locations.

One of the big focuses for expansion was language access. The passport includes information on what languages are spoken by farmers at each market.

“You can go through that book and look through the lens of which of these markets or stands has a farmer that speaks the language that I speak,” said Henry. “I think that's great — not just for visitors that are coming from the World Cup, but also the people who live here may have experienced that as a barrier to their shopping experience.”

For each market, the passport lists its location, hours of operation, scheduled events, languages spoken by vendors, resources like restroom access and parking information, and what social services or alternative payments they accept (such as SNAP, Senior Market Match, or Double Up Food Bucks).

Alana Henry became Executive Director of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council in 2024. She is the third person to hold the position.
Zach Perez
/
KCUR
Alana Henry became Executive Director of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council in 2024. She is the third person to hold the position.

Why farmers markets are at a critical moment

An event at the Kansas City Community Gardens last Friday served as the launch for the new passport, and featured speeches from elected officials and bus tours of many of the participating farms.

One major concern was how to replace federal funding that urban farmers lost when the Trump administration dramatically slashed or repealed USDA grants.

“How many of you have had funds frozen or altogether lost?” Missouri state Rep. Yolanda Young asked the crowd of farmers. “We have to find ways to support urban agriculture and strengthen our local food systems.”

Many officials highlighted the importance of local farmers in times when high food prices are preventing people from getting fresh produce. All but three markets included in the passport accept some kind of food stamps or alternative payments.

Missouri State Representative Yolanda Young, who also owns and operates Young Family Farm with her husband, Alan Young, speaks to visitors during the 2025 Kansas City Farmers Market Passport kick off event.
Zach Perez
/
KCUR
Missouri State Representative Yolanda Young, who also owns and operates Young Family Farm with her husband, Alan Young, speaks to visitors during the 2025 Kansas City Farmers Market Passport kick off event.

Young, a Democrat from Jackson County, pointed to Missouri's proposed elimination of the state income tax and expansion of sales taxes as a barrier.

“The Missouri legislature recently passed a ballot measure that, if approved, would cause prices to rise on everyday goods and services,” said Young. “We must keep our hands at the plow.”

So what about those prizes?

When you bring your passport to any of the participating farmer’s markets, you can get a stamp for the front of the booklet.

Every four stamps that you collect, you can take the passport to any one of the following partner businesses to cash in prizes, which range from in-store discounts to free merchandise:

Find out more information about the 2026 Kansas City Farmers Market Passport at this website.
Tags
Arts & Life IvanhoeCultivate KCurban farmsfarmingneighborhoodslocal foodfood insecuritycommunityCity Market
Zach Perez
News is only useful when it addresses your questions and concerns. As KCUR's audience engagement strategist, I speak directly with diverse communities in our region to help our newsroom understand what matters to them. I ensure your interests and lives are properly represented by our coverage.

What should KCUR be talking about? Who should we be talking to? Let me know. You can email me at zjperez@kcur.org.
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