The Kansas City Farmer's Market Passport is a free guide that connects people to 15 farmers markets or stands around Kansas City. Each location is equipped with a stamp for the passport and shoppers can earn prizes and discounts at spots like Ruby Jean’s Juicery and City Roots Nursery.
Alana Henry, executive director of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, is one of the program's developers. She said alleviating the stress of food insecurity is a chief priority for her community. Last year, residents built a community garden near East 37th Street and Woodland Avenue to do just that.
Henry said the passport will do more than inform the public about new and accessible spots to shop. It’s another opportunity to show how urban agriculture can help sustainably support a community and ideally encourage more people to grow their own food.
“Access to food is an issue not just in the Ivanhoe neighborhood but neighborhoods around Kansas City," she said. "This is an empowerment of people to grow their own food. I think it's an important skill that many folks don't have and once upon a time did have.”
The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, alongside Cultivate KC, Kansas City Community Gardens, elected officials at the state and city level and others launched the program with a Farming Expo earlier this month. The event expanded on the benefits of urban farming, with guided tours to 15 different sites around the city that showcased how urban farming is already playing an important role in the metro.
Attendees received the first batch of passports but those who weren’t there can pick up a free passport at participating farmers markets: Cultivate KC events, Food Not Bombs, Ivanhoe Neighborhood Center or Kansas City Community Gardens. Supplies are limited to 1,000 passports this year, with the hope more can be printed next year.
What is urban growing?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, urban growing nationwide produces about 15% to 20% of the global food supply. Foods come from a range of growers – from an individual in their backyard to a community garden or even a nonprofit creating a garden for educational purposes.
Cultivate KC, the other passport program developer, specializes in urban growing that's meant to be a business endeavor.
“We're only going to see the amount of food from urban-growing producers go up as we see more and more populations move into urban spaces,” said Brien Darby, Cultivate KC's executive director.
According to the USDA, the benefits of urban farming range from reducing transportation costs to helping reduce runoff associated with heavy rainfall and can even lead to better air quality.
In the Ivanhoe neighborhood, where some areas are considered food deserts and the median income is under $30,000, these community growing efforts can be game changers for access to healthier foods.
“Urban growers represent a community-driven movement to increase residents’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables, regardless of where they live,” said Kansas City Health Department director Marvia Jones. “Access to healthy food is important in preventing chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.”
An urban agriculture hub
The program launch comes just under a year after Kansas City was designated an Urban Agricultural Hub, paving the way for a USDA-established Urban Service Center to help urban farmers.
Once the center is built, prospective growers can meet with professionals to get started. People with existing gardens can get assistance with best practices in conservation, financial matters, disaster or risk management.
“Urban agriculture isn’t just about growing food. It's about cultivating communities and sowing the seeds of sustainability throughout our city,” said U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat who says the new center will benefit farms of all sizes in Kansas City. “By embracing urban farming, we nourish both our bodies and our neighborhoods, fostering a sense of shared purpose and stewardship for our environment.”
The closest service center open right now is in St. Louis.
Those who want to learn more or get involved in urban growing can reach out to Kansas City Community Gardens. By becoming a member, you get a “starter kit” with 10 packages of seeds, fertilizer, access to plots and raised beds around the city, and plenty of free workshops and online resources.
Members can also purchase affordable equipment and can hire a contractor to help till the soil.
Memberships are available on a sliding scale based on income.
“It's really important for us as a collective to evaluate what we're putting in our body and take steps toward a healthier way of being and living,” Henry said. “Supporting local food production is going to be an easy step on that path to a healthier populace.”
