Get a behind-the-scenes look at the local farmers and food systems working together to build a healthy, climate-resilient foodshed.
The Cultivate KC’s Annual Farmers & Friends Meeting will be held from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 11 at the Westport Plexpod Commons.
The event brings together local farmers and foodies to provide information, start conversations, and invite participants to dream about what a healthy food system looks like for Kansas City.
The keynote speakers are Linda and Luke Black Elk, food sovereignty activists and teachers of traditional plant uses, gardening, food preservation, and foraging. Linda is the Food Sovereignty Coordinator at United Tribes Technical College where she teaches ethnobotany and traditional skills. Luke is one of the founding board members of the Tatanka Wakpala Model Sustainable Community, which is a non-profit on the Cheyenne River Nation.
The event also includes an overview of the 2023 Farm Bill led by Hamsa Ganapathi and Hannah Quigley of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Congress is writing a new bill, and a workshop will explore the bill and its relevance for the greater Kansas City region.
There will be “How I Built This” expo sessions including:
- Building a Collaborative Foodshed
- Building Healthy Soil and Climate Resilience
- Building Physical and Mental Wellbeing
- Building Tools and Equipment for Resilient Farms
The event will be held at Plexpod Westport Commons, 300 E. 39 St., Kansas City, MO. Childcare will be provided. Check-in starts at 8 a.m. with coffee and potluck pie. Tickets are $5 with an optional catered lunch. Past events have had more than 250 participants.
See the full schedule of events and register at cultivatekc.org.