Recipient: AGB Produce
City: Manhattan
Award Amount: $263,769.59

Certified Facility for Washing, Keeping, and Handling Produce Grown by AGB Produce and Area Farmers

AGB Produce will reach an agreement with Kansas Department of Agriculture to construct a facility to expand the capacity of marketable, homegrown, fresh fruits and vegetables for our farm and area farmers. Our project will expand facilities by constructing a separate building to better handle the washing, sorting, packing and distribution side of our farming operation. We plan to use GAP certification to be able to reach the great range of agricultural needs in our local food desert communities and across the Midwest. Several area farmers will benefit from the agreement by using our facility to help meet these needs as well. We will be supplying directly to food desert communities and distributors in the middle of the supply chain.

Recipient: JET Produce and Meats, LLC
City: Leavenworth
Award Amount: $388,672.00

JET Produce and Meats Agricultural Aggregation and Distribution Facility

JET Produce and Meats, LLC owned and operated by husband & wife team, Jacob and Jennifer Thomas, is located outside of Leavenworth, Kansas. The proposed new 3,450 square foot Aggregation and Distribution Facility with refrigerated and climate-controlled storage capabilities will serve as a collection point for area farms whose products are destined for the Kansas City Food Hub and other wholesale distributors. There is also a commercial kitchen being installed that will serve to reduce food waste by repurposing and preserving excess foods during the growing season as well as be a rentable space for local small food processors. Lastly, there will be a milling and grain cleaning area for wheat, corn, popcorn, and dried beans. The area will be able to break down bulk bean orders from a Wallace County farmer cooperative and serve as an Eastern Kansas distribution center. This new, larger facility, combined with pre-existing sales outlets will both aid farmers and serve consumers across Leavenworth, Jefferson, Douglas, Atchison, Wyandotte, and Wallace counties.

Recipient: Kansas Wesleyan University
City: Salina
Award Amount: $219,075.00

The Heartland Food Hub Strengthens Farmers in Central Kansas Through Produce Aggregation and Value Add Facilities

The Heartland Food Hub is a new facility that will serve as a produce aggregation, value-add, and business training center located in Salina, KS. The Heartland Food Hub brings together numerous institutions including lead applicant Kansas Wesleyan University, through the Community Resilience Hub, and Salina Regional Health Center to drastically increase Central Kansas’ access to fresh fruit, vegetables and specialty grains through the development of a local food distribution system along the I-135 corridor. The Heartland Food Hub will convert approximately 10,000 square feet of an existing warehouse space owned by Salina Regional Health Center into a multi-purpose space that will include walk-in cold storage, a temperature-controlled general warehousing space, a commercial kitchen with capacity to wash and pack as well as value-added processing for raw agricultural products. The Heartland Food Hub will serve the region’s farmers and train new and beginning farmers with important business and technical assistance such as food safety, processing standards including HACCP, GMP, and FSMA as well as distribution skills. Playing a key role in the middle-supply chain, the Heartland Food Hub brings together local institutional buyers who will commit to purchasing local produce processed at the project site. The new economic opportunities spurred by this project will increase the processing capacity of new and existing farmers in the area, increase market access for producers, benefit socially disadvantaged populations, and positively improve the local food supply chain.

Recipient: Misty Morning Farms
City: Mulberry
Award Amount: $138,490.23

Expanding and Strengthening Misty Morning Farms' Role in the Kansas Food System

Misty Morning Farms (MMF) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to construct a washing and packing facility for post-harvest processing and storage of fresh produce. This facility will allow MMF to prepare and store fresh produce in peak condition, reduce produce waste, improve food safety, expand value-added production by MMF and other farmers and producers, and strengthen local food security. Expanded value-added products, together with high quality produce, will ensure a year-round supply of locally sourced and processed goods for local customers, resulting in more income for participating farmers and more high quality, local food for customers. This project supports transparency in the food supply chain, creating a stronger connection between the farmer and the consumer. It also creates a shorter, more secure food supply chain.

Recipient: Nalison LLC dba Piccalilli Farm
City: Manhattan
Award Amount: $942,391.50

Flint Hills Food Hub: Expanding Access, Aggregation and Value-Added Food Utilizing Local Agricultural Products

As the co-owners of Piccalilli Farm, a local, 66.3% woman-owned small farm and local food distribution hub located in Geary County, Kansas that has been in operation since 2014, we are applying to the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program grant to build a 50x70 metal building to include a production kitchen, a washing and packaging house, storage for our farm-to-porch (F2P) food distribution network, and delivery vehicles. This facility is essential to the maintenance and expansion of the local food network we have created. If funded, this production and storage facility would meet vital storage and production needs for Piccalilli, our partner farms, and the communities we serve. We cannot currently incorporate additional vendors because of our refrigerated and frozen storage limits. The construction of this facility also enables us to meet state licensing regulations. To be built over the course of two years in 2025-26, the facility would increase local food production capabilities and expand the aggregation and distribution of local food producers in promotion, packaging and delivery of local food products.

Recipient: Schenker Family Farms, Inc
City: McCune
Award Amount: $512,000.00

Increasing Capacity to Aggregate & Distribute Produce & Baked Goods in Southeast Kansas

Schenker Family Farms, Inc. will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to construct a warehouse and cold storage facility for distributing fresh fruits and vegetables and baked goods. With this facility, Schenker Inc. will work will expand its bakery and work with local growers to source new produce to the market, increase demand for locally sourced food and filling area gaps that struggle to find these necessities.  Schenker Inc. warehouse and bakery facility will provide aggregation and distribution services benefitting a minimum of ten local underserved farmers and producers. This will enhance local farmers by creating jobs in the middle of the supply chain, ensuring the processing facility meetings regulations, and increases the local food supply to various middle of the supply chain outlets.

Recipient: Stafford County Flour Mills Company
City: Hudson
Award Amount: $269,308.00 

Packing Efficiency Project to Increase Production, Safety, Compliance, and Future Grain Needs

Stafford County Flour Mills will work in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to implement a packaging efficiency project to allow continued expansion of the products they take to market and the grain they need from local producers. The primary outcome of this project will be to remove a production bottleneck by upgrading the back half of their 50lb production line. The efficiency gained from this project will allow Stafford County Flour Mills to continue to expand the amount of local products they can sell across the country, increase the amount of grain that is needed from local farmers, increase safety for their employees, and allow the business to meet new labeling/packaging requirements.

Recipient: The Kitchen C and C Inc
City: Fort Scott
Award Amount: $385,529.11

The Kitchen Collective + Collaborative: Innovative Incubator Commercial Kitchens to Benefit Under Served Producers and Entrepreneurs

The Kitchen Collective+Collaborative in Fort Scott, Kansas is establishing a shared incubator space for rural producers that will offer four, complete and fully licensed, commercial kitchens. In Southeast Kansas there is a gaping hole and a tremendous lack of resources for the middle of the food chain supply. Through this shared facility, The Kitchen will strengthen the food system by providing a licensed multi-commercial kitchen facility and synergy platform where local producers can come together for food processing, networking, mentorship, partnerships, and collective marketing efforts. This will allow suppliers to create additional avenues in which producers can generate and fulfill product demand thus increasing their individual revenue streams while allowing them to retain more value of the chain dollar. The Kitchen will provide critically needed and currently lacking food processing infrastructure to benefit multiple producers. The fully equipped four-kitchen facility will offer cold storage space that will extend shelf life and a variety of commercial-grade equipment that will allow for larger batch production. The Kitchen’s equipment will allow for post-harvest processing and storage, packaging, cooking, baking, freeze-drying, juicing, etc. This infrastructure will allow producers to scale their operations, create value-added products and increase production capacity while meeting regulatory requirements for food processing and safety. In partnership with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, The Kitchen will contribute to a more diversified and distributed food system in rural Southeast Kansas, aligning with KDA's goal of strengthening the middle of the food supply chain and generating more resilience in the agricultural sector.

Recipient: 156 Stop - N - Go, LLC
City: Burdett
Award Amount: $95,714.72

156 Stop - N - Go Expands to Middle-Of-The-Supply Chain, Further Processing Local Produce

156 Stop - N - Go (SNG) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to acquire processing equipment for new value-added products of frozen, canned, freeze dried, and cooked fruits and vegetables. With this equipment 156 SNG will introduce new produce to the market, increase demand for locally sourced food, and increase availability of nutritious food in a deprived region. 156 SNG's processing equipment will provide value-added processing and aggregation services to local produce procured from a minimum of fifteen local farmers and producers; of which a minimum of 50% will be under served farmers and producers. This will create new market opportunities for local producers by creating a new processing sector to the middle-of-the-supply chain.

Recipient: A & H Farm
City: Manhattan
Award Amount: $81,775.18

Increased Storage and Sustainable Produce Processing Solutions for A & H Farm

A & H Farm, a fourth generation, family owned farm located in the Flint Hills, will partner with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to pursue innovative and time tested ways to extend the life of produce. A & H Farm will transition underutilized space to expand their cooler and add freezer space as well as purchase production equipment for further processing, including ovens, freeze dryers, and dehydrators. By processing food into consumer ready products, they will increase their capabilities to preserve fresh produce, extend the life of many food items by over 20+ years, and minimize food waste by 30%. A & H Farm's partnership with other produce producers will allow the project to impact over 10 producers in the state of Kansas alone.

Recipient: Blackberry Moon Produce LLC
City: Columbus
Award Amount: $96,763.53

Fresh Produce Handling, Storage, and Distribution Improvement for Southeast Kansas Farmers and Beyond

Blackberry Moon Produce LLC will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to implement the Fresh Produce Handling, Storage, and Distribution Improvement for Southeast Kansas Farmers and Beyond project. The project will install three stages of post-harvest handling equipment: 1) washing and packing, 2) on-farm cold storage, and 3) refrigerated transportation. This equipment will allow Blackberry Moon Produce to aggregate products from the farm and local farm partners. This equipment will improve product handling efficiency and add value through washing and packaging fresh fruits and vegetables. This project is estimated to establish market opportunities for 50 regional producers. The project will significantly increase locally produced food available to middle of the supply chain businesses, increase farmers' profitability, and create food system resiliency in the future.

Recipient: Bramble Rose Farm, LLC
City: Basehor
Award Amount: $32,916.24

Bramble Rose Farm Agricultural Storage and Processing Initiative

Bramble Rose Farm, LLC will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase food processing and cold storage equipment to expand their processing capacity. Bramble Rose Farm is owned and operated by a female Veteran and is staffed by three generations of their family. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, they also do on site processing of shelf stable, value-added products including freeze dried vegetarian meals, jams, teas, and spices. With this equipment, they will be able to double the number of value-added products offered by their farm, meet the current retail and consumer demand for their products and expand into new markets including online sales, and increase purchases of ingredients sourced from other local producers.

Recipient: Bruce's Bullseye Farms, LLC
City: Leon
Award Amount: $99,955.35

Building a Local Farm and Food Enterprise Through Value-Added Partnerships

Bruce's Bullseye Farms will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to add needed food processing and food preservation equipment, cold storage, and transportation to their existing commercial kitchen and food processing facility. Bruce's Bullseye Farms will utilize fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables acquired from local producers to grow a local farm and food enterprise through value added partnerships with these local growers. Bruce's Bullseye Farms will work with local growers to introduce a new line of processed and preserved foods to the market, which will increase demand for locally sourced food and food products. This request will fill local grower gaps among those who struggle to find these food preservation and processing necessities. Bruce's Bullseye Farms existing commercial kitchen and processing facility will provide value-added processing, aggregation, and distribution services benefiting a minimum of ten local, underserved farmers and producers. This will enhance market opportunities for local farmers by creating new value-added food products in the middle-of-the-food supply chain and increases the local food supply to various middle-of-the-supply chain outlets.

Recipient: Buck's Honey Bee Company, LLC
City: Baldwin City
Award Amount: $16,805.38

Creation of the First Incubator Kitchen in Kansas Dedicated Solely to Processing and Bottling Honey

Buck's Honey Bee Company, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOB) led by retired Marine Buck Bradley in Douglas County, Kansas, plans to partner with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to equip an incubator kitchen dedicated to honey extraction, processing, and bottling - the first of its kind in Kansas. This state-of-the-art facility will enable users to process 500-750 lbs. of honey per hour, enhancing efficiencies, removing bottlenecks for local beekeepers, and allowing them to scale up production and create value-added products to meet local demand and regulatory requirements. By offering processing, aggregation, and value-added production, the facility will benefit an estimated 60 local small to medium-sized beekeepers, empowering them to expand honey production and diversify their product lines.

Recipient: Cardinal Community Foundation
City: Wetmore
Award Amount: $34,115.35

Homestead Farm Center Project

The Cardinal Community Foundation (CCF) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to bring an unused kitchen facility up to code for producing and distributing eight new value-added products of fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables, and grains. The new processing equipment available at this facility enables CCF to work with local growers and small business owners to source and introduce new products to the market, increase demand for locally sourced food, and address gaps in the supply chain that have been preventing growth in this area. The CCF food storage and processing facility will provide value-added processing, aggregation, and distribution services that benefit at least 20 underserved farmers and producers, including at least five women-owned businesses. This will increase market opportunities for local producers by ensuring the storage and processing facility meets regulations, creating new jobs in the middle of the supply chain, and increasing the output of various middle-of-the-supply chain producers.

Recipient: Cultivate Kansas City
City: Kansas City
Award Amount: $25,278.00

Improved Cold Chain Management for Underserved Wyandotte County Farmers through Enhanced Refrigeration

Cultivate KC seeks to establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase and install cold storage on the farms of three graduates from the New Roots program. New Roots, a partnership with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, is a four year farm business incubation program that helps refugee families start and operate farms. Cultivate KC will purchase and install 8' x 8' Coolbot walk-in insulated coolers with the purpose of increasing the efficiency and capacity of the farms, allowing for more efficient harvest schedules and a greater quantity of produce to be grown. They anticipate the addition of cold storage on site will significantly improve the operations of these farm businesses and thus increase the amount and variety of produce sold at local markets.

Recipient: David Frank Svaty
City: Kanopolis
Award Amount: $99,787.00

Improving Cold Storage Capacity and Generating More Sales Opportunities for Svaty's Produce

David Svaty will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to improve the cold chain for his farm, Svaty's Produce. Under the agreement, he will purchase two refrigerated storage units as well as a refrigerated box truck. One refrigerated storage unit will run at 50 degrees to store potatoes and the other will run cooler to keep produce in season. Svaty's Produce grows specialty potatoes have a low glycemic value which is important to customers with blood sugar concerns. The refrigerated box truck will allow Svaty's Produce to increase sales, storage capacity, and reduce labor when traveling to markets.

Recipient: Enchanted Gardens Floral and Gift
City: Ulysses
Award Amount: $19,260.00

Increasing Cold Storage and Produce Aggregation Capacity in Ulysses, Kansas

Enchanted Gardens, operating under the leadership of Holly LeBrun, will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase cold storage equipment to expand post-harvest handling and distribution capabilities in her community. Enchanted Gardens aims to offer high-quality, fresh produce to growing markets, minimize food waste, and increase their overall production capacity. The purchase of a walk-in cooler will increase storage capacity for her farm as well as other local producers leading to the ability to supply a broader range of vegetables to multiple local communities, contributing to regional food supply chain resiliency and sustainability. The new equipment will be integrated into an existing processing shed, ensuring optimal functionality for post-harvest handling and distribution.

Recipient: Grass Roots Institute of Kansas, Inc.
City: Atwood
Award Amount: $57,831.37

Grass Roots Institute Community Kitchen

Grass Roots Institute of Kansas (GRIK) will establish an agreement with Kansas Department of Agriculture to install all major appliances and equipment for a community kitchen in Atwood.  With this facility, GRIK will serve as a business incubator for entrepreneurs working in food related business.  As a result of the community kitchen implementation, access to commercial food preparation will be increased, and a barrier for local growers, caterers, and local food consumers will be lifted.  This will enhance market opportunities for rural growers, bolster entrepreneurial outlets for middle of the supply chain players, and increase the local food supply to regional end users.

Recipient: Grazing Plains Farm LLC
City: Whitewater
Award Amount: $29,300.00

Diversifying On-Farm Creamery Production to Include Grade A Bottled Milk

Grazing Plains Farm LLC will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to expand the capacity of their on-farm licensed cheese creamery to include the bottling of Grade A fluid milk. With this equipment, Grazing Plains Farm will continue to add value to the farm's small, pasture-based dairy herd. This equipment will improve the economic stability of the farm and help meet the demand for locally sourced dairy products including fluid milk. There is currently a gap in the market for locally sourced fluid milk with customers and small retail outlets struggling to find these products. With small dairy farms struggling in an industry undergoing rapid change and stagnantly low commodity milk prices, developing on-farm processing creates a model for other struggling dairy farmers who need to add value to their milk in order to stay in business.

Recipient: Highland Community College
City: Wamego
Award Amount: $80,621.00

Highland Community College, Business Incubator Equipment Grant

The Viticulture and Enology Program of Highland Community College (HCC V&E) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to enhance the capabilities to store and process grapes at the business incubator called 456 Wineries in Wamego, Kansas. The 456 Wineries business incubator is owned and operated by Highland Community College. As a business incubator, 456 Wineries currently houses three winery clients with space for up to six, where all steps of grape processing and wine production are undertaken. The incubator currently has no cold storage capability, lacks bulk fruit handling equipment, and has limited press capacity which stymies growth potential of the incubator clients. Funding through this project would be utilized to purchase cold storage capacity, forklift-mounted harvest-bin dumper, harvest-bin hopper/receiver, harvest-bin scale, and horizontal grape press. It is expected that this equipment will allow for accelerated growth of individual incubator clients through increased production capacity, create a market for smaller producers to sell grapes to incubator clients using cold storage to combine small batches which would otherwise not be marketable, and entice additional clients to join the incubator due to greater production efficiency. Finally, HCC V&E grows and sells table grapes to some local grocers. The cold storage would extend the life of the harvested grapes and expand the marketability of the fruit to additional local grocery stores.

Recipient: Hildebrand Farms, Inc.
City: Junction City
Award Amount: $100,000.00

New Dairy Filling Equipment Grows the Kansas Milk Market

Hildebrand Farms Dairy will upgrade their glass bottled milk filling equipment allowing for the addition of twelve new value-added fluid milk products and the ability to increase production up to 150%. Hildebrand Farms Dairy will, for the first time, purchase loads of milk from regional dairy farmers through a partnership with Central Equity Milk Cooperative (CEMC). This will work to meet the ever-growing demand for glass bottled milk in the Kansas market, while growing the dairy processing capacity for the farmers of CEMC. Results will include new jobs added to the processing plant, growth within the regional milk market for dairy farmers, meeting the growing customer demand for glass bottled milk, and the addition of twelve new size options giving customers choice.

Recipient: Irvine's Just Beyond Paradise, LLC
City: Lawrence
Award Amount: $91,315.20

Kansas Juice and Wine Production Quality Assurance Plan

The Kansas Juice and Wine Production Quality Assurance Plan, led by Ed Irvine Jr. of Irvine's Just Beyond Paradise, will establish a state-of-the-art juice and wine analysis laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas, serving as a crucial middle-of-the-supply-chain service for vineyards, orchards, and wineries across Kansas. This facility will provide rapid, high-resolution testing of juice and wine samples using automated equipment to analyze critical quality parameters such as sugars, acids, and alcohols. By offering accessible and timely analytics, the lab will empower local underserved farmers and producers to closely monitor and control quality throughout processing, leading to improved product quality, increased shelf life, reduced production losses, and enhanced profitability. The project aims to provide small and mid-size vineyards, orchards, and wineries with advanced quality assurance tools, saving them time and costs compared to outsourcing testing outside the state. Ultimately, this initiative will boost productivity, enhance decision-making capabilities, and significantly contribute to the growth and resilience of Kansas's fruit and wine industry.

Recipient: Jirak Family Produce, LLC
City: Cummings
Award Amount: $51,550.00

Jirak Family Produce, LLC Produce Cold Storage in Cummings, KS

Jirak Family Produce LLC in Cummings, Kansas, will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to install a cooler system on the farm site to help store, aggregate, and keep in good condition vegetable and fruits that are produced on the farm. Jirak Family Produce LLC currently produces sweet corn, tomatoes, grape tomatoes, squash, green beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumber, eggplant, hard squash, bell peppers, snacking peppers, jalapeno peppers, poblano peppers, pumpkins, apples, apple cider, and peaches on nineteen acres with all tomatoes grown in high tunnels.  With the addition of a cooler system, Jirak Family Produce LLC will continue to expand their offerings and volume by providing a place to cool and store our production and this equipment will allow for less waste, higher quality, and the ability to aggregate production to better serve their customers. This means that more consumers will have the opportunity to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Recipient: Juniper Hill Farms
City: Lawrence
Award Amount: $99,550.20

Purchase of Additional Cold Storage and Cold Chain Equipment at Juniper Hill Farms LLC

Juniper Hill Farms LLC (JHF) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase cold storage equipment to enhance and expand its current cold storage capacity with the purpose of increasing the operational efficiencies and production capabilities of JHF and its partner growers through an expanded cold chain. The additional cold storage will allow for increased production, aggregation, marketing, and distribution of locally grown foods raised by JHF and its partner growers.  The purchase of this equipment will allow JHF to increase the number of partner growers it works with, many of whom are beginning or under served producers, by allowing them to aggregate, market, and distribute increased volumes of locally grown foods through middle-of-the-supply chain purchasers.  This will enhance the growing and marketing opportunities for local farmers by creating jobs in the middle-of-the-supply chain – allowing local farmers to focus their time into increasing their production capabilities and growing their operations instead of spending excess time marketing and delivering their products individually.  This equipment purchase will also serve the purpose of making local food more approachable for larger volume purchasers of produce – allowing for an increased efficiency, ease and movement of locally grown foods through the middle-of-the-supply chain to the regional food system.

Recipient: Kansas Bee Farm LLC
City: Berryton
Award Amount: $36,770.02

FluidEmpower Project: Fostering Growth for Kansas Producers

Kansas Bee Farm LLC (KBF) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to upgrade processing equipment that will strengthen Kansas' food resiliency.  KBF will partner with a combination of seventy local growers and honey producers to source their produce, transforming them into thirty-nine new value-add products and distributing them into an additional twenty market outlets. The FluidEmpower Project will have the potential to create a ripple effect, positively impacting local producers, expanding market outlets, contributing to industry growth, and fostering economic development in the region.

Recipient: Kansas State University
City: Manhattan
Award Amount: $69,650.88

Post-Harvest Cold Storage at Willow Lake Student Farm

Kansas State University Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources (HNR) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to place a 200-square-foot, modular cold storage unit at its Willow Lake Student Farm (WLSF). The unit will have two zones to cool and store both warm-season and cool-season produce at their ideal temperatures between harvest and delivery. It will be situated immediately adjacent to the wash station funded by a Specialty Crop Block Grant project. With this unit, HNR will expand the infrastructure available to educate the next generation of Kansas specialty crop producers, while enhancing the safety and quality of produce WLSF provides to thousands of students through numerous dining facilities on campus. Forty to sixty students per year take for-credit courses in fruit and/or vegetable production with labs hosted at WLSF, with an additional three to ten students employed in various capacities or carrying out individual projects on the farm. With this unit, these students will gain a firsthand understanding of the importance of refrigeration in food safety and quality. Further, existing community partners - Kansas Permaculture Institute, Kansas Forest Service, and Golden Prairie Honey Farms - will store perishable produce and supplies in the unit, enhancing their programs and production.

Recipient: KC Farm School
City: Kansas City
Award Amount: $58,599.60

Shared EV Transportation to Sustain Middle of the Supply Chain Food Distribution Across the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

KC Farm School will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to tackle a significant middle-of-the-supply chain challenge faced by small, local growers and value-added food producers in the Kansas City metropolitan area by securing reliable transportation for food distribution. KC Farm School will purchase an EV van which will collaboratively utilized by KC Food Hub growers, Wyandotte County Farmers Market Coalition vendors, KC F.A.R.M.E.R.S Coalition members, and KC Farm School farmers. This work will improve middle-of-the-supply chain issues of access to transportation for 70 growers and value-added food producers across the Kansas City region while fostering efficiency and cooperation and benefiting underserved farmers, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, Veteran producers, and socially disadvantaged businesses.

Recipient: Lawrence Public Schools
City: Lawrence
Award Amount: $99,958.21

Empowering Local Grain Producers: USD 497’s Value-Added Bakery Initiative for Child Nutrition Programs

Lawrence Public Schools (USD 497) seeks to establish the Community Connections Bakery (CCB) to repurpose a closed elementary school kitchen into a mid-tier value chain bakery. The project will create market opportunities for local grain producers by establishing a school district bakery that will produce whole grain-rich products for the district’s child nutrition program, while also providing job training for students with disabilities in collaboration and consultation with a local baker. By integrating locally sourced grains into school meals, the CCB will support local farmers, ensuring a stable and expanded institutional market for their products. The USD 497 Nutrition & Wellness Department commits to purchasing a minimum of 51% of grains from small and mid-sized local and regional producers for use in the CCB. This grain procurement will be added to the established USD 497 Farm to School annual RFP process. Project activities include the procurement and installation of specialized bakery equipment, collaboration with professional bakers, and solicitation of additional Farm to School grain producing partners.

Recipient: Morning Light LLC dba Morning Light Kombucha
City: Hoyt
Award Amount: $80,712.93

A Symbiotic Labor of Love: Brewing New Connections Between Farms, Kombucha, and Community

Morning Light Kombucha will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase a canning line, fermenters, Brite tanks, and cleaning equipment for their kombucha brewing facility. With this equipment, Morning Light Kombucha will be able to scale operations while creating a more efficient and cost effective means of production. The growth achieved with the addition of this equipment will strengthen their partnerships with the ten small Kansas farms they currently work with and allow them to add a minimum of two more farm partnerships in the coming year. Increased production will expand the variety and increase the quantities of local produce they can purchase from these farms, creating stability and a more reliable stream of income for the farms. To support their growth, Morning Light Kombucha will need to fill more positions in the brewery creating more job opportunities in the Jackson County and Prairie Band Potawatomi reservation area. This growth will support their continued efforts to give back a percentage of sales to Indigenous organizations and give them the capacity to widen their distribution. By expanding distribution, they will be able to reach more Kansans and Indigenous communities who are interested in supporting local food systems and care about where their food comes from.

Recipient: My Country Life
City: Alamont
Award Amount: $14,368.10

Offering Healthy Food to Local Community and Helping Others Preserve Their Own Food

My Country Life will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase food processing and cold storage equipment to provide healthy food to their community. My Country Life will use the equipment for their business as well as create a program for those in their community without access to food preservation equipment. By acquiring a wash and prep stations, freeze dryers, and cold storage, My Country Life will be able to provide fresh and shelf stable, freeze dried produce to families in southeast Kansas to encourage healthier lifestyles and diets.

Recipient: Myers Mushrooms
City: Haysville
Award Amount: $99,437.66

Specialty Mushroom Storage, Kitchen Processing Increased Capacity and Packaging

Myers Mushrooms LLC is a small family farm operating in a 3,000 sq. ft. indoor mushroom farm located in Haysville, Kansas. Myers Mushrooms LLC will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to better equip our food processing plant for higher capacity of value-added products of fresh and dried mushrooms. Eric Myers, Owner and Disabled Veteran, will lead and execute the project. We currently distribute within Sedgwick County and sell fresh mushrooms, dehydrated, and extracts to other mushroom farms in Saline, Riley, and Shawnee County, as well as Tulsa County, OK. The new equipment will allow increased capacity and processes for further distribution of our mushrooms and mushroom products.  Our proposal includes a high-speed food processor for mushroom slicing for packaged fresh mushrooms, slicing prior to dehydration, and a larger dehydrator for increased dehydration capacity. Moreover, our proposal includes the acquisition of a freeze dryer for dehydrating mushrooms. To streamline packaging, we request a bottle filler, labeler, and shrink wrapper for packaging value added mushroom products such as extracts, mushroom seasonings, or soups. Beyond processing, our proposal recognizes the critical role of storage in sustaining the local food system's growth. We also request a triple-door refrigerator dedicated to storing fresh mushrooms. Aligned with the KDA's vision, by securing this grant, we aim to increase our storage and processing capacity of value-added and retail mushroom products and will provide value-added processing, aggregation, and distribution services benefiting a minimum of ten local under served farmers and producers. We also plan to work with more local farmers to continue establishing a food hub. This will enhance market opportunities for local farmers by increasing available produce, ensuring the processing facility meets regulations, and increases the local food supply to various middle-of-the-supply chain outlets.

Recipient: Next to Nature Farm
City: Leavenworth
Award Amount: $36,011.05

Regional Beekeepers Cooperative Honey Processing and Bottling Facility

Next to Nature Farm will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to equip an existing state-certified kitchen to add equipment necessary for beekeepers to take honey from a hive to a consumable product. With this facility, Next to Nature Farm will work with regional beekeepers to increase the availability of local honey in the market and fill a need by providing a sanitary and efficient space for additional extraction, bottling, aggregation, and distribution of Kansas honey to the market. Kansas' current regulations for wholesale honey state the product must be extracted and bottled in a state-certified kitchen facility. This equipment expansion will benefit potentially hundreds of beekeepers who do not have the capital to buy the equipment necessary to outfit their own commercial kitchens and distribute their products to market. The processing and bottling component will expedite a beekeeper's opportunity to conduct all facets of production - from extraction of honey from a hive to the completion of value-added products ready to be sent to a warehouse or commercial facility for the general public to consume. This facility will assist small and mid-sized beekeepers in northeast, north central, and southeast Kansas. The facility meets the funding priorities because it adds the only aggregation, processing, and storage facility in Kansas for beekeepers. There are 900 beekeepers in regional beekeeping clubs in the northeast, north central, and southeast Kansas. If even 20% use this facility, it will help, at a minimum, 180 beekeepers in production.

Recipient: Nu Life Market, LLC
City: Scott City
Award Amount: $100,000.00

Enhancing Grain Sorghum Milling Capacity to Meet Consumer Demand For Sustainable Food Products

Nu Life Market will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase sorghum grain milling and sorghum flour sifting equipment which will increase their sorghum grain milling and flour sifting capacity by 35% and reduce the production lead times for their customers who have placed purchase orders from 28 days to 18 days. The Nu Life Market grain sorghum flour products are milled from sorghum grain grown with a sustainable management system and produced by under served, beginning, veteran, and established regional farmers. Demand for sustainable food products containing grain sorghum flour has expanded because of consumer awareness that grain sorghum is an environmentally responsible crop that utilizes less natural resources in the production of grain along with the sorghum plants natural ability to sequester carbon during the growing season. The requested grain sorghum milling and flour sifting equipment will provide Nu life Market with the opportunity to add 3 milled sorghum flour products to their offerings to potential customers. The requested grain sorghum milling and flour sifting equipment is positioned within the middle of the supply chain but will benefit each section of the supply chain by filling the increased consumer demand for grain sorghum milled flour products and will provide additional markets for value added sorghum grain grown and harvested by local and regional underserved, beginning, veteran, and established farmers.

Recipient: Pantaleon Florez
City: Lawrence
Award Amount: $16,360.58

Kansas Human Consumption Maize Market Development

Pantaleon Florez, owner/operator of Maseualkualli Farms, will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to procure equipment for developing nine new value-added products derived from human consumption corn, peppers, and beans. Maseualkualli Farms will provide access to this equipment and facilitate collaborative market development of Indigenous maize-based products for human consumption among five historically marginalized and beginner producers. This initiative aims to establish local middle-of-the-supply chain Indigenous foodway activities and increase public awareness about the history and nutrition of heritage maize. As a Produce Safety Alliance Trainer, Pantaleon will develop a food safety SOP for the equipment and provide training and technical assistance to collaborating producers.

Recipient: Prairie Wind Aquatics
City: Garden City
Award Amount: $65,039.22

Commercial Kitchen Equipment and Cold Storage for Value Added Processing in Garden City

Prairie Wind Aquatics (Prairie Wind Farms) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to equip a certified commercial kitchen with the necessary equipment to prepare, process, and preserve excess locally grown fruits and vegetables into value added products as well as purchase an exterior produce cooler to supplement local grower sustainability. In addition to being used by Prairie Wind Farms, the kitchen will be available for rent to local producers as a space to process and preserve their own produce for value added products and help them become more self-sufficient. The exterior cooler will also be available when needed to local producers to help them increase production of their produce without the concern of how to safely store it for the short term.

Recipient: Prairieland Market, Inc.
City: Salina
Award Amount: $77,009.48

Prairieland Market: Expanding Capacity and Access to Healthy, Local Foods with New Equipment

Prairieland Market will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase specialty equipment for its expanded facility and commercial kitchen. The equipment will increase cold storage for the aggregation of local food products by 800% and expand their use of local specialty crops, dairy products, and grains in 50 new value-added prepared food products. With the added equipment, Prairieland Market will be able to serve as a middle of the food supply chain partner to 10 additional local producers, for a total of 35, to aggregate, process, and distribute their products.

Recipient: Prairy LLC
City: Newton
Award Amount: $66,445.00

Prairy LLC Seeks Equipment for New Cookie/Cracker Production Featuring the Perennial Specialty Crop Kernza

Prairy LLC (Prairy) will use enhanced equipment provided through an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to produce and distribute at least two new value-added cookie and cracker products using the specialty crop known as Kernza. With the new dough depositor and automated packaging equipment Prairy will expand its Prairy Bites line, developing recipes that feature Kernza as an ingredient and baking and packaging them for national distribution. By integrating Kernza into the Prairy product line, Prairy aims to support sustainable agriculture initiatives along with supporting new and underserved farmers, further establishing itself as an innovator in the middle-of-the-supply-chain agrifood industry. This new venture will increase market demand for a minimum of 15 area Kernza farmers, new products for consumers nationwide, and new job opportunities for the local community.

Recipient: Princeton Popcorn Company, LLC
City: Princeton
Award Amount: $98,150.00

Automated Weigh-Bag System for Princeton Popcorn to Package Kansas-Grown Grains

Princeton Popcorn Company (PPC) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to acquire and set up a high-speed weighing/packing machine for packaging a minimum of a dozen new value-added products of various Kansas-grown grains including popcorn, wheat, flour milled from wheat, and edible beans. With this equipment, PPC will work with local growers to source and introduce new crops to the market, increase demand for locally sourced food, and fill area gaps that struggle to find these necessities. PPC’s high-speed weighing/packing machine will provide value-added processing, aggregation, and distribution services benefitting a minimum of twenty local underserved farmers and producers. This will enhance market opportunities for local farmers by creating jobs in the middle of the supply chain, ensuring the weigh/pack machine meets regulations, and increasing the local food supply to various middle-of-the-supply chain outlets.

Recipient: Robert Hickerson
City: Pomona
Award Amount: $22,770.98

Building Capacity and Sustainable Quality with On-Farm Cold Storage at Table View Farm

Farmer Robert Hickerson will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to enhance the resiliency of the local food system through the implementation of on-farm cold storage facilities. The primary purpose is installing a walk-in cooler which will significantly increase capacity to store a more diverse range of crops for the market. This initiative aims to extend the seasonal availability of fresh greens and storage crops, and food products, thereby contributing to a more reliable and consistent food supply throughout the year. The key deliverable is the installation of a fully functional walk-in cooler with the necessary infrastructure for food safety and optimal storage conditions. This middle of the food chain enhancement will improve food quality, reduce waste, and ensure consumers have year-round access to premium produce. Table View Farm seeks to expand the variety of produce and food products offered to local markets, increase market presence, and grow and sustain financial viability.

Recipient: Russell PRIDE, Inc
City: Russell
Award Amount: $42,538.22

I.D.E.A. Works Incubator Kitchen

Russell PRIDE, Inc. will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to equip a commercial/incubator kitchen which small-scale agricultural producers can use to process their fruits, vegetables, and grains into value-added products. The kitchen will provide local value-added processing and distribution services benefiting a minimum of 100 local and regional small-scale producers.  This facility will allow local and regional producers to develop new products for sale, increase the demand for locally produced foods, and increase the availability of locally produced and processed foods to middle-of-the-supply chain outlets.  It will also allow producers to become entrepreneurs in food processing in a regulated facility and give them opportunities to increase their income stream.

Recipient: Salt Creek Farm, LLC
City: Eureka
Award Amount: $14,356.35

Salt Creek Farm Equipment Improvements to Boost Regional Honey Production, Processing, and Value-Added Products

Salt Creek Farm, LLC, will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to increase regional honey production, processing, and aggregation, as well as increase production and packaging of honey-based value-added products. These equipment improvements will allow Salt Creek Farm to (1) continue growing their beekeeping operation, which supports a number of regional farmers and vegetable producers by providing increased pollination to certain nectar-producing crops, such as soybeans and canola, and vegetables in open greenhouse operations; (2) store, process, and package more honey from both in-house production; and continue to, and increase, purchases from regional honey producers; and (3) to increase the overall honey-based value-added product production and sales. Salt Creek Farm honey products are sold in bulk to restaurants, through the Salt Creek Farm Market store, and through five regional retailers.

Recipient: Servicemember Agricultural Vocation Education, Corp. (SAVE)
City: Riley
Award Amount: $19,069.42

Expand the SAVE Farm's Agricultural Training and Capacity for Processing, Storing and Distribution of Local Products

Servicemember Agricultural Vocation Education, Corp. (SAVE), a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Riley, Kansas, will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to expand their existing commercial kitchen to assist producers with aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, and distribution of targeted local and regional agricultural products. Under this agreement, SAVE will add the ability to dehydrate, freeze, refrigerate, pressure cook, grind, seal, and bake/cook products in their existing facility. Local producers will be able to work with honey, jam, fruits, vegetables, wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum, and more in the fully ADA compliant kitchen. While everyone is welcome at SAVE, the emphasis of SAVE is on serving military veteran producers, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, and middle-of-the-supply businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals.

Recipient: South Baldwin Farms, LLC
City: Baldwin City
Award Amount: $42,722.65

Capability Expansion in Fruit Juice Processing at South Baldwin Farms

South Baldwin Farms (SBF) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to procure equipment to expand the capabilities of their cider processing line for minimum three value-added products. New raw fruit juice and pulp products (from no less than three Kansas producers) will primarily be fed into the thriving Kansas wine industry to boost fruit wine production benefiting no less than four wineries. This is a boost for both fruit producers and wineries by enhancing market opportunities with new products. Further, procurement and implementation of equipment to efficiently produce carbonated juices, such as sparkling cider, provides another value added product available for wholesale from SBF. This project enhances profitability of tree fruit production in Kansas for multiple farms and spreads across other industries within the state through wholesale of raw ingredient and finished product.

Recipient: Stafford County Economic Development Inc.
City: St. John
Award Amount: $13,410.23

Stafford County Commercial Kitchen for Value-Added Food Product Development

Stafford County Economic Development Inc. (SCEDI) will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to equip our licensed commercial kitchen that was created in partnership with Stafford County and 21 Central District Extension office. The licensed kitchen will be rented out as a commercial food preparation space for licensed value-added food product developers. The new kitchen and equipment will enhance the development of and strengthen a minimum of 15 value-added food businesses. The added storage space will allow food producers to keep more product and reduce costs. The strengthening of the middle of the supply chain will expand the growth of these businesses who often struggle to grow beyond a home based business. 

Recipient: Stone & Sparrow Farm & Mill LLC
City: Melvern
Award Amount: $82,455.22

Stone & Sparrow Farm & Mill’s Oil Seed Pressing & Sorghum Milling Project

Stone & Sparrow Farm & Mill will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to begin milling sorghum into a value-added, gluten-free alternative to wheat to serve consumers with wheat allergens as well as press Kansas grown seeds into value-added cooking oil. Sorghum grows exceptionally well in Kansas, making it a prime candidate to meet the increasing demands of the gluten-free market. The mill at Stone & Sparrow Farm & Mill is currently being used for gluten-containing grains such as wheat, spelt, and rye. A separate mill is needed to prevent gluten contamination. This equipment will increase market opportunities for underserved farmers to sell their crops, while at the same time, increase the local food supply by creating a middle-of-the-supply chain resource for Kansas consumers and farmers. With the sorghum mill and oil pressing equipment, Stone & Sparrow will be able to buy sunflower seeds, canola, camelina, and sorghum from underserved farmers, giving them a market to sell their crops, while Stone & Sparrow mills/presses and packages these seeds into flour/oil and sells these value-added products to Kansas consumers. Stone & Sparrow estimates it will be able to immediately purchase products from three to four farmers and expects to double this number within a few years.

Recipient: The Land Institute
City: Salina
Award Amount: $90,250.00

Processing Grain On-Farm In-State: Mobile Equipment to Sustain Kansas Leadership in New Grain Food Systems

The Land Institute will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to build a mobile processing unit to enable Kansas grain growers to supply Kansas breweries, distilleries, and bakeries with locally sourced Kernza® and other new crops. Before milling or other value-added processing, the Kernza® grain is typically dehulled and/or debearded, a service in the middle of the Kernza® supply chain currently lacking in Kansas. To address this gap, we are planning to purchase and deploy a mobile processing unit consisting of a dehuller, debearder, air screen, and gravity table, all mounted on a flatbed trailer. This equipment will be operational by the 2025 harvest season, offering processing services in central Kansas and potentially in other regions. Our model, inspired by a successful shared harvest equipment program in Kernza®, is designed to support small-scale operations and could serve as a template for producer groups in other regions or of other specialty crops. By creating availability of contract dehulling and debearding services in Kansas, we anticipate building robust local grain supply chains, particularly of an emerging Kernza® supply chain regionally. This initiative is expected to not only bolster economic resilience among growers and end-users but also contribute to soil health improvement and water quality benefits.

Recipient: TOAST, LLC dba Pittsburg Bread Company
City: Pittsburg
Award Amount: $94,314.46

SPREAD THE LOAF: Expanding Production Capacity to Increase Accessibility of Value-Added Products in Southeast Kansas

TOAST, LLC dba Pittsburg Bread Company will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to purchase equipment for their current processing facility that will quadruple artisan bread production capacity in Southeast Kansas, expand production capacity for three more value-added products of wheat flour, corn flour and jams, and launch a state-registered incubator kitchen. With this project, Pittsburg Bread Company will work with local growers to source and introduce new products at three additional, underserved farmers markets, increase demand for locally sourced foods, and fill area gaps in food systems within underserved communities. Pittsburg Bread Company will provide value-added processing and distribution benefitting a minimum of twenty-eight local underserved farmers and producers. This will enhance production, increasing the supply need from farmers, creating jobs in the middle of the supply chain and increasing the local, nutritional food supply to consumers in Southeast Kansas. The Pittsburg Bread Company incubator kitchen will allow for the creation of new economic opportunities for other budding entrepreneurs with Pittsburg Bread Company acting as a mentor, educating about local food systems for startups.

Recipient: Z&M Twisted Vines
City: Lawrence
Award Amount: $99,087.00

Vine to Wine to Bottle in Twisted Time

Z&M Twisted Vines will establish an agreement with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to acquire an automated wine bottling and production line to streamline processing and packaging, increase production rates, and meet the growing demand of an increasing grape harvest and needed wine productivity in Kansas. The new AVA designation, Kaw Valley AVA, brings national recognition to 33 farm wineries and is an economic driver for the region. The current manual bottling process is time consuming and resource intensive, impacting both wine quality and quantity, putting wineries at a disadvantage compared to larger brands. Automated bottling will benefit Z&M Twisted Vines along with other local wineries in the surrounding four counties by enhancing their wine production. Ultimately, this project will improve efficiency, elevate wine quality, and help establish Kansas as a notable wine destination.