From the Ground Up: A new resource for urban farmers

The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition, a long-standing initiative of KC Healthy Kids, convenes diverse stakeholders to advocate for an equitable, sustainable and resilient food system in greater Kansas City and promote policies for the nutritional, economic, social and environmental health of the community. The coalition is an alliance of individuals, government representatives, businesses, and organizations representing all critical components of our local food system, including healthcare, agriculture, education, social services, food distribution, government, private business, nonprofit agencies, and others.

In 2020, the Coalition established an Urban Farm Zoning and Planning Task Force in an effort to identify best practices and develop policy recommendations to ensure urban farmers are able to operate successfully. The taskforce also set out to understand the barriers urban farmers face related to urban planning and zoning. To do this, they reviewed local plans and zoning ordinances, surveyed local urban farmers and urban planners, facilitated public meetings and expert interviews and explored policies and resources for urban agriculture. This work culminated in the development of the report From the Ground Up: Planning & Zoning for Urban Agriculture in Greater Kansas City. Building on this work, the coalition recently launched an online resource to help urban farmers navigate local planning and zoning.