About Us
The work of the Heartland Regional Food Business Center is to grow farm and food enterprises, markets, and community connections needed to make local food an everyday, easy choice.
Our Vision
Locally produced food will be a major contributor to a resilient and safe food supply. Regional networks will make local food an easy, everyday choice, supporting healthy people, community economies, and sustainable ecosystems.
Our Mission
The Heartland Regional Food Business Center ensures small and mid-size food and farm entrepreneurs benefit from the right resource at the right time on their business building journey.
How We Serve the Region
Local and regionally produced food is fundamental to ensuring people eat well and communities are food secure.
The Heartland Regional Food Business Center works across Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas, and a designated tribal trade coalition. Our team is comprised of 13 key partners and more than a dozen collaborating organizations.
- Heartland Food Business Center partners provide direct services to farm and food entrepreneurs, including training and technical assistance, one-on-one business counseling, help accessing financing, and building supply chain connections.
- The Heartland Food Business Center partners help farm and food entrepreneurs connect with other businesses and solve problems they encounter on their way to market, such as distribution and storage gaps. Such “food value chain coordination” is key to building strong local and regional links in the food system.
- The Center acts as a regional hub, coordinating support services and helping entrepreneurs connect with local, regional, and national resources.
- Helping rural and urban communities build their food system capacity is a fundamental part of the Heartland Food Business Center’s work to build resilient, responsive, and competitive markets for local and regional farm and food entrepreneurs.
To learn more about the Heartland Food Business Center’s design and structure, click here.