The Community Connections Bakery is a groundbreaking initiative of the Lawrence Public School District. It aims to enhance student nutrition, boost the local economy, and strengthen relationships between the district, local farmers, and the greater community in and around Lawrence, Kansas.
Located in the former Pinckney Elementary School, Community Connections Bakery has committed to sourcing 51 percent of its grains from local farmers. It will produce whole grain baked goods for school meals serving some 10,000 K-12 students in the district.
It’s a new opportunity for farms working toward new markets and a school working to improve children’s diets. The Heartland Regional Food Business Center has provided technical assistance along the bakery’s business development journey, said Heartland Center business counselor Quinlan Carttar. She works for Heartland Center key partner Kansas State University through K-State Research and Extension in Douglas County.
The Heartland Center supports the bakery buyer as well as the farm suppliers. For example, one local grain producer operates a mill for processing local grains. Another is working toward operating a mill that will serve to incubate small farm businesses, Carttar said.
“There is some interesting and innovative collaboration among farms as part of this opportunity to market local grains for local kids’ school meals.”
New Supply Chain Link
The transformation of an unused, historic elementary school kitchen into a bakery is an investment in the future of local farms and local children. It creates a new and needed link in the regional grain supply chain.
The Lawrence Public Schools District has prioritized local grains in this project for several reasons.
By using local grains, the bakery will open new doors for Kansas farmers, many of whom may otherwise struggle to access institutional buyers like schools or larger distributors.
The Community Connections Bakery will serve as a bridge, connecting these farmers to consistent, institutional demand and give them the chance to grow their businesses while sharing their products with the community.
During the 2023-2024 school year, the Farm to School arm of the school district’s Nutrition and Wellness Department procured 16 percent of its food locally, which resulted in more than $432,000 in products sourced from area producers.
The Community Connections Bakery is another exciting opportunity to see local economic stimulus come as a result of prioritizing the enhancement of student nutrition and championing local foods, Carttar said.
In preparation for the first phase of the bakery, members of the Lawrence Public Schools’ Nutrition and Wellness Department took a trip to Melvern, Kansas, to visited a local grain farmer, Dustin Hess, at his farm, Stone and Sparrow Farm and Mill.
Interested in sustainable farming practices and heirloom grain products, they are excited to partner with Stone and Sparrow and are open to partnering with other Kansas grain producers as well.
Local baker Jake Sloan from the local cafe and bakery 1900 Barker has also worked with this team on an initial consultation for industrial kitchen equipment.
Just the Start
As the Community Connections Bakery continues to grow, it will fuel the local food economy, driving revenue growth for farmers and expanding local food capacity.
Success won’t be just measured by the number of loaves baked, but by the long-term relationships forged, the farmers empowered, and the many thousands of students served, Carttar said.
With careful tracking of grain usage, distribution efficiency, market access, and community feedback, the Community Connections Bakery is setting the stage for a future where local food systems are stronger, more sustainable, and more connected to the community they serve – from kindergarten on up.
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