Partners
Center for Rural Affairs
145 Main St, Lyons, NE 68038
Kjersten Hyberger
kjh@cfra.org
Supporting small rural businesses for 30 years, the Center of Rural Affairs will provide training and development assistance to Nebraska businesses that sell or use locally produced foods, including Latino and Native American-owned businesses.
Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim
4913 S 25th St, Suite #1 Omaha, NE 68107
Lola Juan
lola@pixanixim.org
Communidad Maya Pixan Ixam will support outreach to indigenous and immigrant communities and non-English speakers in the Heartland Regional Food Business Centers’ 5-state region, including training and business development assistance.
UNL Indigenous Food Trade Coalition
3110 N 40th St A, Lincoln, NE 68504
Ted Hibbeler
thibbeler2@unl.edu
In its work to rebuild historical trade routes used by indigenous peoples, the Coalition will provide training for indigenous food producers and facilitate development of new markets and availability of culturally appropriate foods.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
2625 N.Loop Dr., Suite 2430, Ames, IA 50010
Christa Hartsook
hartc@iastate.edu
ISU Extension’s team of food and farm business counselors will assist entrepreneurs with business development, food safety, farm to institution procurement, food hub development, funding applications, and more.
Kansas State Research and Extension
121 Umberger Hall, 1612 Claflin Road, Manhattan, KS 66506
Rial Carver
rtcarver@ksu.edu
Marlin Bates
batesm@ksu.edu
KSU will provide the 5-state region with development support for rural grocers and related businesses along with one-on-one business counseling to food and farm entrepreneurs.
Kansas Rural Center
PO Box 314, North Newton, KS 67117
Tom Buller
tom@kansasruralcenter.org
Dakota Welch
dakota@kansasruralcenter.org
This statewide sustainable agriculture organization works with farms to diversify and with communities to build opportunities. Staff will work one-on-one with food and farm entrepreneurs to build businesses and connect to resources.
KC Healthy Kids
650 Minnesota Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101
Andrea Clark
aclark@kchealthykids.org
With a focus on building the greater Kansas City food system, KC Healthy Kids will provide food policy support, assistance with resource navigation, and help for entrepreneurs in making business-to-business and market connections.
Kerr Food and Agriculture Products Center
148 FAPC Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078
Rodney B. Holcomb
fapc@okstate.edu
This Oklahoma State University resource will provide Heartland Regional Food Business Center clients with food safety training and consumer, industry, and market data needed for business planning and strategy.
The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
24456 Kerr Road, Poteau, OK 74953
David Redhage
dredhage@kerrcenter.com
The Kerr Center provides outreach and education and training in sustainable agriculture practices, from horticulture and livestock to conservation strategies.
New Growth
112 W. 4th Street, Appleton City, MO 64724
Katie Nixon
knixon@wcmcaa.org
Rural Missouri community development organization New Growth provides food and farm business counseling, beginning farmer support, and business and market linkages. New Growth co-directs the Heartland Regional Food Business Center.
No More Empty Pots
8501 N. 30th Street, Omaha, NE 68112
Nancy Williams
nwilliams@nmepomaha.org
This community food hub supports local and regional food system development with supply chain and logistics coordination, business assistance to food and farm entrepreneurs, and partnerships with food service buyers.
Diana Endicott
gendicot@ckt.net
This consulting organization brings to the Heartland Regional Food Business Center decades of experience sourcing and marketing locally produced food in grocery, restaurant, and healthcare markets.
University of Missouri Extension
322 Mumford Hall, Columbia, Missouri 65211
Bill McKelvey
mckelveywa@missouri.edu
Local and regional food experts in farming, food business development, and value-added products from the University of Missouri Extension system will support Missouri entrepreneurs and communities, as well as partners in the five-state region.
University of Nebraska Extension
1650 N 35th Street, Lincoln, NE 68583
Mary Emery
memery@unl.edu
Food and farm business assistance and regional asset mapping are among University of Nebraska Extension’s contributions. UNL co-directs the Heartland Regional Food Business Center.
Collaborators
Brookside Farmers Market
6425 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64113
Riley Buckman
info@brooksidefarmersmarket.com
A hub of activity in greater Kansas City, the Brookside Farmers Market will support efforts to reach and serve food and farm entrepreneurs with outreach and educational events.
Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture
1769 W. Ash Street
Columbia, MO 65203
Billy Polansky
billyp@columbiaurbanag.org
Food entrepreneur resources at this mid-Missouri hub include a market garden apprenticeship program, value-added processing kitchen, assistance applying for funding, and a resource center with tools and support, such as bulk purchasing.
Common Ground Producers and Growers
2430 E. 33rd Street North
Wichita, KS 67219
Donna Pearson McClish
donna@commongroundpg.com
The mobile market and food hub brings local food to urban and rural communities in the Wichita, KS, region. It will support Heartland Food Business Center efforts to reach and serve area food and farm businesses.
Global Greens – Lutheran Services in Iowa
3125 Cottage Grove Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50311
Dan Dean
dan.dean@lsiowa.org
A refugee and immigrant assistance organization, Global Greens provides food and farm business technical assistance, including financial education, record-keeping, market development, and training in food aggregation, processing and marketing.
HOSCO North Sara Food Hub
1038 N Sarah Street
St. Louis, MO 63113
Gibron Jones
gibran@hoscousa.com
Through its work building access to local and healthy food, the North Sara Food Hub will provide farm and food entrepreneurs with training and technical assistance in production, processing, and marketing, as well as assist with funding opportunities.
Kansas Black Farmers Association
200 Washington Street
Nicodemus, KS 67625
JohnElla Holmes
Johnella.h@kbfa.org
Building upon the legacy of black homesteaders, this organization will support efforts to reach underserved farmers across the state and connect them with Heartland Regional Food Business Center resources.
Kansas Farmers Union
115 E. Marlin, Suite #108
McPherson, KS 67460
Nick Levendofsky
nick@kansasfarmersunion.org
On the job of supporting family farms since 1907, the Kansas Farmers Union will support the Heartland Food Business Center’s work to build food and farm business capacity and supply chain connections.
Kansas Department of Agriculture
1320 Research Park Drive
Manhattan, KS 66502
Trace Mulligan
trace.mulligan@ks.gov
Training and consulting in marketing and licensing and permitting of food-based businesses in Kansas is part of this state department’s contribution to the Heartland Regional Food Business Center.
Kansas Small Business Development Center
800 SW Jackson Street
Topeka, KS 66612
Laurie Pieper
pieper@ksbdc.net
The statewide Kansas SBDC provides workshops and individual business planning support for food and farm entrepreneurs in the state.
Kansas Value Added Foods Lab
1530 Mid-Campus Drive North
Manhattan, KS 66506
Karen Blakeslee
kblakesl@ksu.edu
The Kansas Value Added Food Lab will provide Heartland Regional Food Business Center clients with services, such as nutrition facts labeling, food safety reviews, and food product testing.
Lincoln University Extension
900 Chestnut St
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Touria Eaton
eatont@lincolnu.edu
Lincoln University Extension’s assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers in Missouri will include one-on-one business planning, training and educational events, and assistance with funding applications.
Missouri Agriculture, Food and Forestry Innovation Center
223 Mumford Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
Mallory Rahe
mallory.rahe@missouri.edu
As a part of University of Missouri Extension, MAFFIC provides Missouri value-added food businesses with assistance in business planning and startup, product and process development, financial analysis, marketing, and referrals.
Missouri Farmers Union
15593 245 Street
Fairfax, MO 64446
Tom Coudron
coudront@missouri.edu
The Missouri Farmers Union will assist the Heartland Regional Food Business Center with educational events focused on new markets, quality food production, and working with processors, wholesalers, and distributors.
Nebraska Department of Education
500 S. 84th St., 2nd Floor
Lincoln, NE 68510
Sarah Smith
sarah.e.smith@nebraska.gov
This state agency is charged with helping to grow the market for local farm producers and food businesses and will assist entrepreneurs in learning about and connecting with opportunities, such as farm to school.
Shop Kansas Farms
521 E Whispering Meadows Drive
Potwin, KS 67123
Meagan Cramer
cramerm@kfb.org
A project of Kansas Farm Bureau, Shop Kansas Farms markets farm and food products from the state and will provide business development assistance in Kansas as part of the Heartland Regional Food Business Center.
Springfield Community Gardens
1126 North Broadway Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802
Maile Auterson
maile.auterson@springfieldcommunitygardens.org
Food entrepreneur resources at this southwest Missouri hub include business training and resource navigation for food and farm entrepreneurs, as well as test kitchen support developing food products.
The Kansas City Food Hub
4710 Merriam Drive
Overland Park, KS 66203
Annalise Lallana
annalise.winter@thekcfoodhub.com
The farmer-owned and -operated food hub will work with the Heartland Regional Food Business Center to strengthen regional food system logistics and assist Kansas and Missouri farmers with retail and wholesale business development and marketing.
University of Missouri Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems
211 Whitten Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
Jamie Kleinsorge
help@cares.missouri.edu
Expert in data mapping and visualization, CARES will support the Heartland Regional Food Business Center’s work building a dynamic online map of regional food assets and business resources.
University of Nebraska at Omaha
6001 Dodge Street
Omaha, NE 68182
Steve Schulz
sschulz@unomaha.edu
Faculty and students in logistics and supply chain management at UNO will evaluate existing infrastructure in the five-state region and help develop strategies for expanding local and regional food aggregation, processing, and distribution.