“Adding the cider operation has made our farm a more resilient farm in that we now have income streams year-round and new opportunities to utilize our fruit crops,” said Solstice Farm co-owner Mark Westbrock.
The KCK Farmers’ Market is on the Kansas side of Kansas City in Wyandotte County. It will use a Business Builder grant from the Heartland Regional Food Business Center to improve the market’s visibility and help vendors with marketing in this part of town with few grocery stores.
To help Business Builder awardees with upfront costs, the Heartland Center has partnered with three lenders in the region that will offer “bridge loans” to cover out-of-pocket expenses that the grant reimburses. A training on Sept 3 will cover bridge loans and introduce lenders.
The Heartland Regional Food Business Center will soon open its Business Builder Subaward grant program for applications. This article reviews types of applicants and projects.