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North Central Kansas Food Council Seeks Grower/Producer Information for Directory

The North Central Kansas Food Council (NCKFC) is developing a regional directory of growers/producers to highlight local businesses and better connect local food products and consumers.

The directory will be used to help promote local foods in the 12-county region the NCKFC serves – including the counties of Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Jewell, Lincoln, Marshall, Mitchell, Ottawa, Republic, Saline and Washington. It will also feature local markets, farmers markets, and food processors — essentially serving as a “one-stop shop” to find food resources in the region.

Local growers/producers in the region interested in promoting their business are invited to complete a directory form. The form is available at www.ncrpc.org/nckfoodcouncil.

Taylor Stewart is a Dane Hansen Community Intern with the North Central Kansas Food Council this summer.

The project is spearheaded by Taylor Stewart, a Dane Hansen Community Intern with the North Central Kansas Food Council. Her position is made possible through the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and K-State Research and Extension Community Intern program. The North Central Regional Planning Commission collaborates to administer the North Central Kansas Food Council initiative.

“This is a great opportunity for growers and producers to market their business and reach a wider audience of customers while there is growing momentum around local food due to COVID-19,” Stewart said. “There have been separate efforts to create food directories in the past, but our goal is to create a comprehensive directory and map specific to the region that is sustainable in the long-term.”

Originally from Gardner, Kansas, Stewart graduated from Kansas State University in May with a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, secondary major in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, and minor in Nonprofit Leadership Studies.

“Taylor brings energy and experience in community-based initiatives that are an asset to the North Central Kansas Food Council,” Emily Benedick, North Central Regional Planning Commission Executive Director, said. “We are pleased to host Taylor this summer and encourage local growers/producers to reach out to her to be included in the directory.”

For more information, visit the NCKFC, contact Taylor at nckfc@nckcn.com, or like North Central Kansas Food Council on Facebook. Stewart’s internship ends August 7.

This article appeared in the July 2020 NCRPC Newsletter.


Regional Food System Assessment Continues this Summer

North Central Kansas Food Council LogoThe North Central Kansas Food Council (NCKFC) will continue the next phase of its regional food system assessment this summer. The emphasis will be community engagement through surveying, outreach, and focus groups.

The first phase of the regional food system assessment focused on quantitative data. This summer’s phase will engage local growers and producers, members of civic groups, government entities and others to ensure a comprehensive look at what is happening with local foods in the region and the current food system needs of each county. Ultimately the NCKFC plans to use the information from the summer’s outreach to help plan an implementation strategy for each county and the region.

According to NCRPC Assistant Director Emily Benedick, guidelines for selling produce commercially and the expense of licensing can be a challenge for small local producers growing specialty crops for a living.

“The NCKFC wants to help increase support for local growers,” Benedick said. “We hope that through the research conducted through the regional food assessment we will be able to collect the necessary data and trends of the region to help connect producers not only to each other to form local collaborations, but to also connect producers to interested consumers as a revenue stream.”

Local FoodsThe NCKFC will begin surveying in June. The survey will help determine local food trends in consumption and availability of health food choices. It will be available online and through paper copies in public offices around the region. Focus groups will begin this summer and continue through the fall.

Each county also has a County Advisory Council that will be instrumental in the regional food system assessment. County Advisory Councils are still being formed in some counties. If you are interested in getting involved, contact the NCRPC at 785-738-2218.

The NCKFC was developed in 2017 as an initiative of the NCRPC and Live Well Saline County and is assisted by Advancing Rural Prosperity, Inc. (ARPI) through its joint partnership with the NCRPC to advance food system development in North Central Kansas.

The council is once again collaborating with Leon Atwell of ARPI and consultant Kolia Souza, who is affiliated with the Center for Engagement at Kansas State University, to complete this phase of the regional food system assessment.

A new member to the NCKFC team this summer will be Emily Reno, who will join the NCRPC through the Dane G. Hansen Foundation & K-State Research and Extension Community Internship Program. Reno will assist with surveying and focus groups.

Watch for more information about the survey beginning in June. To learn more about the NCKFC, like them on Facebook or visit www.ncrpc.org/nckfoodcouncil.

This article appeared in the May 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Update on June 1, 2018: The survey is now available at the following link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NCKFCSurvey.


NCK Food Council Seeking Representatives; Preparing for Local Food Assessment

Image of Fresh ProduceThe North Central Kansas Food Council (NCKFC) is searching for representation from Washington County and Cloud County to serve on our council. If you work with local foods, have an enthusiastic interest in bettering local foods production/ distribution or want to help educate NCK residents on healthy eating and active living, please contact us!

NCKFC meets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. approximately every 6 weeks somewhere within our 12-county region. Councilors do have the option to call in and participate remotely if necessary. Our first major project will be working in collaboration with several partners to complete a food assessment of our region!

Currently, our food council members are creating advisory committees within each county who will support the council’s mission, as well as help with some of the food assessment information collection. If you live in any of the following counties and are interested in participating, please let us know and we will get your in contact with your county’s representative: Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Jewell, Lincoln, Marshall, Mitchell, Ottawa, Republic, Saline and Washington Counties.

To learn more, click here or visit the NCK Food Council Facebook page.


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