Kansas Specialty Crop Growers Association, in collaboration with Kansas Farmers Union, is offering a workshop and tour program highlighting two Kansas growers’ evolution from small-scale, word-of-mouth production and sales to building operations and reach as contributors in evolving regional food systems. While not a formal food safety training activity, the events will give growers opportunities to see the real-life planning, practices, equipment, and infrastructure development that’s gone into their expansion and the food safety considerations faced at each step of their growth—and point them in the right direction in their own planning processes.

The April 9 workshop and tours feature both online and in-person opportunities for participation. Participants may register and attend the entire day’s activities or individual activities fitting their interest.

• 10:00-11:30am: Online workshop featuring grower partners (Zoom access info distributed prior to events)

• 1:00-2:30pm: In-person tour of RISE Farm-Wichita

• 4:00-5:30pm: In-person tour of Teck Farms-Hutchinson (Teck Farms is a an app 1-hour drive from Wichita)

Our highlighted operations—RISE-Firefly Farm of Wichita and Teck Farms of Hutchinson—offer models in preparation for food safety requirements as well as cultivation practices, crop diversity, organic production, and outreach and networking in their success.

• RISE-Firefly Farm is located in the heart of downtown Wichita, Kansas. RISE Farms consists of a 15,000-square-foot urban farm and a 204-panel solar farm on the top floor of Fidelity Bank’s mixed-use RISE Car Park development. RISE’s operations are moving toward supplying on-site restaurants, education, and integration in a regional food system.

• Teck Farms—Hutchinson’s operations include a creative array of organic practices, high tunnel and outdoor production, supplying produce for local schools, and a 501(c)(3) offshoot organization dedicated to educating consumers and growers in healthy local foods.