This issue’s cover, captured by Nicole Bissey, features Aaron Young of Young Family Farm. Run by three generations of the Young family, the farm sits on 1/4 acre of land in the Ivanhoe Neighborhood of Kansas City, MO. The Midtown neighborhood is considered a food desert due to lack of access to grocery stores and healthy food options. Residents experience high rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The Youngs use bio-intensive agricultural methods and sell directly from their farm stand to make sure fresh, high quality produce is easily accessible to neighbors. Young Family Farm, one of the only urban farms owned and operated by Black farmers in the Kansas City area, will be featured during the October Urban Farming Gathering.
See more of Nicole’s work at nicolebisseyphotography.com.
Photo credit: Nicole Bissey
View the Summer 2021 Kontact on ISSUU.
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Summer 2021
As this year has progressed we in agriculture have been given the opportunity to have our hopes risen on the news that the current administration is going to aggressively tackle a lot of the issues that we in Farmers Union have been fighting to change for many years –corporate concentration, especially in the livestock industry, Country of Origin Labeling, the evermore important climate, Right to Repair our own equipment, etc. [...]
SURVEY: Exploring Future Chapter Options
By Mercedes Taylor-Puckett Planning our first ever virtual convention came with some speed bumps and one of the biggest was obtaining duly-elected delegates. In a typical year, chapters across the state hold in-person meetings to conduct annual business and hold elections. That just wasn’t an option in 2020. Finding a solution led us into a deep dive of our membership database looking for clues as to how to reimagine [...]
2022 Policy Drafting begins Online in October
By Donn Teske Policy drafting preceding the Dec 1st & 2nd KFU state convention will be held via Zoom over three consecutive Thursdays, October 7th, 14th, & 21st at 7:00 PM. RSVP HERE Last year we pretty much just moved the existing policy forward and focused on special orders. We really should give policy some serious attention this year, especially with some of the news coming out of Washington [...]
Corporate Power in the Livestock Industry is Harming Farmers, NFU President Larew Tells Senate Judiciary Committee
In response to high levels of corporate consolidation in the livestock sector, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing in late July titled “Beefing Up Competition: Examining America’s Food Supply Chain.” Several individuals representing meat packing plants, grocery stores, and ranchers presented testimony on the issues the industry is facing and potential solutions. National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew was among those testifying, speaking on behalf [...]
2021 Kansas Farmers Union Notice of State Convention
The Kansas Farmers Union board of directors moved to hold our 2021 state convention in-person this year with a zoom option for those reluctant to attend because of Covid. And they moved to have a backup plan ready if the entire in-person convention needs to be cancelled. That is what we are working on. The Drury is really a nice meeting location since the remodeling and I’m sure [...]
Herb Bartel Selected to serve on NFU Climate Change Policy Advisory Panel
By Mary Howell Herb Bartel, Hillsboro, Kansas Farmers Union treasurer and long-time member, was recently selected to serve on the new Climate Change Policy Advisory Panel for National Farmers Union. The panel, consisting of 16 family farmers and ranchers from across the nation, will advise the organization’s climate-related legislative work, educational programming, outreach and communications. These individuals reflect the diversity of American agricultural operations ranging in size, type, production method, [...]