Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Inc. awarded a 2018 FMPP grant
Posted On: September 26, 2018
Congratulations to the Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Inc., a 2018 USDA FMPP grant recipient!
Recipient: Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Inc., Overland Park, KS
Project Type: Community Development, Training, and Technical Assistance
Building Direct Market Capacity for Refugee Farmers
Wyandotte County, Kansas, consistently ranks at the bottom of counties in the state for health
outcomes and consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits. The farmers in training and graduates of the New Roots for Refugees program are growing in Wyandotte county and struggle with selling their produce. These farmers have great need for better marketing, for expanding their community supported agriculture (CSA) revenues in light of decreasing farmers market sales and for technical assistance and infrastructure improvements around food safety. Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas aims to meet these needs by creating 1) an effective marketing presence for farmers learning English; 2) an aggregated CSA program to increase scope and retention; and 3) food safety procedures, infrastructure, and education. Outcomes include doubled CSA revenue for these refugee farmers, improved safety practices, and careers created and strengthened.
