Join/Renew Membership

Eligibility

KC Food Circle membership is open to farmers and local food businesses operating within a 120-mile radius of Kansas City who are committed to building a thriving, sustainable local food system.

KC Food Circle farmer members pledge to use sustainable, ecological, and organic growing practices (whether or not they are certified organic). These pledges (see member pledges tab) are not only a promise to your customers but also a shared standard that helps build trust and transparency across our community.

Our business members actively support our growers by sourcing ingredients directly from local farms on a consistent basis.

The Food Circle exists to promote and advocate for sustainable local agriculture. We recognize that small and medium sized farms are operating in a system that favors industrial, commodity crop agriculture and at The Food Circle, we meet everyone where they’re at. We stand with farmers, offering support, connection, and visibility through our network, so they can keep growing food that nourishes our communities and our planet.

How to Join

  1. Farmers, carefully review the farmers’ pledges page. If your practices align with the practices outlined in the pledges, continue to step two. Businesses and other local food partners, if you’re sourcing from or working with at least one KC Food Circle Farmer on a regular and consistent basis or other local farmers using practices that align with our pledges, continue to step two.
  2. Fill out the application. Please note, Member Applications are for both existing and new members.
  3. Our staff will review your application and send you an email outlining next steps.
  4. Get ready to connect with new buyers and have a great season!

Membership is renewed annually and will run from October 1 – September 30

Benefits

  • Profile in the KC Food Circle Member Directory, which includes a brief description, product categories, photo and links to your online store, website and/or social media page(s).
  • An invitation to be a vendor at the Eat Local & Organic Expo. Mark your calendar for late March/early April of each year! The Expo has typically attracted 2000 attendees each year. Additional tabling fees apply.
  • ​​KC Food Circle member designation on the regional Eat Local Map, which helps shoppers and wholesale buyers learn about your farm. Your listing on the map will link to you member directory profile, allowing increased visibility to eaters and buyers. In addition to KC Food Circle farmer listings, the map includes:
    • Restaurants: The restaurants you sell to are included on the map and it’s a great way to find other restaurants that might be interested in sourcing local foods.
    • Grocery Stores: The grocery stores you sell to are also included on the map. Another great way for customers to find your products and for you to find stores sourcing locally.
    • Community Supported Agriculture programs: If you have a CSA, please describe it in your profile listing so we can highlight it on the map.
    • Farmers Markets: The markets you attend are included on the map making it easy for consumers to locate the one nearest them.
  • Resources for Farmers: Looking for resources on wholesale, food safety, or value added processing? We can help. Looking for assistance as a beginning farmer or rancher? We’ve got that, too! If you can’t get what you need from our resource list, please reach out and our team can point you in the right direction.
  • Advocacy Resources: We’ll keep you updated on legislative issues impacting local food and farming and will provide opportunities for you to weigh in on policy issues effecting our region.
  • Funding Opportunities & Resources: We’ll keep you in the know about grant opportunities and partnership possibilities within our network.