Kansas State University Urban Food Systems

08/08/2026

A sincere thank you to NCR-SARE for their generous (& consistent!) sponsorship of the 2026 Urban Food Systems Symposium!

SARE’s financial support is helping make this year's symposium more accessible by providing registration and travel stipends to nearly 30 attendees, ensuring that more voices, perspectives, and experiences can be part of the conversation. SARE’s continuous investment in advancing sustainable agriculture and supporting the people working to strengthen our food systems is making a meaningful impact - we cannot wait to bring this group of people together.
We are grateful for the partnership and their commitment to fostering learning, collaboration, and innovation in urban food systems.

08/06/2026

A heartfelt thank you to K-State Olathe (KSO) for their incredible partnership and generous in-kind support of the Urban Food Systems Symposium.

KSO is providing key services to make the symposium come to life: managing registration, logo refresh, poster session coordination, as well as on-site IT support and event technology. The campus team's expertise is helping create a seamless and engaging experience for our speakers, sponsors, and attendees.

We are grateful for the dedication and collaboration of the Marketing, IT, and Professional & Continuing Education teams. Thank you for investing in the future of urban food systems and helping us bring this event to life!

07/23/2026

From nematodes to nutrients, colloids to compost, dig into urban soils at this pre-conference workshop! (No, literally. We’ll have hands on demos.)

Facilitated by our colleagues from the University of Minnesota, the Organic Association of Kentucky, and Cornell Cooperative Extension, we’ll pack brief presentations from soil experts, bulk density adjustment and soil health assessment demos, and rich discussions into one afternoon.

Add the workshop to your cart when you register, and get ready to get dirty and get nerdy with us!
https://urbanfoodsystemssymposium.org/registration

07/21/2026

Have you been down to Blip Roasters lately?! UFS student Tracy Flowers has teamed up with Blip owner, Ian Davis, to get their West Bottoms greenhouse space under production! In Tracy's words "over the last year I have been working with Ian to figure out ways to increase food availability in the food desert of the West Bottoms. So far, they are using some of the food on their menu. For example, right now they are making a ground cherry syrup for one of their iced teas, and zucchini bread from the mountains of zucchini that the squash bugs left us. We are also starting to do fresh veggie sales, at bargain prices. The staff is allowed to take home veggies, and I plan on donating anything that is still usable, but in need of a rotation out of the store. We really just want to make fresh, healthy choices available down there, since the nearest grocery store is pretty far away." If you're in the West Bottoms - make sure to stop by!

07/20/2026

major thank you to for hosting our annual post harvest handling & food safety workshop! timely topic. we're so impressed with their training and set up at juniper gardens training farm. great conversation and idea sharing - thanks to all of our apprentices, area growers, & food safety extension professionals who joined us this morning 💜🥗🍅🌱

07/12/2026

Join us for a dynamic conference exploring the future of urban agriculture and local food systems! Dive into powerful discussions on food access and equity, with sessions spotlighting local food environments, WIC and SNAP education programs, farmers market nutrition initiatives, and food sovereignty work.
You'll also gain valuable insight into food policy and planning, from city and state food system plans to human-centered design approaches shaping urban agriculture regulation.
Whether you're training the next generation through apprenticeship models and leadership programs or looking to grow your own skills, you'll find sessions designed to help you thrive. Conversations will be as intersectional as the work we do, covering topics like community health, food hubs, agri-clusters, and food entrepreneurship from cities and regions across the country. With this rich mix of equity-focused dialogue, technical know-how, and practice-based learning, this conference offers something for everyone working to build stronger, healthier food systems.
Register today and be part of the conversation!
https://urbanfoodsystemssymposium.org/schedule-1

Explore the Urban Food Systems Symposium (UFSS) for insights on urban food systems. Join us in 2026 for networking and knowledge sharing.

07/07/2026

Jetting into town early for the Symposium? Then we'd love you to experience Kansas City's urban food system in action on Sunday, September 13th with our friends over at Cultivate KC!

Join Cultivate's annual Urban Grown Tour to get a taste of the vibrant urban food environment right here in the heartland. As a leader of Kansas City's urban agriculture movement since 2005, Cultivate KC takes a holistic approach to our food system, making strides in policy, advocacy, education, engagement, and so much more.

Join them to hear from just a few of the incredible growers we are proud to call our community. Check out their website to learn more!

https://www.cultivatekc.org/urban-grown-tour/

07/07/2026

scenes from summer host farm visits! do you recognize any of these farms or apprentices? 🌱👩🏻‍🌾💚

06/27/2026

With less than three months to go (79 days, actually, but who's counting?), we just checked our roster. A quick tally showed that we have attendees from every corner of the country coming to the UFS Symposium!
We're grateful that professionals from a host of sectors are making the trek to the heartland. We can't wait to connect, celebrate with, and learn from those both near and far!

06/19/2026

We have a few pre-conference events up our sleeve, and we'd love you to take part!

Straddling two states, Kansas City offers a unique opportunity to compare the impact of local, state, and federal policies on urban food systems only miles apart. In collaboration with Cultivate KC , we will dive into these discussions through site visits in Kansas and Missouri.

The Missouri portion of our tour will look at agriculture program offered at Kansas City Public Schools' East High. The farm plays a pivotal role in addressing the intersectionality of food access, education, and job opportunities for Kansas City students. From controlled environment production to animal husbandry, East High's impressive scope simultaneously offers invaluable STEM education and training for students while also growing fresh food for the community.

KC Farm School at Gibbs Road will be our Kansas host. As a pillar of Kansas City's local food network, the nonprofit opens its farm gates to eaters and growers of all ages and backgrounds, bringing our community closer to the land and its bounty. Whether building a coalition for our farmers or using a Pay What You're Able model at their farmer's market, KC Farm School works tirelessly to make food accessible to all.

Details and registration are available on our website! https://lnkd.in/gTrsFfYS