Connecting with KC area farmers: This expo in Johnson County is a harbinger of spring

The signs of spring are appearing all over: daffodils blooming, birds chirping and farmers’ market booths popping back up. The Eat Local & Organic Expo at Johnson County Community College got the market season started April 1.

The expo, run by KC Healthy Kids, featured farmers and other local producers from around the metro area. While not all the businesses represented were certified organic, the event centered around those committed to sustainable food practices.

Rachael McGinnis Millsap, vice president of programs and policy for KC Healthy Kids, said consumers who attended came to “meet the farmer, talk about local food, get feedback about what to plant.”

The organization took over the expo a few years ago from a group of volunteers who put it on for about 15 years.

For Loralie Tangen, of Food Life Joy in Osawatamie, the event is a chance to showcase what she and her husband do on their farm.

“I think it’s good for people to know where to go to know who is doing organic practices. It’s that commitment to clean food,” she said.

Mac McAdams, of Antioch Urban Growers in Kansas City, agreed with Tangen.

“Even if they don’t buy anything, it’s the information we’re here to spread,” he said.

It’s the first chance of the season for consumers to connect with farms and get in on things like community-supported agriculture crop shares, which allow consumers to get locally grown produce directly from the farmer, usually on a weekly basis.

“We wanted to connect with some local farmers, maybe do a CSA. All the farmers are so friendly and warm,” said Mary Jo Hegstrom, a Mission resident who attended the event. “It makes you feel good about what you’re eating.”

That connection is a key point of why KC Healthy Kids puts on this event.

“We really push local food, wanting folks to get exposed to where their food is grown, and the closer the better to help out our local farmers,” McGinnis said.

She thinks the supply chain issue caused by the pandemic has encouraged people to focus on getting food more locally. Olathe farmer Jim Leek of Pat and Rachel’s Gardens has seen the pandemic’s impact in multiple ways.

“COVID really kind of spurred this on,” Leek said. “We saw a huge increase in demand for local produce. I still have people that won’t even go to the farmer’s market. They’ll order something and come and pick it up, because they don’t want to be around crowds.”

Encouraging CSAs is also a way to help farmers have a secure, steady income.

“That’s one of the priorities is that these farmers come away with (the expo) being a successful day,” McGinnis said. “We know our farmers aren’t making enough. We really want farmers to get a bump prior to market.”

For some consumers, this event was one more step toward a healthy-eating resolution.

“I’m really into organically grown food, and I’m working to eat a lot more vegetables this year. I think this is a fantastic event,” said Brett Logwood of Olathe.

The expo also featured a few kid-focused activities, like decorating flowerpots they could plant with sunflowers, tasting pea shoots and radishes, and drawing pictures of what a healthy meal looks like.

Ready to check out your local farmers market? Here’s when a few near you get started:

▪ April 15: Overland Park, 7950 Marty St.

▪ April 29: Olathe, Stagecoach Park, 1205 E. Kansas City Road and Black Bob Park, 14500 W. 151st St., Field One

▪ April 29: Lenexa, 17201 W. 87th St.

▪ May 6: Merriam, 5740 Merriam Drive.