Urbavore Farm on Kansas City’s East Side is thriving small business worth saving | Opinion
Urbavore Urban Farm sits on about 13.5 acres of land in a residential neighborhood on Kansas City’s East Side. On a recent Friday evening, I visited the farm in the 5500 block of Bennington Avenue. I needed to see for myself if I could witness the fuss over traffic flow and rotten smells permeating the area that neighbors have complained about over several months.
I didn’t.
While there, I spoke with owners Dan Heryer and Brooke Salvaggio and some of their customers about the not-so-neighborly dispute between them and nearby residents.
“I don’t understand why just a few neighbors with some complaints can’t come together and try to get those issues resolved without all of the things that they’re having to go through,” Barbara Smith, a regular customer from Grandview, said.
Neither do I.
This week, the Kansas City Plan Commission was expected to vote on Urbavore’s Master Planned Development proposal to rezone the area to support Heryer and Salvaggio’s agricultural and composting business.
Understandably, neighbors such as Leah Suttington and her husband Bernice Norwood, have concerns about Urbavore’s on-site composting operation, Compost Collective KC. But they are also aggrieved by the vehicle traffic the farm draws on a weekly basis through its Community Supported Agriculture subscription business.
Once per week, hundreds of customers use their vehicles to turn onto a small gravel road that leads to the farm, Suttington told me. On this day, I witnessed dozens of drivers turn onto the property to pick up fresh produce and other organic goods ordered through the CSA program with minimal issues.
Suttington and Norwood live directly across the street from the farm’s south entrance on East 55th Terrace and oppose how the couple operate its food pick-up and composting businesses.
“This area is zoned for residential,” Suttington said. She filed an application for Kansas City to vacate the public right of way on the street that leads to the farm’s main entrance. That vote is pending before the City Council.
“They have a commercial-level composting business on their property,” Suttington continued.
Does Urbavore farm smell foul?
Urbavore is located a few blocks south of LC’s Bar-B-Q, and is just west of Interstate 435. My ride-share driver dropped me off less than a block from the farm’s main entrance at a dead-end street on E. 55th Terrace.
The closer I got to my destination, I didn’t detect the foul odor or overwhelming stench of something awful some neighbors have complained about in public hearings.
“We don’t know where that compost comes from,” Suttington told me.
It was my second visit to Urbavore in less than a month. The first time I was given a tour of the farm. This trip, I saw the business’ weekly produce and food pickup in action. I’ve yet to leave thinking the place was a nuisance or smelled horribly, as critics contend. I’d say so if I felt that way.
In fairness — I don’t live in the area — neighbors may have a totally different take than most of us. We should not discount their experience. But the smell of livestock, poultry and produce didn’t overpower me during my time there.
Although some residents worry about the danger associated with the heavy traffic flow on E. 55th Terrace, I never feared during my short walk on the dead-end street that I’d be struck.
“Traffic needs to be off the street,” Suttington said.
Kansas City greenlit Urbavore Urban Farm
Thirteen years ago, Kansas City officials OK’d Urbavore’s vegetable garden. The compost facility owners Heryer and Salvaggio purchased three years ago is another matter completely, Suttington said. The collective takes food waste from about 3,000 of its customers and turns the mulch into nutrient-rich soil used to fertilize its crops. What the owners believe should be lauded as a possible breakthrough in urban farming is at risk.
To address neighbors’ concerns about traffic and other issues, the owners envision a different access point to gain entry onto the property, according to renderings I looked at. Other grandiose plans for the site exist. But none of that matters if the master plan is nixed at City Hall.
“It’s not totally clear yet what’s going to happen with us,” Heryer said. “We’ve gone through the process in good faith.”
City leaders owe it to small business owners such as Heryer and Salvaggio to help resolve these sorts of conflicts with neighbors. I’d like to see City Hall work with both entities to keep this thriving business going. We need sustainable operations such as Urbavore and Compost Collective KC in our region.
Neighbors may have legitimate arguments that must be considered here. But should local entrepreneurs lose their ability to make a living due to disputes with their neighbors that should be resolved?
I’d say no.
As a result of the on-going back and forth with neighbors, Heryer and Salvaggio have spent the last several months fighting to save their farm. Customers have donated money, food and other in-kind gifts. Supporters have testified at public hearings and shown up in droves at City Hall on their behalf. I would expect more to be in attendance at this week’s meeting.
“It’s beautiful to see that,” Salvaggio said. “I think about how many years we spent cultivating relationships with people who want to eat really good food. In the day-to-day grind I forget those relationships are there sometimes.
“Seeing everybody pour into City Hall with their ‘Save our farm’ signs — like they feel a sense of ownership. It’s so touching.”
Twice in two weeks, the Kansas City Council was scheduled to vote on a measure that would essentially block access to the farm from E. 55th Terrace. To its credit, the Council postponed the vote until the fate of Urbavore’s master plan was decided.
The City Plan Commission must continue to work with Urbavore and its neighbors to find an amicable resolution to this unfortunate fight.
This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 5:08 AM.
