Oct 05, 2026
By Shelley Rich
Cultivating communities, cities and food systems. That was the theme of the 2026 Urban Food Systems Symposium, held Sept. 15-16 in Kansas City, Mo., bringing together approximately 200 people representing more than 130 unique organizations from 33 states to explore how communities can strengthen local and urban food systems.
Among those sharing a Kansas perspective were Jennifer Kern and Shelley Rich, who presented on the Border Queen Harvest Hub and the Sedgwick County Harvest Hub.
The symposium is hosted every two years and brings together professionals working across research, education, agriculture, public health, community development and food systems. The 2026 symposium in Kansas City provided an opportunity for participants from across the country to learn from one another and explore practical approaches to building stronger, more resilient local food systems.
Kern shared the story of the Border Queen Harvest Hub, a local food hub based in Caldwell, that connects local growers with consumers and supports agricultural entrepreneurship. Rich shared the vision for the Sedgwick County Harvest Hub, connecting the experience and lessons of Border Queen with the opportunities and needs of a larger urban county. Together, the presentation demonstrated that food hubs can look different depending on the community, but the underlying goal is the same: connect producers, consumers, organizations and communities in ways that strengthen the local food system.
One of the greatest benefits of the symposium was the opportunity to hear how communities in other parts of the country are approaching similar challenges. For Sedgwick County, two takeaways stood out.
1. The Local Food Policy Resource Hub could be a valuable tool
A session focused on the Local Food Policy Resource Hub offered a practical resource for communities interested in strengthening their local food policies. The resource was particularly timely because it had recently been referenced during a call with the Public Health Association following a scan of fruits and vegetable policies in the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County and Wichita Public Schools.
The tool could help Sedgwick County and its partners identify existing policies, examples and strategies that other communities have used to support local food systems. Rather than starting from scratch, local leaders can learn from communities that have already developed policies and programs addressing food access, local purchasing, agriculture and food-system development.
2. Kansas City demonstrated the value of local leadership
Another important takeaway came from the symposium's host community. Kansas City, Mo., has a food systems coordinator, a position that was championed by a city council member.
The example illustrates how local government can provide dedicated leadership and coordination for food-system work. A designated coordinator can help connect the many organizations, programs and initiatives involved in a community's food system and provide a central point of leadership. For Sedgwick County, the Kansas City example raises an important question: What could be accomplished if local food-system coordination had dedicated leadership and resources?
The Urban Food Systems Symposium reinforced an important lesson: successful food systems are built through relationships. Farmers, food producers, nonprofit organizations, public health professionals, educators, researchers, businesses and local governments each play a role. Bringing those partners together creates opportunities that no single organization could accomplish alone.
The symposium's tagline, “Cultivating communities, cities and food systems,” captured the spirit of the two-day event. For Kern and Rich, presenting the Border Queen and Sedgwick County Harvest Hub stories was not only an opportunity to share what is happening in Kansas, but also to bring home ideas that can help strengthen the local food system in Sedgwick County.