KANSAS CITY, MO – In the weeks since Sun Fresh’s catastrophic closure plunged thousands of Black and poor neighbors into extreme food insecurity along the Prospect corridor, KC’s Black community responded with resounding force.
More than 60 volunteers joined the first three Hamer Free Food Program Farm Days at Ivanhoe Neighborhood Association and Young Family Farm KC. Organized by The Defender’s Mutual Aid team, Community Food Leaders and volunteers are learning Black agriculture and food sovereignty, and building hard skills in weeding, planting, seeding, packing, and coordination while we build community in the process.
Every box will include a mini print edition of The Defender with revolutionary political education, food justice information, Black farmer spotlights, and clear ways to plug into the movement.
What is the Hamer Free Food Program & How Does It Work?
Named in honor of Fannie Lou Hamer. She is rightly celebrated for Black liberation and civil rights leadership and too often overlooked for founding the Freedom Farm Cooperative in 1969. We carry that lineage forward.
The Hamer Free Food Program is both a short-term response to a man-made food crisis and a long-term vision for community-controlled food infrastructure in Kansas City. The Defender raised startup resources to launch phases one and two and to move boxes directly to our neighbors.
Here’s How It Works
Direct farm purchasing at a fair rate
We standardize pay at market rate per pound. In the pilot, this purchases roughly 667 pounds of fresh produce for direct distribution while injecting reliable cash flow into Black growers’ income.
Doorstep-distance access
Priority goes to households within 0.5–1 mile of 31st & Prospect, with delivery or easy pickup for elders and low-mobility neighbors.
Community Food Leaders
Youth and Mutual Aid organizers train in seeding, harvesting, packing, logistics, and organizing. We are building a pipeline of Black agrarian leadership that strengthens farms and feeds families.
Hamer Free Food Program Organizations
- Partner farms: Young Family Farm KC, Global One Urban Farming, Sankara Farm, Ophelia’s Blue Vine Farm, Pearl Family Farm.
- KC Black Urban Growers: facilitation of program and meetings, grower support, and education.
- Ivanhoe Neighborhood Association: Food distribution infrastructure, agricultural educational programming for community food leaders.
- The Kansas City Defender Mutual Aid Team: logistics, doorstep deliveries, organizing, and a print edition inside each box.
What’s Next
- First harvest and distribution launch later this month
How to Plug In
- If you are Black and want to volunteer, click this link here and indicate your interest on the form.
- If you are Black or an ally and want to donate or be an organizational partner, fill out this form and indicate your interest.
Because its always been our own in our own communities that have kept us fed, safe, and alive. Together.
