Linwood Property Inc

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE IVANHOE NEIGHBORHOOD, A LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY OF COLOR ON THE EAST SIDE OF KANSAS CITY. IVANHOE AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH ARE DESIGNATED A FOOD DESERT BY THE USDA, EXPERIENCE HEALTHY FOOD APARTHEID AND ARE DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS AGRICULTURAL MARKETS BY LIMITED TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER SOCIO-ECONOMIC BARRIERS. HERE, THE AVERAGE INCOME AND COLLEGE EDUCATION RATES ARE 40 PERCENT BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. CHRONIC DISEASE CAUSED BY OBESITY FROM POOR NUTRITION PREDOMINATE IN THE POPULATION. CRIME HOTSPOTS SURROUND THE AREA. WHILE STATISTICS ARE GRIM, THE IVANHOE NEIGHBORHOOD'S ACTIONS OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS HAVE PROVEN THAT PEOPLE CAN FEEL BETTER, LIVE BETTER, AND HELP EACH OTHER, THROUGH FOOD, FARMING AND NUTRITION. THIS NIFA-FUNDED PROJECT WILL BUILD ON POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN THE IVANHOE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT WILL EXPAND SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, ADD FOOD ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLASSES, SUPPORT LAUNCH OF ADDITIONAL URBAN FARMS TO SUPPLY FRESH FOOD, EXPAND THE IVANHOE FARMERS MARKET, AND WITH A GRANT FROM THE CITY OF KANSAS CITY, MO., UPGRADE THE IVANHOE FARM-TO-TABLE SHARED-USE KITCHEN TO FULL COMMERCIAL STATUS FOR PROFESSIONAL FOOD PROCESSING. THE LOCUS OF ACTIVITY IS THE IVANHOE FARM-TO-TABLE KITCHEN AT LINWOOD AREA MINISTRY PLACE (LAMP), A SOCIAL-PURPOSE NONPROFIT CAMPUS CREATED BY COMMUNITY DEVELOPER, LINWOOD PROPERTY, INC.WHILE THE IVANHOE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAMP, HAS CREATED, TESTED, AND PROVEN A COMBINATION OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE IMPROVING RESIDENTS' WELLBEING, IVANHOE STANDS ALONE IN PROMOTING AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO FRESH, LOCAL FOOD IN EASTERN KANSAS CITY, WHICH HAS ENDURED INTERGENERATIONAL DISENFRANCHISEMENT THAT RESULTED FROM RED LINING IN THE 1930S. MEANWHILE, THE KANSAS CITY AREA HAS AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES IN LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM ASSETS:? THE KANSAS CITY FOOD HUB, LINKING FARM PRODUCTS TO CONSUMERS.? CULTIVATE KC, SUPPORTING METRO FARMERS.? NEW GROWTH AND WEST CENTRAL COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, SUPPORTING REGIONAL FARMERS.? KC HEALTHY KIDS, KC FOOD CIRCLE, PROVIDING INTERNET VISIBILITY TO MORE THAN 40 RESTAURANTS THAT BUY LOCAL FOOD AND 78 LOCAL CSAS.? UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AND KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM SPECIALISTS IN KANSAS CITY (WITH WHICH LAMP HAS A STRONG RELATIONSHIP) TO ASSIST WITH FOOD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND FARMING EXPERTISE.? THE ENNOVATION CENTER FOOD BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL KITCHEN CONSULTANCY AND THE K-STATE FOOD INNOVATION ACCELERATOR HELP ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS START FOOD BUSINESSES.WITHOUT A COMMITTED ENTITY, LIVING AND WORKING WITHIN THE POOREST, MOST MARGINALIZED NEIGHBORHOODS, NONE OF THESE ASSETS CAN TOUCH THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO NEED THEM MOST. LAMP IS THAT COMMITTED ENTITY, AND ON A NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE, LAMP HAS PROVEN IT CAN MEET THE CHALLENGE. THIS PROJECT'S GOAL IS TO LEVERAGE THOSE ASSETS AND SERVE THOUSANDS MORE URBAN CORE RESIDENTS IN THE 64109, 64110, 64127, 64128, AND 64130 ZIP COD,ES.OUR FIRST GOAL IS TO IMPROVE FOOD ACCESS: 1) EXPAND OUR REACH TO CLIENTS OF LAMP'S FOUR RESIDENTNONPROFITS THAT SERVE MORE THAN 6,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY; 2) BUILD A COALITION WITH THE KANSAS CITY FOOD HUB TO BRING WEST-CENTRAL MISSOURI PRODUCE TO LAMP AND CREATE A NEW MARKET FOR THOSE RURAL GROWERS; 3) TEACH RESIDENTS HOW TO ENROLL IN STATE AND REGIONAL FOOD-BUYING VOUCHER PROGRAMS; 4) RECRUIT MORE URBAN FARMERS USING OUR PROPOSED FARM IN A BOX PROGRAM, WHICH TEACHES RESIDENTS HOW TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE, HALF-ACRE AGRIBUSINESSES ON THEIR PROPERTY OR ONE OF THE MANY VACANT LOTS. THE FARM IN A BOX CONCEPT GERMINATED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS WHILE TRAINING ASPIRING FARMERS WITH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE, SHARED EQUIPMENT, GRANTSMANSHIP COACHING, AND CONTINUAL SUPPORT, WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN NINE PRODUCTIVE IVANHOE FARMS, NOW SELF-NAMED WOODLAND GREENWAY.OUR SECOND GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF 6,000 ADDITIONAL RESIDENTS BY EXPANDING OUR CLASSES IN OUR FARM-TO-TABLE KITCHEN, TEACHING NUTRITION, PURCHASING, PREPARATION, PRESERVATION, AND HOW TO BUY DIRECTLY FROM URBAN/NEIGHBOR FARMERS AND THEIR CSA.OUR THIRD GOAL IS TO DEVELOP OUR NEW COMMERCIAL SHARED-USE KITCHEN INTO A FOOD BUSINESS INCUBATOR THAT TEACHES BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS HOW TO START A FOOD BUSINESS, DEVELOP PRODUCTS, BRAND, PACKAGE, AND MARKET THEM.OUR FOURTH GOAL IS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE FARM-TO-TABLE SHARED USE KITCHEN. A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND BUSINESS PLAN (AN EXCERPT OF WHICH IS ATTACHED AS APPENDICES) DEMONSTRATE THAT THE KITCHEN WILL SUSTAIN ITSELF WITH HOURLY RENTAL BY FOOD BUSINESSES AND CLASS FEES FROM THE PUBLIC. NET INCOME IS EXPECTED TO PAY FOR THE KITCHEN AND MANAGEMENT AND COVER ROUGHLY HALF THE COST OF CLASSES AND PROGRAMMING FOR LOW-INCOME PARTICIPANTS. WHILE OUR INTENT IS TO IMPROVE THE ACCESS CAPABILITY OF LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS TO LOCALLY GROWN HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS, OUR PROGRAMMING WILL NOT BE SUSTAINABLE WITHOUT THE FOUNDATION REVENUE THAT THE SHARED USE KITCHEN WILL BRING INTO OUR BUDGET.WE HAVE PROVEN OUR CONCEPT TOGETHER WITH IVANHOE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS, AND NOW IT IS TIME TO SCALE THE CLASSES, THE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, AND OUR NETWORK OF URBAN AND REGIONAL/RURAL FARMERS. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE DEMAND BY THE COMMUNITY FOR HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS, AND WE HAVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN THE AMOUNT OF AGRICULTURE AGGREGATION HAPPENING AT A NEIGHBORHOOD AND REGIONAL LEVEL.