Updates to KCMO urban agriculture codes supported

Contact:
Karen Siebert

KANSAS CITY, MO - Members of the Kansas City Council this afternoon introduced an ordinance to update the city's zoning and development codes to enable urban agriculture and Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs) to function more effectively in Kansas City. Lead sponsor of the ordinance is John Sharp.

"The Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture is very supportive of these changes," said Katherine Kelly, director of the KCCUA. "We have worked for months with city staff, community members, farmers and gardeners to update the codes to better reflect current trends in urban agriculture and local foods. We hope to have the changes in place in time to impact summer and fall plantings and harvests."

According to Kelly, the current codes have restrictions in them that limit urban food production, in part because definitions of agriculture found in the codes are decades old.

"The current codes define agriculture with a broad brush, and don't distinguish between market gardens, CSAs, community gardens and home gardens," Kelly said. "We want to clarify these distinctions and encourage the continued development of more urban agriculture."

According to Kelly, urban agriculture is not a new activity in the Kansas City area. From potted tomato plants in a downtown window box to "truck farms" growing at a larger scale, Kansas City has a long history of producing significant amounts of fruits and vegetables within city limits to feed its own residents.

"Not only do urban farms benefit Kansas City neighborhoods by providing increased economic development, enhanced individual health and sustainable community development, they also improve our community's environmental health," Kelly said. "The Mayor and City Council have made a commitment to greening Kansas City. Updating zoning regulations to allow for more urban agriculture is a natural step for the community to take in the effort to make Kansas City a leader in the Green Cities movement."

The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition also has been involved in the process to update the ordinances to make them reflective of the local foods movement spreading across the country.

"While this effort is starting in Kansas City, Mo., the Food Policy Coalition wants to use this process as a model for updating and improving urban agriculture zoning codes in other local municipalities," said Beth Low, director of the GKCFPC. "We want to make the entire metro area as friendly to urban farmers and as supportive of local foods as possible."

The proposed changes will go to the City Plan Commission, the Planning and Zoning Committee and then back to the City Council for a final vote.

For more information about the proposed changes to the city zoning ordinances, citizens are encouraged to visit the City of Kansas City web site.

About the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition
The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition is a group of individuals, organizations, businesses and government representatives committed to ensuring that there is a healthy, sustainable, accessible and affordable food system for Greater Kansas City. The coalition promotes food policies that positively impact the nutritional, economic, social and environmental health of Greater Kansas City. More information is available at www.kcfoodpolicy.org.

About the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture
The Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture is a non-profit organization that promotes the growing of food in the neighborhoods where people live, work, shop and play, with the goal of improving individual and community health, quality of life and economic opportunity in the KC metro area. Visit www.kccua.org for more information.