 photo credit: City Market Farmers Market By Claire Sinovic A holiday meal is the perfect time to support and give thanks to local farmers and food businesses. From the main dish to sides, sweets, and drinks, you can elevate your holiday meal with delicious local goodies. Unlike mass-produced foods, KC Food Circle farmers put time, attention, and love into their products. They pledge to avoid synthetic chemicals and use humane, sustainable practices. You can feel confident making the healthier choice for your family, friends, and the environment. Below you’ll find local farms with protein options for your main dishes, kombucha brewers for your bubbly holiday beverage, and farmers markets promoting special holiday market events to round out your meal with delicious and local ingredients. Main Dish Options: In most cases, it’s best to order from these farms and businesses sooner rather than later, because once these products are gone, they’re gone! David’s Pasture raises their chickens and turkeys outside on green pastures with regular moves to ensure they get all the bugs and fresh forage they can handle. Available products include whole turkeys (10-15 lbs), whole chickens (4-6 lbs), chicken cuts and smoked hams. Order online or call Remi (the owner since he was 11 years old!) at 816-633-2411. He is always happy to answer questions! Delivery and on-farm pickup options are available. Check the delivery area here. Farrar Family Farms raises animals on a regenerative, grass-based farm. Their products include turkey, chicken, beef, pork, and lamb. Order online. Delivery and community pickup locations available. View their pickup locations map and home delivery schedule here. MyCo Planet is a woman-owned mushroom farm providing fresh, locally grown mushrooms and mushroom products. Mushrooms make a great meat alternative and are the only non-meat source of Vitamin D! Their products include mixed oyster, lion’s mane, and shiitake. Order by emailing [email protected] or calling 833-419-6926. Farm pickup in North Kansas City on Nov 22. Salmon Enterprises offers grass-fed, grain-finished beef for marbling and flavor. Their products include several beef cuts, as well as beef snack sticks, beef summer sausage, and prime rib. Order by emailing [email protected] or visiting salmonenterprisesllc.com. Delivery available.
photo credit: Salmon Enterprises USA Duck Team has pasture-raised duck and goose, and humanely-raised rabbit. Their products include whole ducks, rabbits, and duck and rabbit pairs. Order by messaging facebook.com/duckteamusa or texting 816-726-9626. Farm pickup in KCK.  photo credit: USA Duck Team Beverage Options: Kombucha, a fermented drink chock-full of gut supporting probiotics, is the perfect fizzy holiday beverage! The two businesses below are new KC Food Circle members who source many of their ingredients from local farms. I speak from experience when I say, both are delicious! Morning Light Kombucha is an Indigenous-woman owned company using sustainably harvested local ingredients. Shop their website or find a local retailer.  photo credit: Morning Light Kombucha Tea-Biotics Kombucha is a woman-owned company passionate about their ingredients, sustainability, the environment and the communities they serve. Shop their website or visit their taproom in Olathe, the World’s Largest Kombucha Taproom, with 48 flavors on tap!  photo credit: Tea-Biotics Kombucha Holiday Farmers Markets: For a festive holiday shopping experience, check out these local farmers markets featuring special holiday events and vendors. Stock up on local ingredients, plus unique gifts and crafts from area farmers and makers (including many of our KC Food Circle members). Who knows? You may even spot the jolly old elf himself making an appearance at some of these holiday market events! City Market's Merry Market with Art Garden KC! happens from 10am- 4pm every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Free and open to the public. KC Farm School's Annual Holiday Market on Nov 25 from 3-7pm has vendors, food, drinks, games, and a cozy greenhouse setting. Lenexa’s Annual Holiday Farmers Market is Nov 23 (10am-1pm) and Dec 21 (10am-1pm) inside Lenexa City Hall with high-quality ingredients and gifts from local vendors. Mission Market is holding a special pop up Holiday Market featuring local vendors! It’s all happening at their Holiday Lights and Festive Sights event on Dec 6 from 5:30-8:30pm at 5635 Johnson Drive. Lee's Summit Farmers Market Holiday Mart on Dec 7 from 10am-2pm at Lee’s Summit City Hall will have 18 local vendors and free insulated market tote bags for the first 150 customers. Overland Park Farmers Market concludes their season in Downtown Overland Park with a Holiday Market on Dec 7 from 8am-12pm with local foods and unique specialty products. Lawrence Farmers Market Holiday Market takes place Dec 14 from 9am-4pm with over 40 vendors providing local produce, handmade crafts, and gift options under the Pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.
photo credit: City Market Farmers Market Check out all our KC Food Circle members by heading to our member directory and find those nearest you on the Eat Local KC Map!
As you gather around the table with family and friends this season, we here at KC Healthy Kids wish you a holiday that's overflowing with good food, good cheer, and plenty of locally-sourced ingredients fresh from our area's dedicated farmers and food purveyors. Claire Sinovic is a local food systems expert, garden educator, and former nutrition coach who helps farmers build thriving businesses and teaches kids and families about the value of urban agriculture and buying locally-grown foods. She oversees the KC Food Circle membership program which includes the KC Food Circle member directory, the Eat Local & Organic Expo and the Eat Local KC Map. Comments are closed.
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