Our Story

Created to support the hardworking farmers of Kansas and Missouri

Our Story

Founded by the farmers who own, run and supply it.

The Kansas City Food Hub was founded in 2016 by a group of small farmers who envisioned a local food system that allowed farmers to move their product into restaurants, schools, homes and more. They not only wanted to feed their communities but uphold their beliefs of sustainable farming for themselves and the next generations.

In addition to integrating local food into the Kansas City Metro Supply Chain, The Kansas City Food Hub focuses on…

Stewardship of the land and its resources
Mentoring of young and emerging farmers
Honest wages for honest work
Collaboration toward food sovereignty
Cooperative production planning, marketing and purchasing of resources

Our small and medium-sized farmers are improving the economic viability of sustainable local agriculture by coordinating year-round production, by supporting emerging growers, by aggregating the distribution of product, and by bringing farmers and buyers together in a community that benefits all.

Meet the Team

Thomas Smith
Director of Operations

Thomas (he/him) is a recent transplant from Boston, where he was serving as the Director of Operations for the Concerned Citizens of Randolph, a Boston area non-profit where he built a grass-roots food access program that saw three weekly free grocery distributions in multiple suburbs and weekly hot meal programs within the city, while managing a vast network of local churches and volunteer organizations to achieve each program. He is looking forward to continuing that food systems work in Kansas City, with a focus on building that ever-important community connection to local agriculture.

Kelley Coquillette
Operations Manager

Kelley (she/her) is an Ex-Farmer, marketer, sous chef, and current mom of two, who has been working in the sustainable produce and agriculture industry for the last 15 years. She is an avid gardener, native plant landscaper, and self-described foodie. She loves all things local food - growing it, selling it, cooking it, and eating it! She truly believes that small-scale, local farming plays a vital role in the health and well-being of every community, and our planet. She is so thrilled to be a part of that again. She loves selling fresh and beautiful food and is incredibly passionate about expanding access to local foods.