On March 23rd, 2026, the USDA terminated Cultivate KC’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access (ILCMA) award, which funded an innovative, community-based, and locally-led project designed to tackle the greatest barriers that urban, beginning, and disadvantaged producers face in the Kansas City area. As we assess the impact of these cancellations, Cultivate KC and your local food community appreciate your voice and support.
Our urban and small-scale producers were depending on these funds to help reduce barriers to accessing appropriate farmland and to facilitate easier access to capital to build farm infrastructure. Cultivate KC’s ILCMA grant, an award of $2.5m, aimed to purchase, develop, and maintain farmland for farmers with chronically limited access to both land and capital while also launching KC FarmLink, our region’s only urban farmland linking service. Also included in the grant was coordination with local governments to reduce unintentional barriers within City Hall to both farmland acquisition and development. Lastly, this project proposed the development of a no-cost bridge loan program that any farmer could access when faced with the upfront cost of participating in reimbursable government grants designed to assist farmers with access to capital.
“In a time when land prices are skyrocketing and the appetite for future development of farmland knows no end, this is a devastating loss for urban farmers,” explains Ami Freeberg, Cultivate KC’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships. “The USDA is taking a huge step backwards from policies that were just beginning to recognize the importance of supporting the growers who are embedded in urban communities growing the food that feeds our families, our schools, and even our food pantries.”
The USDA terminated 49 of 50 ILA awards across the country after more than a year of systematically undermining the program by freezing funds, withholding required approvals for project activity implementation, and directing program staff to withhold basic grant communications. In our termination letter, the agency cited the resulting delays as justification for cancellation, along with DEI implications and the fact that the program was funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.
“It is central to Cultivate KC’s mission to support farmers in accessing the land, capital and markets that are necessary for a successful farm business; food production is the backbone of a thriving local community,” remarks Brien Darby, Cultivate KC’s Executive Director. “We remain committed to our mission and intend to challenge this termination, and we welcome your support at this time.”
Here are some ways you can help:
- Donate to Cultivate KC
- Purchase a New Roots CSA Farm Share
- Shop at a Dotte Mobile Grocer stop
- Shop at your local farmers markets
- Volunteer with Cultivate KC
- Join us at one of our events
- And MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
