KANSAS CITY, MO – In the weeks since Sun Fresh’s catastrophic closure plunged thousands of Black and poor neighbors into extreme food insecurity along the Prospect corridor, KC’s Black community responded with resounding force.
60 volunteers joined the first three Hamer Free Food Program Farm Days at Ivanhoe Neighborhood Association and Young Family Farm KC. Organized by The Defender’s Mutual Aid team, Community Food Leaders and volunteers are learning Black agriculture and food sovereignty, and building hard skills in weeding, planting, seeding, packing, and coordination while we build community in the process.
Every box will include a mini print edition of The Defender with revolutionary political education, food justice information, Black farmer spotlights, and clear ways to plug into the movement.
What is the Hamer Free Food Program & How Does It Work?
Named in honor of Fannie Lou Hamer. She is rightly celebrated for Black liberation and civil rights leadership and too often overlooked for founding the Freedom Farm Cooperative in 1969. We carry that lineage forward.
The Hamer Free Food Program is both a short-term response to a man-made food crisis and a long-term vision for community-controlled food infrastructure in Kansas City. The Defender raised startup resources to launch phases one and two and to move boxes directly to our neighbors.
Here’s How It Works
Direct farm purchasing at a fair rate…