Predevelopment Technical Assistance Grant Recipients

In 2025, the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative (KHFI) began offering predevelopment technical assistance (TA) grants to organizations and businesses that are planning projects to expand healthy food access at the retail level. In the first three rounds of the program, KHFI awarded $443,609 to 14 projects. Learn more about the grant recipients and their projects below! The TA providers who supported these projects are also included for the first two rounds.

Round 1 Recipients

  • Create Campaign, Inc. (Wichita)
    • Create Campaign is studying the feasibility of constructing a new building to increase access to healthy food choices and generate greater economic opportunity in an underserved area within central-northeast Wichita. The project includes fresh produce distribution; a micro-market retailing food grown by local farmers; and a commercial kitchen and cafe for ready-to-serve and packaged meals. This project will fill grocery service gaps; create convenience and proximity to higher-quality food; and generate greater economic impact for urban farmers, producers, and food entrepreneurs. Grant funds will be used to complete an environmental assessment, architectural renderings, and project branding.
    • TA provider: CML Collective, LLC, Inventure, and PEC.
  • Lane County Community Foundation (Dighton):
    • The only grocery store in Lane County burned down in January 2024. The Lane County Community Foundation identified a solution and is building a new 8,000 ft. store. Two community meetings, a community survey, and a feasibility study were performed prior to applying for this grant. They were recently gifted a lot on the main street for the new store location. Grant funds will be used to relieve professional fees for architecture, engineering, and attorney costs.
    • TA providers: Basis Consulting Engineers, Polsinelli Law Firm, and Williamson Architecture.
  • Lawrence Farmers Market (Lawrence)
    • This project is a feasibility study for a permanent location and pavilion for Lawrence Farmers Market. It includes architectural planning, community engagement meetings, and documentation to present a final recommendation to City and County Commissioners and the City Manager. In 2015, they initiated discussions with the Douglas County Food Policy Council on a permanent market location. Subsequent studies in 2016 and 2018 recommended securing a permanent site, building a pavilion, and conditions needed. In 2021, they hired a Director of Development and from 2021-2023, she worked with Clark Huesemann to narrow down location options in collaboration with stakeholders and city departments. In 2024, fundraising began, and by early 2025, the city committed $20,000 and the county’s Sustainability Office committed $5,625 to the feasibility study. Grant funds will cover costs for technical assistance for the feasibility study, public meetings, marketing, and media production for presentations.
    • TA providers: Clark Huesemann, Emily Henry Photography, the Lawrence Farmers Market, and Wild Acres Marketing.
  • Station 85 (Potwin)
    • The Station 85 Potwin Food Hub will serve as a year-round retail and distribution point for healthy, affordable produce and local goods in the rural community of Potwin, Kansas. Located at 100 N Randall Street in a former gas station being donated by the City, the food hub will help address significant gaps in fresh food access by offering local produce, national produce partnerships, and a CSA-style produce box program. The space will be restored into a multi-functional market and distribution site, acting as both a retail destination and a local community anchor. The grant will fund three key predevelopment services: (1) Legal consultation and entity formation, (2) Architectural design, including building renderings and structural planning, and (3) Business planning support focused on produce logistics, licensing, and operations. These activities will prepare the applicant and partners to launch building restoration and establish a sustainable food hub operation in late 2026.
    • TA providers: Connell & Connell, Ellis Farm Store, Kelly Perry, and Shelden Architecture.
  • Stafford County Economic Development (St. John)
    • Stafford County Economic Development Inc. is launching a regional food systems project to research and develop a viable food hub business model based in St. John, Kansas. This early-stage effort will support small-town grocery stores within a 90-mile radius by improving access to healthy, affordable, locally sourced foods. The grant will fund key activities, including hiring a food systems consultant, conducting regional food systems research, and mapping local production and distribution networks. Based on this research, Kansas State University will assist with the conceptual design of a warehouse facility tailored to the region’s needs. Grant funds will also support stakeholder engagement, including travel and meetings with farmers, distributors, and grocery owners. The project will result in a comprehensive feasibility study and an actionable, community-informed plan for establishing a food hub that strengthens local food supply chains and enhances food access across rural Kansas.
    • TA providers: Stafford County Economic Development Inc and Wild Tomato Consulting.

Round 2 Recipients

  • McDonald Community Development, Inc. (McDonald)
    • McDonald Community Development, Inc. (McD) is leading a community effort to establish a new convenience grocery store on Rawlins Avenue in McDonald. About one year ago, the long-time grocery store ceased operations, leaving the town without any source of local groceries. McD has identified a building on their main street that is approximately 1,100 square feet and appropriately sized for a convenience grocery store. McD worked with the Rural Grocery Initiative to research differing types of operational models and ownership models. McD held a community outreach dinner in September 2025 and community members overwhelmingly opted for a 24/7 partially unmanned model. According to McD, this model fits well to provide basic grocery needs for their small community and it allows an operator flexibility in staffing. Grant funds will pay for preliminary architectural drawings that can be used to provide a construction estimate and basis for construction grants.
    • TA provider: Unique Dwelling.
  • Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (Mayetta)
    • The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) seeks to implement its Food Sovereignty program. Food Sovereignty was identified as a community priority by the PBPN Strategic Plan. To date, PBPN has completed a Food Systems Adaptation Plan to guide the overall development of the Food Sovereignty Department, which includes the construction of a new facility with a retail space. The project funded by this grant would lay the foundational work needed to ensure that the PBPN's retail space is a success. PBPN will use the grant to hire a grocery consultant group to conduct a feasibility study to identify the market, financial, economic and operational feasibility of their mercantile store.
    • TA providers: Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and Vetter Consulting Enterprises LLC.
  • Smoky Hill Market (Sharon Springs)
    • This project will help fully develop multiple aspects of the Smoky Hill Market and Incubator Kitchen concept. According to Smoky Hill Market, they are running the retail portion of the Market with an emphasis on local produce and value-added food products. They plan to use the grant funds on four fronts: land survey, concept and physical design of the retail and kitchen space, legal counsel, and marketing and brand development.
    • TA providers: B.E.B. & Associates, C+T Design & Equipment Co, Grapevine Local Food Marketing, Grabbe Law, and Swan Dive Design Studio.
  • The Neighboring Movement (Wichita)
    • The Neighboring Movement is dedicated to establishing a community-owned grocery store in the South Central neighborhood in Wichita. Their goal is to make high-quality, nutritious foods accessible to everyone. Through this project, they aim to strengthen food security, support local farmers and producers, and reinvest in their community through collective ownership. To date, they have established an initial steering committee, identified a site, conducted a preliminary market study, and started learning about cooperative grocery start-ups through the Food Co-op Initiative. They have also begun their initial community engagement with a focus group and one-on-one conversations with neighborhood residents. Grant funds will be used for a market and feasibility study, store design planning, and legal counsel.
    • TA providers: G2G Analytics, Sarah Lebherz, and seven roots.

Round 3 Recipients

  • Grass Roots Institute (Atwood): The Grass Roots Institute seeks to expand its role as a Healthy Food Access Hub that aggregates locally grown and wholesale food products for distribution to small retail and institutional buyers, while also launching a SNAP-eligible retail component within our existing facility. Their goal is to strengthen local food supply chains, improve access to healthy food in an underserved rural area, and create a scalable model that supports both producers and community consumers. The proposed hub would supply local institutions such as childcare centers and the community grocery store with appropriately sized wholesale orders and make excess or seasonal products available for direct retail purchase within the Institute.
  • Kanbe’s Markets (Wichita): Over the past year, Kanbe's Markets has explored expanding their food access model to Wichita. The 2026 Food System Shared Vision draft identifies "getting nutritious food to people where they are by increasing ways to deliver good food effectively at low or no cost" as a key priority—directly aligned with their expertise in perishable logistics and corner store partnerships. Wichita State University's foundational work on healthy corner stores, combined with efforts by the City of Wichita and the Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita, has created fertile ground for expansion. However, critical questions remain about supply chain logistics, partner store readiness, and sustainable operational models in this new market. Grant funds will support a part-time contracted position in Wichita to conduct feasibility assessments, stakeholder engagement, and market analysis, and Kanbe’s Market staff-time to manage.
  • Sheridan County Community Foundation (Northwest Kansas): Rooted + Cultivated – Western Prairie Healthy Food Pathways is a regional initiative designed to strengthen healthy food access and retail-aligned agricultural capacity across nine Northwest Kansas counties. The long-term goal is to launch a structured grocery-centered pilot aligning regional producers with a SNAP-accepting rural retailer, creating a repeatable model for expanding locally grown food within rural grocery environments. Since late October 2025, preliminary work has focused on high-level research and statewide engagement, reviewing comparable models and consulting with Kansas-based partners. This early exploration confirmed the need for disciplined planning, financial feasibility analysis, and stakeholder alignment. Grant funds will support nine-county asset mapping, listening sessions, retailer planning workshops, financial modeling, and development of standardized participation templates and marketing frameworks. The primary deliverable will be a comprehensive Western Prairie Healthy Food Pathways Playbook, positioning the region for long-term healthy food system development and scalable expansion beginning in 2027.
  • Stafford County Economic Development, Inc. (Macksville): Stafford County Economic Development (SCED) will use grant funds to support feasibility, planning, and design for a proposed hybrid/unmanned grocery store in Macksville, Kansas. The project will explore a proven grocery model designed to improve healthy food access in a very small rural community. To date, SCED has conducted preliminary community engagement, assessed local food access gaps, and identified a technical assistance provider. Grant funds will support site evaluation, market analysis, conceptual store design, site survey work, business model development, operator training, site visits, and a prospective owner engagement session to prepare the project for future financing and implementation.
  • United Way of Harvey and Marion Counties (Hesston): United Way of Harvey and Marion Counties, in partnership with the Healthy Harvey Coalition, Hesston Chamber of Commerce, Hesston Farmers Market, and with support from the Harvey County Food & Farm Council, is exploring development of a community-based healthy food retail storefront in Hesston. The project aims to expand access to fresh, affordable food, create a reliable sales outlet for local/regional growers, and build a sustainable model for year-round healthy food access. Work to date includes partner conversations, early concept development, and identification of a technical assistance partner to guide feasibility and business planning. Grant funds will be used for planning and predevelopment activities, including feasibility analysis, market research, stakeholder engagement, operational model development, startup cost and financial projections, and a final implementation roadmap. This work will prepare the partnership for storefront launch and growth.

The next round of funding for this program is open now with a deadline of September 25, 2026. Learn more about the 2026 grant program guidelines here. KHFI Predevelopment Technical Assistance Grants are part of a grant awarded to the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative by the National Healthy Food Financing Initiative administered by The Reinvestment Fund.