Foundation Journal

photo: Tammy Ljungblad / Kansas City Star In my quest to learn about the food cycle in the United States and here in the "bread basket" of the Midwest, I took a tour of the Kansas City Board of Trade (KBOT). The tour provided insights into the methods of commodity trading in one of the nation’s three large sites. A communications professional and former trader introduced herself, shared a “Voices of Vision” video, then led a group of personal investors to a viewing area above the trading floor. The video highlighted the success of the wheat growing capability of the US and the Midwest. The facilitator noted how problems with Russian wheat production, excess moisture in Europe, and dry climate in Argentina and Australia have elevated the price of wheat in recent months. This price increase is evident despite the highest volume in wheat production in the history of KBOT since 1856. In a seeming self-serving comment, the facilitator emphasized these were heady days for t

Noreen's Harvesters crew (left to right): Carlos, Maegan, James, Josh, Noreen, Doug, and Matt Harvesters employees took time out of their workday to learn about cooperative urban farms on Kansas City's east side. A light rain fell as Sasteh Mosley started the tour Wednesday, September 22 on the drive to the "Garden of Eden" farm just north of 27th and Prospect Avenue. Frequently we miss out on learning about alternative ventures like the farms on the tour because of our busy schedule working in the warehouse and offices at Harvesters. Today we got a good breakdown of the variety of urban farms on the tour. I'm amazed at all the connections Mosley's group East Meets West of Troost bringing youth to jobs on the urban farms, meeting with neighborhood associations, engaging government agencies, as well as larger nonprofits with organizational depth and funding. Mosley reflects on his family's connection and legacy to the neighborhood, adding that he

"Ghost Bird," the documentary screened at the Tivoli in Kansas City, focused on the controversy surrounding the questionable sighting of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker after a 60-year absence. A remarkable discovery that would give hope to those that see the extinction as a tragic cause of events, possibly contributed by an aggressive effort to stock ornithology collections in US universities and museums. The film was an entertaining and exhaustive expose' of the bird's demise. The film highlights the potential tourism benefits to Brinkley, Arkansas, a depressed area midway between Little Rock and Memphis. The swampy area is a likely habitat for the bird, where business owners and city officials hype the sighting in order to build bird-viewing tourism. After lengthy explanations on the research of the veracity of the sighting, the film reveals the central cause for the bird's extinction: the clearcutting of hundreds of square miles of old growth forest in a

The bold vision of East Meets West of Troost was on display during a five-stop urban farm tour on September 2. Sasteh Mosley, tour guide with many years of working in the urban agriculture field, provided a wide view of the effort of both East Meets West, as well as other groups. Sasteh's co-worker SahjKaya accompanied the tour. Left to right: Steve Mann with EcoRadio KC, Sasteh Mosley with East Meets West, and Desire' Hendricks at Garden of Eden urban farm near 27th and Prospect in Kansas City. East Meets West focuses on three key areas -- urban farming, recycling, and young artist support. The group's ambitious program to reclaim areas such as the tough neighborhood around 27th and Prospect is underscored by the replacement of crosses marking deaths at the intersection with large vegetable farms. These large garden plots may not always be visible during a drive through this area, but abundant gardens appear when we walk up to the plots, like at the first stop