Gaining Ground Webinar Series
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- Gaining Ground Webinar Series
Gaining Ground is a free webinar series geared toward agriculture educators. The goal of Gaining Ground is to equip agriculture educators with knowledge from national experts that support Urban Food Systems enterprises in the region. Participants will learn technical and systems-level information for successful Urban Food Systems practices through the series.
Each webinar is delivered by experts from the urban core such as urban farmers, nonprofit educators, food policy advocates and government workers. Webinars are one hour in length.
Gaining Ground is presented by the Urban Food Systems program at K-State Olathe.
Upcoming Webinars
There are currently no webinars planned.
Previous Webinars
Free Tools for Small Growers: From Interactive Guide to Open-Source Software
This webinar was offered on April 30, 2025.
About the webinar
Small-scale growers need practical, accessible resources to assist with farm planning, financial management and sustainable production. This webinar will introduce free, research-based solutions — from an interactive online guide to open-source farm management software — that can streamline operations while improving profitability and environmental stewardship. Participants will explore:
- A digital farm management platform designed to support planning, task scheduling and sustainability tracking.
- An interactive vegetable variety navigator that helps growers select varieties best suited to their specific growing conditions.
Discover how to integrate these resources into your work to better meet the needs of urban and small-scale growers.
Speakers
- Hannah Wittman, Ph.D., associate at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, professor at the Institute for Resources Environment and Sustainability and professor of Land and Food Systems at University of British Columbia. She also is project lead for LiteFarm.
- Sam Wortman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and founder of the Grow Local Innovation Lab, , which aims to design, create, and test new methods, ideas, and products to support local specialty crop growers and improve the sustainability of local food systems.
Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement on Urban Farms
This webinar was offered on Nov. 20, 2024.
About the webinar
Kelly Robinson from Star Farm Chicago and Melanie Hudgens from The Farmer's House are the guests for this webinar. Star Farm Chicago promotes food equity and access to fresh local produce, as well as providing local jobs, job training and business incubation. The Farmer's House provides horticultural therapy for youth and adults with developmental disabilities. Join Robinson and Hudgens as they talk about effective strategies to connect with community members, build lasting relationships and grow a volunteer base.
Forging Community on Urban Farms
This webinar was offered on Oct. 30, 2024.
About the webinar
Anthony Nealy with Global One Urban Farming in Kansas City, Missouri, describes how to create community around an urban farm. Through hosting volunteer groups and events, they have a space where all are welcome and invited to participate.
The root of Global One's enthusiasm to bring healthy examples of produce and its wholesome preparation to the needy is based on the personal medical history of Nealy, Global One's co-founder, who suffered from years of poor eating habits. He aims to educate others on how to maintain healthy immune systems and extend their lives and health through the avoidance of empty calories, and the consumption of fresh, homegrown organic vegetables.
Urban Hives: Nurturing Bees for Biodiversity and Nutrition
This seminar was offered on May 1, 2024.
About the webinar
A webinar to discuss the integration of bees in urban agriculture as a means of income generation, pollinator enhancement, biodiversity improvement, and a rich source of nutritious honey.
Expert speakers include Laura Stan, Ph.D. with University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Romania and David Friesen, founder of Bee KC in Kansas City.
Climate Change Impact on Urban Agriculture: Water Conservation and Usage
This webinar was offered on April 3, 2024.
About the webinar
A webinar to discuss the impact of climate change on urban agriculture and strategies to help urban farmers adapt, especially in the areas of water conservation and usage. Expert panelists include Brooke Salvaggio and Dan Heryer of Urbavore Urban Farm, Alana Henry of Young Family Farm and Joseph Dorsey, Ph.D., with the University of South Florida.
Aquaponics, Hydroponics and Sustainable Food Futures
About the speaker
Nikolaos Katsoulas, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Thessaly in Volos, Greece. He also is director of the Lab of Agricultural Constructions and Environmental Control and of the Institute of Rural Development of the IASON University Center for Innovation Research and Development. He has 18 years academic, research and teaching experience. He is specialized in microclimate control in agricultural buildings with emphasis in greenhouses. His research interests include technologies, automations, design, modeling and control in greenhouses, irrigation scheduling, hydroponic and aquaponic systems, energy management, renewable energy sources, microalgae production and others. He has long-term stays for research cooperation and teaching in several organizations around the world.
Insect Ecology in Urban and Rural Food Systems
This seminar was offered May 3, 2023.
About the speaker
Dr. Tania Kim is a broadly trained community and landscape ecologist with a particular interest in understanding how environmental variability influences plant-insect interactions and biodiversity patterns. She uses this basic knowledge about environmental variability to better manage insects and plants for conservation and sustainable agriculture, and to understand and predict how land-use and land-cover change influence insect biodiversity patterns and the provisioning of ecosystem services in agricultural and natural landscapes.
Marketing and Messaging for Urban Farms
This seminar was offered on April 5, 2023.
About the speaker
Katie Nixon co-operates Green Gate Family Farm with her husband. It is a certified organic diversified market farm where they produce vegetables, fruits, bedding plants, eggs and flowers. Katie is a founding member and current president of the KC Food Hub, a farmer-owned and farmer-run cooperative serving the wholesale market. For West Central Missouri Community Action Agency, Katie serves as the Food Systems Director. In this role, she has brought in more than $2 million in USDA and other funding to improve the regional food system. Katie has participated in sustainable food and farming work in Washington, Ireland, South Africa, Mexico and New Zealand. In 2020, she was selected as a Zhi-Xing China Eisenhower Fellow.
Racial Equity and Food Justice in Urban Food Systems
This seminar was offered on June 30, 2022.
About the speaker
Duron Chavis is an urban farmer, community educator and change-maker. He engages in coordinating innovative and dynamic initiatives around the topics of urban agriculture and local food systems in a culturally relevant way. Chavis served as the inaugural director of the Harding Street Urban Ag Center — a recreation center repurposed into an indoor farm by Virginia State University. Chavis served as the first community engagement manager for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Chavis founded the Happily Natural Day Festival as a grassroots effort to supplement the summer jazz concert that was held annually at the institution. The festival is a weekend-long experience that focuses on cultural awareness, health, wellness and social change. Chavis is an alum of Leadership Metro Richmond's class of 2011 and received Style Weekly's Top 40 Under 40 Award in 2010 and the Style Weekly Power List in 2014 and 2015.
Addressing the Challenge of Building Healthy Soils in Urban Environments
This webinar was offered live on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021.
About the presenters
Ganga Hettiarachchi, Ph.D.
Kansas State University
Ganga Hettiarachchi, Ph.D., is a professor of soil and environmental chemistry in the department of agronomy at Kansas State University. She is one of the world's leading scientists in the fields of trace metal and nutrient chemistry in soils. Her research at K-State focuses on understanding the chemistry of both nutrient and contaminant elements in soils, with the goal of developing solutions to agricultural or environmental problems.
Mike Rollen
Ophelia's Blue Vine Farm
Mike Rollen of Ophelia's Blue Vine Farm started his farming business seven years ago and is dedicated to restoring access to healthy, affordable food for all people in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Their local farm brings produce directly to the community to help improve the overall health of our society. They currently grow at 2416 Vine St. in Kansas City, Missouri, and sell directly to neighborhood residents as well as 14 HyVee Supermarkets in the metro area.
Zoning for Urban Agriculture
This was offered on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021.
Resources
About the presenter
Andrea Clark
Policy and Planning Manager, KC Healthy Kids
Andrea Clark is dedicated to creating healthy, resilient and equitable communities through research, planning and advocacy. As a member of the policy team at KC Healthy Kids, she focuses on the connections between active living, food security and the built environment through the lens of social justice. Her work also supports initiatives of the Greater KC Food Policy Coalition, including leading the Urban Farm Zoning and Planning Task Force. She is actively involved in the Food Systems Division of the American Planning Association.
Value Added Products
This webinar was offered on March 31, 2021.
About the presenters
Jim Pierce
Of the Earth Farm + Distillery
Located in the gently rolling hills of northwest Missouri, Of the Earth Farm + Distillery is proud to offer seasonal produce, hand crafted spirits and locally raised meats. Since 2011, owners Jim Pierce and Sarah Burnett Pierce, have worked side by side to grow their passion into a successful business.
Beth Robinette
Lazy R Ranch
Beth is the fourth generation of our family to work the Lazy R Ranch. She moved home and began managing the business with her dad, Maurice, in 2010, after completing her studies at Western Washington University. She went on to earn her MBA at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, a small independent business school dedicated to using the tools of business for environmental and social good. Beth is also the co-founder of LINC Foods, a worker-farmer-owned cooperative food hub based in Spokane.
Tom Ruggieri
Fair Share Farm
Farmers Rebecca Graff and Tom Ruggieri began Fair Share Farm in 2003 on land that has been in Rebecca's family for four generations. Both left their jobs in 2000, looking for a way to promote community, sustainable agriculture and healthy eating habits as their livelihood. Eighteen years of building the soil and community support has produced a healthy farm that is able to provide for a more than 100 member CSA.
Food Hubs and Alternative Markets
The following topics were covered:
- What is a food hub
- Pros/Cons and tradeoffs of food hubs
- Value of joining a food hub
- Resources
About the presenter
Anthony Flaccavento
Economic Development Consultant and Organic Farmer
Author of "Building a Healthy Economy from the Ground Up: Harnessing Real World Experience for Transformative Change," Anthony Flaccavento is an economic development consultant and organic farmer from Abingdon, Virginia, in the heart of Appalachia.
His consulting business, SCALE Inc., works with communities around the world to help build more locally-rooted, sustainable economies and healthier food systems.
Flaccavento is the founder of Appalachian Sustainable Development and a number of other "social enterprises" in affordable housing, food and farming and forest and wood products. He writes and speaks regularly about the economy, sustainability, rural development and politics. His YouTube channel, "Take Five with Tony," covers many of these same topics in down-to-earth, five minute segments.
Flaccavento has a bachelor's degree in agriculture and environmental science and a master’s degree in economics and rural development. He is married to Laurel Flaccavento, a retired public school teacher, and has three terrific grown kids.
Bookkeeping Tools for Farmers
The following topics were covered:
- Overview of Quickbooks and Excel
- Best options for small/diversified growers or urban growers
- Helpful hints
- Pros and Cons
- Resources
Resources
About the presenter
Julia Shanks
Consultant for Entrepreneurs
Julia Shanks works with food and agricultural entrepreneurs to help them achieve and maintain financial sustainability.
Drawing on her experiences as a chef, entrepreneur and accounting professor, Shanks gives her clients the tools they need to launch, stabilize and grow their ventures — whether it's a business plan, financial projections or bookkeeping system.
She is the author of two books: "The Farmer's Office: Tools, Tips and Templates to Successfully Manage a Growing Farm Business" and "The Farmers Market Cookbook."
Shanks earned her MBA from Babson College, and is a QuickBooks certified ProAdvisor. You can learn more about her and her work at juliashanks.com and thefarmersoffice.com.
Financing the Farm: Navigating FSA Loans
The following topics were covered:
- Overview of loan programs
- Best options for small/diversified growers or urban growers
- Repayment plan requirements
- Microloan program
- How your Extension agent can help
- What not to do
About the presenter
Brian W. Wheeler
Farm Loan Manager with the Farm Service Agency in Lafayette County, Missouri
Brian grew up and still operates a farm in Ray County, Missouri. He resides there with his wife, Kristin, 3-year old daughter and 1-year old son.
Brian graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor's degree in Agriculture Business Management.
Brian has worked in Ag. lending for 13 years and has been with the Farm Service Agency the past 11 years.
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2019-38640-29879 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number XNC19-181 Capacity Building in Urban Food Systems in the North Central Region. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Program Coordinator
Urban Food Systems Initiatives