The Border Queen Harvest Hub (BQHH) is a community-based approach that creates economic opportunities for farms and ranches by establishing a physical system of production, processing and distribution of local food that can be purchased by local, regional and national consumers.
BQHH has been created thanks to a generous Thriving Rural Grant from the Patterson Family Foundation, along with leadership from Vision Caldwell, Sumner County Economic Development and Shop Kansas Farms.
Vision Caldwell
Vision Caldwell is a grassroots organization intent on creating, improving, and maintaining a future viability in our community through a shared vision of health: physical, emotional, and spiritual; intentionally planting seeds for quality-of-life prosperity.
Patterson Family Foundation
OUR VISION
Thriving Rural Communities
OUR MISSION
Advancing health care, education, and strengthening communities, particularly in rural areas. The Patterson Family Foundation is a family-led foundation extending the legacy of Neal and Jeanne Patterson. We strive to help lift up our rural communities through health care, education, economic opportunity, and beyond.
Sumner County Economic Development Commission (SCEDC)
SCEDC provides assistance to new and existing businesses in Sumner County and they assist their cities with community development projects.
- Retention and expansion of existing businesses.
- Recruitment of businesses to locate within Sumner County and its communities.
- Provide entrepreneurs/business startups access to assistance with business plan writing, marketing and financial resources etc.
- Assist with available sites and buildings.
- Assist new and existing businesses with local, state, and federal programs and incentives.
- Provide resources and act as a liaison for our businesses and communities with service providers and partner agencies.
- Provide support to Sumner County Communities in community development issues and needs.
- Assist businesses with their workforce needs including offering training classes when grant funds are available.
Shop Kansas Farms
On April 28, 2020, as COVID-19 was becoming a global pandemic, Rick and Christine McNary of Potwin had settled in for the evening after they ate beef purchased from a Kansas rancher. Christine mentioned she had been at the store earlier that day and the meat counter was empty. Rick, knowing some farmers and ranchers who sell meat directly to consumers, grabbed his laptop and began the Facebook group, Shop Kansas Farms.
His mission was, “To connect you to the wonderful farm and ranch families of Kansas so you can purchase the food they grow.”
He made the group public and invited farms he knew to list their goods, then invited his friends to join who were looking to purchase food. The Shop Kansas Farms group grew to 5,000 members in the first 24 hours, 50,000 members in the first seven days, and more than 130,000 in the first six weeks. Through that growth, Rick added additional team members to help monitor the Facebook group, including staff members of Kansas Farm Bureau.
Today, Shop Kansas Farms has become a trusted brand with a website independent of Facebook where farms could list their products and consumers could find them.
In 2022, the McNarys went to Kansas Farm Bureau and asked if the organization would purchase Shop Kansas Farms to help foster its growth and impact. Although Rick went with no expectation nor request that he would be retained in any capacity, he was delighted when KFB said they would purchase it only if Rick would agree to stay on for five years as a consultant.
The Shop Kansas Farms and Kansas Farm Bureau partnership has helped continue to provide the direct-to-consumer market benefitting both farmers and grocery buyers.