Davids Highlights Work to Lower Grocery Prices, Support Farmers with Kansas Ag Supply Chain Tour

SHAWNEE, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids completed a supply chain tour across Kansas’ Third District to highlight how supporting local farms and food businesses helps lower grocery prices for Kansas families. From farm visits to kitchen incubators to local grocery stores, Davids met with producers and entrepreneurs working to strengthen our local food system.

“When we invest in our local food systems, we’re not just supporting farmers and producers — we’re lowering costs at the checkout line, creating good-paying jobs, and making sure families in Kansas have access to fresh, healthy food,” said Davids. “I’ve heard from folks across the community who want more affordable options and more control over where their food comes from. Strengthening the local agriculture supply chain helps us do both. I’ll keep working to support the people who grow, raise, and sell food right here in Kansas.”

Why strengthening the local agriculture supply chain matters:

• Lowers grocery costs: Local food cuts out middlemen, reducing fuel, labor, and distribution expenses.
• Delivers fresher food: Produce grown and sold locally lasts longer, reducing waste and giving consumers more value for their money.
• Boosts local economies: Money spent on local food stays in the community, supporting small businesses and creating more jobs — 13 jobs per $1M in local sales compared to 3 in non-local.
• Builds resilience: A strong local supply chain is less vulnerable to global disruptions and price shocks.

“It is important to support local food producers because this keeps the money circulating in the local economy as well as helps to create more jobs,” said Brooke Franklin, Owner, Franklin General Store. “Local food has a shorter trip to make through the supply chain which makes for fresher, more nutrient dense food. Rep David's work on the Agriculture Committee can help to bring more awareness to increase support for the local food supply chain and Kansas Farmers and food producers.”

"We appreciate the efforts of Representative Davids to keep food and essential supply costs within reason as local foods, whether grown, processed or packaged, keep communities and their economies strong and vibrant,” said Bryan Severns, Manager of Food Programs and Services, K-State Olathe. “These issues are especially important to the food-based businesses using The Food Innovation Accelerator at K-State Olathe as their operations are directly affected by price increases."

"We appreciate Representative Davids' support of Kansas farmers and the dedication to strengthening the local food supply chain,” said Beau & Crystal Stude, Owners, Courage Farms LLC. “The pandemic of 2020 revealed how fragile our food system is, highlighting the need for resilient, community-based agriculture. Representative Davids' work on the Agriculture Committee helps ensure that Kansas families have access to affordable, reliable food while supporting the backbone of our rural economy."

Today’s tour showcased the full scope of the Kansas ag supply chain, including:

• A visit to Courage Farms in Fontana, followed by a roundtable discussion with southern producers and small food business owners in Kansas’ Third District.
• A tour of the K-State Olathe campus kitchen incubator, where Davids met with local entrepreneurs bringing Kansas-grown food to market.
• A stop at the Franklin General Store in Shawnee, where Davids spoke with producers who supply the store with locally sourced goods.

Davids was joined on the tour by Kansas State Extension, Kansas Rural Center, K-State Olathe, Courage Farms, Grace Heritage Farms, Table View Farms, Lionberry, Casa Tampico, Mo Pie, Purple Meadows Lavender Farm, Black rose Coffee, Pat & Rachel’s Garden, Gibbs Road Farm, Franklin General Store, Art’s Molino & Market, and CST Sweets.

Davids has made lowering the cost of groceries for families and small businesses a priority in Congress, including by: 

• Supporting the bipartisan Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act, which ensures fair compensation for all farms affected by avian flu, including those in both infected and buffer zones.
• Urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to begin enforcing the Robinson-Patman Act to prevent corporate price discrimination that is driving up grocery costs for consumers.
• Voting to pass the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act to shore up the food and agriculture supply chain, assure fair competition in the meat and poultry sectors, and lower food and gasoline costs for consumers.
• Supporting the Price Gouging Prevention Act, legislation ensuring large corporations can’t take advantage of consumers at the grocery store.
• Holding multiple roundtables with Kansas businesses, manufacturing, and technology leaders on how recent legislation to improve supply chains will help boost their business’ financial security.
• Working a “Sharice’s Shift” at a local Price Chopper, where she helped store employees unload deliveries from shipping trucks, stock grocery shelves, and bag groceries. 

To support Kansas producers, Davids has also embarked on a Farm Bill listening tour, where she visited a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County, a co-op in Franklin County, a goat farm in Miami County, an organic vegetable farm in Johnson County, and an educational community farm in Wyandotte County. Davids also toured a Garnett-based renewable ethanol producer, participated in FFA activities at Spring Hill High School, served a school lunch at Black Bob Elementary in Olathe, spoke with industry leaders on financial support programs for farmers, toured a dairy farm in Garnett, and more.