Food Access Public Meeting, (Buffalo County Community Partners, Courtesy)
KEARNEY — Central Nebraska could raise $60 million in revenue in one year if every resident purchased $5 of locally grown produce, meat, eggs, and other locally grown food weekly.
Farmers, ranchers, restaurant owners, and local food supporters in Buffalo County are invited to participate in a public meeting aimed at the economic impact of locally grown food.
The public meeting will be held on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at noon in the Niobrara Room at the Kearney Public Library. Buffalo County Community Partners is partnering with the Center for Rural Affairs to bring in Ken Meter, a food analyst expert, to share the findings of the Central Nebraska Farm & Food Economy report.
Ken Meter is one of the most experienced food system analysts in the U.S., integrating market analysis, business development, systems thinking, and social concerns. Meter holds more than 50 years of experience in inner-city and rural community capacity building. His local economic analyses have promoted local food networks in 155 regions in 42 states, two provinces, and four tribal nations.
He developed strategic regional food plans for 20 regions across the U.S. Meter consulted with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service and Colorado State University, serving as one of 14 co-authors of a toolkit for measuring the economic impacts of local food development.
The meeting agenda will focus on discussions about the economic impact of locally grown food, the Central Nebraska Local Farm & Food Economy Report, and how we can work together to increase food security and resilience for communities in our area.
The goal of the meeting is to create new social and economic connections between farmers and consumers. “$841 million of food is purchased in Central Nebraska. It’s estimated that 90% of this food, or about $760 million, is spent outside of the region. If every Central Nebraska resident bought $5 of food each week directly from some farm in the region, Central Nebraska farmers would gain $60 million of income,” said Meter.
To reserve lunch during the meeting, participants are encouraged to register at surveymonkey.com/r/RTG5MKG
This project aligns with a community program that aims to increase access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) benefits at the Kearney Area Farmers Market. This public meeting is hosted by Buffalo County Community Partners.
Buffalo County Community Partners is a nonprofit organization that identifies concerns impacting the well-being of area residents, addresses these concerns by collecting and evaluating data, and facilitates conversations among experts and affected parties. They are uniquely positioned to do this work because they invest time in building connections and increasing access to the necessary resources and experiences that lead to effective solutions. Find more at www.bcchp.org or contact us at (308) 865-2284 or info@bcchp.org.
