Inspiring Conversations with Lena Sleyster of Urban Bounty Farms Inc

Hi Lena, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Changes in climate patterns, population growth, and loss of farmland due to urbanization and natural land erosion continue to increase pressure on the world’s food supply. Changes in real-estate use and urbanization are leaving commercial buildings abandoned or underutilized. These changes create the perfect opportunity for us to fuel sustainable farming in Kansas City, Missouri. In April 2022, our family began planting seeds, building an online presence, and learning about various urban farming methods. Through repurposing blighted real estate, a couple of motivated people started building small urban hydroponic farm solutions, and Urban Bounty Farms was born.

While our journey started with a shipping container growing roots, herbs, lettuce, and microgreens in Lee’s summit, it quickly expanded to the ‘Malt Room’ at the old Heim Brewery off Guinotte Avenue. The historic century-old brewery plant, Heim Brewery, still has Kansas City’s oldest distillery, J. Rieger, inside it, but that’s not all. We are replicating sustainable farming methods at a larger scale growing tomatoes and other vine crops to create solutions beyond centralized produce that champion community development and increase property value in Kansas City.

Our sustainable farming techniques minimize environmental impact, lower carbon footprint, and less waste. Mimicking the growing conditions helps ensure the highest possible nutritional value and taste. The produce we grow is non-GMO and pesticide/herbicide free. We provide the resources needed to live a healthy lifestyle. From salad kits to weekly produce subscriptions, fresh food that is sustainably grown and locally distributed to the Kansas City community is important to us, with us being on target to donate 1lb of produce every day (e.i 365lbs) we’ve been farming within our first year. We are not generational farmers, and we still have full-time corporate careers. We’re a small mission-driven team of innovators, problem-solvers, and activators. We’re establishing new roots to fuel sustainable farming while delivering healthy and flavorful food in KC.

We are working on updating a limited website, raising awareness among local consumers, and expanding our business model to include retail/grocers (5 Hy-Vees since Jan 2023).

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
 Learning curves we are overcoming every day. Farming is labor intensive, requiring you to grow, store/sell/distribute the product. We have start-up obstacles to grow out of; Limited time for awareness, lean operations, wearer of several hats. We are beginning to hire veterans from UMKC’s and VCP pilot program that is working to establish a pathway to economic viability and independence for America’s heroes.

Today we don’t have the budget for advertisements but are always open to providing produce for marketing collaboration.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Urbanbountyfarm.com is our online farmers market, currently only providing Urban Bounty Farms produce, salad kits, and weekly produce subscriptions. We sell a variety of different lettuces, baby leafy greens, leafy greens, roots, vines, herbs, microgreen varieties, and mushrooms(grow to order).

We sell to consumers, restaurants, and retail stores. With Urban Bounty Farms, you can start enjoying fresh and nutritious produce all year long today and hand the planet to the next generation tomorrow. Equipping others to live a healthy lifestyle is a huge goal of ours. Whether it be Teaching kids from the Blue Springs School District about incorporating superfoods daily and how to sustainably grow microgreens or selling at the downtown lees summit farmers market, we love equipping others to make a Nutritious diet achievable. Give us a try at urbanbountyfarm.com, and let us harvest fresh and deliver right to your doorstep within 24 hours.

Fresh – Harvested to order
Sustainable – Grown Pesticide and herbicide-free, Hydroponically
Local – available/delivered locally

Pricing:

• One-time or weekly Salad Kits ranging from $5 for a mini salad kit to $32 for a salads kit for 4
• Our salad kits currently include lettuce, microgreens, herbs/edible flowers, and a recipe card for the salad and dressing.
• Weekly produce subscriptions such as the individual urban box with $27 worth of farmers’ choice produce, or we can build custom.