Kansas summit seeks to save fast-disappearing groceries in the state's smallest towns

Since 2007, 82 of the 213 Kansas grocery stores in communities of fewer than 2,500 people have closed. A summit June 14-15 at Kansas State University will highlight research and project-based presentations exploring ways to counter the decline. The event, "Rural Grocery Summit II: Saving Our Critical Infrastructure," sponsored by KSU's Center for Engagement and Community Development, will examine how to bring more local foods to market in a a community, building community support for local groceries, identifying sources of funding for them, addressing labor issues, recognizing that food is a critical piece of rural culture and other topics, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports. The issue is of particular interest to rural newspapers, since grocery stores are often if not usually their largest advertisers.

"Fifty-one percent of the 675 Kansas cities and towns do not have a grocery store," David Procter, director of the CECD, told the Capital-Journal.  Registration is free to rural grocery store owners and $100 for everyone else. You can read more information about the event here. "Rural grocery stores provide an important source of jobs and taxes," Procter added. "They provide a source of healthy food, and they are a symbol of community vitality. Unfortunately, these business cornerstones are disappearing at an alarming rate, along with their rural community homes." (Read more)