Dina Newman, founder of KC Black Urban Growers, spent the first half of her life trying to outrun the very soil she now champions. Raised on a small plot of land in southeast Kansas near the Verdigris River, she had a childhood that was a masterclass in rural survival, involving everything from collecting eggs and slopping hogs to using an outhouse until her high school graduation.
At the time, she felt no romance in the labor, vowing the day she left for Connecticut that she would never set foot in a garden again. However, a return to the Midwest proved that her roots were deeper than she realized.
Reflecting on the irony of her journey, she says: “When I decided to come back to the Midwest, God had a sense of humor, and I was hired as a neighborhood organizer and advocate to work on food insecurity and health initiatives in a Community of Concern. One of the first things I did was begin a garden program, and here we are.”
This return to agriculture was the catalyst for a much larger movement. In 2013, Newman partnered with Katherine Kelly to bring together nine local growers, sparking a vital conversation about how to build a food system that was truly equitable and just. What began as a small affinity group for grassroots Black farmers has since blossomed into a robust nonprofit organization. Today, KCBUGs supports over 125 participants who are not just growing food but are also actively cultivating community and food sovereignty throughout Kansas City.
The Packer: What has been the most profound change you’ve seen in the Kansas City community since you started empowering growers of color?
Newman: The most profound change I’ve seen in the Kansas City community since I started empowering growers of color is the diversity of age, level of expertise and experience, and the range of interests. It is so exciting to see people in their late teens, early 20s, folks who have a professional 9-to-5 job but are avid growers in the in-between — and the level of interests [is] not only vegetable or plant growing, but they are interested in agrivoltaics, aquaponics, animal husbandry and beekeeping.
Have you had any female mentors or role models who helped shape your journey?
Those who mentored me are local female farmers and growers who were there in the beginning, Katherine Kelly (the co-founder of Cultivate KC) and women like Mother Bey, Sherri Harvel, Alicia Ellingsworth and Katie Nixon. My role model was and continues to be the incredible Karen Washington — co-founder of Rise and Roots Farm, the Black Farmer Fund and Black Urban Growers — though it would be years later before I finally got the chance to meet her.
How does urban agriculture provide a blueprint for the future of sustainable food systems in land-constrained environments?
We can look to places like Detroit, which is doing some really innovative work around food sovereignty — land access, food co-ops and policy issues. We are now at the table, conversing with local policymakers, farmers, residents and producers regarding KC Urban Ag Code. This code will dictate how we continue to make progress and provide affordable, nutrient-rich, locally grown food in a growing urban ag city.
Fun Question: What is the most surprising thing you’ve ever seen successfully grown in a small city plot?
The most surprising thing? Now, granted, it was in a high tunnel on a vacant lot, but I was surprised to see tree collards growing.
Learn more about The Packer’s 2026 Women in Produce honorees:
- Beth Atkinson-Keeton — owner, Elephant House PR
- Hilary Craig — director of produce category management, Misfits Market
- Brenda Haught — co-CEO, Creekside Organics
- Danelle Huber — senior marketing manager, CMI Orchards
- Gwen Jackimek — senior director of sales, avocados, Fresh Del Monte; chair, Hass Avocado Board
- Bianca Kaprielian — co-CEO, Creekside Organics
- Erin Mittelstaedt — CEO, The FruitGuys
- Jonna Parker — vice president of fresh foods group, Circana
