105 miles away from the nearest shared kitchen, in the heart of what many consider a “food desert”, the Bunny & Jane Newton Kitchen was born out of necessity and a mission to make a difference. Lori Haun and Ivy Hagdorn saw a glaring need in their Joplin, MO community—a place where local food entrepreneurs could thrive and neighbors could unite through the power of food.
The Newton Kitchen’s roots date back to December of 2016, when the Empire District Electric Company donated over 33,000 sq ft of buildings to Downtown Joplin Alliance. The primary historic structure now houses the Empire Market on the ground floor, a growing public market offering locally self-grown produce, meats, cheeses, wine, beer, and more. The Empire Market then expanded to include the Newton kitchen, a shared kitchen space that empowers local farmers and food businesses to expand their operations. Their mission is simple: “Building Community Through Food”.
Bringing Newton Kitchen to life was no small feat. The biggest roadblock was securing the funds to build the kitchen and staying on budget during COVID, when construction costs skyrocketed. Despite the challenges, the team persevered, opening the Newton Kitchen to the public in January 2023.
Working hard to help small businesses in downtown Joplin grow and thrive, The Bunny & Jane Newton Kitchen provides kitchen space and equipment for:
- Farmers to preserve, freeze, dehydrate and otherwise create value-added products like salsa, jams and spice mixes
- Start up chefs who need access to a test kitchen
- Existing vendors who want to create a wide range of food options for market days
They also offer incubator spaces in their upstairs office spaces for small businesses and food start-ups, teach food prep and cooking to individuals from a variety of ages and economic backgrounds, host community gardens staffed with volunteer Master Gardeners, and provide free hot kids’ meal offerings Saturdays (and other times as needed).
Looking Ahead…
Many of Newton Kitchen’s members have already made significant strides, launching brick-and-mortar locations, moving into food trucks, and expanding their product lines. At the same time, Newton Kitchen is actively growing its own capabilities, with plans underway to add a 10’x20′ walk-in cooler and freezer to better support their community of food entrepreneurs.
Words of advice from Bunny & Jane Newton Kitchen:
“Take the first step. Incremental change is still a move forward. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.”
Interested in working with the Bunny & Jane Newton Kitchen? Apply here.
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