Known & Grown is a farmer-led organization that provides farmer resources like education, coaching, networking opportunities, farm-to-market assistance, and collaborations to reduce farm costs and help farmers succeed.
Local Roots, Wholesale Growth: A St Louis Producers Guide to Success
This guide is designed to help farmers in the St Louis area communicate with and sell their produce to wholesale buyers. Created by Known & Grown STL and City Greens Market, it covers key considerations for meeting buyer expectations and tools to assist with communication and relationship-building. Whether you’re new to wholesale or looking to refine your approach, this resource offers practical advice to help you succeed in local markets.
St Louis Wholesale Price Index
Developed in collaboration with City Greens Market, this wholesale pricing index is a great reference for farmers when setting their wholesale prices for produce, meat, eggs, and dairy. It was created using real data provided by wholesale farmers and buyers in the St Louis region.
Farm-to-Market Assistance
We provide connections and resources for the farmers in our program and our partners in the local food industry in order to increase the amount of local food sold and served within the St. Louis region.
Farmer Networking
Farmers say one of the main reasons for joining our program is that they want the opportunity to network with other like minded farmers to share resources, troubleshoot problems, and brainstorm solutions. The Known & Grown community is built on the principles of trust, integrity, respect, community empowerment, and collaboration. Our farmers are expected to adhere to a set of Community Guidelines. Known & Grown facilitates virtual and in-person opportunities for farmers to network including on-farm tours and an annual gathering of farmers.
Bulk Orders
Our Bulk Ordering Program helps to lower the overall costs for farmers when purchasing supplies or plant stock by reducing shipping fees and qualifying for discounted bulk ordering rates. This project lowers the barriers for successful farming by providing needed supplies at more affordable prices.
Microgrants
Known & Grown STL continues to offer microgrants to farmers in our region. Through September 2026, we are accepting microgrant applications from farmers who attend one of our Field Days, with funds supporting the implementation of practices learned during the event. Previous microgrants have supported farmers’ capacity to improve environmental and conservation practices on their farms. When funds are available, our goal is to remove a barrier for farmers to implement more practices that will improve their operations and our air, water quality, and biodiversity.
Farmer-led Board of Directors
In 2020, Known & Grown formed a Farmer Advisory Committee (FAC) to incorporate farmer leadership in program work and decision-making. In our transition to an independent organization in 2024, we formalized farmer leadership through our Board of Directors. We encourage farmers to serve on our Board. Learn more about our Board.
Mentorship Program
In 2021, Known & Grown STL launched a Mentorship Program for beginning and traditionally disadvantaged farmers seeking to improve or expand their environmentally-responsible practices and remove barriers for successful farming. Our three mentees — MOshrooms Regenerative Microfarm, Rustic Roots Sanctuary, and Tara’s Herbs — received tailored guidance and assistance from our Farm Specialist, Chris Wimmer. We hope to relaunch this project in the future. Our goal is to pair experienced Known & Grown member farmers with mentees and to assist farmers in implementing new conservation practices on their farm.
Delivery Services for Farmers
We have made the decision to pause the Delivery Service in 2026.
We began this service to give farmers the opportunity to get their products to buyers without taking time away from their farms and the added transportation costs, with the specific aim to serve beginning, women, and BIPOC farmers. While the service did benefit a small number of Known & Grown farmers, it did not accomplish our larger intended goals in a meaningful way and required a significant use of resources. We are taking some time to reflect on how best to use this infrastructure to support Known & Grown farmers.
Community Guidelines
The Known & Grown community is built on the the principles of trust, integrity, respect, community empowerment, and collaboration. All farmers in our program agree to follow these guidelines. In the event that a farmer is breaking these guidelines, a Community Guidelines Violation can be submitted.