Our Story

In 2016, Humana and the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County began discussing how to address food insecurity in Wyandotte County.  Following that conversation, a group of students and faculty from the University of Kansas began studying the region’s food landscape and interviewing Wyandotte County residents to better understand their needs. Affordability was the number one priority that was heard. The team used their research to help develop the Dotte Mobile Grocer and — with support from a handful of community partners ­— developed an operational business plan.

Grants funded the purchase of a used beverage delivery truck that University of Kansas School of Architecture and Design students equipped with shelving and other features to make grocery shopping at the Dotte Mobile Grocer more convenient. Their goal was to design a grocery shopping experience for residents that do not have easy access to grocery stores.

In 2018, Kansas City, Kansas residents were invited to form the Mobile Market Community Council (MMCC) to help guide the development and operations of the Dotte Mobile Grocer. The MMCC worked together to make important decisions, including locations and hours of operation, what products will be stocked (both WIC-approved and other product lines), and how the Dotte Mobile Grocer will connect with our community. The MMCC also worked with local graphic design firm Carpenter Collective to develop the Dotte Mobile Grocer name, logo, and brand.

Cultivate KC partnered with the Mobile Market Community Council in early 2023 to operate the Dotte Mobile Grocer and get “Dottie” on the road. Food access is central to the mission of Cultivate KC. The majority of Cultivate KC’s work has addressed disparities in the financial resources necessary to purchase local goods. Between Double Up Food Bucks Heartland collaborative and Senior Market Match coupons, each year Cultivate KC gives out an average of $140,000 in incentives. This money not only creates more opportunities for low-resourced members of our community to shop at farmers markets, it also bolsters the local food economy.

In operating the Dotte Mobile Grocer, Cultivate KC will go beyond providing incentives and address an even bigger issue—the lack of food retailers; specifically, the lack of food retailers in Eastern Wyandotte County.