Partner Invitation
Rural–Urban Food & Health Knowledge Project
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
GOTURSIX is exploring a collaborative proposal for a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant (up to $500,000) focused on strengthening how community knowledge informs health systems.
We are inviting partners across Missouri to help shape two potential proposals that explore the relationship between food, community connection, and health knowledge across rural, suburban, and urban communities.
We welcome feedback, perspective, and potential collaboration as we refine the proposal.
The Opportunity
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is funding approximately 15 projects up to $500,000 through the program:
Learning from Abroad to Reimagine Health Knowledge Systems for Equity and Wellbeing
Application deadline: April 13, 2026
The program supports projects that explore how community knowledge and lived experience can strengthen health systems and policy.
Why This Matters
Missouri is currently exploring Food Is Medicine policy approaches that connect healthcare systems with nutrition support such as:
produce prescriptions
medically tailored meals
nutrition support for chronic disease
At the same time, communities across Missouri already hold deep knowledge about how food, connection, and local resources affect health.
For example, communities understand:
food access barriers
transportation challenges
seasonal food supply
informal food networks
how shared meals and community relationships support wellbeing
Yet this knowledge rarely enters formal health system planning or policy design.
This project explores how community knowledge about food and connection can inform stronger partnerships between food systems and healthcare systems.
Two Potential Proposal Concepts
We are currently exploring two related but distinct proposals.
Both proposals center community knowledge while connecting partners across Missouri’s food and health ecosystem.
Proposal 1: Community Food & Health Knowledge Project
This proposal would document and map how communities across Missouri understand food access and health.
Activities may include:
community listening sessions
farmer and food producer conversations
healthcare partner dialogues
rural–urban knowledge exchanges
The goal is to better understand how community food knowledge can inform healthcare strategies and Food Is Medicine initiatives.
Potential outputs may include:
Missouri Food & Health Knowledge Map
cross-sector learning reports
case studies connecting food systems and healthcare systems
Proposal 2: Food, Connection, and Community Wellbeing Narratives
The second proposal explores how storytelling and lived experience can activate community knowledge about food, health, and wellbeing.
Communities often understand that relationships formed through shared meals, work, and gathering strengthen community health.
This proposal would document and amplify those experiences through:
community storytelling
oral histories
digital media
public exhibits and community dialogue
The goal is to elevate community perspectives that are often missing from formal health discussions.
Geographic Focus
Missouri provides a unique opportunity to explore these ideas across multiple community contexts:
• Rural communities in the Missouri Ozarks
• Suburban communities surrounding major cities
• Urban communities addressing food access challenges
Connecting these perspectives allows us to explore how food systems and health systems intersect across different environments.
Potential Areas of Collaboration
Partners may contribute in several ways:
• food production and agriculture
• community food access initiatives
• healthcare system partnerships
• Food Is Medicine policy and advocacy
• economic development and food infrastructure
• research and knowledge documentation
• storytelling and narrative work
Potential Missouri Partners
We are currently exploring collaboration with organizations working across food systems, healthcare, and community development, including:
• community food access initiatives
• healthcare systems and hospital associations
• policy advocates working on Food Is Medicine
• rural and urban economic development leaders
• farmers and seed organizations such as Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Our goal is to build a cross-sector partnership reflecting the full food and health ecosystem in Missouri.
Global Learning
The project will also explore international models such as social prescribing programs in the United Kingdom, where healthcare providers connect patients with community resources like:
food programs
gardening groups
community organizations
local support networks
These global examples may provide insight into how community knowledge and local resources can better connect with U.S. healthcare systems.
Timeline
Now – March 2026
Partner conversations and proposal development
April 13, 2026
RWJF proposal deadline
Late 2026
Potential project start
We Welcome Your Perspective
We are currently seeking partners who may be interested in:
• providing feedback on the proposal ideas
• sharing insights from their work
• contributing expertise or collaboration
• participating in the proposal if it moves forward
This early conversation helps ensure the project reflects multiple perspectives across Missouri’s food and health landscape.
Contact
If you are interested in learning more or sharing your perspective, please reach out.
Ronda Dorsey
Executive Director
ronda@gotursix.org