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New Growth News

2025 Farmer Mentorships and Apprenticeships
Turning your passion for growing food into a business? With mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities available through New Growth and its partners, beginning farmers can get hands-on experience, avoid common missteps, and grow with confidence—on their own schedule and terms.

Community Team Seeks Child Care Information
Information gathered from surveys for parents, employers, and providers, open until April 30, will be an important foundation to the community action plan to address child care options in Henry, St Clair, Cedar, and Polk counties.

Henry County Rides
New Growth Transit is providing free rides for Henry County residents through June, thanks to a $60,000 grant from Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare through the Henry County ToRCH program.
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Starting Business on the Right Foot
Starting a business is no small feat, especially when you're navigating it all on your own. For Samantha Richter, the New Growth Women’s Business Center provided the support and guidance she needed to find her footing and build Preventive Foot Care, LLC from the ground up.

Survey of Child Care
Parents, employers, and child care providers in Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties—your voice matters! Please share your experiences by survey before April 30, 2025, to help build an action plan for better child care solutions in west central Missouri.

New Growth Transit Changes and Rides via MTM
Due to current budget constraints, New Growth Transit has made changes to how we provide rides, and though continued support is needed, we are announcing a new partner for Medicaid-eligible rides.

Cultivating Growth with Locally Grown Flowers
For Melissa Ginther of Ruthie Mae Blooms, finding New Growth meant finding the connections, resources, and community support she needed to turn challenges into opportunities that cultivate long-term success.

Balancing Motherhood, Grad School, and Volunteer Driving
Jessica Adamson, a Cedar County busy mom and graduate student, finds time to volunteer as a driver for New Growth Transit, helping people get to essential destinations. She loves the meaningful connections she makes on the road, proving that even a simple ride can have a big impact.

Farm to Fork Connections
The 2025 Farm to Fork Summit and Expo was a huge success, bringing together over 170 people to celebrate and strengthen local food connections. See the listing of local contributors to the food value chain who attended and are helping build a resilient regional food system.

Choosing the Right Business Structure
Choosing the right legal structure for your business is a crucial step that impacts everything from liability to growth potential. In a recent webinar, New Growth Women's Business Center presents expert information from the MU Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic to break down different business structures and walk us through the process of setting up an LLC in Missouri

Meet the Missouri Volunteer Driver Network
Reliable transportation is a critical need in rural Missouri, where many residents lack access to public transit for work, medical care, and essential errands. The Missouri Volunteer Driver Network operates across several counties in Missouri successfully and sustainably connecting individuals with volunteer drivers who generously give their time, using their own vehicles to provide life-changing rides that strengthen communities—one mile at a time.

Growing a Mushroom Farm Business with New Growth Support
When Makeesha Munro and her partner started Root 54 Farm near Collins, Mo, they faced the challenges of learning mushroom cultivation and finding a market for their products. With support from New Growth, they gained mentorship, refined their process, and built connections that helped their farm thrive—now, Makeesha is sharing her knowledge at the Farm to Fork Summit on March 7, 2025