West Bottoms Plant Co. turns three: How KC’s queer plant haven is growing community, creativity, and radical care
A highlight of the day was the “Pay What You Can" produce stand.
West Bottoms Plant Co. // Photo By Tiffany Watts
Kansas City’s favorite plant shop and creative hub, West Bottoms Plant Company, just celebrated three vibrant years in business, and they did it in the most fitting way possible: with a full-blown Garden Party at their building, The 12th St Post. The event was part market, part celebration, and completely rooted in what owners Austin Mosier and Tristan Carlson do best — cultivating connection, creativity, and community.
Feeding folks today and for the future
The day was packed with plant-filled energy, creative workshops, and delicious bites from local vendors who showed up ready to feed the crowd.
Ish Bagels & Deli, one of KC’s newest additions to the food scene, kept things lively with a small but mighty menu featuring the Turkey Monster, a Gruyère bagel loaded with chipotle cream cheese, provolone, turkey, bacon, pickles, and white BBQ sauce. They also offered the Charcuterie Bagel, stacked with a blueberry bagel, herby cream cheese, provolone, pimento relish, salami, and pepperoni, and the Be(ef) Happy, layered with blackberry cream cheese, cheddar, roast beef, and roasted bell peppers on a rosemary bagel. My daughter and I ordered the Turkey Monster from their booth, and I must say, hats off to the chef.
In the next booth over, High Hopes KC was serving scoops of ice cream, including a pumpkin spice flavor that quickly became all my daughter could talk about for the rest of the day. Together, the vendors added just the right flavor and warmth to an already exciting celebration.
Ish Bagels & Deli and High Hopes Ice Cream // Photo By Tiffany Watts
Beyond the food, one of the biggest highlights of the day was the “Pay What You Can” produce stand, a radical initiative offering fresh fruits and vegetables for whatever price visitors could afford. It’s an extension of West Bottoms Plant Co.’s summer Moon Market project, and as one can imagine, it made a huge impact.
“We’re not trying to make money on this produce,” said Austin Mosier, co-owner of West Bottoms Plant Co. “We just wanted to give people access to good food. Watching people light up, knowing they could take a bag of produce home to their families for whatever they could afford, was really powerful.”
The event also partnered with Kanbe’s Markets, with raffle proceeds going directly to their mission of expanding food access across Kansas City. “They’re doing the work of getting food to communities that don’t have access,” Mosier said. “Having them with us while we celebrate our growth just made sense. Our goal has always been community over competition.”
An art and artist hub
Inside, guests browsed the work of more than 180 local artists featured in the store, each shelf and display bursting with handmade ceramics, prints, and gifts. Mosier said that building a business where artists can show and sell their work has always been the heart of the mission. “It means continued growth of our community and continuing to grow the space that is a place for small businesses and artists to represent themselves,” they said. “We’re really proud to be on year three.”
West Bottoms Plant Co. // Photo By Tiffany Watts 2
Adding to the creative buzz, the ADHDIY Craft Café team, West Bottoms Plant Co.’s sister concept in this same builiding and a second location in Zona Rosa, hosted fall-inspired workshops like mini bog gardens and chia seed graveyards, giving attendees a chance to get their hands dirty in the best way. Mosier credited one of their team members for dreaming up the activities: “Erin, who does all of our plant care, loves teaching people about plants. She came up with the bog garden and the chia seed graveyard. We’ll also be releasing our full spooky craft menu soon.”
The future of West Bottoms
As the West Bottoms continues to attract new development, Mosier said maintaining the district’s creative and inclusive spirit is a top priority. “We love the West Bottoms. It has our heart,” they said. “If we can keep some integrity of the West Bottoms in our building and keep that artsy, weird, and queer vibe alive, that’s what we’ll try to do.”
Austin Mosier, Co-Owner Of West Bottoms Plant Co. // Photo By Tiffany Watts
That commitment shows in how the team runs their space. Artists in the store can opt into a dot system on their price tags, marking whether their business is queer-owned, woman-owned, or owned by a person of color. “Inclusivity should just be there and normal,” Mosier said. “We want this space to be for whoever needs it most. That’s who we’re truly creating this space for.”
Looking ahead, Mosier and Carlson plan to keep growing in purpose and presence. “We’ll continue to embody that community-over-competition motto and focus on growth, inclusivity, and creativity,” Mosier said. “We want to take up more space for the people who need it.”
With initiatives like Pay What You Can Produce, partnerships that center equity, and events that blend artistry with activism, West Bottoms Plant Company isn’t just helping Kansas Citians grow plants, it’s helping the community itself bloom. And Kansas City deserves more of that.
