I visited farms close to the market this week so I could work on clearing off my desk and get ready for the weekend.
A short 15 minute drive from the market and I was at the farm of Por & Chaxamore Huns in Kansas City, Kansas. No one was available to show me around but I have visited a few times so knew my way around. Like many of the farmers I visit there are numerous bee hives which are placed on a farm by a bee keeper to help pollinate the plants and also provide the bee keeper with wonderful honey. Huns gardens had quite a few and the bees were very active. It appeared that weeds had overtaken much of Pors's farm but after a short walk I could see there were quite a few flowers, sun flowers, bitter melon and hot peppers.
My next stop is just west of Parkville at Dry Lake Farms. I tried not to keep Loyd and Addie to long since they were on there way to the hospital to wait for the arrival of their first grandson. Addie gave me a quick tour of her licensed kitchen where she makes wonderful pies, cookies and sweet rolls. She was particularly proud of her commercial stove which will hold 20 pies. Loyd has had a terrible season this year and you can tell he is really disgusted. Dry Lake Farm runs along a levee, this spring the corp of engineers needed to lower the water level so they flooded out most of his farm for a few weeks. Loyd said the plants can handle a couple days but not weeks so he lost much of what he had planted. Today they started about 6 a.m. picking cherry tomatoes to start to get ready for Saturday's market. Loyd had already plowed under his beet and cabbage crop which was destroyed by the water. Along with baked goods Loyd and Addie will have onions, tomatoes, okra and potatoes at stall 126-128 on Saturday.
Floyd & Mike McFarland's farm is just down the road from the Horn's farm. It seems like every time I visit Mc Farlands Plant Farm the city is doing construction around the entrance of his drive, today was no exception. I found Floyd and his son Mike busy picking cherry tomatoes. The weather was already heating up. Mike has made a fence out of fishing line to help keep deer out of his fields. it is amazing that although a deer could go through the line they turn around when they feel it. Por Huns had soda cans tied to line to keep deer our of his fields. Floyd took a little brake and walked me around his fields. Even with the extreme heat his tomato plants didn't look too bad. In addition to cherry tomatoes they will be bringing tomatoes, okra, eggplant, peppers and onions to the market on Saturday. You will find them in stall 0- 1 - 2 on the south side of the market.
I thought it would be nice to get a brake from the heat and check on a artist/crafter vendor. Sarah Biondo lives in Kansas City, Missouri and works out of her home. Sarah usually sells crocheted items in the fall and winter. This time of year she makes "Granny Greens Laundry Soap" and embellishes hats. Sarah was working on a shawl which she was making on her loom. She also has a knitting machine which she is not too sure she likes, I think she would rather do it the old fashion way. Like most crafters Sarah's supplies have found a way to take over her house, lucky for her she has a basement.
Hope to see you at the Market this weekend. We should have a lot of melons.
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