What a great day to check farms, the weather was much cooler and the farms I visited had gotten a little rain, about 1”. Today I checked two farms, one in Lexington, Mo and the second in Buckner, Mo. I also had company today, Mark Thomas, Chief Operating Officer for Copaken Brooks. Copaken Brooks is the company that manages the City Market and the company I work for. It is always nice to have someone to talk with as I drive.
Fahrmeier Brothers Produce is a family owned farm which has been in Ron Fahrmeier family for generations. The farm continues to change each time I visit. Over the past few years they have added twelve high tunnels and a winery. They were all busy getting ready for this weekend’s 4th annual “Tomato Day” at the farm so I really appreciated the family taking time to show me the farm. Ron showed us the smaller tunnels where they grow eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and strawberries. Since the strawberries are grown in the tunnels they will be able to bring berries to the market all season. Like most Missouri strawberries this variety is a little small but very sweet, I just had to taste one. After a quick walk around the area located on the hill near the winery we headed down the road to look at the high tunnels where they are strictly growing tomatoes, one contains only yellow tomatoes and the eleven others tunnels contain red tomatoes, that’s a lot of tomatoes. Behind the tunnels is an area dedicated to sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, watermelons, and peppers, everything was looking very good since they have drip lines in all of their fields and tunnels. The Fahrmeiers’ have 6 to 10 employees depending on the season; today they were busy picking tomatoes and peppers. Once the tomatoes are picked they are taken to the sorting house where they are washed, sorted, packed in boxes and kept cool. No visit to the Fahrmeiers’ would be complete without a visit to their wine tasting area; my favorite today was their raspberry wine, yummy! For more information visit their website at www.fahrmeierfarms.com or follow them on facebook.
My last stop today was in Buckner, Mo at Frye Farms. This farm is also a family farm which has been in Marlin’s family for many years. This farm is always easy to find since it is located just north of Buckner off of hwy 24. Marlin and his wife were busy waiting on customers at their roadside store when we arrived and a few of the high school kids they hire were getting ready to hit the fields and tie up some of the vegetable plants. They do this so the produce is up off the ground. Alongside the store is a few greenhouses, one contains what is left of their spring annual bedding plants. The other greenhouse is full of tomato plants, all of which are covered in green tomatoes. Marlin explained to me that they pick the tomatoes when they are yellow and then let them ripen up before taking them to the market. In addition to greenhouse tomatoes they also have field tomatoes that are doing pretty good since they are in raised beds which are lined with drip lines. The Frye’s had much more produce planted this year and have even started some additional tomato plants which if all goes well should produce tomatoes late into the fall. They currently were picking peppers, tomatoes, cantaloupe and cucumbers. Their squash was starting to show the stress from the heat so has really pretty much stopped producing. Marlin drove us to another section of land they farm located along the river about 10 miles from his home. This field is used for growing cucumbers, cantaloupe and watermelons. This section of land does not have irrigation so the plants were a little stressed but the morning rain really gave them a boost. Marlin has been battling spider mites, beetles and aphids in this field so he has had to spray, something most farmers only do as needed. As if the drought and bugs aren’t bad enough he also has a big problem with coyotes eating the center out of the melons. Marlin, Mark and Jarred Frye are at the market every Saturday. Mark is in shed 1 stalls 27-29, Jared shed 2 stalls 88-91 and Marlin shed 3 stalls 129-131.
I hope the weather next week is as nice as it was today. Not sure where I am going next week, I need to check my list to see which new vendors are still waiting to be checked and which contracted vendors I have not yet visited. I can’t believe it is almost August.
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