If you follow my blog every week you might remember two month ago I visited Windy Ridge Greenhouses in Plattsburg, Missouri. They were having issues with a very angry rooster named Bob; well I have learned that Bob did indeed wind up in the freezer. RIP

I feel like I am so behind checking farms this season but many of the venders are so much rain that they are unable to get into their fields to get their crops in. if they were able to get things planted  the rain keeps rotting the seeds and plants. The vendors located south of Kansas City have been getting hit the hardest lately so I thought I would stay north this week. I have two vendors I would like to get checked today the first vendor is in Pattonsburg, Mo and the second is in Hale, Mo. Pattonsburg is located north on I-35 about 70 miles and Hale Missouri is south of Chillicothe, there is just not a quick way to get to Hale so I will only be able to check two farms today.

Lyle Hoover is new to farming and this will be his first attempt to grow produce to bring to a farmers’ market. His farm, All Good Things, is located in a low area right off C highway. Lyle is doing better than most since he has two acres already planted although it is pretty muddy in spots. His plan is to plant an additional 3 acres in corn once things dry out a little. Lyle has never been to the City Market so is planning on visiting this weekend to see if the City Market will be a good fit for him. There are quite a few farmers markets in the Kansas City area so many farmers will sell at more than one Market or sometimes opt for a little bit smaller market located closer to their home. I am interested to hear what Lyle and his family thinks of the City Market after their visit. Although Lyle has his crops in it will be a while before he has produce ready to harvest.

I will have to back track a little to get to Hale and for some reason my GPS does not do a good job getting me to the Bryson’s. I have been there many times over the past 10 years; you would think I would know exactly how to get there. I found Ruby and Joe Bryson sitting in their road side stand which is a new addition since I visited last year. Joe’s son Peewee showed me around the farm today since Joe has been a little under the weather lately. They were busy picking sweet onions in the greenhouse when I arrived. The beets and radishes in this greenhouse were pretty much finished and turning to seed. The Bryson’s are in the Farmer w/ Local Supplement category so are allowed to purchase 50% of the items they bring to the market as long as they are growing no less than 50% of the items themselves. The purchased items must be harvested within 500 miles of the City Market.  This week they will have onions, last year’s potatoes they have stored in a cooler, strawberries and lettuce which make up the items they are harvesting from their farm. They will be supplementing Nebraska tomatoes which were purchase from O’Neil, NE which is 372 miles from the City Market. (www.gardenfreshvegetables.com) and blueberries from Harrison, Arkansas; which is 244 miles from the Market. Whenever necessary I will ask vendors for their receipts and also call the grower where the supplemented produce is being purchased. For additional information on Bryson’s Farm Fresh Produce visit their web site at www.brysonsfarm.com

 
Next week I am heading south into Kansas, I am sure I will need my boots. One of the vendors in Fort Scott told me he has spotted quite a few snakes in his fields so I will without a doubt have on some very tall boots. See you at the Market!