Today I had to get an early start since my first farm was 200 miles from Kansas City. I got to drive through a portion of the Flint Hills, if you have not driven through this area it is quite beautiful. I saw my fair share of cattle, longhorn steers and corn.

Kay Neff sent in her application back in January and it got mixed in with some of the farmers 2015 contracts. I came across it last week and was really embarrassed that I had misplaced it. Needless to say Kay got a big apology. Neff Family farm raises early crops so everything is wrapped up for the year but I knew I could get a good sense of what they grow on their farm so she would be approved for early next spring. Kay will be selling a large selection of fresh herbs and vegetable plants which she propagates from each year’s plants. All of these plants were still in the pots and Kay will start working on this task in September. Kay is a sixth generation farming family and everything they grow are started from plants they propagated and they grow everything chemical free. They have five high tunnels, one of which was pretty much destroyed by one of the many storms that came through that area this past spring. They will have to replace it along with the plastic on another frame. They also grow strawberries which have long been finished for this year, I was however able to see all the plants so know they have a nice size strawberry patch. In addition to growing produce Kay is a potter and will be selling her hand thrown pots at the Market, certainly something to look forward to next spring. For more information on Neff Family Farm visit their web site at www.nefffamilyfarm.com

  

GPS got me a little lost getting to Sedgwick, KS so the day really got away from me by the time I headed towards Wichita. Hill Top Farm is 229 miles from Kansas City. Bernard was originally from Maryland and now resides and farms in Garden Plain. Bernard grows seven acres of cantaloupe which he has had to replant twice this year due to all the rain. In the past he has sold to his local Dillon’s grocery store but thought this year he would like to start selling at farmers markets and after a visit to the City Market they decided to give it a try. Bernard thinks he should have cantaloupe ready to harvest in about three or four weeks. He has a few different varieties which should provide melons for about twelve weeks. Hill Top Farms will be selling at the Sunday farmers market.

I found a great place to pullover and eat my lunch on the way back to KC, I guess you could call it lunch even though it was mid-afternoon. There was a little lake right off the highway with a picnic table so I was able to write my blog while it was fresh in my mind.

  

Next week I plan to head north of the river, I have a few farms in that area that I have not yet visited this year. Next week will be a lot less driving, but today the weather and scenery was beautiful.