City Market - Farmers' Market Vendors

I took a little time off last week so we plan to do back to back vendor visits this week. I was hoping it would have been a little warmer since we are visiting farms all day on Wednesday, I will just have to bundle up a little. Since we have very little crops to check this time of year we are focusing on Greenhouses, vendors with animals and artist crafter vendors.

It has been awhile since I visited Peter and Susan Kohl; they raise buffalo in Belton, Missouri and have been vendors at the City Market since 2003. I can tell you the cold did not seem to faze the buffalo, they looked very content. The Kohl’s raise 300 head of buffalo which they have processed in a USDA meat processing plant and in addition to selling their product at the Market they also have a small store on their property where customers can purchase products right from their farm. KC Buffalo provides a wide variety of individual cuts of meat or you could order a side, split side, 40# variety pack or 20# variety pack. I am hooked on their Summer Sausage and jerky but have also tried a roast which I cooked in a Crockpot, it was very good and a great alternative to beef. Peter is at the City Market every Saturday year round, April through October located in stall 87 in the middle pavilion. KC Buffalo accepts cash and the City Market $5.00 debit tokens which can be purchased at the SNAP tent during Market hours. For additional information visit their web site at www.kcbuffalo.com

I always look forward to visiting greenhouses in the spring since they are warm and usually bursting with flours. This year I am trying to get a head start and got to Enright Gardens located in Edgerton, Kansas as they were just getting started. Sue Enright has been selling at the Market since she was a child with her family and even met her husband Steve here. The Enright’s started their business in 1979 and currently have 15 greenhouses on their property; one of these will be planted with tomatoes very soon. The advantage of visiting a little early we were able to walk though the greenhouses with Sue and Steve and see all their fantastic gadgets. Since it was spring break they were able to have a lot of extra help getting the seeds started and transplanting small plants into pots. They have a new machine that is able to put each tiny seed into compartments on the trays which saves a lot of time. They also have added heated beds which help to keep the trays and seeds warm so they are able to grow a little quicker without having to keep the greenhouse so warm. Steve demonstrated the machine that fills the hanging baskets with potting soil and another that fills all the trays. This is a huge time saver since they fill 4,000 hanging baskets and a crazy number of trays. In addition to running the greenhouse, which is open to the public, they also have a rental facility on their property for hosting weddings, it is beautiful. Enright Gardens should start back at the Market in mid to late April if the weather is warm enough and are located at the east end of the middle pavilion in stalls 47-50. For additional information visit their web site at www.enrightgardens.com

We had planned on stopping by The Flower Farm in Gardner, Kansas but found out they were not open yet so decided to wait a couple weeks. We opted to drive to Drexel, Missouri to visit a new greenhouse that David Bird purchased last year. David is known as the orchid and carnivorous plant guy at the Market but has expanded to this greenhouse where he can grow some edible plants, succulents and a few unique varieties. David is always experimenting with new things and always thinks outside of the box. David made sure he was at the greenhouse when we arrived so he could show us each new plant; I have already started my shopping list when he starts back at the Market. David has added new items that are perfect for customers who live in the neighborhood who have very little outside space for growing their own food. Birds Botanicals will feature a different type of plant each week so you will want to make sure and stop by his stalls each week to see what new and wonderful things he has. You will find Bird’s Botanicals at the Market every Saturday stalls 22-23 and Sundays in stalls 124-125. If you have not had a chance to visit the caves where he grows the most amazing orchids and carnivorous plants you will want to make plans to do so. For more information visit his website at www.birdsbotanicals.com or befriend them on facebook.