City Market - Farmers' Market Vendors

Farm Visits August 25, 2011

2011-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

I just can’t believe it is the end of August already; the summer is just flying by. I have a few farms which I have not visited yet this year so I really need to step it up a bit.

Today is the perfect day to visit farms, the weather is beautiful. I am heading south on 71 highway to visit Gayle and Gary Beachner in Butler, MO. In addition to their farm in Butler, they also farm a large section of land in Odessa, MO where most of the produce is grown. The Butler location is mainly greenhouses where they start their plants and grow greenhouse tomatoes. This is also where most of their asparagus comes from in the spring. When I arrived no one was home and thanks to a dog protecting the farm I was unable to get out of the truck. If you look closely you will see him eyeballing me from the front porch. Every time I tried to step out of the truck he came barreling towards me so I will have to settle for just taking pictures from my truck. You will find Buds and Berries at the Market every Saturday (stall 101-104) and Sunday (stall 69-71).

I have a new vendor to visit in Kansas City, Kansas so I thought I would stop in Belton on the way by and visit Peter and Susan Kohl, KC Buffalo. Usually I am out this way in the early spring and don’t get to see all the baby buffalo. Susan informed me that 53 babies were born so far this year and they are expecting a few more late births. Peter has really expanded his heard, when I first started as Market Master Peter had about 150 head; today he has about 250 head of buffalo roaming his farm. In addition to selling at the City Market the Kohl’s also have a store on their property where customers can stop by and purchase meat on weekdays. It is so worth the drive. KC Buffalo is at the Market every Saturday (stall 87) April through October, and the first Saturday of the month during the winter.

Last stop today is to check out a new farm in Kansas City, Kansas. Abdul Khalifah sent in his application a few weeks ago, I must visit all new vendors farms before they are allowed to rent stall space at the Market. I had a terrible time finding the intersection the farm was located at; I had to call Abdul a couple times. In the end I had to drive into another person’s driveway and follow the gravel drive back to the field behind the house. Abdul told me that he does not use any pesticides and had just gone out that morning to cut down a path to get to the back of his field. Abdul has 40 acres, 20 acres of woods and 20 acres for farming. Before I got out of the truck he warned me that his sheep had gotten out earlier that day and were still on the run. I started down the mowed path and realized that in some spots the weeds were over my head and sheep tracks were everywhere. I just knew at any moment one of the loose sheep would be bounding out of the weeds in my direction. I continued looking for watermelons, okra and tomatoes. I finally found the tomatoes just because I saw the stakes but they were not producing anything. I found a few okra plants which were just starting to bloom and I never could find the melons. Abdul will need to wait till next year’s market.

I won’t be doing my blog or visiting farms next week. September 3rd is the Market’s “For the Love of Meat” celebration and Labor Day weekend which is always super busy. I still have farms to check so will plan on visiting Odessa, MO on the 8th of September.

Farm Visits August 18, 2011

2011-08-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day to head out across the “Flint Hills” of eastern Kansas. For those who have never driven from Kansas City to Manhattan, Kansas you are missing some beautiful country. I stopped at a scenic viewing area just before I reached Manhattan to take some pictures, I am sure they do not do the view justice.

First stop today is at the farm belonging to Barbra Flores. Barbra’s farm has been in her family since 1930 and a fourth generation is now attending the market. Barbra probably farms the most acreage of any of the vendors currently at the market. With the help of her family Barbra farms approximately 300 acres just outside of Manhattan. When I arrived Barbra was just getting ready to leave so I was only able to chat with her for a moment. Since I have been to the farm a few times I just showed myself around. The first field contained long rows of watermelons, cantaloupe, egg plant, tomatoes, corn and assorted peppers. Barbra told me they had just dug up onions earlier that morning. Since Flores Farm is so large they do have employees who were busy sorting large bins of melons to take to some area grocery stores. In addition to this large field, they also farm another section of land about a mile away. In this field Barbra has more melons planted, sweet potatoes and squash. The rows seemed to go on forever. I had to look for the melons under the mass of vines but the plants were loaded. Barbra’s stalls 72-74 are located in shed 2 on both Saturday and Sunday. In addition to produce Flores Farm also sells live chickens, ducks and goats at the exit to the market from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. most Saturdays.

I will only be visiting two farms today since the first stop was 120 miles from the market. Since it is on my way home I will stop by Thane Palmberg’s Farm. Like Barbra, Thanes wife’s family has been coming to the City Market since 1932 and occupying the same stalls 18, 19, 20 & 21. Thane had just left to do some deliveries so I did not get to walk his entire property. Thane falls under the Farmer 100% Grower category, which means he only sells the produce that he grows. Many of the markets vendors supplement some of the produce they bring to the market. It has to be within our 500 mile radius and cannot be more that 50% of the produce they are bringing to the market that day. I am sorry I missed Thane; I will have to visit another time.

Next week I might visit a couple of the crafters that sell at the market.

Farm Visit and the Missouri State Fair August 10, 2011

2011-08-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

I am very excited today to be heading to Sedalia to the Missouri State Fair. Tony Anderson, with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, contacted me back in February to see if I would be interested in being the judge for the Horticulture Contest at the State Fair this year. You Bet! For those of you who have never attended the fair, it is held every August in Sedalia at the fairgrounds. Sedalia is an hour and a half drive from the City Market just east on highway 50. When I arrived about 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning the fairgrounds were bustling with activity. Different organizations where busy hauling in their supplies for the 10 day event, August 11-21.

I met Tony in the Agriculture Building and got busy judging the basket category. There were three different basket categories, Farmers’ market/Community Garden, Commercial or Market Grower Basket and the Home Grown Basket display. I had to pick a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner with prizes ranging from $200- $30.

Judging the baskets was a little tough but nothing compared to judging the tables of produce. There were nine categories to judge, Vegetables, Heirloom Tomatoes, Root Vegetables, Pumpkins/Squash/Gourds, Melons, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Most Unusual Fruit or Vegetable and Fruit. My favorite categories to judge were the Melon and Tomatoes since I just had to try them all. The winning melon was WONDERFUL! It took about two and a half hours to work my way through the categories and I had a great time.

Before heading out of the fair I took a few minutes to walk around the grounds and check out all the rides, assortment of food and the animal barns. I am sure the place will be hopping when the gates open on Thursday. For more information go to www.mostatefair.com.

Since I was already half way to Fortuna I thought I would visit one farm before I headed home. Not too far off highway 5 south of Tipton is a beautiful nursery ran by Betsy Nolt. Betsy’s specialty is crape myrtle’s, she has 53 varieties in all colors and sizes. The plants have really been struggling with all the heat but still looked beautiful. The butterfly bushes were covered with butterflies; the picture does not do them justice. Betsy is really struggling with coming to the City Market or not. It is about a 3 hour drive and she will have to pay a driver for the day add that to the price of gas and stall fees and you really would have to sell a lot of perennials and house plants. Hopefully things will work out; I think Betsy and her family would be wonderful additions to the Market.

Time to head back to Kansas City since I have a long drive ahead of me. Not sure where I will be heading next week, possibly Manhattan Kansas.

Correction

2011-07-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

I made a mistake when I listed Dan Heryer and Brook Salvaggio's web site. The correct web site is www.badseedfarm.com.

Farm and Crafter Visit July 28, 2011

2011-07-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

I was a bit of a lite weight this week and opted to stay close to home and inside as much as possible. When the temperature gets to be 100 plus it is the perfect time to visit one of the markets contracted artist /crafter vendors. The vendors in this category are required to make the items they sell at the market so every now and then I stop by and watch them work on the items they sell each week. In addition to watching them work I also check to make sure they have the supplies it takes to create the finished product.

Terri Mick, Terri's Designs, is known at the market as the "embroidery lady". Terri makes beautiful purses, backpacks, diaper bags,aprons, embroidered t-shirts and sweatshirts. Each item can be made to order and even include the name of your favorite someone or your business. Terri is constantly coming up with new and unique items to bring to the market and has a very cute gift idea for Christmas. (Just a reminder, many of the craft vendors set-up at the market every Saturday through Christmas.)I was fascinated to see how Terri's embroidery machine works. I had always thought that you just needed to program the design in and walk away, I found out I was mistaken. Terri has to constantly monitor the machine in case the thread breaks or the color of the thread needs to be changed. Terri's work space is filled with piles of assorted materials sorted by color and theme, beads, purse handles, ribbon and a few unique items waiting to be turned into something wonderful. Terri is at the market every Saturday on the east side of the market square.

I really hated to leave Terri's air conditioned house but I want to check a farm today before I go home. Dan Heryer and Brook Salvaggio better known as the owners of Bad Seed Market located in mid town have been coming to the market off and on since 2008. Dan has had an abundance of produce so has been coming to the market on Sunday for the last few weeks. When I first met Dan and Brook they were farming in a residential area on Bannister road. Due to many zoning issues they opted to relocate to an area a little farther out of the city. In doing so they were able to have some livestock and expand the amount of produce they are able to grow. I was very upset to hear that they lost their goats to a pack of wild dogs this year. There seems to be so many ups and downs in farming. As Dan walked me through their fields it was pretty evident that the heat and deer are taking it's toll on their tomato crop. We were both surprised to see a deer in the middle of the field in broad daylight. Dan will be at the market this coming Sunday, you can't miss his stall, his display of fresh produce is always very nice. For more information about Bad Seed visit their web site at www.badseed.com

If you are looking for fresh corn, tomatoes, peppers or green beans you will need to visit your favorite farmers' market this weekend. The heat and lack of rain is destroying many of these items. The only thing that seems to be doing really well are eggplant, squash and okra.

Farm Visits July 21, 2011

2011-07-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

I was really hoping the weather would break before it was time to go out and visit farms this week, but no such luck. I only have two farms to check today, both are located north of Kansas City.

My first stop is east of Trenton, Missouri off highway 65. Lewis and Marie Kamphefner were regulars at the market quit a few years ago, you might remember Strawberry Lane Farm. Marie's family has farmed their land since 1898 and has seen their share of floods due to the "Muddy Creek" which meanders through their farm. Years ago the creek was straightened and does not cause too many problems anymore. Strawberry Lane sells at the Saturday Weston Farmers' market and plans to sell at the City Market on Sunday's once their tomatoes start to ripen. In addition to tomatoes their acorn and zucchini squash are doing well, bugs are starting to feast on the leaves of their Kohlrabi and they have planted a second crop of cucumbers and assorted onions. I had a hard time seeing the row of carrots due to the tall weeds but in this heat the weeds helps to protect the plants from the scorching sun.

I really enjoyed my visit with Marie and Lewis who sent me on my way with a very tasty loaf of chocolate zucchini bread which I need to remember to get the recipe for.

My second and last stop of the day is in Hale, Missouri. There is really no good way to get to Hale without doing a lot of backtracking. Bryson's Farm Fresh produce is a family operation and today Joe's son and grandson were on hand to show me around. The heat is definitely starting to take its toll on the tomato plants in the green houses. The plants are looking a little ruff but are covered with green tomatoes. The black berry bushes look great and are thick with berries. Joe will be transplanting more bushes next spring so hopes to continue to increase the amount of berries he can bring to market. Yesterday they spent hours watering their cantaloupe field, they do not have water available for their watermelon crop so will more than likely loose it. Many of the vegetable plants are hiding among the weeds which seems to be the case with most farmers that do not use pesticides or at least very little. Joe is in the farmer with local supplement category at the market, so 50% of the produce he sells can come from neighboring farms. An Amish family provides Joe with some of the supplemented produce he brings to the market.

I am hot and dirty so very happy to head for home. Not sure where I will head next week, I still have some farms to check as well as crafters. Maybe I can visit a few of each next Thursday.

Farm Visits July 14, 2011

2011-07-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

After a few very busy weeks at the market I thought I better get back on the road and visit a few farms. Today was a little challenging since I had trouble getting from point A to point B thanks to the Missouri River. Twice today I had to back track due to flooded roads.

I will be revisiting a few farms today since I visited them in the spring when most of their vegetable plants were still in the greenhouses waiting for the soil to warm up. My first stop today will be to visit a new vendor who has patiently been waiting for me to make it too his farm. Eric Lockard has been farming his farm in Higginsville for the last 2 ½ years and has three acres of corn ready to bring to the market. He had planted three varieties this season, one of which is already done and not a crop that Eric was very happy with. I was so busy taking pictures of the corn that I almost walked right into his electric fence. One of those times when it is obvious I am a city girl. Eric has been battling raccoons in his corn fields even with the electric fence; he has started setting live traps and has caught 8 so far. In addition to corn the Lockards have a small garden mainly for their own use. This garden consists of apple, pear and peach trees, blueberry bushes, tomatoes, peppers and his sons Indian corn. Eric will be at the market on the daily waiting list so his location will more than likely change weekly.

Not too far from the Lockard farm, just east of Higginsville, is Peacock farm. Betty’s farm is one I checked earlier in the spring. Betty was able to get a grant to have a commercial kitchen installed which she will be able to rent out by the hour. They are getting very close to getting it done, in fact tomorrow the lighting, floorboards and phone lines will be installed. Once the equipment is installed they will be ready to go. An open house for the kitchen is scheduled for August 6th and 7th. Betty’s husband Kenneth gave me the grand tour of the farm. Peacock farm has also been having trouble with raccoons, they are killing their chickens. They have caught two in their live traps but know there are many more still lurking around. I think the weeds are getting the best of Betty’s vegetables, but maybe they are also helping to keep the plants shaded. Kenneth had just picked zucchini yesterday; there were plenty of cherry tomatoes, tomatoes, fresh herbs, carrots and cone cabbage. In addition to vegetables Peacock farm also sells farm fresh eggs at the market, but with the extreme heat we have been having they are not laying very many eggs.

I wasn’t planning on checking a peach orchard today but I received a call asking me if I could check their farm since I was in the area. Sherry and Matt Thorp farm 10 acres of peaches in Waverly, Missouri and raise 23 different varieties. They normally sell most of their peaches at their roadside country store “Mother Earth” but due to all the flooding many of the roads are closed and customers are unable to easily find their store. Sherry had me follow her in the markets truck through the peach orchards, the peaches looked wonderful. Some of the trees were producing so many peaches that the branches were breaking off; Sherry told me they did not get pruned enough last year. As I stood in front of their home I noticed all the beetles flying around the yard. Matt told me they burrow into the peaches and do quite a bit of damage to the peach crop. If beetles weren’t enough they also have fruit bats which bite into the peaches and hang on, unbeknown to the person picking them . Okay maybe the raccoons aren’t so bad. Mother Earth is located just west of Waverly, Missouri on highway 24.

I had planned to visit Fahrmeier Farm today but part of 24 highway is under water so it can wait till another day. Due to all the roads and some bridges being out I have to take the long way to Buckner, Missouri and Frye Farms. I caught Marlin and his family taking a much deserved lunch break when I arrived, it was nice to have a chance to visit with them and have a nice cold glass of ice tea. Marlin showed me the greenhouse which was full of tomato plants, most of which were green since they had already picked some yesterday. Behind the greenhouse was a new area they were working on the last time I visited the farm. They had built planting beds which were now full of 1200 tomato plants and green peppers. The eggplant was not in planting beds and looked a little sad, they had been hammered with rain and not doing very good. Marlin will probably plant squash in its place. I was happy when Marlin offered to drive to the 10 acre field where they are growing pumpkins, cantaloupe and watermelons. His van had air-conditioning, my truck does not. The fields were too wet to drive into but you could still see the plants and rows. Hopefully the cantaloupe will be ready in the next two weeks. I almost forgot to mention that the Frye’s also raise sorghum and have an event on their farm the first of October where you can watch them turn it into syrup, so mark your calendars.

Next Thursday I will be heading north to Trenton and Hale Missouri. I am hoping the heat wave breaks by then.

Farm Visits June 23, 2011

2011-06-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

I think everyone in the office was a little jealous today when I left to do farm visits since the weather was beautiful, much to nice to be inside. As I drove over the Broadway Bridge I couldn’t believe how much the river had risen since yesterday.

Today I am heading north to King City, MO. For those of you who have never gotten the chance to drive along 31 highway between King City and 169 you are missing quite a site, there are miles of huge wind turbines as far as you can see. I just think they are really beautiful to watch. Donna Clausen, Lost Creek Farm, told me they turn into the wind and turn off whenever there is a storm passing through. The ones located by their house are very quiet but Donna said they have a different kind down the road which are a little louder. I guess you would get use to the sound after a while. Donna was busy baking when I arrived and het kitchen smelled heavenly. Donna has an inspected kitchen located in a separate building across from her home. It is very nice and supper clean. Darrel has added a new building this year to house their chickens. As soon as they start laying they will be bringing brown eggs to the market. Donna had 20 minutes before her timer went off so she walked me through the six acres they farm. In addition to wonderful baked goods, her pies are to die for, they grow potatoes, green & red cabbage, snow peas, green beans, assorted greens, beets, onions and tomatoes. Their fields looked great thanks to a couple of the neighbor girls who help with the weeding. Lost Creek farm is at the market every Saturday in the first shed on the south side of the market closest to 5th street. www.lost-creek-farm.com

I can’t resist stopping in Stewartsville on my way to Plattsburg. Just off highway 36is Bread of Life bakery. As always everyone was busy baking but took a few minutes to visit with me. Bread of life is a family bakery which has been part of the City Market for the past 9 years. They are known for their gluten free baked goods and they grind some of the flour they use in their breads. For more information about Bread of Life visit their web site at www.breadoflifebakery.net or stop by and see them every Saturday and Sunday in the middle farmers shed.

Once I get to Plattsburg and cross a few streams I arrive at Windy Ridge Greenhouse & Produce. William is busy mowing but takes a break to give me the grand tour. You might remember the pictures from my blog last summer when the Hank’s had a tornado go through their farm and destroy a couple of their green houses. The Hank’s will still have some beautiful hanging baskets available at the market on Saturday if you already forgot to water the ones you bought in early May. They will also have hibiscus and other assorted perennials. William is not really happy with his broccoli or cabbage right now but hopes they will perk up soon. His cauliflower has already started to turn a little yellow so they tied the leaves around the heads to keep it white; I learn something new every day. This year William’s son Bill, his wife Clara and daughter in law planted two rows of heirloom tomatoes, they looked great. Bill came across a cantaloupe seed which will produce after 54 days, so if everything is perfect in the universe the Hank’s should be bringing cantaloupes to the market the 2nd or 3rd week of July. A few of the plants already had a few small melons on the vines. William’s watermelon patch was looking pretty good depending on the variety and size of melon, each plant can produce 6 to 10 melons. I can’t wait till local melons make it to the market. If all goes well the Hank’s will get all their pumpkin plants in tomorrow. The farthest field had more tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers and squash. The Hank’s are at the market every Saturday in the middle shed.

Last stop for the day will be in Gower at the farm of Jim Hedgecock. Jim is expanding a little this year and adding heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers and squash to his stall on Saturday. Jim is known around the market as the “Iris Guy” since he grows acres of irises and has a big mail order business. www.comancheacresiris.com Jim is in the farmer with local supplement category and supplements his stall with local apples from Lexington, MO in September. Jim had 70 tomato plants in the ground and they were looking pretty good. If all goes well he plans to add more vegetables next year. Comanche Acres Iris Garden is in the first shed on the south side of the market every Saturday.

Sorry for the lack of pictures this week, my camera decided not to work while I was at Lost Creek Farm, I will make sure it is up and going before I head out again.

I am taking a week off from farm visits next week since we are coming up on the markets “Groovalicious Fruit” celebration and 4th of July weekend, which is always really busy. After the holiday I plan on rechecking some of our vendors which I visited in the spring.

Farm Visits June 16, 2011

2011-06-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today I head south for my yearly visit to southern Missouri. Each year I receive more and more calls from farmers who live in this area. Many of them have relocated to this area from Minnesota, I am sure it is for the longer growing season and to escape the long cold winters. Deb Churchill, Property Manager for the City Market, will be co piloting for me today.

I always try to plot out my day ahead of time so the last farm I visit is on the way home. First stop today will be in Diamond, Missouri about two and a half hours south of Kansas City. A Mouacheupao has patiently been waiting for me to check her farm so she can start selling at the market. When we first pull into her drive I am thinking we have the wrong place, we drive past many commercial chicken houses before we spot the farm. A Mouacheupao shows us the three plots of land she has planted. The first section has a few rows of corn, onions and squash, she will be plowing up the unused section to plant another crop of tomatoes, hopefully by June 22nd. The second section is a little larger and planted with green and yellow squash, kohlrabi, cabbage, cucumbers, beets and a lot of potatoes. A has been gone for a few weeks visiting her son and was surprised how much things had grown and that her plants had not been watered. The last area is mostly flowers and an assortment of vegetables way too numerous to mention. A Farm will probably start coming to the market the end of June on the daily waiting list.

Next stop Seneca, Missouri which borders the Oklahoma border. James and Mai showed Deb and I one of their fields which is always very well maintained and pretty weed free. Deb could not resist taking pictures of the cow pies we had to maneuver around; you don’t see that in the city. In addition to the field we looked at they have a field at the back of the property and one down the road a piece. Mai told me they planted additional produce this year to sell to Freedom Hospital in Joplin. The only damage Lee Family Farm had the day of the Joplin tornado was hail damage to their plants, but it did not cause too much damage. The Lee farm grows a wonderful selection of produce, even one plant that no one can remember the name of. The leaves are used as tea or a great addition to chicken soup. They apparently planted it once and now it comes up sporadically in the field. The Lee family is at the market every Saturday in stalls 116, 117 & 118.

Back in the truck and head down the road to Anderson, Missouri and the farm of Ying and Nhia Xiong. I have been visiting their farm for three or four years and it gets bigger each year. The first time I visited this farm I had a terrible time finding it. You have to drive down a grassy lane, through a cattle gate and through the field before you come to the farm. Nhia has three separate fields located on either side of his property. When we arrived they were busy picking green beans, which from what I hear from all the vendors this is one of their least favorite things to pick. Nhia has lined all the rows with black plastic to help cut back on the amount of weeds they have to deal with. Everything looked beautiful and they also grow the “no name plant” and can’t remember what it is called. Ying and Nhia drives three hours to the market every Saturday and are located in stalls 84, 85 & 86.

We start heading east to Fairview, Missouri, I have two farms located here. Ton and Helen Cha have two locations they farm, the first field was planted but was not yet producing any produce. Helen told me Ton was busy working in the other location off highway 86. Ton was busy picking the lasts rows of spinach before he tills it and replants. The Cha Family farm is definitely battling the weeds, and in some areas I think the weeds are winning. Ton had a new hoop house that was full of tomato plants covered with tomatoes which should be ready to pick next week. In addition to growing produce Ton also has three turkey houses where he raises turkeys for Butter Ball. The Cha Family Farm comes to the market on the daily waiting list so their location varies week to week.

The second vendor who lives in Fairview is Mailor Vang. Mailor has been to the market a few times this year and will probably be coming again this weekend. Mailor has just added a new section of red raspberries to her field in addition to the 30 or so bushes she already had in last year, they should be coming on soon. As with all the vendors today the list of vegetables they raise are way too long to put in this blog. Although their farm was not as large as some of the others I visited today, she has a nice variety and things were looking pretty good. Like Ton, Mailor is also on the daily waiting list.

I want to check a vendor in Purdy, Missouri which I checked last year and really did not see much produce planted and what was planted looked really bad. I was a little scared to get out of the truck since I had two dogs standing at my door, one of which did not look to friendly. I could not get a hold of anyone in the hose so had to check things out from the road. Things looked much better this year. Mai Thor Yang has not come to the market yet this year but at least I know she actually has something growing this year.

Last stop in Sarcoxie, Missouri and a new farmer who contacted me on Wednesday, luckily I had already planned to come down this way. Cha Fue Lor is originally from Kansas City but moved to Sarcoxie about ten years ago. This is his first year planting produce on his 40 acre farm and has really done a great job. He is a little discouraged since he had planned to sell his produce at the Joplin Farmers’ Market, but since the market was destroyed in the tornado he has not had a market to sell at. I hope he does well at the City Market. Cha also grew the “no name plant” and can’t remember what it is called; I think it must be a secret. We were just getting ready to walk out of the field when Cha showed me a plant that looks like corn but is actually sticky corn and the ears are sometimes black, I can’t wait to see this at market.

By the time we got back to Kansas City we had driven 475 miles and had been gone for 13 hours. Boy I am ready to call it a day. I am not sure where I will be heading next Thursday but I am sure it will be a little closer to home.

Farm Visits June 9, 2011

2011-06-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today I am staying pretty close to Kansas City but will visit eight farms. My first two stops will be in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

Randy Tillery’s farm is located along the Kansas River which I am sure he is hoping will stay in its banks this summer. Last year when I visited Randy’s farm he had so much standing water in part of his field that a family of ducks had taken up residency. This year it looked beautiful, as did all the farms I visited since weeds have not started to take over the plants yet. No one was working in the fields yet so I just roamed through the rows enjoying the cool breeze and the sight. Randy has a great variety of produce planted but is known for his melons, assortment of peppers and sweet potatoes. Randy has not yet started coming to market this season but should be back towards the end of June in stalls 46 and 47, just look for the green umbrellas.

My next stop is actually near downtown Bonner Springs. I was a little leery getting out at Herb Lee’s farm, I was not sure if his dog was friendly or not so I gave him a call and luckily he was home. I don’t get much of a chance to visit with vendors when they are at the market since everyone is way too busy, so it was nice to have a chance to chat with Herb. Herb’s family has been at the market since he was a small toddler; he is now in his 70’s. He use to farm 30 acres but since he has gotten older has downsized to farming 8 acres and leasing out part of his land. Herb used to be a big sweet potato grower but will probably not plant any this year, he does have potatoes from last fall which he has stored in his basement over the winter. Herb was a little late getting his plants in but has greens ready for market. You will find Lee’s Vegetable Wonderland in the middle shed in stalls 57, 58 & 59 most Saturdays.

Now I head towards Kansas City, Kansas to check a new vendor, Nhiaxiong Herr. They are not home but give me permission to walk back to their garden. Nhiaxiong has not started coming to the market yet but should be ready latter this month. Nhiaxiong has everything planted on a hill side, from the road you would not even relies there was a garden there. Nhiaxiong will be on the daily waiting list on Saturday and maybe Sunday. They have eggplant, squash, green onions, cilantro, lemon grass, zucchini, okra, cucumbers and cut flowers.

Just down the road I stop at the new location of Hmong Vaj Vang Farm. Last year Chiong farmed on the north side of KCK, this location is much larger, about ten acres. What a beautiful farm, a mixture of vegetable plants, herbs and flowers. Chiong gives me a tour and explains some of the plots are tended by family members. They all get together to tend their plots and to visit with their family. What a great way for a family to stay close. Trellises are ready for climbing squash, Chiong reuses the trellises each year, many farmers take them down each year, till up the ground and then reassembles them. What a lot of work! You will see pictures of vegetable plants that are covered with yellow flowers; Chiong lets the plants flower so they can collect the seeds for next season. Another interesting thing I learned today. Chiong grows sweet potatoes, not for the potatoes but for the leaves. He tells me they are very good. Vaj Vang Farm is at the Market every Saturday and Sunday, stalls 68 and 92 on Saturday and 86 on Sunday.

I always love visiting my next vendor; she grows the most beautiful flowers. See Vang is also in Kansas City, Kansas not far from Parallel Parkway. I was happy to see that See had expanded her garden this year to include more vegetables. This year her stalls will include Lettuce, green onions, sweet peas, okra, eggplant, squash and cucumbers. Enjoy the pictures of her beautiful flowers. See is at the Market every Saturday and Sunday in stalls 135 & 136 on Saturday and 82 & 83 on Sunday.

My next Stop was only a few blocks away at the farm of Choua Lor, John Vang and Cha Vang. As with Choing Vang’s family, many of the relatives’ have a section of land they farm with other family members. The Vang’s farm reminds me of a large patchwork quilt. The square sections of plants and flowers just flow along the hillside. It is really beautiful. I only saw one person in the field who was very busy working and I really did not want to disturb her. I have been at this farm many times so I just continued to follow the narrow path which leads to the bottom of the valley. This is why I truly love the days I visit the vendors farms. It is always very peaceful and the plants have a beauty all their own.

Cha Vang has another section of land behind their house but I need to get to Parkville, Missouri before it gets too late, so I will save it for another time.

I head south down 435 towards the 45 highway intersection, you can’t miss Floyd and Mike McFarland’s farm in the outskirts of Parkville, Missouri. McFarland plant farm is known for their flowers and vegetable plants in the early spring, but this time of year they are focusing on growing produce. I never stop by the McFarland’s when I don’t find them hard at work in their fields. (Except when Floyd is bowling) Mike has added Napa cabbage to their long list of vegetables this year, Napa cabbage is a brighter green than the normal cabbage you see. Floyd is trying something new this year, he is separating each variety of tomatoes he grows; I think he told me this would help stop cross pollination. I learn something new every week. McFarland Plant Farm is at the Market every Saturday through most of November if we don’t get an early frost. They are in the first shed closest to 5th street in stalls 0, 1 & 2.

My main reason for going to Parkville this week was to visit Lloyd and Addie Horn. Dry Lake Farm is named after the road the farm is on, the farm might be anything but dry in the next few days. The Horn’s farm along the Missouri River and live on the other side of the levee and a small lake. They lost their home in the floods of ’93 and stand a good chance of doing so again this summer. Addie has a commercial bakery in their home where she bakes wonderful pies, cookies and rolls which go very fast on Saturday’s. Lloyd has already rented storage units in town in case they need to start hauling out Addie’s baking equipment. I can’t imagine what it must be like to not be able to do anything but wait and hope we don’t get too much rain. Lloyd has planted 600 cherry tomato plants which should start producing in the next two weeks; he might not ever get a chance to pick them. If the flood waters don’t breech the levee the water could still kill his plants from underneath and rot the roots. With all this going on Lloyd was still his normal cheery self, and explained the two basic types of tomatoes were basically vines or bushes. Lloyd pointed out what he had planted in each row as we sat at a picnic table under a big shade tree. I just can’t get past the idea that this could all be gone within a week. If all goes well you will find Dry Lake Farm in the 3rd shed north side of the Market every Saturday and maybe Sunday, just look for the pies.

Let’s hope for just a little rain to make the crops grow but not so much that they wash away.

Next Thursday I will be heading down to Southern Missouri with Deb Churchill as my co-pilot.

2011-05-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

I am so glad I wasn’t out yesterday doing farm visits with all the tornado warnings all over the state. I picked a beautiful day to be out of the office. I didn’t get going till late morning so will only visit four farms today.

Last week I stopped by Bao Vangs house but didn’t want to just roam around their back yard without anyone being home, so I went back today. Bao has a small greenhouse behind her home which is still full of plants they haven’t got in the ground yet. They have a large wood trellis which will soon support snake gourds and bitter gourds. Even though it is still early they have a nice selection of sweet peas, lettuce, Chinese cabbage and tall and baby bok choy. In addition to produce Bao will also be selling cut flowers at the market on Saturday. The cosmos are already blooming and are beautiful. I had to just stop and enjoy the beautiful fragrance of honeysuckle as I walked through their back gate. The fence was thickly draped with the beautiful vines full of blooms. The lower section of their property is planted with various flowers such as zinnia, sun flowers, gladiolas, bachelor buttons, crow comb and status flowers. They are just starting to come up; I would love to see the hillside when everything is in bloom. Bao will be a vendor on the daily waiting list so her stall will be different each week she is at the market. She plans on coming around mid to late June.

I thought I would be at my next location in no time at all. Little did I know that many of the streets in KC, KC don’t go from north to south without dead ending many times. After a few shout outs to Sai Lee for directions I finally made it to her house. Sai’s garden is located at the rear of her property. Sai is planning to come to the market this weekend with green onions, greens, lettuce, radishes and maybe cilantro. Over the next few months her tomatoes, green beans, chili peppers, garlic, lemon grass and assorted squashes should be ready. Lemongrass is a plant similar to thick grass which is used to give foods a lemon flavor; this is used in many Southeast Asian meals.

After grabbing a quick sandwich I headed north on I-29 to Wathena, Kansas. Wathena is home to two City Market vendors John Goode and Jared Juhl. I am stopping at John’s farm first and caught him just as he was getting ready to leave. Luckily he was able to give me a tour of his new hoop house. John was able to get a hoop house last year through a grant. John also received a grant to have his hillside terraced; I can’t believe the change in his farm. A few years ago Goode Acres expanded their operation to include cut apple wood which can be purchased in bags at the market. All the cold crops are located at the top of the hill and include green and red cabbage, collard greens, lettuce, snap peas and potatoes which are just starting to produce. The first hoop house we come to has rows of beats along the inner walls, dill, peppers and assorted herbs. The field next to the hoop house has plastic in each row which John and his help do by hand without the help of any machines; I am thinking that might be on the top of his wish list. The lower field has a cover crop in it right now but will soon be planted with winter squash. The farthest field from the house has been planted with 2500 garlic plants which are earmarked for various restaurants.

When I first started visiting Goode Acres John had one small greenhouse behind his house, he has since added a hoop house and a green house. He hopes to add another hoop house yet this year. Goode Acres is at the market every Saturday (shed one), Sunday (shed two) and Wednesday (shed two) now through October.

I am a little leery heading out to Jared Juhl’s house. It is located on a dirt road and I am not really sure how much rain they got yesterday and if I will be able to get down it. Luckily the road was in good condition. Jared’s greenhouse door was open and the radio was blaring but I could not find Jared anywhere. After taking a few pictures I was startled when a not so happy dog came out of the tall grass next to the green house. I think I was a little too close to a new litter of puppies. I bolted to the truck and called it a day.

I won’t be visiting farms next week because of a short holiday work week,(yea!) a Friday night concert and the “Get Your Sweet on Celebration” on June 4th. Hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend.

Farm Visits May 19, 2011

2011-05-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

As I drove through the pouring rain this morning I had to keep telling myself we need the rain, but boy am ready for some warm weather. Today I am visiting farms belonging to new vendors. I decided to head to Fort Scott, Kansas first and finish up in Kansas City, Kansas.

Dennis Clayborn and his wife were looking for a Sunday market to sell at and thought the City Market would be a good fit. Clayborn Farms is located north of Fort Scott off 69 highway. Luckily when I arrived the rain had let up to a mist so I was able to take the grand tour. The Clayborn’s farm 160 acres and seem to be a little farther along than farms located north of Kansas City. Last year Dennis decided to change gears, sell his dairy cows and focus on growing produce. From what I saw they are doing a good job of it. I am always amazed when I hear how many vegetable plants a farmer plants. Dennis and Linda have planted 1100 bell peppers, 7500 tomato plants,14 eighteen foot rows of green beans, 7 rows of green onions all this in addition to okra, radishes, cabbage, cantaloupe, hot peppers, canning pickles, squash, beets and assorted greens. Dennis planted an early variety of corn which should be ready around the 15th of June, that is if the sun ever comes out and the temperature raises a little. No matter what, it always comes down to Mother Nature. I know I speak for everyone when I say we can’t wait.

Linda showed me a variety of sugar snap peas which are bushier plants so don’t need to be staked. The peas should be coming on soon. I am so glad I had my boots on today, I actually thought they were going to get sucked off a few times. I hope we don’t get too much rain; no one will be able to get into their fields. Dennis and Linda plan on being at the market this coming Sunday, look for them in the third shed.

Now I am off to Kansas City, Kansas and Amy X. Lo's farm. Her farm is up a lane which overlooks I-70. After walking through the fields I decided I would come back in a few weeks. All the fields are tilled, sectioned off and planted but nothing is really coming up yet. Again, we need a little more sun. I started to back down the lane and realized my next stop was at the same location. Pheng Her farms the front section and Amy farms the back. Pheng's specialty is cut flowers and herbs and Amy grows a variety of radishes, pickles, cilantro, green onions, peppers and lemon grass. I can’t wait to see it once everything comes in.

The one thing about having so many vendors in one area, I don’t have to drive far before I get to the next farm. Bao Vang came to the market last season but has changed farm locations. No one was home so I will come back again in a few weeks.

Last stop Vanna Her, I was sorry to hear that Vanna would not be coming back to the market this season. Last year her sister helped her with the farm but has moved away from Kansas City so she will just be growing vegetables for her and her family.

I am cutting my day short since I am almost out of gas, wet and muddy. I will head out again next Thursday, not really sure which direction I will be going, maybe towards St. Joe.

Farm Visits May 12, 2011

2011-05-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

I missed a week of farm visits due to last weekend’s Flower Power Celebration which was a busy day at the market. I am back on the road today along with Deb Churchill who is the Property Manager at the Market. Deb goes on a few visits each year and I really enjoy the company.

My first stop this morning is in Hale, Missouri, I will be visiting Joe Bryson’s farm. Joe has been a vendor at the market for many years and has stalls on both Saturday and Sunday. Today Joe was hard at work along with his son and grandson. I had expected to be walking through a lot of mud today since we got drenched in Kansas City on Wednesday night but Hale just got a few sprinkles and a lot of wind. So it was no wonder they had their sprinklers going trying to perk up some of the plants they had just transplanted. In the first green house I found rows of garlic and red radishes, the next green house was full of tomatoes which were blossoming and covered with green tomatoes. Joe has been working for a few years on getting blueberry bushes going; they looked pretty nice this year. Their red raspberries and blackberry patches needed a lot of work which I am sure is not a very fun job. Joe has installed a new green house this year which is really nice and full of a variety of lettuce. The Bryson's have plans for expanding their farm a little more next year. Currently they have 30 acres but are not farming all of it. You will find Bryson’s Farm Fresh Produce in shed one stalls 36-38 on Saturday and shed two stalls 90 & 91 on Sunday. For more information visit their web site at www.brysonsfarm.com

After getting back on highway 65 I headed north to Princeton, Mo to visit Tim and Maryanna Medford. Tim is fairly new to farming and is learning as he goes. Last year was High Point Farms first year at the market and such a success that this year they have increased what they have planted. In addition to summer and winter squash, Armenian cucumbers, oriental cucumbers, Swiss chard, kale, tomatillos, hot/sweet peppers and tomatoes Tim has added shiitake and wine cap mushrooms. The shiitakes might be ready by fall and the wine caps possibly by June. I thought it was very cool that Tim was capturing rain water to use on his plants and I loved the planting beds. The Medford family should be back to the market in a couple weeks in shed three stalls 132 & 145. For more information follow them on face book at "High Point Farms"

I want to start heading back to Kansas City so will stop in Jameson, Missouri next. I always get a little nervous when I visit Dan and Esther Hughes especially after a rain. The lane leading down to their farm is nothing like driving around the city and I never know if I will be able to get back up the hill. I found Ester busy in one of their two greenhouses getting ready for this weekend’s market. Songbird Creek Farm is located in shed two stalls 78-80 every Saturday and for the next two weeks they will be selling vegetable plants. Although they have already planted okra, cabbage, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, radishes, beets, Chinese cabbage and tomatoes (I know I am forgetting something!) they are thinking they might have a little gap before their produce is ready. As always it will depend on the weather.

After making it back up their lane I headed south on highway 13 to Kingston, Missouri. I am visiting a new vendor who would like to start coming to the market about mid June. All new vendors’ farms must be checked before they can ever sell at the market. Bruce and Linda Trammell are also fairly new to farming but seem to be off to a good start. Bruce already had 560 potatoes in and a high tunnel full of tomatoes. With the help of his wife Linda he was also able to get a variety of peppers and lettuce in as well. I got a little side tracked and had to take a picture of his beautiful horses. Watch for Tomatoes and More to be at the market soon.

Next week I plan to stay close to home and visit all of our vendors who live in Kansas City, Kansas.

Farm Check April 28, 2011

2011-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day to hit the road for my first full day of farm visits. I usually check vendor's farms or crafter's home every Thursday April through September. All new City Market vendors must be checked prior to renting a stall at the market. Continual farm checks help to insure that the produce you are purchasing under one of the three farmer sheds is local produce. Local for the City Market means within a 500 miles radius of the market May through September. In the winter months, October through April, at least 50% of a vendors produce must be within 500 miles of the market and 50% can be from Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois and Oklahoma. This winter radius is necessary since the City Market is open year round.

My first stop today is at the farm of Don & Jeanette Neal. Bristle Ridge Farm is just south of Warrensburg in Leeton, MO. The Neal’s have been coming to the market since 2009, this year they have a Saturday and Sunday contract. Their Saturday location will be in the third shed on the north side of the market in stalls 113 & 114. On Sundays you will find them in the middle shed in stalls 57, 58 & 59.

When I arrived at Bristle Ridge Farm I found Don busy working on their new home. Last year while Don and Jeanette were at the Sunday market they received a call that their house was on fire. By the time they arrived back to Leeton they had lost everything. The new house is coming along nicely just not fast enough. Don walked me through their two greenhouses where they start the plants. They also use these greenhouses for the bedding plants and hanging baskets they bring to the market in the spring. We had to drive to another location about 5 minutes from their home where most of the crops are planted. Don was quite happy that they were able to get all the plastic laid even with the rain they have been getting. They have 80 thousand sweet onions planted which should be ready about the 1st of July, I can’t wait! They also had broccoli, cabbage and romaine planted.

It is still fairly early for vendors to have very much produce to bring to the market so you will find vegetable plants, potted herbs, eggs and bedding plants in their stall this weekend.

Next I headed north on Hwy 13 to Higginsville and Peacock Farm. Peacock Farms has been in Betty Mendenhall’s family since 1868. For those of you who visit the market regularly you have probably shopped in Betty’s stalls 15, 16 & 17 located on the south side of the market in the 1st shed. Betty has a very successful CSA which she has managed for years. Many of her member’s pick-up their weekly shares while visiting the market each week. Betty was not home when I arrived but luckily her dog was friendly and I could take a quick look. Most of what was planted was covered in an attempt to protect the tender plants for the cold. Her green houses, although small were full of leaf lettuce and plants. In addition to herbs, lettuce and plants Betty will also have fresh free range chicken eggs every week.

I got a late start today so will only be able to get one more farm visit in. Last stop Buckner, Mo and the Frye Family Farm. Marlin has been farming in Buckner for years with the help of his wife, sons, daughters and grandchildren. It is truly a family operation.

I found Marlin and two of his grandsons busy preparing the soil in numerous rows of raised beds. Once the soil is ready and the chance of frost has passed they will plant these beds with tomatoes. I never want to get in the way of a busy farmer so I had Marlin’s son Mark show me the four green houses which are also a part of their road side store. One green house was full of tomatoes already planted in the ground. The other two greenhouse had plants waiting to be planted in the fields and the last was filled with flowers.

Marlin and two of his sons, Mark and Jared, have stalls at the market. At this time Mark is the only Frye currently using his stalls on Saturday. You will find Mark in the first shed in stalls 27, 28 & 29.

Next weekend will be crazy busy at the market since we will be celebrating FLOWER POWER and Mothers’ Day so I won’t be doing any farm checks on May 5th.

See you at the market!

Farm Visit April 21, 2011

2011-04-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it is almost the end of April and I haven’t checked any farms yet. I got a call today from Por Huns who has a farm in Kansas City, Kansas. I had asked Por to call me when the 10 thousand tulip bulbs he planted were in bloom. His plan was that the tulips would bloom at different times starting the beginning of April and continuing through May. But Mother Nature had a different plan and they all bloomed at once. By the time I arrived at the farm Por and his wife Chaxamone had picked most of the tulips to bring to market this coming Saturday but I was able to get a few pictures. Por lets the tulips open and close one time before cutting them, this helps to make the color of the tulip much more vibrant. Although flowers were the main crop I saw when I visited the farm, there was already another crop planted which will come up after the flowers are done. This explains how the Huns family can start coming to the market in April and remain through October, very good planning.

Farm Inspections October 21, 2010

2010-10-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe summer is over and winter will be here before we know it. I probably will not be inspecting any new farms or current vendor farms until next year. We have had a very busy year and I have inspected 87 farms since April.

This week I visited Rocking Z Ranch in Mountain Grove, Missouri. Rolly & Megan Sauls currently sell at the Springfield Market but would like to add another market and have chosen the City Market. Rocking Z Ranch is a sustainable family farm raising Angus Beef which are free from growth enhancers and antibiotics. Each animal is born on their ranch and are free to graze and roam as nature intended. Dale and Megen showed me around their ranch driving me out in the pasture to get an up close look at their operation. Currently the Sauls have about 200 head of cattle. For more information about their wonderful ranch and upcoming activities visit their web site at www.rockingzbeef.com If all goes well they should be at the market fairly soon.

My next stop was Carthage, Missouri and a visit with Craig and Kendra Hansen. The Hansen's grow Elephant Garlic. I always like to meet a new vendor who specialises in one thing. It was very interesting to hear how garlic is planted, harvested, dried and packaged. I have never seen or eaten Elephant Garlic and can't wait for Craig and Kendra to start coming to the market. The garlic is in the ground now and covered with straw, they will start harvesting in the spring and should be ready to sell at the market starting in July. Craig has quit the operation and it is very apparent that he takes great pride in what he is doing. I think they will be a great addition to the City Market.

Just a reminder the City Market is open year round. We are very lucky to have an enclosed heated farmer pavilion for our vendors to use during the winter months. Our winter farmer market hours are Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Farm Inspections August 19, 2010

2010-08-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

I am getting close to finishing up my farm inspections for this season. To date I have visited 80 farms since April 1st. Today I visited Pumpkins Etc. and Grandma Dings Fudge which is located in Platt City, Mo. The fudge part of the business is ran by Kathy and Bill Wright and their daughter Jane or as they are known at the market, "The Fudge People". Kathy and Bill were on vacation so their daughter Jane showed me around. Jane was just starting to determine what fudge needed to be made for the weekend. My favorite is rocky road and their hand made turtles but I think most children enjoy their fudge cones.

If you want to purchase fudge you will have to get it within the next few weeks since the Wright's will be away from the market getting things ready for their annual pumpkin patch. The mums are almost in bloom so we must be getting close to the end of summer. In addition to fudge Bill and Kathy also grow blackberries,tomatoes , green beans, herbs, summer squash, lettuce, greens and cucumbers. Most of these items are already done for the year. If you would like more information and directions to their pumpkin patch visit their web site at www.pumpkinsetc.com.

Although I am only checking two farms today I have quit a drive since the second farm is in Rayville, MO, just east of Excelsior Springs.If you are looking for a great place to get a fire oven pizza, try a little local wine and have a beautiful view Van Till Family Farms & Winery is the perfect place. When I first started visiting Cliff and his family in 2004 they had just built the bakery, since then they have added a restaurant, covered patio, vineyard and have started making wine. Today they were busy building a small walking bridge which will be perfect for wedding pictures and will lead visitors out to the pond. They were also busy harvesting their Mars and Reliance table grapes. Although they have expanded into great pizza and wine they have not forgotten how they started by making wonderful artisan breads. For more information visit their web site at www.vantillfarms.com.

The weather will be heating up again tomorrow so plan to visit the market early on Saturday morning and bring your reusable bags.

Farm Inspections August 12, 2010

2010-08-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Farm Inspections August 12, 2010

2010-08-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

I rally had an easy inspection day this week since three of the farms I visited are within a mile of each other.

After answering a few e-mails and returning some phone calls I headed to Odessa, Missouri. My first stop was Busy Bee Acres which is operated by Bob and Liz Harrison. In addition to maintaining numerous bee hives and fruit trees Liz has a group of pet llamas which are strictly kept as pets. They appear to have it pretty good, they even have misters which help to keep them cool during the dog days of August. Liz gave me a tour of their licensed kitchen where they process the honey after it is harvested, very interesting to see. Bob was gone so Liz pointed me towards the beehives and fruit trees. I am sure I was stepping pretty high walking through the tall grass looking out for snakes, sometimes I can be such a city girl.

Out the Harrison's driveway and down the next road and I was at Buds and Berries. I visited Gayle and Gary's other farm in Butler, Missouri a couple months ago. If you have been paying attention to the weather you know that Odessa has really been getting hit with rain this spring and summer. The rain has just washed out all the rows between their melon crop.This makes it really hard to harvest melons, you can't drive your truck out their very easily. I spoke with Gayle at the market on Saturday, she ended up picking the melons and tossing them to Gary one by one. It makes me appreciate the melon I bought this weekend even more.

Just around the corner from the Beachners farm is Pete Economides greenhouse and a small area where he grows a wonderful assortment of peppers and beautiful sunflowers. Pete was working his day job but gave me the okay to walk around. I couldn't resist taking a picture of his pig. (Which I found out was the reason Pete couldn't make it to the market on Sunday. The pig got loose Saturday evening and Pete was up most of the night trying to catch it.)

My next stop was Lexington, Missouri. I felt a little bad dropping in on the Fahrmeiers this week since they had their annual "Tomato Day" on Saturday night. Every time I visit their farm I am amazed at all the changes they make from year to year. This year they were adding solar panels to their winery. Ron gave me a tour of their 12 high tunnels and where they keep their produce to keep it cooled down. The building was once used for keeping sows after they had a litter of pigs. If you have never visited the Fahrmeier Farms I would suggest you do so. They have live music and wine tasting every Thursday night. For more information visit their web site at www.fahrmeierfarms.com

It was still pretty early so I thought I would get one more farm inspection in. I headed west past the Market to Kansas City, Kansas to visit the farm of Bao Vang. Vang's Garden starts along the road and just seems to keep on going. I am always surprised how much land lies behind many of the homes in KCK. In addition to growing your normal vegetables Bao grows bitter melons, Asian cantaloupe and Asian rice. I am anxious to see the rice after they harvest it and bring it to the Market to sell. Make sure you checkout the picture of their scarecrow. They are having major deer problems which even the most creative scarecrow can't seem to help them with.

I'm not sure where I will be heading next week. I still have quite a few contracted farmers to visit in addition to the Market's crafters.

Farm Inspections July 29, 2010

2010-08-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

I am really behind on posting my latest farm inspection. On Thursday I headed down to Oklahoma again to check a new vendor that will be coming to the market on Sunday and hopefully Saturdays to sell free range pork, beef, chicken, lamb and eggs. Bob, Natash and their son Bobby Shufflebotham will be a great addition to the City Market. Welch, Oklahoma is about a three hour drive from the City Market and I picked a hot and stormy day to make the trip, but the experience was well worth it. Bob was born and raised on a ranch in Wyoming. After working as an Engineer in Russia for a short time decided to settle down in Oklahoma with his wife Natash and purchased 400 beautiful acres which include 7 lakes/ponds. They currently have 60 head of cattle which roam freely. It was so hot on Thursday that all the cattle where hiding out under shade trees scattered throughout the property. Bob and son Bobby gave me a great tour of all their hiding places while teaching me a little about coyotes and a family of badgers that call Oklahoma home. All the livestock are kept in separate large fenced in areas and roam freely. Enjoy all the pictures.

I visited a little longer than I had planned with the Shufflebothams so was only able to visit one more farm on my drive back to Kansas City. I stopped in Nevada, Missouri at another cattle farm. Mark Curtis raises black Angus beef which he lets graze in a couple different pastures. By this time it was raining and lightning pretty good so I was only able to get a few pictures. Mark will hopefully be ready to come to the market fairly soon.

Next week I plan to stay a little closer to home and visit vendors in Odessa. Plan on visiting the market on August 7th for Crazy Corn Days.

Farm Inspections July 15, 2010

2010-07-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today I have two new vendors to visit and two contracted vendors. My first stop is Vesecky Family Farms in Baldwin, Kansas. William was not home when I arrived but his father was nice enough to give me the grand tour. The Vesecky's have a you-pick strawberry and blueberry farm which has run its course for this season. When they come to the City Market they will be selling chicken and eggs year round, duck in October and November and turkey in November. I had a great time seeing the menagerie of farm animals. Running free in a very large fenced in area was 1500 "Heritage" chickens which had recently been sold and will be replaced with the very young chickens being kept in another large area. In addition to "heritage" chickens they also raise "Cornish" chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats, geese and a few cows. I was lucky enough to be able to see the 150 baby turkey's which are kept in an enclosed area with heat lamps. They were really cute and surrounded my feet when I walked in. I have a feeling no visit to the Vesecky farm would be complete without seeing their pet elk. I must say this was the first time I ever had an elk eat out of my hand.

My next stop is quite a drive so I had to stop and get a coffee to go. What a beautiful day to drive through the Flint Hills of Kansas. It was so pretty I stopped at a scenic overlook for a quick picture. Flores Farms is located in Manhattan, Kansas and is one of the larger farms that sell at the Market, about 350 acres. Barbra and her daughter Andrea have been coming to the market for years starting when Andrea was a child. Now Barbra's grandchildren come to the market every Saturday with their mom. Flores farm currently has 13 greenhouses many of which are filled with flowers in the early spring. This morning they had just picked cabbage to take to a farmers' market near their home. Although the weeds seem to be growing at record speed due to all the heat and rain it was easy to see all the melons, peppers, tomatoes, squash, corn and eggplant. I caught everyone as they were finishing up their lunch, I don't think they were anxious to get back in the hot fields.

Another long stretch in the truck down I-70 and lunch. Next stop is in Weston, Mo. I arrived at Green Dirt Farm just in time to watch them make their sheep cheese. Green Dirt Farm has been at the Market for three years in the 3rd shed in stall 119. In addition to sheep cheese they also make yogurt and sell lamb. I think the sheep had more sense than I did today, they were back out of sight enjoying the shade.

I have one more vendor to check in Weston, James Mc Pherson. In addition to growing garlic he also runs the local paper with his wife. James had already picked the garlic at the Weston location so there was not too much to see. In addition to the area behind his business he also has a plot of land near Smithville which I will check another day. Due to a limited amount of garlic this year James might not sell at the City Market until next year.

I am hoping for cooler weather next week as I am sure everyone is. It should be a great day at the Market tomorrow, produce is coming on fast with all the heat.Hope to see you there.

Farm Inspection July 1, 2010

2010-07-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

I only have time to check one farm this week, Frye Farms in Buckner, MO. Marlin Frye has been farming for sixty years in the Missouri river bottom area. Frye Farms has become a little smaller during that time but Marlin and sons Jarred and Mark still grow quit a few tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelons, summer squash and egg plant. The amount of rain in that area has made it difficult to get the crops all in, they are planning to plant a late crop of 1500 tomato plants and pumpkins right after the 4th. Their early field tomatoes should be ready in about 3 weeks if all goes well.

In addition to coming to the market the Frye's also have an Agri Business in Buckner where they sell bedding plants, produce and sorghum that they make. Marlin, Mark and Jarred are in the farmer with local supplement category at the Market. This means 50%of the produce on their table must be grown by them and 50% can be supplemented from a neighboring farm or local auctions within a 500 mile radius of the City Market.This week they will be bringing tomatoes and summer squash. In a few weeks they should have eggplant, cantaloupe and watermelon.

I will be taking a break from checking farms next week due to the holiday but will be back at it the following week.

Have a safe 4th of July.

Farm Inspections June 24, 2010

2010-06-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

What a perfect day to be out of the office checking farms. No rain, no storms, no mud and plenty of sunshine. Today I will be checking a new farm in Imogene, Iowa. For those of you who do not know where Imogene is, it is just a little north of the Missouri /Iowa line off highway 59. Razee's Berry Farm is much more than just a berry Farm. Aaron would like to continue to farm into his senior years so has chosen to grow everything in raised beds. He currently has 132 raised beds filled with soil he continues to feed throughout the season. Unlike many of the farms I visit which have weeds choking out the plants, Aarons beds were practically weed free. In addition to growing yellow & red raspberries, blueberries, radishes, rhubarb and tomatoes he has become quite the garlic producer. I was amazed to find out he grows 92 different varieties of garlic. I didn't know there were that many different varieties. Although Razze's Berry Farm is not certified organic Aaron does use organic practices except where his sweet corn is concerned. He rents a parcel of land near the Missouri line to grow sweet corn so if it needs to be sprayed due to a weed or worm problem it will not affect his other produce. Aaron currently sells at the Omaha market on Saturdays and plans to come to the City Market a few times this season on Sunday.

After a quick lunch break I veered into Kansas to see what John Goode was harvesting. Goode Acres is located in Wathena Kansas overlooking the Missouri river. From that vantage point you could really see how close the river is to coming over its banks. John added a large greenhouse last year and has received a grant this year to have a section of his land terraced. He hopes to have it finished in time for some late summer planting. John was getting ready to harvest Yukon gold potatoes which were looking very nice. He has been picking greenhouse tomatoes and lettuce for a while. His Napa cabbage is ready to bring to market as are his beets a few purple peppers and cucumbers. The warm humid weather has really started to make the produce shoot up the last few weeks. John had already planted melons, sweet potatoes, assorted herbs, celery, carrots, cabbage, assorted peppers, zucchini squash and okra. I plan another visit to see how the terracing turned out. Goode Acres is at the market every Wednesday (shed 2), Saturday (shed 1) and Sunday (shed 2).

I had planned to visit Jarred Juhl, who also lives in Wathena, but he wasn't available to show me how to get to his other farm locations. I will have to try again when I am out that way later this summer.

My last stop for the day is in St. Joe at Natures Choice. Fred and Helen Messner are Biodynamic farmers. Biodynamic farming is based on the work of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. In addition to organic practices such as crop rotation and composting, biodynamic farmers rely on special plant, animal and mineral preparation and the rhythmic influences of the sun, moon, planets, and stars. They are at the market every Saturday and most Sundays. Fred loves to talk to his customers and has a wealth of information when it comes to farming. They have been pounded with rain so much the last month that a few of their tomato plants keep ending up in their pond. But like all good farmers you just replant and try again.

Next week I will be heading to Buckner, Missouri.

Just a reminder, talk to the farmers when you visit the market. Don't be afraid to ask questions and get to know who is growing your food.

City Market Farm Inspections June 17, 2010

2010-06-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Finally I am back on the road again. May and the first of June is always a little crazy at the Market so I needed a few weeks to catch up.

Today's first stop is De Soto, Kansas and Thane Palmberg's Farm. Thane is in the Farmer 100% category, which means he only sells what he grows on his farm. Thane's specialty is growing miniature vegetables, such as eggplant and squash. In addition to a wide variety of produce he also grows a very unique Italian squash which is always a conversation starter at Saturday's market. Thane's family has had stalls at the City Market since 1932 and are currently located in pavilion 1 stalls 18-21 every Saturday.

Since I am so close to Lawrence, Kansas I decide to stop by Anthony's Beehives just south of K-10. Anthony's Beehives is a family operation started by Anthony several years ago with the help of his parents Tony and Terri Schwager. Due to the hard winter we had this year they lost about half of their 200 hives. Tony told me they have recouped a little and currently have about 120 hives in Douglas, Leavenworth and Franklin county. You will find Tony at the Market most Sunday's in shed 3, stall 128.

Last stop for the day is right off 435 and Holiday Drive. This is a fairly new location for Tillery Farms. Randy and Marsha have been coming to the market for many years and are best known as the farmers with the green umbrellas. Like many area farmers they have been struggling to get crops planted between rainstorms continuing to blow through our area. Even with record breaking rainfall, comparable to the 1993 floods, Randy and Marsha only have a little standing water in their fields. Just enough to attract a few wild ducks which have decided to take up residents. Tillery Farms will start coming to the Market this weekend, just look for the green umbrellas.

Just a note, we will have the first sweet corn at the Market this weekend. If you remember the first week I started my farm inspection blog in April I visited Heck Family Farms in Westphalia, Kansas. The corn they started in their greenhouse is ready to pick, about two weeks early.

This week I stayed close to home, next week, if all goes well I am heading to Iowa, Wathena, Kansas and Saint Jo, Missouri.

Farm Inspections May 27, 2010

2010-05-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

Since I will be checking farms in Kansas City Kansas today I decided to stay at the office part of the day to get caught up. Many of the vendors who sell at the market live in Kansas City Kansas, which makes my day much easier. I left the office about 12:00 p.m., headed west on I- 70 to 57th street to check two waiting list vendors, Yia and Vanna Her, who farm the same section of land together. Luckily Yia was at home and explained which section was hers and which section belong to Vanna. Yia was not pleased with the way her garden looked. Nothing was coming up the way she had hoped it would due to all the rain we have been getting and the cold temperatures earlier in the month. She hopes to have something ready for market by Mid June, Yia fears it will not be a good season.

Five minutes later I arrive at a large parcel of land which is farmed by four different families. I always take a minute to enjoy the sight of this farm. You cannot see it from the road since it sits down in a valley, but when you walk to the top of the hill it is quite a sight to see. It reminds me of a beautiful patchwork quilt. The land is owned by Cha Vang and sectioned off for each family, all of which have stalls at the Market. Cha Vang is in stall 123 on Saturday and 75 on Sunday. Chou Lor sets up in stalls 121 & 122 on Saturday and 79 & 80 on Sunday; Yee Vang is in stalls 66 & 67 on Saturday and 76 on Sunday. Chiong Vang also has a small plot in addition to the 2½ acres located behind his home. Cha was also not happy with the condition of her fields.

I then headed to 67th street which is the location of Chiong Vangs 2 ½ acre farm. We walked to the back of his property so I could see everything which was planted not thinking about the hike back up the hill. Everything was planted and looking pretty good considering the lower section of his property had been pretty muddy.

One more stop in Basehor, Kansas and I will call it a day. Not too far off K-7 is a very nice garden located behind the Her home. No one was anywhere to be seen so I took pictures from a distance. Xa Her is a Saturday waiting list vendor who has been coming to the market for a few years now.

I will probably continue to check farms in Kansas again next week. About one third of the farmers selling at the City Market farm in Kansas.

Farm Inspections May 20, 2010

2010-05-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

I am sure everyone is sick of all the rain but trust me no one more than the farmers. Everywhere I go I see vegetable plants sitting in greenhouses waiting to be planted. And the farmers that were able to get their fields seeded have watched the seed wash away. Everyone needs a few dry sunny days with a light breeze, I don't think that is asking too much.

Today I headed out in the rain towards Saint Joe, Missouri to visit Randy Kahler. Kahler Family Greenhouse is usually at the Market April through mid June unless he has sold out before then.Randy has one greenhouse and a roadside stand in front of his house where he sells bedding plants. I don't think Randy will make it to mid June this year, his green house was getting pretty empty, and this was before he loaded up for the weekend.

My next stop is only a hop skip and a jump to King City and Lost Creek Farm. Donna and Darrel Clausen have a licensed bakery on their farm. Donna does most of the baking but Darrel has been known to help. In addition to the bakery, Darrel farms, and in spite of all the rain has managed to get quite a few things planted. They will be bringing white and red radishes to the market this weekend to sell in one of their stalls and bakery items in the other two. Donna's pies are wonderful, my favorite is her cherry pie.

While visiting King City I had to stop and take pictures of all the wind generators that have been erected since my visit last year. Donna told me there are 100 in the area. They are amazing to see.

I then headed down H highway through Amity and took a quick look at The Crowther Farm and then off to their bakery, Bread of Life, in Stewartsville. Everyone was very busy baking bread so I tried to stay out of their way and just enjoy the wonderful smells. Amanda and Bethany are at the Market every Saturday through December in shed two stalls 82 and 83. Bread of Life will also be at the Market on Sundays this year in stall 111.

I headed south down K highway to Gower, Missouri. If you are ever out for a drive around Mothers Day weekend you will want to stop at Comanche Acres Iris Gardens (www.comancheacresiris.com) I was lucky enough to visit this year when Jim's 17 acres of irises were in full bloom, what a sight to see. Jim thinks they will be in full bloom for at least another week.

Next stop Platsburg, Missouri and George's Garden. George was not home but I knew he wouldn't mind if I looked around. Although there was a lot of mud George did have onions and leaf lettuce coming up which will be ready to bring to market next weekend. In addition to produce George raises beautiful succulents and cactus. Like many of the farms I have visited his vegetable plants were in small pots waiting for things to dry out so they could go into the field.

William and Clara Hanks also live in Platsburg so I did not have a very long drive to get to Windy Ridge. I had heard that a tornado went through their property last week but I did not expect to see so much damage. They lost one greenhouse completely, the second is badly damaged and the third needs quite a few braces and the plastic replaced. It is a wonder no one was injured and their house was still standing. The one upside is that their plants were not damaged, so all was not lost. They just hope they can get the rest of their crops in. Their son Bill and and Daughter in-law Jennifer are at the market every Saturday in stalls 63-65.

Next week I plan to head into Kansas and I am hoping for nothing but sunshine.

Farm Inspections May 13, 2010

2010-05-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

I had planned to head north to Wathena Kansas and St. Joseph, Missouri this week but changed my mind with all the rain we got on Wednesday. I didn't want to take a chance in getting stuck in the mud. Instead I went to Platt City to visit Carrie Georges or as she is known around the Market, the "Dip Stick Lady". Carrie makes dip and bread mixes out of her licensed home kitchen. The dip mixes are packaged in straws with the precise amount of seasoning to add to a tub of sour cream. Carrie is at the market most Saturday's stall 53 and Sunday's stall 117. For more information visit her web site at www.imadipstick.com.

Next stop is Independence,Mo so I headed east on Hwy 92. Bloomers Greenhouse is located just south of the intersection of 210 and 291. I always enjoy walking through the green houses with all their wonderful fragrances and beautiful plants. Lauri had a great selection of very unusual plants, which I have not seen in the other green houses I had visited this year. You will find Bloomers at the market on Saturdays stalls 60-62 April through June.

If it drys out a little I will be heading to Saint Joe next week.

Farm Inspections May 5th & 6th, 2010

2010-05-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

This week I will be checking farms for two days and visiting three states. By the time I get back I will have traveled 1100 miles.
I knew I had a long day ahead of me so I left Kansas City at 6:00 a.m. headed east on 50 hwy to visit a soon to be new vendor at the market. Jill Smith raises longhorn steers and will soon be bringing free range longhorn beef products to the City Market. Jill currently has approximately 57 head, 17 of which are calves. The star of her herd is “Bo” the bull. Although I arrived at Jill’s around 7:00 am she was kind enough to take me out to see the heard on her “gator”. I have never been in the middle of a longhorn heard before and it was very cool.

My next stop is an 83 mile drive to Osceola, MO and White Oak Berry Farm. Michael Goth had “gone fishing” so his neighbor and employee walked me around the farm. The strawberry plants were covered with green berries and should be ready to bring to market in a couple weeks. Michael also raises gooseberries and blueberries, both of which were thick with green berries. This should be a good year for blueberries. After much pruning Michael’s blackberries looked very healthy and one variety will produce seedless berries. Michael got back before I left without any fish. White Oak Berry Farm is in pavilion 3 stall 120 on Saturday and should be at the market shortly before the end of May.

Back in the truck I head west on MO 82 to Seneca, Mo which is just south of Joplin (114 miles). The Lee Family Farm has been farming for the past 12 years and have been selling at the City market for two years. The Lee’s are located in pavilion 3 stalls 116-118. They will be back at the market Saturday May 8th for the first time this season and usually are at the market every Saturday through October. The Lee family has a beautiful farm which is farmed by the entire family. Unlike most of the surrounding areas Seneca has been a little dry lately and Lor Ge is hoping for a little rain. They sent a bundle of freshly picked onions and onion tops home with me. Lor Ge told me the flowers on the onion tops are great in stir-fry, they give it a little sweetness. I will give it a try when I get back home. Time for lunch so I head into Seneca and find a great local dinner, I love dinner food and was not disappointed.

My next stop is only about a 30 minute drive to Anderson, MO. Ying Xiong is the owner of this farm and has been in the area for about two years after moving from Minnesota. Since my visit last year Ying has really expanded his operation and has added a green house. All his plants are in and look very healthy. Ying and his wife Nhie have been coming to the market for the past few weeks with onions, assorted greens and lettuces. In addition to growing produce they also raise cattle and have about 60 head. Ying and his family are on the market’s waiting list so will be in a different location each week.

Now I head east of Joplin to Fairview, MO and the farm of Ton and Helen Cha (35 miles). As with many of the new farmers selling at the market the Cha’s operation has also expanded. They have doubled in size since my last visit due in large part to Helen’s parents doing a great deal of the growing. Ton is mainly in charge of taking the produce they grow to the market. In addition to selling produce he also raises turkeys for Butterball. They have added strawberries which were ready to pick so I had to sample one or two.

Only a short 9 mile drive and I am in Purdy, Mo to check a new vendor who has just applied to be a vendor at the market. Mai Thor Yang has planted a few plots but much of what she has planted has been beaten down by the rain. I don’t think she will have enough produce ready this year to justify driving so far to sell it. They have additional acreage which they plan to farm next season to help supplement their income from raising commercial chickens. They have three chicken houses behind their home.

My next stop is to Cleveland, Arkansas to visit the farm of Bill & Audrey Sturtevant. Cleveland is located north of Conway, AR this is a 4 hour drive most of which is sharp 35 mile curves. I had hoped to make it to their farm today but did not get in their area till after dark so will visit them first thing in the morning. I had a little trouble finding a hotel so had to drive past my cutoff to Conway, AR.
Up at 5:00 am and off to see the Sturtavant’s. Cedar Rock Acres has been at the market for four years and is best known for their wonderful grapes, blueberries and strawberries. This season their strawberry crop is not producing as much as they had hoped so Bill will probably not be selling strawberries at the market this season. Blueberries will be ready the first of June and grapes in July. Bill and his son Sheldon are very excited about a new variety of green grape they will be bringing to market this season, they will be sweet and seedless. Cedar Rock Acres is best known for growing the Mars variety which is similar to a concord grape but seedless and a little sweeter. Audrey provided me with a quart of strawberries to snack on, there is nothing better than fresh picked strawberries.

I am back in the truck for four more hours heading north to Gentry, Arkansas (197 miles). I will be meeting five new vendors who all rent a section of land from Dao Moua. Each farmer has their own section of land, similar to a community garden plot but much larger. Houa Lor also farms a section of land in Garfield, AR. Dao Moua, Houa Lor, Me Lor, Xong Lee and Blia Lor are all Hmong farmers originally from Laos. (Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west) Everyone was hard at work when I arrived and were a joy to meet. I look forward to seeing them at the market.

It is getting late in the afternoon and I am heading west towards Tulsa, Oklahoma (73 miles). After maneuvering through all the construction I arrived at a fairly large farm operation, The Yang Farm. I was lucky enough to catch Ying Yang’s daughter at home and she was nice enough to give me a tour of their five hoop houses and gardens. They had a very nice farm and a nice variety of produce.

One more stop and I will be heading back to Kansas City. I have to backtrack 18 miles to Claremore, OK and the See Lao Farm. They have a large backyard garden which even includes about 10 peach trees. I am not sure that they will have enough produce to justify such a long trip to the market.

If I don’t make too many stops I should get back to the market by 9:30 p.m. It has been a great trip, beautiful scenery and great to be able to meet and visit with such wonderful hardworking farmers. Next week I will be heading north.

Farm Inspections May 5 2010

2010-05-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

City Market Farm and Craft Inspections April 29, 2010

2010-04-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day to get out of the office and visit farms. I have two new vendors to check today, both live in Princeton, Missouri. For those of you who like trivia, Princeton is the highest point in Missouri which is why Tim and Mary Ann named their farm High Point. Princeton is about 21 miles east of I-35 on highway 136.Currently hay is their main crop; their farm produces over 130 acres of hay a year which provides food for local dairy goats and other livestock. This year they are expanding their operation by raising tilapia which they hope to have at market by the first of October. I will keep you updated throughout the summer as things progress. This week the Medford family spent numerous hours planting espinaca, cilantro, acelga, assorted salsa tomatoes, poblanos, anchos, epazote, tomatillos, gherkin cucumbers and jalapeños. Some of these items will start showing up at the market the end of May.

My next stop was just a short drive to one of Tim and Mary Ann’s neighbor’s farms. For those of you who have been searching out certified organic produce at the City Market you will be glad to know that Menno Lambright will be bringing his organic produce to market the first part of June. Menno has a beautiful farm which is truly a family operation. Although everyone was busy working they took time to show me around their farm. I was amazed by the amount of cabbage they had planted. A few weeks ago the Lambright’s had a micro burst go through their farm which completely destroyed one hoop house and tore the end out of the one next to it. As with all good farmers they learn to adjust. Since they did not have the hoop house to protect the new transplants, they were mounding mulch around each plant to provide a little protection from the wind.

I then backtracked back to highway 13 and headed south to Jameson, Missouri and Song Bird Creek Farm. I always get a little nervous when I turn off the main road and drive to their house. The lane is downhill and depending on how much rain we had that week can be very muddy and scary. I was relieved when I saw Dan and Esther had brought in a load of rock, this city girl likes to drive on asphalt. When I arrived Dan was out in the field picking asparagus and Esther was in the greenhouse watering. I had not seen the Hughes since last season so after catching up a little they walked me around their fields showing me what has been planted and what will be planted soon. Dan and Esther will be back at the Market this weekend selling vegetable plants and assorted produce later in the season. You will find them in pavilion two stalls 78-80.

The Hughes son and daughter-in-law are back home after serving in the military and will be farming the land adjacent to Dan and Esther’s. So far they have the plots plowed, potatoes planted and the vegetable plants ready to go in. Joel and Maria should be at the market in late June.

Back to I-35 south to Kidder, Missouri and Pisciotta Farms. I found Russell busy taking water out to the chicken coops so got to ride along. He has three coops on wheels so they can be moved to a new grass area as needed. Russell has learned the hard way to never move the coop during the day. The chickens will not follow the coop to the new location; they will remain in the old grass area. You have to move the coops after the chickens go in to roost. Who knew? We then went in the barn where I got to see all the new baby chicks, they are one week old. Russell is in the process of getting a new area behind the barn set-up for the new chicks to stay until they are ready to go out to the coops. I was lucky today; the bulls were near the house so I could see them. They were a little nosey but didn’t want anything to do with me, they kept their distance. Russell comes to the market every Saturday and sells, processed chickens, beef, fresh eggs and honey. In November he also sells processed turkeys. (*all meat sold at the City Market must be processed in a USDA or state inspected facility and sold frozen)You will find him in pavilion 3 stall 142.

By now it is starting to get late but I think I can get one more stop in on my way back to the office. If you have been to the market the last three weeks you probably have seen Scott Feemster. Scott is a new artist/crafter vendor that makes beautiful arbors, steel and granite tables, wine racks and gates. I think he could make almost anything out of metal. I usually visit all the artist/crafter workshops before they rent space at the market. I got a little behind this spring so Scott sent me photos of all the items he had made and his workshop till I could schedule a visit.

Next week I will be on the road for two days checking farms in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.

Farm Inspections April 22, 2010

2010-04-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

This morning I left a little early since I knew I had a long drive ahead of me. I also had a copilot, Deb Churchill, Property Manager for the City Market. My first stop is a three hour drive from the Market in Newark, Mo. We will be meeting Edmond Soo who will give us a tour of Heartland Creamery. Heartland Creamery is located in the middle of a corn field and operated by the Heartland Community which is a ministry designed to help troubled adults and children to get a fresh start in life.

Our tour started with seeing where the milk is packaged. We were able to sample goats milk and their wonderful chocolate milk. Edmond then drove us to the cheese house where we met Kathy. The cheese house is where the cheeses are sent to dry, add the flavors to the goat cheese and get packaged for sale in local grocery stores and markets. When we arrived Kathy had a great assortment of flavored goat cheeses and artisan cheeses. I think the most unique was the black walnut goat cheese.

Next stop was the building where the cheese is actually made. Heartland meets all state regulations in their cheese facility which was very evident as we walked from room to room. I won't post the picture of Deb Churchill and myself in our stylish blue hairnets.

Edmond then drove us 12 miles to see where the 3000 goats are housed, milked and where the goat cheese is made. Fascinating! I loved being able to see the baby goats, some were just born that day. Goats that were not being milked were grazing in the fields.

Next stop, the milking barn for the cows. This was probably my favorite part of the tour, except for the cheese tasting. Heartland milks their dairy cows 24/7. They have a very cool carousel milk machine which milks 360 cows and hour. The cows are housed in barns and moved out to the pasture to graze when their milk has dried up. Heartland grows all their own feed and has a section on their farm strictly for storing and preparing the feed.

We were able to meet many of the employees who are responsible for making the cheese, milking the cows and goats, maintain the land and feeding the livestock. It was obvious that they take great pride in what they do.

We ended our visit by having lunch at the Heartland restaurant and visiting the Heartland Ford Museum.

Back in the truck we headed south on highway 139 to Hale, Mo to visit Joe Bryson. Joe was not home but his son Peewee was able to show us around. They didn't have very much ready to pick at this time other than asparagus. Joe had just planted his starts in the fields earlier in the week so was grateful for the rain. Peewee said they were a little late in getting the tomatoes in so won't have any for a while. Last year Joe had planted blueberry bushes but didn't get them fertilized on time so won't have anything to pick this year.

For those of you who are morel mushroom fans, Joe will have some available this weekend and ready to sell once they have been inspected. You will find Joe and his family at the Market every Saturday in pavilion 1 stalls 36-38 and Sunday pavilion 2 stalls 90 and 91.

City Market Farm Inspections April 9th and 15th.

2010-04-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

I needed a little break from the office last Friday so took some time and visited a new City Market vendor in Kansas City, Kansas. After a very short drive down I-35 and 18th street I pulled into Michael's driveway and into a beautiful garden. Unlike many of the vendors selling plants at the Market, Michael raises everything in flower beds that are attached by a meandering grass path that covers his two acre yard. Although Adair Gardens consist mostly of various types of hostas and ferns I was surprised to see groupings of bamboo and assorted grasses as well. Michael is a new vendor this season and will be located in pavilion two stall 59 on Sunday. He will be moving around the Market on Saturday's so feel free to stop at the yellow information booth for Michael's location.

I packed up the truck a little earlier than usual on Thursday since I knew I had a long drive ahead of me. My first stop was three hours from Kansas City in Stover, Missouri. Stover is a very beautiful area just south of highway 52. Robert Lorance, or the cucumber guy as he is known at the Market, sells European cumbers mid May through October. Robert was not at home when I dropped by so the pictures will not show you what a great operation he has. As the plants grow Robert ties the vines up so that the cucumbers grow long and straight. After harvesting the cucumbers he takes them to a small shed where he wraps each one. He is located in pavilion 3 stall 140.

Next stop leads me down highway "T", 52 and highway 'CC" to California Missouri and Woodland Acres Plants and Produce. Jim and Rosann have done so much work since my last visit that I hardly recognised their farm. They have added two very nice greenhouses, a retaining wall and a gravel parking lot for a total of five greenhouses. They hope to have a retail location on their property by next season. Rosann took time to show me all the changes and how they heat the greenhouses in the winter months. They start the winter by using one greenhouse and slowly move into a second as plant starts are ready to be re-potted. Jim was busy watering flowers which is a never ending task.Timothy was working on organizing the greenhouse to get ready to load the trailer for Saturday's market while Kristopher worked on transplanting flowers into hanging baskets. The Ramer family have already started coming to the market this season. Look for them is pavilion 1 stalls 32-35.

Thankfully Rosann knew a short cut to get to Mark Zimmerman's farm which helped to keep me from backtracking. Mark has been coming to the Market off and on for a few years, he has quit a big operation. In addition taking produce to the action Mark also has a roadside stand next to his house, which as you can imagine keeps them very busy this time of year. When I pulled up they were busy waiting on three other customers so told me to feel free to walk through the greenhouses. They have four greenhouse one of which was full of tomatoes, a few where ready to pick. Mark had already planted tomatoes in the fields and covered them with plastic to protect them from any late frost. I think I startled his daughter when I came in the greenhouse, she was busy re-potting bedding plants, I guess the pony tied up by the door did not give me away.

I couldn't believe how fast the day was going and I still had three more farms to check. Next stop Otterville, just off highway 135. Although I knew there would not be much to see in the way of produce at Mee Vang Lo's farm I thought I would stop by since I was in the area. Mee has just applied to be a waiting list vendor this season. Once they get everything planted they will be bringing herbs, greens, squash, eggplant, cucumbers and I am sure a few more items to the Market. At the time of my visit they had just gotten their fields plowed and marked where each item will be planted.

My next stop only took me a few minutes to find. I just had to head north down "O" highway. After crossing the Katie Trail twice I pulled up to Merle Shrock's home. If you were at the market last Saturday you would remember Merle, he was the only vendor with homegrown local strawberries. He will be back again this weekend probably in his contracted stalls 125 & 125 in pavilion 3. I waited till Merle suggested I pick a few strawberries to try, they were delicious. It was such a treat to eat a strawberry that had flavor and was actually juicy. As I munched on berries we walked through the greenhouses where he has 1600 plus tomato plants, green beans, cucumbers which are struggling a bit and lots of strawberries. I then took a look at a trailer that Merle had been working on so he would be able to comply with the Kansas City Health Code for selling fresh eggs at the market. Each vendor must have a permit and a refrigerator on their truck. Merle will have eggs available this weekend.

My last stop takes me west on I-70 to Higginsville. Higginsville is the location of Peacock farm owned and operated by Betty Mendenhall and her husband Kenneth. Betty's farm has been in their family since 1868. Kenneth was just coming in from planting corn when I arrived, Betty was in town where she works during tax season. since Kenneth was obviously busy I showed myself around. The back fields were plowed and ready to plant. Betty has two small green houses which had a few herbs and plants to bring to the market. The Mendenhalls are very lucky to also have a small cooler on their property for cooling off vegetables once they are picked. Betty will be at the market this Saturday for the first time this season.

I have had a great day but I am ready to head back to the city. Next week I will be heading up by the Iowa line to check a new dairy.

City Market Farm and Crafter Inspections April 7, 2010

2010-04-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

This week I headed south on 71 highway. My first stop was in Butler, Missouri at the farm of Gayle and Gary Beachner. Last year Gayle and Gary had a terrible fire which destroyed all of their greenhouses. When I visited them they had set-up small temporary shelters for their plants and were working mainly out of their retail location. It was great to see they had rebuilt two greenhouses and had the frame up for a third. I never tell vendors when I will be inspecting their farms so Gayle was not available to show me around but she did give me the okay to walk through their greenhouses. As you can see from the photos many of their plants are almost ready to bring to the Market. Gary told me to make sure and check their raspberry bushes and asparagus, which is starting to come up, he apologizes for all the weeds. Next week they are hoping to start transplanting plants in the fields. When I left Gayle and Gary's house I drove into downtown Butler to visit their retail space which will open this weekend. I got to meet Gayle's mother who was very busy helping to get the greenhouse ready for customers.You will find Buds and Berries at the market the end of April through mid November on Saturday pavilion 3 stalls 101-104 and Sunday pavilion 2 stalls 69-71.

After grabbing a coffee to go I headed back up 71 highway to Belton, Missouri. After making a wrong turn I finally arrived at KC Buffalo Co.which is owned by Peter Kohl. Peter was not at home but told me I would find the buffalo grazing on the backside of his property. I wish I could have gotten a little closer but what a beautiful view. Peter raises approximately 150 head of buffalo which roam freely on his 100 acre farm. KC Buffalo Co. is at the market most of the year in Pavilion 2 stall 87 on Saturday and stall 63 on Sunday.

Since I got a late start Julie Brodersen will be my last stop for the day in Grain Valley, Missouri. Julie has a large workshop in her home where she makes soy candles and melts, potpourri, oils and a large assortment of clay decorative items. I found Julie busy trimming the clay pies she had poured the day before. She uses her garage for poring the clay molds and cleaning some of the items she uses for making potpourri. Julie took me to another room in her basement where she mixes her oils, pours candles and assembles the potpourri. I couldn't believe all the different items that she uses to make her potpourri unique. If you are looking for a great gift or just something to make you feel good stop by Clay Creations on Saturday in front of the Steamboat Arabia museum and in pavilion 3 stall 134 on Sunday.

The nice weather has finally arrived and the vendors are coming back.

City Market Farm and Crafter Inspections April 1, 2010

2010-04-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day to start checking the vendors farms and craft work shops. My first stop was in Garnett, Kansas to visit Mary Bauman. Mary and her family have been vendors at the City Market for many years and attend the market every Saturday mid March through the end of November. You will find the Baumans in pavilion 1 stalls 3 & 4. When I arrived at Bauman Farms Mary was busy preparing crust for pies and getting cookie dough panned up for baking. For those of you who love gooseberry pie you will want to make sure and stop by Mary's stall.

My second stop was in Westphalia, Kansas and the farm of Duane Heck. Normally I would not visit Duane this early in the season since he mainly grows corn but I heard he was trying something new this year and wanted to check it out. Duane started corn in his greenhouse and last week transplanted it in his fields, this is very labor intensive but might be worth it if he is able to bring corn to the market early this season. After the corn was transplanted it was covered in plastic to protect it from frost and cold night temperatures. I will keep you updated on how this all worked out. Heck Farms Family Produce is located in all three pavilions in stalls A - 52 and 143 as soon as the corn is ready.

I then headed back up I-35 to Edgerton, Kansas and Enright Gardens. Steve, Sue and Bo have been vendors at the market for the past 45 years providing customers with beautiful bedding and vegetable plants. I was very lucky to catch everyone busy at work and was able to take a tour of their greenhouses. It was great to see how the seeds are started and transplanted to get them ready to bring to the market. I never realised how hard everyone works till I started visiting the vendors farms.To extend their market season Sue and Bo are expanding into growing green house tomatoes this season. The Enrights should be returning to the market as soon as the early morning temperatures rise above 45 to 50 degrees. If plants are taken out of the warm greenhouses and stuck out in the cold it will damage their leaves and make them curl up. You will find the Enrights in Pavilion 2 stalls 48-51 every Saturday April through June.

A few minutes later I arrived at The Flower Farm located in Gardner, Kansas. The Flower Farm is owned and operated by Keith Johnson and his family. I could only visit for a short time since it is Easter weekend and a very busy time at The Flower Farm, they raise Easter Lilies. Keith was busy sterilizing his potting soil to make sure his potted plants do not contain any fungus, weeds or bugs. I was on my own to walk through Keith's many greenhouses, my favorite being the one that contains the tropical plants. The Flower Farm is located in pavilion 2 stalls 84-86 April through July.

My final stop before heading back to the market was Kansas City, Kansas and the work shop of Melisa and Christopher Cavallari. After a quick tour of their workshop Melisa got busy demonstrating how she makes macrame/beaded bracelets and assorted earrings. Melisa buys all of her supplies in bulk and has it labeled and organized in plastic bins through out her work area. After demonstrating how she cuts glass and lays out her design for glass pendents she placed it in the kiln and moved onto another project. She is very good at multitasking. The next project was to assemble pendents that resembled something you would find in a scrap book. After many steps including soldering, the pendent was completed. Although Melisa demonstrated the making of one item at a time she normally makes all her items like they would be assembled in an assembly line. For example cutting glass for twenty pendents then moving on to the next step. Melisa and Christopher work full time creating their unique jewelery items ,which is why they are able to offer such a wide variety of items at the market. Melissa also makes skirts and shopping bags which she was busy working on while at the market last weekend. Suryashakti is at the market most Saturdays and Sundays all year weather permitting in stall B on Saturday and 84 on Sunday.

Next week I will be heading out to check a few more greenhouses and a couple bakeries.

2010-03-26T13:53:00.000-07:00