The summer is winding down but the farmers are replanting for fall so I plan to continue visiting farms for a few more weeks. I was surprised today when we hit a wall of rain on I-70 around Odessa, just a little sad it did not rain longer, everyone could really use it. Today I have farms in Moberly, Richmond, Lexington and Buckner to visit and had some company. Justin Cottrell, one of the owners of KC Commercial Realty Group which manages the City Market and Deb Churchill, Property Manager for the Market went along, it was nice to have someone to visit with since I had long stretches to drive between farms.

DanJo Farms is the first stop today and is located in Moberly, Missouri about 30 miles north of Columbia. Dan and Joann had been vendors at the Market when I started in 2003 but relocated their farm shortly after that and did not return to the Market until 2011. The Nelsons are at the City Market every Saturday year round. They are able to do this since they sell a variety of value added items in addition to produce. Dan took us into their licensed kitchen which is located in an out building next to their house. This is where they process the honey from the hives located on their farm, produce the baked goods they sell (today Joann was making peanut butter cookies) dehydrate vegetables, dry herbs and anything else they can think to do which will help to extend their produce into the winter months, they are always thinking outside the box. The Nelsons are currently harvesting tomatoes, assorted peppers, fresh herbs and horseradish. Two of their greenhouses are just sitting full of weeds and dried up vegetable plants. Dan told me they call this burning off the greenhouse, they let it get extremely hot which kills off all the bugs so they can replant for fall/winter. In addition to produce DanJo Farm also raises pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, cattle and goats which are processed in a USDA plant and then brought to the market. Some of his stock is located about 15 minutes north of his farm on land he leases. With the chickens and ducks come eggs which they also sell each week. We got to meet “Boris” the bore and a new batch of piglets. Dan is currently working on switching over to Hereford hogs; these are brown and white like Hereford cattle.  DanJo Farms is not always located in the same stall on Saturday so if you can’t fine them, just stop by the yellow information tent and we will point you in the right direction. www.danjofarms.com

 

 Next we head west on 24 highway towards Richmond, Mo. Keith Calvet is a fairly new contracted vendor at the Market. His main crop is corn and green beans. At one time Keith and his wife Rita ran a large commercial vegetable farm but over the years have chosen to downsize. Earlier this year Rita passed away and Keith is once again making changes in his farming operation. He currently is picking the tail end of his corn crop and harvesting green beans. Keith grows a large amount of green beans and is able to manage this with very little help because he owns a green bean picker. If anyone has ever picked green beans you know it is backbreaking work. In addition to Calvert Produce, Keith also operates a skeet-shooting range, a bird hunting preserve and boards and trains hunting dogs. You will find Keith in pavilion two; stall 68 on Saturdays as long as he has green beans to harvest. www.birdfeverhunting.com

Justin and Deb have been waiting for the next stop all day. The Fahrmeier’s farm in Lexington, Mo and also own and operate a winery which is located on their farm. I have seen drastic changes occurring on their farm since 2007 when I visited them for the first time. Ron and Joan have been farming this land since the 60’s and during that time have raised cattle, pigs and produce. They currently have twelve high tunnels where they are growing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and artichokes. A high tunnel is a type of greenhouse, usually unheated, with a Quonset hut shaped frame and covered in plastic. The addition of high tunnels on a farm helps to increase production, in less space, and to extend the growing season by about four to six weeks. Brett showed us where they are planting their fall crops which are all being irrigated with water from their ponds. Their corn crop has been plagued with morning glories which have wrapped themselves around each stalk making it very difficult to pick. Who would have thought such a beautiful flower could cause so many problems.  Farmers have all learned it is a necessity to have a location where the produce can be washed and cooled. The Fahrmeier’s have turned an old hog barn into a walk in cooler equipped with a large machine used for wash produce. Not too far from the winery Brett showed us the beautiful mums they will soon be bringing to the Market, they were huge! The final part of the tour was the old barn they turned into a tasting area for their wines. The view from the patio is beautiful and a great place to check out the vineyards. Since I was the designated driver I did not partake in any wine sampling but it must have been wonderful because Justin and Deb bought a few bottles to take home with them. I always enjoy my visit with Ron, Joan and Brett. I only wish I could visit more often. The Fahrmeier’s are located in pavilion two, stalls 64 & 65 most Saturdays and pavilion one, stalls 27 & 28 on Sundays. Brett usually continues selling at the market at least through November. www.fahrmeierfarms.com    

                                                                                       

One more stop and we are done for the day. We were all so busy visiting we totally forgot to eat lunch and then it was too late and not a lot of good options.  Buckner, Missouri is on the way back to KC and since I had not been there for a few months was the perfect time to stop. Mrs. Frye was busy canning pickles, for their own use, so told us to just show ourselves around. All of the crops which were flourishing in the planting beds in July were totally burnt up so we headed up on the hill to see the crops that were planted a little later. The watermelon patch was not faring very well with the lack of rain so was not producing much. The peppers and egg plants, which love the heat, were looking pretty good. Marlin had two of his grandsons busy picking tomatoes when we arrived. Marlin picks them when they are a little green and lets them slowly ripen in boxes. This helps to keep them from splitting and getting sun burnt. The Frye’s are in the Farmer with Local Supplement Category so supplement all the peaches they have been bringing to the market. The peaches are purchased from Beckners’ Orchard in Lexington, Missouri. Frye farms are usually at the Market April – September.

Next week I plan to stay close to home and will visit all or most of our farmers in Kansas City, Kansas. Not much driving to do but a lot of farms to visit.

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:

1 folded refrigerator pie crust

2-3 cups mozzarella cheese

5-Large garden ripe tomatoes

1 Tablespoon dry basil

1-1/2 cloves minced garlic

3/4 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions:

Unfold pie crust according to package directions. Place in a 9” deep-dish pie pan. Flute edges. Prebake according to the package directions. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and let set till melted. Meanwhile cut the tomatoes in bite size pieces, drain on paper towels. Arrange tomatoes over the melted cheese in the baked pie shell. In a small bowl combine the minced garlic and basil. Mix well. Sprinkle the mixture over the tomatoes in a medium mixing bowl; combine the remaining cheeses, white pepper and mayonnaise. Spoon the cheese mixture over the tomatoes, spreading evenly to cover the top. Bake in a 375 degrees oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top is a golden brown and bubbly. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

Today was a real dog day of summer; I tried not to look at the rising temperature as I drove. As hot as it was it was nothing to compare with last summer. I remember how burnt all the corn fields were last year, today they were green and went on for mile after mile. I visited farms in Hale, Higginsville and Kansas City, so for the most part I stayed on the interstates and highways.

Joe Bryson and his family have been coming to the City Market for many years and are located in the first pavilion in stalls 36-38 on Saturday and pavilion two on Sundays. This time of year most of the farmers start planting their fall crops especially the vendors who sell at the City Market, since we are a year round farmers’ market. Joe has got most of his fall crops in with drip lines lining each row.  Tomatoes are really coming on strong right now so if you plan on doing any canning, now would be the time. The Bryson’s had an abundance of tomato plants covered in green tomatoes, they had already picked for Saturday’s market. They were also picking green peppers, assorted hot peppers and really hot peppers and digging potatoes. About a mile from Joe’s farm, in downtown Hale, his son has a garden where he is growing all the summer squash, okra, green beans and more tomatoes. Joe is in the Farmer w/ Local Supplement category so is allowed to supplement no more than 50% of his produce each market day. Joe gets his supplemented produce from a couple of his Amish neighbors. As I was getting ready to leave the tornado sirens started to go off.  I asked Peewee if they tested them on the last Thursday of the month since there was obviously no storm blowing in. He told me they go off everyday at noon and 6 p.m.; it is like a very loud dinner bell. www.brysonsfarm.com

From downtown Hale I just need to make a slight jog and I am heading south on hwy 65. My next stop is in Higginsville at Peacock farm. Peacock Farm has been in Betty Mendenhall’s family for generations (1868) and is on the registry as a “Missouri Century Farm”. Betty, as usual, was not at home when I arrived but her daughter greeted me and gave me a quick tour. Most of their early vegetables have been plowed under such as beets; radishes etc. but they are still harvesting tomatoes, green beans, long purple green beans, purple hull peas, assorted herbs and garlic. In a small greenhouse Betty also grows a variety of succulents which she sells at the market. A few years ago Betty put in a commercial kitchen on her farm, her hope was that she would rent it out to people producing products to sell at area farmers’ market, similar to what the Market does with the Farm to Table Kitchen. So far she has had no luck doing this so uses the kitchen for producing her own items such as jams, jellies and some baked goods. Betty is also in the Farmer w/ Local Supplement category and gets her supplemented items from the Amish action in Versailles, MO. Betty manages a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and has her customers pick up their shares at the Market on Saturday. Peacock Farm is located in the first pavilion is stalls 15 & 16 on Saturdays. www.peacockfarmsmo.com

I had time for one more visited so thought I would head back to Kansas City and stop at Urbavor before getting back to the Market. Urbavo is an urban farmstead operated by Dan Heryer and Brooke Salvaggio, they also are the owners of Badseed Market located in the Crossroads Art District (www.badseedkc.com ) Dan and Brook have been at the City Market since 2008. At that time they were farming in a residential area on Banister Rd and due to city ordinance issues were forced to relocate to their current location. Sometimes things turn out for the best since they now are able to farm 13.5 acres of what was once unused land. I was not able to get to their farm last year and I was amazed on how much things had changed. They have fenced in the property in order to keep the dear out, yes there are a lot of deer in urban areas, added  about 84 fruit trees, 750 strawberry plants, blackberry bushes,  expanded their vegetable production and are building an earth contact home. I wonder what they do in their spare time! Dan took time out to walk me through the fields pointing out what they are currently harvesting, what they have replanted and what is done for the year. Dan and Brook identify their method of farming as “beyond organic” practices and strive to be totally sustainable without tilling or sprays. I was fascinated to hear and see how Dan plants potatoes. Most farmers plant the seeds underground and then dig up the potatoes. Dan places the seeds on top of the soil and covers them with mounds of straw, when ready to harvest they just push away the straw and pickup the potatoes. This totally makes sense and protects all the beneficial organisms in the soil. When we reached the back section of the farm Dan pointed out how they are growing their beans, squash and corn, he called it the Native American System. The corn is used to support the pole beans and the squash is planted between the rows, very cool. They are growing a few unique varieties of radishes for the fall; one is called a watermelon radish because it is red inside. I can’t wait to try it.  Urbavo is in the Farmer 100% category, they only sell what they grow. Dan and Brook are at the City Market every Saturday, during the summer season, in the second pavilion stalls 55 and 56. Urbavo does a beautiful job displaying their produce; it is a joy to see.

I am going to take advantage of the holiday weekend and take a few days off this coming week so will not be visiting any farms. When I get back I plan on heading towards Columbia, Mo. Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday.

The weather is heating back up and I am so glad to have air-conditioning in the Markets new truck. Today Meghan Buum and I are headed to Manhattan, Kansas which is the home of K-State and located in the beautiful Flint Hills. K- State is where Meghan attended school; she was surprised to see so much farm land just outside the city.

The City Market has had many families who have sold at the Market for many generations; the Flores family is one of these families. Barbra Flores has raised her children at the farmers market who are now bringing their own children each weekend. This family is truly a farming family and operates one of the biggest farms currently selling at the City Market consisting of approximately 300 acres. For those of you who frequent the Market on a regular basis you might have noticed that Barbra has not been in her stalls lately. She was in a terrible car accident about six months ago and has been hospitalized ever since. She has continued to make good progress but will be in the hospital for at least four more months and then will have to continue with physical therapy. Andrea, Barbra's daughter, and her husband have taken over running her farm along with their own. When we arrived Andrea was just leaving to be with her mom so she had one of her employees show us the farm. The fields which were planted in vegetables last year are now all used to grow field corn, sweet corn and green beans. Not too far down the road and down a lane is one of their second fields which has more varieties of peppers than I have ever seen, I am just guessing but I think about fifteen different kinds. They ranged in color, size and heat. Meghan was very brave and tasted the very hot variety, I passed. We walked through row after row of eggplant, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupe, pickles, tomatoes, potatoes waiting to be dug, sweet onions and okra. They had five varieties of watermelon and were having the same issue as the other farms I have visited this summer, the coyotes and raccoons have been playing havoc in the melon patch. Silly me I forgot to close up the truck while we were walking through the fields and came back to a truck full of mosquitoes, and not the city variety, these were huge! About three miles away Barbra has another field which consists mainly of more watermelons, pumpkins and a variety of squash.  You might be wondering where all this produce ends up. Flores Farm sells at the Manhattan and Topeka farmers’ markets and provides vegetables to Liberty Produce in Kansas City and a few Manhattan grocery stores. Flores Farm is at the Market every Saturday for most of the year in stalls 72-74 and at the exit to the Market they sale live goats (ordered in advance) chickens and ducks. In years past they have always been at the Market on Sundays but due to Barbra’s accident have not been able to do this much this year.

As always I visit the farthest farm first and catch a few other vendors on the way back. In addition to checking the farmers I also check on the artist/crafters. Lisa and Jeff Kanantzer are from Topeka, Kansas and are known around the Market as the alphabet vendor. They photograph various architectural items which resemble letters, have them printed with a secret technique (which I promised not to divulge) which gives their photos a unique color. Lisa and her Father Larry scour old neighborhoods around the City and when they travel looking for the perfect letters. Lisa said that “R” is the hardest letter to find. They sell the letters separately so you can pick which ones you like the most; they have a few choices for each letter. Customers then take the photos home and display them in frames or the Kanantzer’s can take a special order and have them framed. Six months ago Lisa and Jeff opened up a new shop in Topeka called Uniquely Yours where they sell their alphabet art, jewelry (which is $2.50 for each piece) and unique purses. Just in case you want to pay them a visit when you are in Topeka the store address is 2900 SW Oakley. Make sure and stop by their booth, located on the east side of the Market, it is really interesting to hear the story behind each letter. Uniquely Yours is at the Market year round, every Saturday and Sunday.

 

As we were leaving Uniquely Yours we saw the smallest McDonald's ever. I think it is the real deal, what do you think?

We were making really good time today so are able to make one more stop before getting back to the Market. Right off I-70 and 78^th street is the location of Hmong Vaj Farm which is owned by Chiong Vang. When Chiong became a vendor in 2006 he was farming a different location but a few years ago needed more space to expand his farm. No one was home when I arrived so Meghan and I walked through the fields on our own. What a difference from what I saw last year, the drought had really slowed down production. This summer everything is thriving and looks wonderful. He had an abundance of purple hull peas, okra, and assorted peppers. I could see where they had replanted lettuce and a few other items for their fall crop, crop rotation is key if farmers want to continue coming to the market into October and November. In addition to vegetables such as long beans, squash, eggplant and bitter melon Chiong and his family also sell cut flower arrangements. I will be visiting an additional location Chiong farms in a few weeks when I visit more vendors in that area. Hmong Vaj Farm is at the Market every Saturday stalls 99, 91, 108 & 109 and Sunday in stalls 85 & 86.

I am still up in the air where I will be heading next week since I still have a lot of vendors I have not yet visited this season. I got a pretty slow start due to the cold April and the snow in May, I feel like I have been playing catch-up all summer.

The following recipe is from the University of California and is also available each weekend at the yellow information tent.

Oriental Eggplant

Season: June through November

Storage: Refrigerate in a zip lock bag for up to 4 days

Health Properties: Immune system, blood pressure and heart health

Marinated Eggplant

5 oriental eggplants

1 T. sesame oil

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 T. rice vinegar

1 ½ T reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. each sugar and mirin (a kind of rice wine)

Wash and trim eggplant ends: steam eggplant 10 minutes until barley soft. Cut into bit size strips. Combine oil, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Mix well until sugar dissolves. Pour over eggplants: chill and marinate overnight. Serves 4