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Sustainability Spotlight: Community Based Agriculture
Meet Amanda Lindahl. She’s an expert baker, extrovert, wonderful friend, and a passionate gardener. She works for The Giving Grove, a non-profit organization which is part of the Kansas City Community Gardens. Jessica, myself, and Amanda when they came to visit me in Colorado! The Giving Grove is a unique subset of American Agriculture –…
Read MoreHow a Global Pandemic could Change our Food Supply
From producers to supply chains to restaurant workers to how often Americans cook and eat at home, the COVID-19 global pandemic has caused big changes in the food supply. A few weeks ago I opened the milk crate on our front porch which holds the weekly delivery from a local dairy. I was surprised to…
Read MoreKansas Wheat Harvest
My favorite childhood playground: the grain truck, followed closely by the time I spent in the kitchen with my mom helping her “make lunches” for the harvest crew. Most people think that Kansas is land-locked. They would be right — except for June, when seas of golden wheat stretch across the plains. Millions of stalks of…
Read MoreSustainability Spotlight: Large-Scale Commodity Farm
If there is one word I could use to describe Lee Scheufler, my father and the co-owner/operator of Scheufler Farms, Inc. it would be efficient. Margaret & Lee Scheufler, co-owners/operators of Scheufler Farms, Inc. “I wasn’t going to marry a farmer!” declares Margaret, wife of efficient Lee, my mother and co-owner/operator of Scheufler Farms. “But…
Read MoreFarming when the Ground is White and the Temp is Low
I work an 8-to-5-ish job. I have weekends and holidays off, I accrue PTO, and if I’m deathly ill, I have (amazing) coworkers who will step up to cover for me. This does not describe the life of a small business owner, such as a farmer. The Old Red Barn A small business owner works the…
Read MoreSustainability Spotlight: Industry Perspective
Last December, Marvin showed up on my parents’ doorstep. Marvin works for ADM (Archer Daniels Midland Company – although nobody ever calls them by their full name) as a marketing agent who procures grain from local farmers. Grain elevators in Saxman, KS – one of the many small towns in Kansas in which the number…
Read MoreCrop Rotation
In case you hadn’t noticed, winter is upon us. Snow has blanketed the fields, temperatures have dropped, and the days are short. Getting set for the family photo… it’s cold! So what happens on a farm when the ground is frozen? More than you’d think. Like all the other seasons, winter is a thread in…
Read MoreSustainability in Agriculture
Farm to Table. Locally Grown. Sustainably Made. These buzzwords are becoming more than marketing phrases – they are becoming the demands of consumers. Consumers understand now more than ever that climate change isn’t a probability anymore; it’s a reality – and one that needs addressing right now. The wind turbine powers the irrigation system at…
Read MoreThe Harvest Crew
Every year my parents host a post-harvest celebration. They usually go out to a restaurant (that way mom gets to enjoy the time without worrying about cooking) and spend a couple of hours enjoying great company and great food. The crew has changed over the years. It used to take many more people to get…
Read MoreThe Next Generation of American Agriculture
My Dad was featured in the Wall Street Journal last month. That’s right, I’m basically the daughter of a celebrity. He and several other farmers in Central Kansas (like my high school classmate Mason!) were interviewed for the article: The Next American Farm Bust is Upon Us. Unfortunately, the tone of the article was less than…
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