Tuesday, January 26, 2010

It’s only Tuesday and it feels like it should be Friday! The family has been working diligently in the greenhouse. Joan aka mom, bought an ipod last weekend to help break up the monotony of planting. We were all proud of her for figuring out how to load music and itunes on it by herself. She swears she wanted one so that she didn’t have to listen to everyone else’s music and fuss but we’re betting she wanted a cool new toy! Either way, she really likes it and will be putting it to good use while grafting and planting in coming weeks. I wonder what songs are going to be on her frequently played list?

Posted are some pics of some of the herbs we recently planted…two of our favorites actually. Rosemary and Thyme- we like using these herbs with distinctive flavor to marinate steaks and other meats with, oven roast potatoes and squash plus they’re really great to use when cooking rice to give it a little something extra. Not only do they taste great but they smell amazing and their leaf shapes look really pretty in spring and summer deck pots!



Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Catchin Some Rays

As mentioned last week, greenhouse preparations are in full swing. This week has been focused on starter plant cuttings for our greenhouse business and starting our tomato plants. Tomatos are one of the farm’s largest crops and we take great pride in growing several varieties of red’s and heirlooms. Just imagine, one of those delicious fresh picked fruits sliced with just a smidge of salt and pepper. For a tomato purist, it doesn't get any better than that!

One of the best things about working in the greenhouse is the warmth and sun light it provides the plants and us…who would have thought it was possible to get a sun tan in January?! The swimwear is still hidden in the back of the closet but warm days tempt it to move its way closer to the front.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Mud Pies!

This week has been up and down as far as the weather is concerned. We've gone from an icy winter wonderland to an absolute muddy mess! Clifford, our farm dog is living it up with the conditions and literally making tracks everywhere he goes. This freeze and thaw business is wearing it's welcome out in short fashion!

As for farm business, we had a busy week fixing a water leak in one of the greenhouses, cut lots of wood for the stove and worked on profit and loss statements. We also hosted some visitors at the farm on Wednesday. The University of Missouri's- College of  Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources had an elite group of freshman and sophmore students come hang out with us for a few hours to learn about our farm operation and the challenges facing local growers. With 3 of us being Mizzou alums, it was great to get back in touch with old friends and make some new ones with these students, faculty and staff.

Last night we had the opportunity to have dinner with the group at TrezoMares Restaurant located at Braircliff Village in Kansas City. We're fortunate to supply TrezoMares with our fresh grown produce throughout our growing seasons and the people there are as awesome as the food they serve!

Check out both sites!

Mizzou's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

TrezoMare's Restaurant

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A Splash of Spring


Finally some sun! A much needed thaw started today around the farm. The outside temperature reached a balmy 42 degrees today...It's a bit sad to call 42 degrees balmy but it's a welcomed change from previous weeks where virtually everything has been covered in ice and snow. Posted are couple pictures snapped in the past couple days. It's easy to appreciate all the seasons and the interesting photo opps that come with it. The photo of the vineyard was taken this past Monday morning and the flower is from a hibiscus tree seeking shelter in the greenhouse for the winter. Beautiful!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Spring Preperations In Full Bloom



We’ve been working diligently to prepare for the spring planting season. These little sprouts are the beginning of sweet onions that we’ll transplant into a portion of our nearly 150 acres of fresh fruits and vegetables grown at the farm. The onions are just one of the over 30 different crops that are produced.

These beauties along with our other locally grown produce will be ready and available early spring at our roadside Market, the Overland Park, KS market and the Kansas City River Market.

The green houses used to start our plants are fueled by a wood burning stove that heats 3 large units used for growing. The sights of the young plants are an exciting reminder that warm weather is around the corner as each growing season is always full of surprises. We can’t wait to see what this one holds for us!

Welcome To Our Blog!

In 1947, Fahrmeier Farms began as a diversified livestock and row crop farm operation in Lafayette County, near Lexington, MO. In 2001, the traditional agriculture farm began a transformation into a farm garden turning some of the row crop fields into fresh produce fields and near the old hog farrowing house stands a greenhouse business that has flourished.

In 2008, the farm added a winery, Three Trails Winery at Fahrmeier Farms, to showcase the fruits of the families’ labor. The wine list features wines made from grapes grown at our farm, raspberries raised and picked at their peak from our produce fields, and juicy peaches plucked during their summer growing season from our roadside market orchard.

Our family business is truly a working farm with all of its members involved in its growth. This blog is about the reality of farm life, the family involved and the fresh goods we work to grow so that everyone can enjoy!