MCPHERSON, Kan. — Kansas Farmers Union invites the public to attend the first installment of the Summer Food Safety & Security Farm Tour Series on Tuesday, May 23.
The tour will begin at 11:00 AM at Sedgwick County Extension Office’s Demonstration Garden (7001 W. 21st St. N Wichita, KS 67205) – home to vegetable and herb gardens, the Outdoor Learning Center, and the compost demonstration area. Many of the containers and nearby beds are planted to Prairie Star annual flower trials.
Lunch will follow at noon in the Meadowlark Room of the main extension office building.
At 1:00 PM the group will make its way to Victory Gardens (6145 North Maize Rd. Maize, KS 67101). Victory Gardens grows heirloom vegetables using OMRI (organic) approved products and chemical-free methods. Visitors will see cool season vegetables grown in high tunnels, as well as warm season crops grown in raised beds and elevated surfaces. Tour participants will see numerous sustainable farming methods including biochar incorporation, Johnson-Su bioreactors, and hugelkulture growing surfaces.
At 3:00 PM, visitors to Strong Roots Healthy Farming (3059 E. 5th St., Valley Center, KS 67147) will see a production farm growing fruits, herbs, and vegetables grown naturally without the use of chemicals or artificial fertilizers. Strong Roots uses brewed compost tea with fish emulsion, woodchip, compost, cover crops, and animal waste to fertilize their soil. They have chickens, pigs, cows, and goats that are moved around the property to help manage the land holistically. They have a variety of irrigation methods including drip tape, arial wobblers, and overhead hose trollies (in the hoophouses). They also have an on-site certified kitchen which is used to pickle beets and cucumbers, make salsa and relish, and ferment hot sauce.
This set of tours is a collaboration of Kansas Farmers Union, National Farmers Union’s Local Food Safety Collaborative, and Common Ground Producers and Growers, LLC. Additional tours will be held on Tuesday, May 30 and Tuesday, June 6.
All tours are free and open to the public. Registration is requested to plan for lunch and handouts.
For more information and to register for this set of tours, please visit Summer Food Safety & Security Farm Tour Series – Part One or contact Mary Howell at [email protected] or call 785-562-8726 by Friday, May 19.
— Kansas Farmers Union
