Sweet Country Farm is a three generation family living and working the land just south of Fort Scott. They specialize in farm fresh produce, berries, herbs and eggs. They also provide handmade soaps, felted wool art, specialty cards and a variety of paper products. For special occasions and parties, you can contact them on their Facebook page Sweet Country Farms to place a special order for eggs, cookies and pies. Come out to the Fort Scott Farmers’ Market and meet them this Saturday morning!
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Mrs. Yoder has been a long-time part of the Fort Scott Farmers’ Market. She is well known for her beautiful hand-made baskets and delicious baked goods. Mrs. Yoder can be found on Saturday mornings in her usual spot in the shade. Come find her this weekend!
This is part of a series featuring young entrepreneurs in our community.
To recommend a young entrepreneur, send contact information to [email protected]
The Whitson brothers, sons of Maria and Clayton Whitson, are entrepreneurs. The family lives on a farm in rural Garland.
Malachi, age 10, Asher, age 7 and Judah, age 5, all create items to sell, but each has a different product.
The boys, along with their parents, had a booth at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on June 3.
The Whitsons launched a family business called The Journey Home which is an umbrella for their whole family’s creations, including their three young sons, according to their mother, Maria. They have two younger daughters.
Book publishing, art, jewelry, cast iron accessories, homeschooling, foraging, homesteading, disaster prep, herbal remedies, are some of the interests of the family business.
Malachi and Asher went to the Acton Children’s Business Fair in April 2022 and developed a business plan and selected a name for their respective businesses.
Malachi, owner of Made by Malachi, creates jewelry.
“I can sell personalized bacelets, keychains, but mostly make earrings,” he said. “I like creating. I think up ideas then try them out. If they don’t work out, it’s fine, I can use my mistakes to create something else. ”
Business has been good, he said. He has been selling his jewelry at markets, fairs, festivals and at Root Coffee Shop in Pittsburg.
“I started selling three years ago at the Shead Farm Festival, and now sell at different events, he said. ” Larry and Vickie Shead, who open their farm annually in May to visitors, are the brothers’ grandparents.
Asher is an artist.
“I started my business when I was five,” he said. “I get ideas on Facebook, and use an Apple Pencil I Pad (to create on).”
“Mom asked me if I wanted to do a business and I just started drawing,” Asher said.
He also has sold his artwork at the Shead Farm Festival, the Acton Business Fair, Fort Scott Farmers Market and Root Coffee Shop.
He likes what he’s doing.
“It’s easy and fun to draw and I get money,” he said.
Judah received a mini-donut maker for Christmas.
His first selling of his product was at his grandparents Shead Farm Festival last month
At the June 3, 2023 Fort Scott Farmers Market, he was manning his family’s booth at the cash register, with help, and was all smiles.
Second Children’s Business Workshop Coming In September
The boys attended the children’s business workshop in April 2022.
Dacia Clark, with the Small Business Development Center, taught the children about developing a business plan, and other marketing basics, Rachel Carpenter with the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team said. The SBDC is housed in the HBCAT office at 104 N. National Avenue.
“Acton Children’s Business Fair provided the curriculum, and HBCAT helped coordinate the efforts,” Carpenter said.
Cathy Ramirez has been hand crafting her knitted treasures nearly her entire life! She offers delicious baked goods and you can see her in action as she knits in all her spare time. Cathy has been part of the Fort Scott Farmers’ Market for many years and is always happy to share a smile!
Emma Stone Is the owner of Cutecrochtecritters and one of our new vendors this year! She hand crochets all her cute and cuddly stuffies and toys and has made several special order commission pieces for very satisfied customers. Emma is booked for the next year at local craft fairs as well as having a full time spot at the Fort Scott Farmers’ Market. Find her here on FB as well as Instagram and TickTock. Don’t forget to visit her online store on Etsy. This girl has it going on!
This is part of a series on young entrepreneurs in this community.
To nominate a young entrepreneur, send contact information to [email protected]
Chloe Couchman, 9, from Bronson, started her business after her grandma, Diana Cooper, visited her some months back, she said.
“She gave me a pot holder kit and taught me how to do it,” Chloe said.
Since then Chloe has been selling her product by word of mouth.
“She has been at Bronson Ruritan,” said her mother Melanie Couchman. “She and her brother goes with her dad (Tony Couchman) and I to the Ruritan Club. She passed out some free ones and let them know she was selling them.”
“She also let her Grandpa Couchman and her bus driver know,” Melanie said.
Chloe said she likes the creative side of “making her own patterns” of potholders.
In addition, her business booth contains chocolate no-bake cookies to sell, made by Chloe.
“They are my favorite kind,” she said.
Chloe said she had a good day at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on June 3, selling 10 potholders and 11 bags of cookies. Her Mom is pondering a booth herself to sell her baked goods that she creates, and if that happens, Chloe will be selling more of her creations there as well.
It is $5 to set up a booth at Fort Scott Farmers Market, which meets every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon and Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. at Skutbitz Plaza, in front of the Fort Scott National Historic Site.
For more information on the market:
https://www.facebook.com/fsfma
We’re excited to introduce Alanna Scott and her family! You can find the Scott family on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. There are lots of little hands to help out, and their baked goods are becoming very popular. Since they sell out almost every time, you’d better come early!
This is first in a series of young entrepreneurs in the community. The series aims to highlight youth who are venturing out in their own businesses.
Please submit names of other recommended young entrepreneurs to be featured to [email protected]
Camren Lamb, 9, heard about entrepreneurship in January 2022, at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Dare to Dream program, an adult entrepreneurship event.
Camren is the son of Melanie and Larry Lamb, rural Fort Scott.
Melanie attended the event and Camren came also.
“I asked if I could make a picture, so I sold my first art,” Camren said.
He sells artwork and plays a newly purchased guitar as part of his business.
Dacia Clark, with the Small Business Development Center, taught him and others in a April 2022 childrens workshop about developing a business plan, and other marketing basics, Rachel Carpenter with the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team said. The SBDC is housed in the HBCAT office at 104 N. National Avenue.
“Acton Children’s Business Fair provided the curriculum, and HBCAT helped coordinate the efforts,” Carpenter said.
In addition to selling his artwork, he plays music requests on his guitar for passersby.
“I played ukelele first, then guitar,” he said. The guitar was purchased from money he earned at the Children’s Business Fair in April 2022.
He doesn’t charge for for playing, he said.
“I use it to draw people (in to look at his artwork),” he said. “I take requests and tell them songs are free but I had a basket for artwork sales and people started putting money in for the music.”
He was selling at the Fort Scott Farmers Market for the first time on June 3. “This is my second time selling, the first time was at Buck Run Community Center at the Children’s Business Fair.”
Most recently he played guitar at the Shead Farm Festival, the Fort Scott Christian Heights Country Store and at the Friday Night Free Concert at the gazebo downtown.
He took ukelele lessons from Bob Solomonson and guitar lessons from Stephen Moses, he said.
Camren said this year his earnings will go to help the Show Me Christian Youth Home and he is also saving money for church camp.
TOPEKA, June 12, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Kansas State Director Christy Davis today announced a $49.9 million loan to connect thousands of rural Kansans to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. The project will improve service for 149 businesses, 821 farms and over 4,000 people in Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette and Neosho counties.
“High-speed internet is essential in today’s world of online business, learning and communication,” Davis said. “This investment will help ensure rural Kansas remains a place of opportunity to live, work, and raise a family.”
This is the fourth funding round of the USDA ReConnect Program. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested in 142 ReConnect projects that will bring high-speed internet access to 314,000 rural Americans.
Today’s announcement is part of a larger national announcement totaling $714 million in USDA investments in Kansas and 18 other states.
The Kansas details are:
Background: ReConnect Program
Applicants to ReConnect Program funding must serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload. Applicants must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service with speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in the proposed service area. Additionally, to ensure that rural households that need internet service can afford it, all awardees will be required to apply to participate in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP offers a discount of up to $30 per month towards internet service to qualifying low-income households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal Lands.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, visit www.rd.usda.gov or contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
Join Us at The Artificers ForPhillip OrtizOpening Reception and Master Class! |
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This Friday! June 9th 6PM |
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Artist Opening ReceptionMaster ArtistPhillip Ortiz, Mixed Media Artist |
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