Category Archives: Food
Increase Healthier Food Options
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Do you donate to a food pantry? Do you want more information? Guide our work to increase access to healthier options!! It only less than two minutes!! The #HBCAT and #BCBSKSPathways Healthy Choices at Bourbon County Food Pantries survey is open today!! PLUS Enter for a chance to win a Fitbit!! https://forms.gle/QR7SdJG4UmF4dEuq6
Submitted by
Jody Hoener
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc.
President and CEO
Freedom Farm Is Working Towards Agri-Tourism and Collaborations
As a family unit, Kylene and Gary Palmer and their daughters, are in the process of turning their farm near Fort Scott into a business model that is a resource for consumers and producers.
Many of the plans on Freedom Farm are “projects in motion”, said Kylene.
“We haven’t ‘arrived’ yet, she said, but they do have thoughtful plans and projects that they are currently seeking grants to build.
“We want to build a resource and outlet for local farmers that have sustainable practices to sell straight to consumers,” she said.” We are working on formulating the structure for a co-op that is both beneficial to the consumer and producer.”
“We are constructing a central hub at our farm to host farm tours, educational programs, a small market for local farmers and a certified kitchen as a resource for farmers, among other things,” Palmer said.
“We are super excited about the grant we received from the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team,” she said. “We plan to use those funds to build a freezer/cooler in order to have space to ramp up production of our meat and eggs.”
They have dreams of a small, by appointment only, on-farm restaurant.
“The idea there is less about a restaurant and more about connecting consumers to local farmers,” she said. “We would love to have guest chefs from our local community and surrounding areas to keep things new and exciting and really make it a community offering.”
Agricultural bus tours are on the horizon for Freedom Farms.
“We have been doing much building and property maintenance to work towards that goal of hosting agriculture bus tours as one of the stops here in Bourbon County,” she said. “We are signed up for the Big Kansas Road trip in May for anyone wanting to stop by and visit or ask questions.”
“One of the many ways the certified kitchen would be put into use would be to offer on-farm lunch to the bus tour participants,” she said. “We would love to work together with local farms to achieve that goal.”
Currently, Freedom Farm produces and sells eggs, pastured poultry, lamb, and a minimal amount of goat.
“It is a family affair, ” she said. “I do most of the day-to-day chores along with help from our children. My eldest daughter has started her own lamb herd and another daughter is in the beginning stages of growing her goat herd. Gary oversees the planning and marketing and is involved every day after work hours. Everyone is involved at many different levels and we hope to employ others as we grow.”
Knights of Columbus Annual Friday Fish Fry Starts Today
The Knights of Columbus will host their annual Lenten Fish Fry each Friday starting today.
The March 4th & 11th meals will be drive-thru only.
“The first two (Friday meals) will be a practice run since we only did two last year,” Mark McCoy, spokesman for the group said. The COVID 19 Pandemic prevented more meals served.
The drive-thru starts at 5 pm and serves until 6:30 pm.
The ladies of Mary Queen of Angel parish bake wonderful desserts and many varieties of cakes, pies, and cookies will be offered.
The menu is:
1 – Catfish, French fries, and coleslaw
2 – Catfish, cod, French fries, and coleslaw
3 – Cod, French fries, and coleslaw
Fresh Produce Can be Delivered to Your Door: 1553 Plants and Produce Farm
A local entrepreneurial farm couple has been planning and planting during this dormant season time planning their new products and services.
1553 Plants & Produce is a local farm started by Kenny and Kerry Wunderly in November 2020. The farm is located at 1555 205th St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.
The couple sells many farm-related services and products that they are willing to deliver.
“This past year our biggest seller for our produce was our variety harvest baskets,” she said. “We featured these on our Facebook page weekly and they sold out very quickly. We delivered these to our customer’s doorstep that day and we will continue this again this year. These will be starting again around late May. We are currently working on a website for ordering but as of now it’s all still through text, call, or Facebook message.”
The phone number is 785-422-5770.
“This year we will have a full line of garden vegetables. Celery, Tomatoes, zucchini, squash, beans, sweet corn, lettuce, broccoli, peppers, radishes, beets, cucumbers, watermelons, and cantaloupe just to name a few,” Kerry said. “We are making these available in weekly harvest baskets in season along with our on-farm u-pick section and on our self-serve veggie trailer. And if you’d like, we’ve entered into a wholesale agreement with a local restaurant, La Hacienda, so you can get them already cooked!”
“We are expanding our herb offering and will have a large variety of fresh herbs, dried herbs, and herb salts,” she said.
They will also be growing winter squash, pumpkins, ornamental corn, sorghum, and cotton, and some ornamental cabbages to use in fall decorative vignettes they create, which they call fall bundles.
“Our fall bundles are delivered the first week of October and consist of straw hay bales, pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, and ornamental corn ears and mums. This year we will be adding dried cotton plants, sorghum stalks, and ornamental cabbage as available. Mostly grown on our farm, but some items will be locally sourced from other small, family-owned operations.”
“For Christmas this past year we wrapped hay bales in ribbon to look like large presents, made an evergreen basket complete with boughs, berries, and Christmas balls for ornaments, and finished it off with a homemade wooden snowman. Nearly all of these things are upcycled from the farm. We’re going to be doing this again for 2022 with some small changes. These were and will be again, delivered the first week of December. We also do just the wooden snowman for those interested.”
“The wooden Easter bunnies are new this year and we plan to have them ready by mid-March,” she said.
The couple added a hoop house on the property to extend providing products, she said.
They also provide landscaping services.
“We didn’t intend to be in the landscaping business but had the opportunity to work with some great clients,” she said. “We did a lot of flower bed maintenance and rescue and it was awesome to see the look on our client’s faces when they saw the finished product.”
“We built and installed lots of raised flower/vegetable beds and even built a small retaining wall,” Kerry said. “And we picked up a few lawns for mowing. None of these things were on our radar to begin with, but we were happy for the opportunity and will continue to provide those services where needed.”
Next on the Horizon
“We are exploring a couple of “on-farm” experiences for folks that might be interested,” she said. “The first is our Dinner On The Farm (event). We are working to develop a menu that’s been completely produced on our farm. You will be able to bring your family or friends out for dinner cooked by us on the farm. You can see exactly where your chicken was hatched and raised and see the exact bed where your broccoli and tomatoes were grown!”
“We will be building the seating area in the next few months and hopefully will have our first dinner served by late spring,” she said.
They are in the planning phase for a fishing pond on their property.
” Our pond will have a dock for easy access and be stocked for those wanting to (fish),” she said. But if you catch a giant you have to release him…HAHA just kidding, kind of!”
“Kenny has been a hobby photographer for years and has taken thousands of photos on our farm,” Kerry said. “We will be planting a small plot of sunflowers this year and opening our farm up at times for other local photographers to photograph these and all the other flowers we grow.”
“We are also in the planning phase of building some photo blinds in strategically placed spots on the farm,” she said. “These will be sets with a water feature, feeders, and native plants and bushes for bird photography.”
The couple is looking for another source of protein being produced on their farm, and this project is expected to be in place by fall.
They offer free garden consults and build raised beds gardens.
“We will be adding a couple more beds to our community garden section and those are available to rent for the season right now,” she said.
Kiwanis Annual Pancake Feed March 1
The 101st Fort Scott Kiwanis Pancake Feed is March 1 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and then again from 4-6:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, Third, and National Avenue.
It is a pick-up meal, with cars asked to come in from Fourth Street to the driveway in front of the church.
The cost is $5 per person with children under five free.
The club members will deliver to groups with 10 meals or more orders.
Call 620.224-9067 for the delivery service.
The meal includes two pancakes with butter and syrup and a sausage patty.
Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time, according to information from John Crain, President.
“The club has 25 members, and we would love to have more,” he said.
The group meets on Tuesdays at noon for lunch at First Presbyterian Church, 308 S. Crawford, Fort Scott.
Crain listed some of the Kiwanis projects last year:
They
- Repaired and applied deck stain to picnic tables in Gunn Park, and the bridge on its first lake
- Decorated a shelter house for Christmas in the Park
- Trimmed low hanging trees for the school bus passage
- Helped with the Downtown Clean Sweep
- Will be planting trees across town this spring
Some of the organizations and activities they have donated to last year:
- CASA
- Beacon
- Sponsor students to Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar
- Sponsor students to Boy’s State
- Fort Scott Leadership
- $4,000 for high school scholarships
- Fort Scott Middle School Project Art
- Hedgehog Inc Book Project
- USD-234 In-Need Fund for all schools
- USD-234 Grade School Reading Projects
- Fort Scott High School Cheer
- FSHS Save our Seniors
- FSHS After Prom
- Wreaths Across America
Soup Lunch Drive-Through on March 18
The First United Methodist Church, 301 S. National, will host a drive-through soup lunch on Friday, March 18.
This is a to go meal that can be picked up under the covered entrance off of National Avenue.
Serving times will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
A variety of soups including potato, vegetable beef, and chili will be served along with a dessert for a free-will offering.
The soup lunch is sponsored by the Mission Committee at First United Methodist Church.
Submitted by:
Marla Gorman
Administrative Assistant
First United Methodist Church
Perry’s Pork Rinds $2 Off
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Powdered Infant Formula Recalled
KDHE and the FDA warn consumers not to use select Similac, Alimentum and EleCare powdered infant formula
TOPEKA – Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is investigating complaints of infant illness related to products from Abbott’s Nutrition’s Sturgis, MI facility. Three brands of powdered infant formula were recalled for possible Cronobacter contamination. As a result of the ongoing investigation, the FDA is alerting consumers to avoid purchasing or using certain powdered infant formula products produced at this facility.
The FDA is advising consumers not to use Similac, Alimentum, or EleCare powdered infant formulas if:
- the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37; and
- the code on the container contains K8, SH or Z2; and
- the expiration date is 4-1-2022 (APR 2022) or later.
Abbott has initiated a voluntary recall of certain powdered infant formulas. Products made at the Sturgis facility can be found across the United States. Individuals can find more information about returning the product directly to Abbott by using the Product Recall tool.
Cronobacter infections are rare, but they can be deadly in newborns. Infections in infants usually occur in the first days or weeks of life. About two to four cases are reported to CDC every year, but this figure may not reflect the true number of illnesses because most hospitals and laboratories are not required to report Cronobacter infections to health departments.
The first symptom of Cronobacter infection in infants is usually a fever, accompanied by poor feeding, crying, or very low energy. Infants with these symptoms should be immediately evaluated by a health care provider.
Common Ground Is More Than A Coffee Shop
Common Ground Coffee Company is not just a place to gather but also offers small event catering and rental space venues.
Like other coffee shops, one can hang- out with others, catch up on some studying or just find a little solitude, all while enjoying specialty drinks and scrumptious foods, according to its website.
In addition to a hang-out place, the business offers small event catering and rental space venues.
The conference room, a private space at the rear of the business, is free, when available.
And there is a large space with outdoor access and a stage in the rear also called the Loading Dock.
“We rent rooms for showers and parties,” Vickie Waldron, manager, told the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee attendees on Feb. 17. In addition, “We cater baked goods for small events.”
Common Ground Coffee Co. is located at 12 E. Wall St.
Fort Scott, phone number: (620) 223-2499 or email:
[email protected]
The coffee shop is a ministry of the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
The excess profits are given back to the community, Waldron said.
“We donate to any of our staff’s charity of choice,” she said. “We have donated to the Sharing Bucket, Paws and Claws, American Childhood Diabetes Assn., the local GED program, the Leukemia Association, just to name a few off of the top of my head.”
Common Grounds currently employs 16-17 people.
Hours of operation for the business are:
Monday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday Closed
Methodists Reschedule Soup Lunch Until Feb. 25
NOTICE – Due to the weather, the soup lunch that was scheduled today has been cancelled and rescheduled for next Friday, February 25.
The Soup Luncheon has been rescheduled for NEXT Friday, February 25 from11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This is a to-go meal that can be picked up under the covered entrance off of National Avenue. A variety of soups including potato, vegetable beef, and chili will be served along with a dessert for a free-will offering. Sponsored by the Mission Committee.
Beacon: New Pick-up/Drop-off Area
The Beacon, a helping agency in Fort Scott, is working to make it safer for their clients to move food in and out of their building.
“We are pouring a concrete driveway in the back of the Beacon, to make it safer for our clients to pick up their groceries from us, also to make it easier for deliveries and donation drop-offs,” Dave Gillen, Beacon Director said.
This project started on Feb. 10 and was completed on Feb. 11, he said.
“However our clients will not be able to use it until Friday of (this) week as the concrete will need to be cured,” he said.
“All Beacon business will be conducted through the front door until then.”
This project was funded through church, individual, and civic organizations donations.
“This is something we have been wanting to do for a long time and because of the generosity of our great community it was made possible,” Gillen said.
“Thank you RII Concrete Construction for also making this possible and your great employees,” he said.
“The Beacon (staff) serves about 300 families a month currently,” Gillen said. “Clients call in their food orders and they are placed on the back porch. Additional items such as produce and bakery items are placed on the back porch for them to shop, also”.
The Beacon Food Pantry is a non-profit organization, a food pantry serving Bourbon County, Kansas, also provides financial assistance
The agency is located at 525 E. Sixth Street, Fort Scott, and can be reached at 620.223.6869.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. They are closed Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, according to their Facebook page.