Shop Kansas Farms attends Great American Farmers Market in Washington, D.C.

Between alternating views of the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument on the National Mall, Shop Kansas Farms (SKF) offered a taste of Kansas-crafted foods to visitors at the inaugural Great American Farmers Market in Washington, D.C., from Aug. 3-8.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hosted the market to showcase agriculture, which made the event a natural fit for Shop Kansas Farms.

“Our goal is to prosper farmers by attracting more customers to them and, after this week in the nation’s capital, we are delighted to draw an even greater national customer base to Shop Kansas Farms,” says SKF founder Rick McNary. 

McNary and Kylee Stout, business development director for Shop Kansas Farms, flew to the nation’s capital with shelf-stable products from five SKF vendors:

• Jones Cattle Premium Beef from Seneca provided beef jerky from cattle grown on their ranch.
• Turkey Knob Farm from Berryton is selling its Rattlesnake Relish, a combination of sweet and heat perfect for your next hamburger or hotdog.
• Next to Nature Farm from Leavenworth provided honey harvested their 10-acre farm in Northeast Kansas.
• Legacy Farms Coffee from Moundridge locally roasts coffee grown at its own Honduran plantation, which was an “accidental” purchase originally intended to be a housing development for Honduran families.
• Bruce's Bullseye Farms from Augusta sold jelly made from Kansas’ native fruit, the sandhill plum.

“We’re so grateful we had the opportunity to highlight Shop Kansas Farms and a few of the incredible products grown in our state,” says Stout. “In addition to engaging with U.S. Department of Agriculture leaders, we were able to provide national exposure for SKF and showcase some of the high-quality food we produce in Kansas.”

In addition to offering consumers Kansas products, McNary and Stout also met with USDA Sec. Brooke Rollins and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sec. Scott Turner.

Shop Kansas Farms started in 2020 as a grassroots initiative to connect consumers with local food producers across the state. Kansas Farm Bureau purchased SKF and has invested in helping communities build local food systems called Harvest Hubs. Today SKF continues to highlight the diversity and quality of Kansas-grown products.

Find all SKF vendors at www.shopkansasfarms.com or visit the original Facebook group.