FARMHOUSE A Kansas Magazine / Volume 5
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FARMHOUSE / VOL. 5 photo by Emmalee Schaumburg
FARMHOUSE Volume 5
LAWRENCE LOCAL TABLE SWEARNGIN ANGUS DIRTY KANZA 200 HARRY’S RESTAURANT WHITE OAK RANCH
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all content by Four Birds Media except where noted
(785) 766-5669 info@fourbirdsmedia.com Lawrence / Kansas photo by Emmalee Schaumburg
Home cooked meals
Whether it’s a place to perfect that pecan pie, carve a turkey or warm up leftovers I can help you find the perfect fit‌ for all the things that move you.
Meet us at the Market. As Summer marches on, we’re still busy on the farm. Though we’d love to see you at our place, we’re happy to come to you. Please join us at the Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings (7am 11am) and the Clinton Parkway Nursery Farmers’ Market on Wednesday afternoons (4:30pm - 6:30). Both markets have amble parking and plenty of produce.
And, it’s almost butterfly season! Our Butterfly Bio-Villa is open August 10 – October 11th. Please come out to the farm for a visit! - Karen & John Pendleton
1446 E 1850 Rd / Lawrence, Kansas
(785) 843-1409 / www.Pendletons.com
LAWRENCE LOCAL TABLE Lawrence / Kansas
It would be easy to say the motivation behind Lawrence Local Table was the food. Of course when area chefs and producers collaborate to create a one-of-a-kind dinner experience, the food steals the spotlight. Lawrence Local Table, however, isn’t just about the multiple-course meal served. It’s about the people. “Yeah, we love working on the dishes,” says Vaughn Good of Hank Charcuterie. “But I think the best part of the whole process is the working with the other people. I’ve learned so much from the couple of times we’ve worked together.” Good, along with fellow Hank Charcuterie chef Juan Carlos Tovar-Ballagh, Louis Wigen-Toccalino from Decade, Jess Anthony from Wood + Salt, Taylor Petrehn from 1900 Barker and Zach Thompson of 715, form the “collective of like-minded culinary professionals here to explore, create & deliver unique dining events for Lawrence and surrounding areas.”
great to work with that group and really take some liberties that we can’t take during normal hours. We can try things and not have to worry about somone ordering it off the menu.” The meal featured, among other things, mushroom ice cream, cured duck breast and foie gras snickers. Certainly not your everyday dinning in Lawrence. Justin Anderson was pleasently surprised by the flavors of the meal. “I think the combination of flavors that you wouldn’t normally think of, or even order in some cases, but that end up being amazing,” he said. “It’s one of the things I love about a fixed menu, you get it all and just try it and a lot of the time the things you think you might not like you love.” The meal featured wheat grass juice from Keeling Farm Fresh and greens from Moon on the Meadow Farm. Good said working with local producers is a driving force behind Lawrence Local Table’s plans for the future.
The idea was a long-time coming. “Zach and I had been talking about the idea of a collaborative meal for a long time,” Good explains. “I respect what he and his crew are doing at 715 and just the idea of working with them was exciting. When we starting talking about it, we kept thinking of other people to work with. I think we’ve put together a really great group.” This spring the group hosted their second event, “Hearth & Field.” The 10-course meal was “a nod to the transitional time between the ebbing frost of winter and the first spring harvest.” Dishes for the menu were inspired by early spring agricultural traditions and conceptual juxtapositions of temperature. The first five plates represenated winter while the second set of courses echoed the ingredients of the first five, but were inspired by spring. “I think it’s the only option in Lawrence for a 10-course prix fixe menu in town,” Good says with a laugh. “It’s
“We want to do more collaborating with local farmers and producers,” Good says. “We live in the middle of such great farmland and our local producers are growing some of the best ingredients in the world. I can’t wait to see what else we can come up with each season. The best part of this project is bouncing ideas off the other people involved.” Good says the attitude in the kitchen is one of cooperation, with each collaborator understanding the goal is not individual attention, but to present the best possible dish. “We all kind of go with the flow,” he says. “Maybe I have an idea for a dish but it just doens’t seem to flow with the other ideas, we’ll drop it. Or maybe Zach has an idea and me and Juan tweek it a bit. All we care about is putting out the best food we can with the ingredients in the kitchen.” FH
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SWEARNGIN ANGUS Lawrence / Kansas
Bulls. That’s it. “Yeah, we raise and sell bulls,” Tom Swearngin says with the type of grin most farmers have when downplaying the amount of work they do. “That’s it.” Swearngin and his brother-in-law Craig Guffey own and operate Swearngin Angus on about 1700 acres in the rolling hills north of Lawrence. Their operation is far from simple, but they strive to make the work as efficient and transparent as possible. Swearngin and Guffey are quiet, humble men. They aren’t flashy and are uncomfortable talking about themselves. But they know how to work their cattle to produce the best bulls in the region and how to sell them. The genetic quality of their bulls is a result of years of studying bloodlines and culling the undesirable characteristics. Through more than 2 decades raising bulls, the men know how to produce incredibly fertile, healthy and reliable cattle. “We know our bulls,” Guffey says. “We work these cattle everyday. We can trace the lineage of each bull back to his grandmother and grandfather. In order to offer the best possible product at auction, we have to be accountable for each animal. These cattle graze on our grass and our hay.”
Swearngin bulls are the result of breeding Angus based on real-world economics. In short, their bulls produce. Guffey says the way they have bred and raised their cattle helps insure fertility guaranteed. “Let’s be honest,” Swearngin says. “Folks buy our bulls for one reason. If they can’t produce and help a herd grow with healthy calves, then we probably won’t sell them another bull. If someone buys a bull from us, they have to be confident that the bull will help them grow their herd and make them money. That’s the bottom line.” Guffey and Swearngin host one sale a year in either January or February. The sale is held in a small arena at their ranch. The cowboy-style auction draws upwards to a hundred interested buyers. They started selling bulls in 1988 and, by this point, it’s rare to see a new face at the annual sale. “We’re proud of the relationship we’ve built with our customers,” Swearngin says. “We’ve been doing this long enough that we’ve built a real solid reputation for producing the best bulls available. I think it says a lot about our bulls and the way we do business that almost 80% of our clients return year after year.” FH
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THE DIRTY KANZA 200 Emporia / Kansas
photo by Dave Leiker
There comes a point in every rider’s journey through the Dirty Kanza when a decision has to be made.
So in 2006, 34 riders started from Emporia on the 200mile course. Expectations were low.
“Absolutely the first time you ride the Kanza you have a tipping point,” says four-time race champion Dan Hughes. “You stop thinking about winning or setting a personal record or anything like that. At some point during the day, or night, you ask yourself ‘Do I have what it takes to finish?’ You really begin to question and challenge yourself.”
“Well, we really didn’t know if anyone would be crazy enough to join us,” Cummins says with a big laugh. “I think 15 people finished that year, but almost everyone that started said they would be back. So, we decided we should do it again. At this point I think we’ve found the perfect balance of anguish and support.”
The Dirty Kanza is a 200-mile gravel road bike race that winds through the Flint Hills. Over the past 10 years the race has grown from a novel idea between two friends to an internationally recognized test of personal endurance. To some, it’s a cool bike race. To the growing number of cyclists that plan their year around racing the event, it is a metaphor for life in the great state of Kansas. “We never really set out to make the race some sort of epic event,” say Jim Cummins, event co-founder. “It was just a fun idea between a couples of friends.” Cummins and his friend (and Kanza co-founder) Joel Dyke were both active bike racers. They had an idea to start a race comparable to a 300-mile race in Iowa, but just couldn’t find the right route in Kansas. “We knew we wanted a one-day race and initially thought about a race across the state from East to West,” Cummins explains. “But we know that would be too much. Then we planned a route starting at the Oklahoma border going north to the Nebraska border. That seemed more reasonable, but the logistics of starting at one end of the state and ending at another just didn’t make sense. That’s when we had the idea to check out the Flint Hills.” Cummins had grown up in the Flint Hills of east central Kansas and had been riding gravel roads for years. One weekend he and Joel set out from Emporia on their bikes to explore the roads. “It was almost instantaneous,” Cummins says with excitement. “About an hour into the ride we both knew this was the course. We knew the Flint Hills were the perfect environment for the race we had in mind. The idea to form a loop made the logistics easy. Start and finish at the same point. We decided on a 200-mile race because we wanted it to be more challenging than a century ride, but unique from a 300-mile race. The distance is far enough that it is a major challenge, but still achievable. Our goal has always been to provide a life-enriching cycling experience. We knew the Flint Hills would help us do that.”
This year, during the event’s 10-year celebration, nearly 2000 riders lined up in downtown Emporia to start the race. An indication of just how much the race has grown: the event now features a 200-mile course, a 100-mile course and a “DK Light” 20-mile route. “It’s hard to not ride the Kanza,” explains Hughes, who owns Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop in Lawrence. “I sat out one year and worked support for some friends. About 20 minutes into the race I knew I would be back on the bike the next year.” According to both Cummins and Hughes, the draw isn’t so much the fun of the race, but the challenge. “I know it’s so rewarding to finish,” Cummins says. “To know you’ve completed something that most other people would ever consider starting is an incomparable feeling.” Hughes says that, as the race has grown to gain international attention, the perception of Kansas has changed. “Kansas, as a cycling destination, is vastly underrated,” Hughes says. “Nobody, I mean nobody, that rides the Kanza thinks this state is flat. That course can be, at times, brutal. It’s isolating and challenging. The wind and the heat can just beat you down. This year, with all the rain, it was a special kind of brutal. I know this year it devolved into a survival. It was rough.” Cummins says the emails and letters he receives after the race make the months of planning worth it. “Every year, without fail, we’ll get a few letters and emails from riders,” Cummins says. “People will write that they didn’t know what to expect from the experience, but that they have learned things about themselves that they will carry into their lives as spouses, parents, employees and citizens. People write about how they dug deeper than they ever had before. Finishing the Dirty Kanza is not an easy accomplishment, and we never intended to make it easy. Hearing that riders appreciate the challenge always makes the effort worth it.” FH
HARRY’S RESTAURANT Manhattan / Kansas
On a casual Thursday afternoon, two ladies sit in the front window of Harry’s Restaurant in Manhattan. Between sips from their martinis, they discuss their families, work and plans for the weekend. “This table, in this building, looking out these windows is the best seat in town,” explains Rachel. “I love the atmosphere here. It feels like we’re stepping back in time.” The atmosphere in Harry’s Restaraunt (418 Poyntz Ave, Manhattan) is distinct. Grand cream-colored molding along the high purple ceilings frame vintage chandeliers. Worn brass railing lines the dark-wood bar. The room is cozy and elegant. In a time when restaurant décor trends toward sleek, modern and minimalist, Harry’s is a stylish throwback to a different time. Walking into the restaurant is like stepping into The Great Gatsby. The atmosphere at Harry’s lends itself to long conversations and the staff knows not to impede. The service staff is swift and freindly. They get the order and get out of the way. “We love this building,” says Evan Grier, managing partner. “I think a very large part of our success has been getting out of the way. When we took over Harry’s we wanted, as much as anything, to honor the past of not only the restaurant, but the building as well. We have to offer food and service to justify this beautiful setting.” Harry’s serves classic American fine dining. Entrees like Filet Mignon, Jumbo Sea Scallops and Pan Roasted Chicken and Shrimp Fried Rice are clean and simple. The dishes have been mastered by Executive Chef Cadell Bynum and his motivated kitchen staff. The menu at Harry’s doesn’t often change. The beauty is in the consistency. Chef Bynum knows what works, what tastes great and what he wants to serve. While the offerings on the menu stay relatively unchanged, Cadell has begun to focus on finding local producers to provide ingredients. “Obviously we can’t do anything about flying in the seafood,” he explains. “But more and more the produce used is coming from within 50 or so miles. Keeping that money in the local economy is important. We want local farmers to know how much we appreciate what they do and a lot of times their products are just better than what we can get from outside companies.” It’s those little tweeks that keep the operation at Harry’s fresh. Bynum has worked hard to perfect his dishes and signature sauces. Creating a team that is able to execute
the same dish with the same impeccable quality service after service is what drives Bynum. “I know how to keep our kitchen successful,” Bynum says with a matter-of-fact tone. “I’ve been in that kitchen long enough to know how to make each dish great. Sure, we’ll add some twists every now and then, but for the most part, our consistency and relying on great ingredients is what keeps our patrons happy. They know the steak or seafood they order will be fresh and prepared the same way it was the last time they ordered it.” Bynum knows a few things about the kitchen at Harry’s. The St. Louis native came to Manhattan to study architecture at Kansas State and started working in the Harry’s kitchen in 1991. He fell in love with the culinary world, and the idea of managing a kitchen. “I really took to the process and the excitement,” Bynum explains. “I put my head down and focused on developing a culinary expertise.” Within two years, Bynum had worked his way to the level of executive chef. He holds the title to this day. Bynum is a strong, sturdy figure that chooses to lead with action. He knows how he wants his kitchen to run and leaves little room for discussion. “When a dish is put in front of someone in this restaurant, that has my name on it,” Bynum says. “I take that responsibility very seriously. There’s a solid history in this building and it’s my job to maintain the high standards we have set.” When Evan and his wife, Andrea, bought the restaurant in 2006, they wanted to honor the past by creating a bright future. Both are Kansas State graduates and while in school, Harry’s was their favorite restaurant. After living on the west coast, the couple came “home” and seized the opportunity to own a piece of Manhattan history. Like Bynum, Grier is serious about his work at Harry’s. He doesn’t take his responsibility to solve problems and create the best dinning atmosphere in town for granted. “There are a lot of really good dining options in town,” Grier says with a slight squint of his eyes. “I also know that we aren’t the least expensive place to eat. But I could not be more proud of this staff and the service and food we provide. That said, we strive to get better every day. We work with staff to increase service. We search for the best, most fresh ingredients. We are lucky to be successful in this industry, and we work hard to maintain the trust of our customers.” FH
WHITE OAK RANCH Lawrence / Kansas
photos by Emmalee Schaumburg
On a sunny evening in early summer, Beau stands still. The mild-mannered 30 year-old horse is in the center of White Oak Ranch’s open-air riding barn, being circled by three other horses. “Oh, come on boy,” Becky Buchanan, lead instructor at White Oak Ranch, urges with a laugh. With Buchanan’s good-natured encouragement, Beau puts one foot in front of the other and joins the other horses in their circle formation. “There’s just something about horses,” Buchanan says. “The combination of power, grace, beauty and majesty is something that really draws girls in. It certainly did with me.” White Oak Ranch, located in the rolling hills just west of Lawrence, hosts acreage of riding terrain and boarding stables for dozens of horses. The ranch buzzes with activity. Riders of all ages are cleaning stables, brushing horses or sweeping the barn. In one area, an instructor helps an older lady saddle her horse. Outside the main boarding stable a teenager sprays her horse with a hose. It was never the intention of the ranch to cater to girls, but more girls have always taken lessons than boys. Buchanan can’t really explain it, but she attributes the numbers to the unspoken lure between girls and horses of all kinds. If anyone knows about the lure between young girls and horses, it would be Buchanan. Born to “city folk” in New York City, Buchanan longed for the open skies and pastures where horses ran. When she was 13 and living in Idaho, Buchanan’s consistent pestering of her mother paid off, and she got her own horse. “It was more than a dream come true,” Buchanan says with the wide smile that is nearly omnipresent when she speaks. “Working with my horse really helped me when my parents separated. They’ve taught me to lead and demand responsibility. I understand how these girls feel about their horses because I’ve been there. I’ve experienced the joy and nerves of learning to ride and learning to care for a horse. Really, there’s nothing you can compare it to.” That passion led her to a life around horses. She received a degree in equine studies from Johnson County Community College and started giving riding lessons around Lawrence. She then found her way to White Oak Ranch,
where she’s been for nearly 20 years. “This job is a dream come true,” Buchanan says as she shifts forward in her chair. “To be able to spend my time around these beautiful animals and encourage people to appreciate horses is just great. I’m so lucky.” In the open-air riding barn, four girls sit atop prancing horses. The girls range in age from 8 to 15. As the four girls bring their horses to a slow waltz, Buchanan stands in the center, her eyes scanning the posture and foot placement of each girl. When she directs a riding lesson, it’s clear Buchanan is doing what she loves. She accentuates the positive with each rider and offers simple, clear tips for improvement. Her encouragement is instantly contagious, and the girls riding begin to echo Buchanan’s tips and compliments to each other. Each of the girls is in complete control of their horse. As the waltz grows to a gallop, the girls rise from their saddles and they focus more on their horse’s gate. “Very nice, Hazel,” Buchanan says. “Your posture is wonderful. Now pick up your gate a bit.” “I like the power of the horses,” says Hazel, exuding a quiet confidence. She works with Bear, a powerful black horse. “Bear is easy to connect with and he seems to know what I’m thinking sometimes. He’s smooth when he gallops and lets me know what he wants to do.” Hazel is typical of the girls riding at White Oak Ranch. She is confident in the saddle. She concentrates on each step Bear makes and her words of encouragement for her horse are interrupted with laughter and comments for the other riders. Though laughter and smiles are as common as horseshoes and hay, it is far from only fun and games at the ranch. Each rider, before they ever saddle a horse, must learn the ins and outs of horse care. They saddle and bridle the horses themselves. When the riding lesson is over, it is the girls’ responsibility to make sure the horse and stable are clean and comfortable. Their horse must be feed and watered. The girls’ work is evident: the stable is clean and organized. “Hey, scooping poop is part of riding,” Buchanan preaches. “We encourage the fantasy of riding, but we balance that with the reality of work related to caring for an animal. Princesses have to clean poop too.” FH