Mindy Hargesheimer (00:00:00):
Kristina Stanley, welcome to the podcast.
Kristina Stanley (00:00:02):
Hi, thank you for having me, Mindy.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:00:03):
I'm, I'm so excited to have you here. We've been talking about this for months now. We
Kristina Stanley (00:00:06):
Have.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:00:07):
I think last winter. When you were in the midst of wrapping up the market at the Matt Ross Community Center, and now we get to get into the new location that has opened up again, which is amazing. So super excited about it.
Kristina Stanley (00:00:20):
Thank you. Yeah. Our landing has been an exciting, uh, it's been an exciting few weeks.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:00:25):
Good, good. Okay. I wanna start off with a couple fun little facts about the Overland Park Farmer's Market, which I should mention too, that we've worked together for several years now. You've become a friend. This has been like one of the best collaborations. I mean, the market has become such a family experience for us too. Literally, you saw my family there last weekend.
Kristina Stanley (00:00:44):
I have gotten to know your husband and seen your daughters.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:00:46):
Yep. And then you
Kristina Stanley (00:00:47):
Shop and yeah, it is more than just a work relationship.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:00:50):
It really is. And I, one thing I wanna add too, literally Liv, our 12-year-old last week, she goes, "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna bring my kids to the farmer's market." And I was like, "Oh my gosh, that is so sweet." Right? 'Cause that's gonna stick with her - uh-huh. As an experience that she remembers and like one of her favorites. So this is gonna be really fun to dive into all the details. Okay. So the Overland Park Farmer's Market began 44 years ago.
Kristina Stanley (00:01:12):
Yep.
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Mindy Hargesheimer (00:01:13):
1982.
Kristina Stanley (00:01:14):
1982.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:01:15):
Okay, great. You guys have over 110 vendors speaking 36 different languages. Mm-hmm. I though that was such a cool fact, because it's such. We've done a lot of like features on how it's like traveling the world, traveling the globe and international, um, exploratory experience. So that's, that's a really cool fact. The new and gorgeous clock tower landing opened this year, this summer. It's amazing. Uh, the market was named the nation's favorite and the 2022 America's Farmers Market Celebration. Awesome. We'll talk about that more. And now the market is year round, right? It is. So it didn't used to be. So it is including, um, December, which is holiday. And then winter markets, which is January through March.
Kristina Stanley (00:01:54):
Yep.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:01:55):
These are really, really fun things to look forward to. So welcome on.
Kristina Stanley (00:01:58):
Thank you very much. So excited. I always tell people when I'm doing interviews, I could literally spend all day talking about the market. Yeah. Because I love what I do. I love who I get to do it with. And this is just another example of that. Yeah. So the fact that I get to talk about the people that, um, make this market so great is pretty incredible.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:02:16):
Yeah. Okay. So let's talk about you, because you have been at the helm of the market for so long as the manager, right? Um, I would just, I, you know, I would call you like CEO, I guess, probably of the, the market at this point. But talk about being from KC, and then let's talk about how you've been with, um, the city of Overland Park for almost 30 years. Is that right? Yes. So let's get into that.
Kristina Stanley (00:02:37):
So I guess it is not very common that most people are employed with the same employer pretty much their entire career.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:02:44):
Yep.
Kristina Stanley (00:02:45):
I started working for the parks and rec department with the city of Overland Park 29 years ago.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:02:51):
That is wild.
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Kristina Stanley (00:02:52):
It is. So -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:02:53):
Were you straight out of school? Just go put, just put your age out there.
Kristina Stanley (00:02:56):
It was a summer job.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:02:57):
Okay. Um,
Kristina Stanley (00:02:58):
So it was a summer job. And I think if I could give a tip to any young person, it's don't burn a bridge because you never ever - 100%. Know who is going to be in an interview room years later. Mm-hmm. So when the Mount Ross Community Center was being built, they were looking for a full-time person. It was a brand new position. I was in a different career, but still working part-time with the city. And I was ready to kind of switch. Mm-hmm.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:03:31):
And
Kristina Stanley (00:03:32):
I asked my boss at the time, the current, uh, lifeguard manager or lifeguard aquatic supervisor, good lord. Um -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:03:43):
So many things happening in there.
Kristina Stanley (00:03:44):
So many names and people involved. Yeah. You know, could, would you mind being a reference? I'm starting to look. Next thing I know, I am interviewing. I was one of the, one of two finalists interviewed. There were more than 100 applicants. Wow. But the director in the room was the director when I was a lifeguard. And he just retired a few years ago. He'd been with the city for 39 years.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:04:11):
Wow.
Kristina Stanley (00:04:12):
He remembered me. And when you have a team of 500 lifeguards - uh-huh. As the director, you either know people because they're really bad or they're really good.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:04:23):
Yeah.
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Kristina Stanley (00:04:24):
And working my way up from lifeguard to senior lifeguard, pool manager, I just got to know him.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:04:30):
Mm-hmm. Um,
Kristina Stanley (00:04:31):
And next thing I knew, I was full-time. And then the city took over the operation of the farmer's market in 2011. Okay, that's
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:04:40):
Right. So it
Kristina Stanley (00:04:40):
Was three years after I had been full-time. So this is actually my 15th year with the farmer's market.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:04:46):
That is wild. Wild, wild. And, and obviously we'll get into like the huge renovation that just happened, which you were a big, big part of. So, and it's gorgeous.
Kristina Stanley (00:04:55):
Thank you. It has been many years in the making. Yeah. It started officially for the city, uh, in 2017, but for me, conversations kind of unofficially, even a few years before that.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:05:08):
Yeah. So
Kristina Stanley (00:05:09):
Most of my 15 year tenure with the city has been preparing for what we just went through.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:05:15):
Yeah. Okay. So when you're talking to people about the Overland Park Farmer's Market, how do you explain to them the experience that they will have? I mean, I think there's probably a variety of ways, you know, depending on who you're talking to. Very
Kristina Stanley (00:05:28):
Much so.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:05:28):
But especially now with like the new build and everything, how do you basically give kind of this like highlight reel of like what to expect? Let's just say maybe somebody moved here and they haven't been before.
Kristina Stanley (00:05:40):
That's a, it seems like an easy
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Mindy Hargesheimer (00:05:42):
Question - Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:05:42):
But it is a hard question.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:05:44):
Yeah. 'Cause
Kristina Stanley (00:05:44):
The market really does have something for everybody.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:05:47):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (00:05:47):
If you are somebody that is a locovore and truly believes in supporting local and you want fresh food, organic food, and that is just part of your ethos -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:05:58):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:05:58):
We can cover that. We have that for you.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:06:01):
And by the way, locovore, I don't think I had heard of that word before.
Kristina Stanley (00:06:04):
Locavor is just someone who, um, wants to support all things local.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:06:08):
Amazing. You pay
Kristina Stanley (00:06:08):
Local, shop local. It's just, that's where you put your priorities. It's where you focus your budget. Yeah. Um, sometimes local isn't always the cheapest. Mm-hmm. But you are investing that money back into your community. Yeah. And when people really prioritize that, you are really making a difference in people's lives. Yeah. You're getting to know the person you're buying from, and you know that you're helping to pay their bills. You are helping to put clothes on their kids' backs. And that is something that is really cool to watch.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:06:41):
I try to pull that conversation through and obviously that, I wanted to talk about that here too, with as many people as possible. I think, um, you know, even to this day, I had somebody on the other day, we
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were talking about it, and I said Made in KC is a good example. They talk a lot about it. Like however much, you know, you put into a purchase at Made in KC, I don't remember, let's just call it like 90% goes back to the local economy or something like that. And I'm sure you guys have something very similar. But I think it's so good to remind people that that is such a big part of it because it's so easy for us to just hop on over to the, you know, local grocery store or, um, you know, we'll just focus on the grocery store.
(00:07:18):
You know, and if you make like just a quick 10 or 20 minute drive or whatever, and you can do like ha have the best experience while you're doing it, walking outside, going through, um, I don't, what do you even call the new -
Kristina Stanley (00:07:30):
We have the pavilion
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:07:31):
Pavilion. The
Kristina Stanley (00:07:31):
Indoor outdoor space and then the canopies.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:07:33):
Yes. Okay. So the pavilion and the canopies. I think that like people probably, many people could underestimate like, like just genuinely how charming it is and fulfilling for people. You could go there alone, go with your family, go on a date, whatever. Um, but to understand like when you talk to the vendors and you really are intentional thinking about like when you're purchasing from them, that it's going back to their family and their livelihood, that is huge. And I, I wanna keep bringing that to the forefront for people to understand that that's like a pay it forward. That is a, you're making an impact. Like for people to remind themselves of that, you know, on a Saturday morning or a Wednesday morning - uh-huh. Because we'll get into that too. Yep. Um, because I think that's such a huge, huge part of it that people just kind of, many people might forget or not fully understand.
(00:08:17):
Completely.
Kristina Stanley (00:08:17):
And right now we do live in a, in a world where it's very easy to isolate yourself. Yeah. You're on the phone, you work from home. My staff grew significantly in 2020 when COVID hit. And the most common answer for why do you wanna work here? Mm-hmm. Well, I now work remote and I don't have connections with people and I just wanna get back into my community.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:08:39):
Yeah. And
Kristina Stanley (00:08:40):
That is what the market offers. It's a community space. Mm-hmm. And whether you, like you wanna do it by yourself, with your family on a date day, there's literally something for everybody at the farmer's market. And there's so many things I could touch on
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Mindy Hargesheimer (00:08:54):
Right now
Kristina Stanley (00:08:55):
Just based on where you went. Um, but the financial piece, when you get to know that vendor, you get to know that family, you get to know their kids, not only are you helping take care of them, but the vendors are so grateful for your business that oftentimes as you get to know them, you get perks. Like they will give you a little extra. If they're ready to roll out a new product, they might have regular customers try it and they'll want feedback.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:09:26):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:09:27):
So you'll get to try things before other people. Or it's, "Oh, I have a whole bunch of extra of this. Can I give it to you?" The market is busier than it's ever been. You get to know that vendor. It's like, "Hey, can you hold some of this for me?" Yeah. Because they know you're gonna come and get it. There's a benefit to building relationships that you don't get when you go to the grocery store.That's a good point. Or any, any box store or any store where you don't have that
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:09:50):
Relationship. It's just a transaction. Yeah. It's just a
Kristina Stanley (00:09:52):
Transaction. If you stop going there, most of the time it's safe to say no one's gonna know you stop coming. But -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:10:00):
Uh-huh.
Kristina Stanley (00:10:00):
When a vendor doesn't make it to market, oh my goodness, where's that vendor? Somebody cares. They're not there. And the vendors think the same thing. Well, I've had this customer. I haven't seen them in a few weeks. Where did they go? Yeah. So there's something really special that you don't get everywhere. And I think with today's shopping habits, you can get online, order online, you can do curbside delivery, home
delivery. Market can't compete with that. Mm-hmm. But that can't compete with relationships.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:10:29):
Yeah. And I think it's that reminder of like, again, I think that we underestimate is like the interactions with people, the social aspect, even if you don't know the person is, is so fulfilling and can like ignite something in you. And we've been going for years obviously. And like one of the vendors that sticks out to me is, uh, Bazaar Spice. Mm-hmm. Right? He and his team are so amazing. And they're always giving little freebies. That's a good example of like extra perks, but like they remember you, they welcome you back. They're so conversational. I mean, it's hard not to walk away without being like, that was just like a big smile, you know?
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Kristina Stanley (00:11:04):
Completely.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:05):
Talking to everybody.
Kristina Stanley (00:11:06):
And they're just so personal and his dau - his daughter's now helping to sell
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:09):
At the booth. Oh, amazing.
Kristina Stanley (00:11:11):
And -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:12):
That's so cute. She
Kristina Stanley (00:11:13):
Is so charming. And -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:15):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:11:15):
You're not walking away telling her no. Like -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:17):
Yeah, no doubt. That is,
Kristina Stanley (00:11:18):
That is her money and she knows that.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:20):
Yeah. And
Kristina Stanley (00:11:20):
I also think it's really smart when vendors pull the kids into it.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:24):
Totally.
Kristina Stanley (00:11:24):
Because
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Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:25):
It's - I would do it too.
Kristina Stanley (00:11:25):
Teaching them and they get so excited and there's just a level of maturity that these kids bring.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:33):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:11:34):
That, yeah, you wanna support that.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:11:36):
And I mean, let's be honest, a lot of those kids are gonna grow up and be pretty successful. Mm-hmm. 'Cause they're learning a lot of entrepreneurial skills - Completely. At a very young age. Completely. Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:11:45):
And I think back to the original question of what does the market have to offer? Yeah. You even touched on it when you said, "Mom, when I go up, I wanna be someone that goes to the farmer's market." There's a nostalgia and tradition that comes with farmer's market. And if you instill that at an early age - uh-huh.
It will continue. And I think that's why our market is so big. We are in suburbia and it is very family oriented.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:12:11):
Yeah. It
Kristina Stanley (00:12:12):
Is a local grocery store for a lot of people. So those traditions are passed down. And vendors love seeing second, third, and fourth generations shop this market. So cool. Even some of my staff. Yeah. They were being pushed around in strollers or they were in their mom's bellies when they were shopping and here they are -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:12:30):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:12:30):
Working at the market.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:12:31):
Yeah. And so to that point, what's really fun is to see people walking around. It's very picturesque, obviously. I do content creation for it, but you guys make it so easy for that. People, like, when you go there, and let's just talk about last weekend being there, it was a gorgeous Saturday morning. Tons of people there. I mean, this is such a desired experience in Kansas City. And so for people not going, it's a bust, right? Gotta go check it out. Um, but like people, families are walking around with their wagons or these enormous bags, right? People are walking around with, with their bags on their shoulder and they've
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got these amazing bouquets of flowers that are popping out or their basil leaves that are like, you know, folded over. Um, and we'll get into, like, the variety of products. But, like, it's so fun to see the different types of people.
(00:13:16):
People come alone, people come with their kids, people come with their grandparents, people come what looks like a date, you know? Um, or with girlfriends and people walking around just kind of carrying their coffee and eating a crepe or whatever. Like, it is, it is one of the best things that you could do to, like, kickstart your weekend by far. Or Wednesday.
Kristina Stanley (00:13:34):
Agreed. Or Wednesday, both. There's something for everyone. And I think you just described that beautifully. Yeah. Um -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:13:39):
I love
Kristina Stanley (00:13:40):
It. Whoever you are, wherever you're coming from, whatever activity or non-activity because you wanna do it solo, we accommodate that. Yeah. And it doesn't have to be the same every week. You can go by yourself one day, then you can bring your family the next week. It can be a date day. It can be a family activity or you've got family coming into town. Yeah. And that's part of the fun is if you are purely grocery shopping, usually you wanna get in and out. Yeah. But if you've got family, you're gonna take a little bit more time. You're gonna eat the food. Um, I was attending a, um, it was a speaking event that my wife was talking at.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:14:15):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (00:14:15):
And afterwards we were talking to the high school kids and one of them was talking to one of the panelists and she was like, "Yeah, I really wanna move back home." She just moved to this area and she wanted to get back into farming. And the speaker was like, "Oh my goodness, you should really talk to her. She runs the market." And she was telling me how. So she was a junior in high school. And she was like, "I love going to the farmer's market. That is the place my friends and I go every weekend." I think that was the first time I even though about it from a high school perspective.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:14:48):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:14:49):
They're not buying groceries from their family, for their family, but they are still making it a habit -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:14:57):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:14:57):
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To go to the market, buy local, and they're finding a way to enjoy their community.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:15:03):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (00:15:03):
And even after all these years, I am still learning from different audiences -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:15:08):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:15:08):
About this market. Well,
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:15:10):
And that doesn't surprise me, right? So, like, we took. So you've got a couple different coffee vendors, for example. I don't know if there's, like, three, four, whatever there is currently. Um, there, we went to the, uh, what is it? Black Rose Coffee. Mm-hmm. We went, they've got their cute little, like, um - Camper. Camper, thank you. I'm at, like, a loss for words today. So we had the camper and my daughter had to go wait in line for that strawberry matcha that they had, because a lot of kids, teens and queens are into matcha evidently these days. Then you go to the other side of the market and there is, is it her coffee? She coffee? There's no - Her cafe. Her cafe. The line had to have been 70 or 80 people deep. Then you look over here and you've got Luca Bagel - uh-huh. Who is notorious for having also a line that is, like, 70 or 80 people deep.
(00:15:54):
And I'm like, people will wait forever to get that coffee, that experience to get the bagel or, you know, whatever bagel sandwich. I don't even know everything that they've served there, but it's really amazing to see, like, peop - what they're willing to, like, wait for, for that experience. The
Kristina Stanley (00:16:09):
Lines are linear.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:09):
One day a week.
Kristina Stanley (00:16:10):
And it's impressive to see how long people wait to support local - Yeah. To
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:15):
Get
Kristina Stanley (00:16:15):
That product. And it's really neat because a lot of these products, you can't get anywhere else during the week. You can only find them - Sure. At the market. Mm-hmm. Which is why people are waiting. Or if you can, it's a pop-up here or there.
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Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:27):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:16:27):
And I think when you see the lines, that's what makes my job incredibly difficult - Yeah. As an operator, is figuring out how do I place all of these people with long lines that don't interfere with another line that doesn't block another vendor? And that's part of the fun of what I get to do with staff is - It's like
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:44):
Tetris.
Kristina Stanley (00:16:45):
It is
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:45):
A - Trying to figure out -
Kristina Stanley (00:16:46):
Big game in
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:47):
Tetris.
Kristina Stanley (00:16:47):
Oh yeah. And in the old locations, I had years of figuring it out. I've had a few weeks to figure
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:53):
Out
Kristina Stanley (00:16:53):
Clock Tower Vandy. So it's gonna take me years to get that back.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:57):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:16:58):
But that's part of the fun.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:16:59):
Okay. So how do we kind of break down the different vendors that are currently in the market? There's over 110. Um, primarily a lot of food, a lot of things that you can eat and drink, but it's not just that, right? It's not. So can you kind of explain what, how you guys, um, curate what all the vendors are offering to make it kind of like a robust experience? But there are things that you also don't include in this market too, so.
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Kristina Stanley (00:17:23):
So first and foremost, we are a farmer's market. Mm-hmm. We are an essential food provider. So our priority will always stay on a farm vendor. Where I think some people get confused, and rightfully so, a farmer, by our definition, is not just fruits and vegetables.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:17:42):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:17:42):
It can be the flowers. It can be the honey. It's the meat products. It's the dairy products. Sometimes it's even skincare and candles.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:17:54):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (00:17:55):
If a vendor, if a farmer is harvesting, planting and cultivating that product and they are making it, that is a farm vendor. Mm-hmm. If it is, um, even the meat, like if they're raising it, taking care of it -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:18:10):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:18:11):
That is a farm product. So we keep about a 65 to 35% farm vendor ratio to food and specialty vendor. Got
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:18:20):
It.
Kristina Stanley (00:18:21):
Food vendors is all consumable foods that are locally made. Yeah. The specialty is non-consumable, um, but it is not arts and crafts. We do not go down the arts and craft, uh, path. We barely have room for the -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:18:38):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:18:39):
Farm and food vendors at this point.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:18:41):
And we ha - we have a lot of amazing art fairs that can already - We do. Encompass a lot of that too.
Kristina Stanley (00:18:46):
Being in downtown Overland Park, you know, the market is there to support downtown Overlan Park and downtown Overland Park is there to support the market. Mm-hmm. And there's a lot of local businesses that tap into -
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Mindy Hargesheimer (00:18:58):
Good point.
Kristina Stanley (00:18:59):
The arts and crafts side of things from galleries to jewelries to, I mean, you name it. Downtown OP has it. Yeah. What they don't have is the grocery aspect. Right. And that is where the market fills up. That's
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:19:11):
Very mutually respectable.
Kristina Stanley (00:19:14):
Yes.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:19:14):
Yeah. I like that.
Kristina Stanley (00:19:15):
Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:19:15):
That's good. Um, what are some of your favorites that you have grown to love over time? Like, what are your, what's a day in the life for Kristina going to the Overland Park Farmer's Market?
Kristina Stanley (00:19:25):
The amount of people that have wanted to watch me secretly shop over the years -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:19:29):
I bet. To know what
Kristina Stanley (00:19:29):
I get. Um, honestly, it's whatever's new in season.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:19:33):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:19:33):
Uh, one of my favorite questions is, is what is your favorite food? And is, it's whatever's in season. Yeah. 'Cause that is when it tastes the best. That is when it has the most nutrients. And there's just an excitement of when you don't eat it year round and you can only get it when it is in season, nothing beats that. And then when you
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:19:54):
Know that
Kristina Stanley (00:19:54):
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Season is about to slow down and stop, you're gonna get as much of it as you can before it's gone -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:20:00):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:20:00):
Until the next year.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:20:02):
So what are some examples of that? Because you guys also have, I think you have on your site still, right? The seasonality of like what fruits or vegetables in particular that you can get that you're not gonna get six months from now or whatever, right?
Kristina Stanley (00:20:12):
So starting in the spring, um, some of the really sought after items are asparagus and strawberries.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:20:20):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:20:21):
I am on an asparagus kick. I was getting bunches of asparagus every week. Um, there's just so many ways
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:20:27):
You can prepare it. And you get the first pick, right? Lucky you. At times.
Kristina Stanley (00:20:30):
Yes, I can. There are benefits. Um, but then there's days where I don't get to shop at all because
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:20:35):
I'm
Kristina Stanley (00:20:35):
So busy. True. Um, that's where I guess I count on my wife to step in and help. Like go get our groceries
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:20:41):
Please. Yep. Here's the list.
Kristina Stanley (00:20:43):
But just knowing, I guess to say when you know what's coming, sometimes vendors do tell me, "Hey, next week will be our first week with corn. And I know this is the first week
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:20:51):
We will
Kristina Stanley (00:20:51):
Page 15 of 71
Have corn." Like, "All right, we got corn and let's get that."
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:20:56):
Yeah. We
Kristina Stanley (00:20:56):
Just had watermelons for the first time this past week. Okay. Um, peaches, blackberries, blueberries are now in season.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:21:03):
Yep.
Kristina Stanley (00:21:03):
So we've got this blend of early summer and late summer starting to blend. Yeah. When you go from late summer to fall, so you're getting the seasons of both. Mm-hmm. That is when you've just got kind of cream of the crop pickings. Yeah. And everything is in abundance. But yeah, that, that transition of seasons, knowing that it is coming and then going, there, there's an excitement that comes with that. And I think anyone that has done marketing, even if it's a food product - uh-huh. We've got vendors that know, okay, I'm only gonna have this for a limited time. People get excited for it. They stock up on it.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:21:41):
Mm-hmm. It goes
Kristina Stanley (00:21:42):
Away, builds anticipation. So there's really something great about seasonality.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:21:46):
Yeah. I think one thing that's really fun to think about too is, especially when you get into the holidays. So like you'll get pumpkin season, obviously, like squash, all of that. Um, but I think it's a really fun opportunity to, like, prepare. One, you can do a dinner party year round, right? Like you can go buy wine, you could get your protein for a dinner, you could get, like, all the sides, like, um, different things. I mean, people are selling flour now, right? So you can make whatever you want with that. Um, there's obviously plenty of, like, bread vendors and all these different things. Then you get into the holidays, you could literally, like, decorate a dinner party. Like, you could, you could curate the menu. Mm-hmm. Then you could also decorate the dinner party with, like, the different flowers and different things that people are offering too.
(00:22:30):
So it's like a one-stop shop to create this really cool experience at home too.
Kristina Stanley (00:22:34):
As we've grown over the years, keeping the focus on the farm vendor is a priority, but adding in the grocery element -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:22:43):
Yeah.
Page 16 of 71
Kristina Stanley (00:22:43):
Has been a very key element to expanding the market, and I think has helped grow the market to get people to come.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:22:53):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (00:22:53):
'Cause when you can make it a one-stop shop -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:22:56):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:22:56):
Your, people are not running to multiple places. And that saves time.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:23:01):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:23:01):
And people don't have a lot of extra time. And -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:23:04):
Definitely not in the world today.
Kristina Stanley (00:23:05):
Not in the world today. So a one-stop shop experience is something that I don't think a lot of people realize - uh-huh. The farmer's market is. To your point, the t, the table scape.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:23:18):
Yep.
Kristina Stanley (00:23:18):
To everything from drinks, appetizers, entree, dessert, and anything in between. Whether you want something pre-made or you wanna make everything from scratch -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:23:30):
Uh-huh.
Kristina Stanley (00:23:31):
We can accommodate a lot of things.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:23:34):
Yeah. And there's
Page 17 of 71
Kristina Stanley (00:23:34):
A lot of people that have discovered it and don't go to the regular grocery
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:23:38):
Store.
Kristina Stanley (00:23:38):
Yeah. From flour to butter to milk.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:23:41):
Uh-huh. We
Kristina Stanley (00:23:41):
Have staples as long as it is produced or grown in this region, we try to have it.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:23:48):
Yeah. Well, and I was also thinking too, so I was there two weeks ago, and sometimes you don't know what you don't know when you get there, meaning something will catch your eye. So my niece just got engaged a couple weeks ago. And I immediately, like, at the top next to, um, so at the top of the clock
tower landing. Um, I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but they had these huge floral bouquets that are colorful in, like, a variety of flowers. And I immediately was like, "Oh my gosh, I have to get her flowers. She just got engaged a couple days ago. Took that to go." You know? I didn't go in thinking that I was gonna get that, but it was, like, a nice little surprise to then walk away and, like, gift her that, that day, which, of course, makes anybody's day to do that.
Kristina Stanley (00:24:26):
Even the gift giving side -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:24:27):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:24:28):
People don't think about. And I think as we transition into this fall, winter year round, like, the holiday market - Yeah. I'm gonna be encouraging vendors to really focus on that gift giving side more than we ever have. Yeah. Previously, we've had one December market. Now we're gonna have three. And that's
just a bigger opportunity. I just had a weekend at Anne's camp where my nieces and nephews stayed with us. And to build that habit, they each had some money that they could go buy things with.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:24:56):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:24:58):
So they ranged -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:24:58):
Page 18 of 71
Did you give them the tokens?
Kristina Stanley (00:25:00):
Mm-hmm.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:00):
Yeah. 'Cause those are really fun also for kids -
Kristina Stanley (00:25:02):
It is.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:02):
To have to pay. And it's
Kristina Stanley (00:25:03):
A way to kind of teach them how to do interactions. Yeah. And it's still money.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:06):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (00:25:08):
They ended up choosing plants.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:09):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:25:10):
And they are ranging in age from 13 to six.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:12):
Uh-huh.
Kristina Stanley (00:25:13):
Not typically what you would think kids are going to gravitate
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:16):
Towards.
Kristina Stanley (00:25:16):
Yeah. One of the vendor's sons gravitated towards one of the plant people. This son that was helping another vendor was nine. My nephew was nine. The two were having a prehistoric conversation about the plants.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:31):
Page 19 of 71
Amazing.
Kristina Stanley (00:25:32):
It was like the things that I never though I would hear people talk about.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:35):
Yeah, didn't see that one coming. Did
Kristina Stanley (00:25:36):
Not see that one coming.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:37):
Yeah. So
Kristina Stanley (00:25:38):
This nine-year-old, 79-year-old, a Venus flight trap.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:25:42):
Yeah. So it's educational in many ways, of course. Very educational. For the kids too. So, okay, so let's go back to, um, I wanted to hear, what do you know about what the farmer's market was like 40, 44 years ago? To where, like, obviously we'll get to, we're talking about what it's like today. What do you know of what it was like back then? How different was it back in the 80s?
Kristina Stanley (00:26:04):
So back in the 80s - Do
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:26:05):
You have some fun vintage photos around of that too?
Kristina Stanley (00:26:07):
There was a few.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:26:08):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:26:09):
There, it was a time where people took photos of their job. Yeah. Like, it wasn't this social media era - Right. Where you took photos of everything you did. So gathering photos from the 80s has been rather difficult.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:26:22):
More difficult than you though.
Kristina Stanley (00:26:24):
Page 20 of 71
Um, and a lot of the vendors, we have a couple that are still vendors from then. That is wild. Yeah. Who are some of
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:26:32):
Them?
Kristina Stanley (00:26:32):
Initials Family Farms is the longest standing vendor - Okay. At 43 years.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:26:38):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:26:38):
And then Thane Palmberg Farms is at 42. Wow. So two farmers that have been through a lot of transition, but back in the 80s, the idea started when the downtown Overland Park businesses, it was just a bunch of mom and pop shops. Mm-hmm. So like, how do we get more people? How do we bring more traffic to downtown Overland Park? Mm-hmm. And it was, "Well, let's have a farmer's market." So on June 6th, 1982, I'm sorry, June 5th, 1982, they had their first market where vendors could sell out of the back of their pickups for $5 a day.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:27:12):
Oh
Kristina Stanley (00:27:12):
My gosh. So the concept of these downtown businesses really started something that here 44 years ago - Yeah. It's bigger and better than I think they ever would have imagined. Right. So it was just a bunch of farmers selling out of the back of their truck. And then in, I guess the late '80s, the conversation started to shift. And the city was like, "Well, how do we invest in this?" Hmm. And that is when the old pavilion and the clock tower and the pergola that is no longer there -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:27:46):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:27:47):
Started to be discussed. And that was built in 1991.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:27:50):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:27:51):
So at that point, we at least had a covered area - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:27:55):
That
Kristina Stanley (00:27:56):
Page 21 of 71
Served us well for many years. Um -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:27:58):
Well, you're, because you're from here. We haven't even talked about that.
Kristina Stanley (00:28:00):
Yes.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:28:01):
Right? Yeah. Did you ever grow up going there? Or know anyone who did?
Kristina Stanley (00:28:04):
I didn't.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:28:05):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:28:05):
Um, I have lived in an Overland Park almost my entire life. Yeah. Um, but that is not a tradition that - I was just curious. My family knew about. Yep. It was, they grew up, my parents grew up very, very poor. Well,
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:28:20):
You'd have to read about it in the newspaper, right? Yeah. Like word traveled a lot slower. So - It just
Kristina Stanley (00:28:24):
Traveled a lot slower.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:28:25):
Sure traffic was pretty thin.
Kristina Stanley (00:28:27):
And it was only a few miles from where I grew up.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:28:30):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:28:31):
But it was this idea that can of vegetables is what you're gonna get. So that's what I grew up. Yep. And so this has been a fascinating experience for me - uh-huh. To go from, here's a can of corn to here is some sweet corn that was picked 12 hours ago.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:28:48):
You and I probably grow, both grew up in the like Campbells and like green giant sort of era. <laugh>
Page 22 of 71
Kristina Stanley (00:28:55):
Uh-huh, completely.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:28:56):
Yeah. So.
Kristina Stanley (00:28:57):
It was an effective way to feed a family on a
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:01):
Tight
Kristina Stanley (00:29:02):
Budget. Yeah. My dad was gone traveling Monday through Friday, so mom was feeding two girls and - Doing
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:09):
The best she could. With
Kristina Stanley (00:29:10):
Convenience.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:10):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:29:10):
Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:11):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:29:11):
So to now watch so many families prioritize that -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:17):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:29:17):
And teach them what real food is -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:20):
Uh-huh. Is
Kristina Stanley (00:29:21):
Page 23 of 71
Amazing.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:21):
Yeah. How long ago did you guys start envisioning what the renovation or the new pavilion and canopies were gonna look like? Like, how long ago did that start?
Kristina Stanley (00:29:31):
Officially, the city launched the first study in 2017 that completed in 2018.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:39):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:29:39):
So almost a decade ago. Wow. There has been a lot of -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:43):
I wouldn't have guessed that it was that long ago. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:29:45):
I have -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:45):
'Cause then you built it so quickly, right? Or at least it feels like it was built.
Kristina Stanley (00:29:49):
Construction was about 18 months.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:29:50):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:29:51):
So construction went very quickly in terms of construction and - uh-huh. I will give credit where credit is due. We stayed within budget and we complete. It on time. That
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:30:01):
Seems like impossible to do, right? To stay within budget, so -
Kristina Stanley (00:30:04):
Shows that it can
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:30:05):
Be done. Props
Kristina Stanley (00:30:06):
Page 24 of 71
To you and your team. It, it was a huge force. A lot of people well above, well above me. The kind of special note that I don't even think we've talked about. So the ribbon cutting took place on June 5th - uh-huh. 2026. Yeah. So 44 years to the date we got to celebrate the first market to this new era - Oh my gosh. Of farmers market. That's amazing. So that really came full circle and it was not planned -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:30:32):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:30:32):
When all of this started. That just ended up being coincidental.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:30:36):
Were the vendors that were there originally, like did people come that were there 43, 44 years ago? Or do you know? That would've been kind of fun to celebrate.
Kristina Stanley (00:30:45):
I did not see any. So I -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:30:46):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:30:46):
Invited all past staff and vendors that I still had contact
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:30:51):
Information
Kristina Stanley (00:30:51):
For and said it would be great if you could come out and celebrate this milestone. I did not expect that many current vendors to make it. Really? One,
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:30:58):
Because
Kristina Stanley (00:30:59):
Of how far they are and we had market the next morning.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:31:02):
Yeah. So
Kristina Stanley (00:31:03):
The preparing and turnaround is there to be a difficult ask. Oh, I was wrong. There was a fantastic turnout of vendors. Oh, how exciting. Because they were so excited. They're so invested. We've been talking about this for so long. And to know that the city has invested in them - Yeah.
Page 25 of 71
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:31:21):
And
Kristina Stanley (00:31:21):
Their businesses is part of the reason why this market has been so successful. Mm-hmm. And they wanted to show up to say thank you for that and to celebrate it.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:31:29):
Yeah. Oh my gosh, I love that so much. Um, okay. So to that point, let's talk about the schedule that all of you or the vendors work with on a Saturday. So going back to like supporting these people and like what it means to them, their hours are kind of wild, right? The p - by the time they have to like wake up and get to the farmer's market and set up, like what does that typically look like for them? What do we not see? Basically by the time we get there and at 10 o'clock we're just like, do, do, do, shopping. Meanwhile, they're like, you know, they've been up since 1:00 or whatever.
Kristina Stanley (00:31:59):
By, by the time the sun rises and people are showing up, um, many of us are hours - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:32:05):
Into
Kristina Stanley (00:32:06):
The day. There are vendors that wake up, uh, many vendors that wake up between 1:30 and 2:30 AM to start getting ready, prepare the cars, drive. I mean, if you think about where Everla Park is, it's not a rural farming ag community. So
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:32:21):
It is, so we sh- should we say it's regional vendors as well? Like they're local and regional? Or like how far would the farthest vendor, I guess, be that's coming in?
Kristina Stanley (00:32:29):
The majority stay within a 250 mile radius.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:32:32):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:32:33):
Which is about two hours - Okay.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:32:34):
Every
Kristina Stanley (00:32:35):
Page 26 of 71
Direction. We've got a vendor from Manhattan, Kansas, McCune, Kansas, going east into Missouri. We've got one that's outside of Columbia about three hours. Yeah. Okay. And north we're, we're about two hours north. Yeah. Um - But that's
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:32:48):
Like a little road trip for them.
Kristina Stanley (00:32:50):
It's a, I mean, it's a four hour drive one
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:32:52):
Way
Kristina Stanley (00:32:52):
On top of a long workday and not even the preparation of loading the vehicles, unloading the vehicles at the end of the day. Hopefully they're not unloading much because they've sold a lot.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:33:01):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:33:01):
But it makes for a very long day. So their day starts early. I will get there about 4:45, five o'clock on a Saturday.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:33:10):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (00:33:11):
And there's probably a good half a dozen vendors already there setting up, um, trying to make sure they're ready to go for those first customers that walk in. Yes.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:33:22):
They're like in bed by 6:30, 7:00. Uh, one would
Kristina Stanley (00:33:25):
Think, but they're, on a farming world, they're, there's so much to do. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:33:29):
And
Kristina Stanley (00:33:29):
Animals to tend to that - uh-huh.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:33:31):
It's
Page 27 of 71
Kristina Stanley (00:33:32):
Just part of the rhythm and what they sign up for.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:33:34):
Yeah. Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:33:35):
They, they work incredibly hard and market days, yes, they're exhausting, but it's also rewarding - Yeah. Because that is when they get to feed the community. That is when they get to engage with the customers. When you think about a market vendor and just a small business owner in general, they're not only making whatever they're doing. So if they're a farmer, they're a farmer. Mm-hmm. But they are also a marketer and selling the product. They have to be an accountant. They have to be a plumber. They are a cook. They wear so many hats that their job is never done. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:34:10):
And
Kristina Stanley (00:34:10):
The hardest thing for anyone that understands small business owners is it's hard to turn it off because it is just around you twenty four seven.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:34:17):
Yeah. Yeah, right. And so like they're leaving, a lot of them are truly leaving and going back to the farm. Yes. And getting right back to the grind. Yep. And doing everything that they need to do to prepare for, you know, the next week and probably elsewhere where they're selling online or doing different things. Mm-hmm. So, um, you mentioned animals. So one thing to note, not dog friendly. Want to be clear of that. Only service
Kristina Stanley (00:34:40):
Animals are allowed -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:34:40):
Only service animals. Or the city ordinance. Just for people to know. Yeah. Um, but I love the fact that there's several different vendors that offer all kinds of proteins. So like what are, what's like the variety? So you, like you have the one, the white sort of like, um, truck, whatever that you can walk through. Mm hmm. And you've got the refrigerators that are full of different kinds of like, um, poultry and beef and things like that. And by the way, even though you're not dog friendly, you can get treats for the dog. So we always go and bring a treat back for the dog because they've got a couple different options I know at that vendor in, in particular. But I wanted to talk about the protein side because like when it comes to health and wellness right now, people are really focused on like clean eating and protein.
(00:35:20):
And so I think that's a really fun opportunity to kind of highlight what these different vendors are offering when it comes to protein.
Kristina Stanley (00:35:26):
Page 28 of 71
So when you think about a farmer's market, you're thinking fruits and vegetables. Mm-hmm. And sometimes the refrigerated items, frozen items get over a lot to, you're going to grab that coffee or those flowers.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:35:38):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:35:38):
But being prepared for the refrigerated frozen items that you can then take home that are truly the grocery items.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:35:44):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (00:35:45):
So when you talk about meat, there's grain finished and grass finished. Okay. And
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:35:50):
Beef
Kristina Stanley (00:35:50):
Options.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:35:51):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:35:51):
And we offer both, um, for people that really understand the difference. If you know the difference, you know which one you want because you are in one lane or the other. Okay. And - Can you
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:36:02):
Talk a little bit about
Kristina Stanley (00:36:03):
The difference? So grass finished is, um, if they are grass fed grass finished, it's usually less, about six weeks before they're processed. Okay. They are staying on grass or the last six weeks they're gonna be fed some grain to fatten them up. Okay. And that's where the marbling, um, really comes into. Mm-hmm. So there are pros and cons, and there are people that definitely want grass fed, grass finished only, and then there are some that want the grain finished. Okay. And part of my job is to make this a one-stop shop with options. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:36:36):
So
Kristina Stanley (00:36:37):
Page 29 of 71
When you go to the grocery store, you are getting all, you're getting the beef, you're getting the poultry, you're getting the pork, the lamb. Mm-hmm. They go all of that. And so for me to have vendors that can offer all of these protein options, it keeps it as a one-stop shop. Mm-hmm. And with whether it's the wellness trends or clean eating, this is as fresh as you're gonna get it. I was just
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:01):
Gonna say that's a huge point for people who wanna find something that's like, what, truly organic or, um, that you can trust, like where it's coming from. Where
Kristina Stanley (00:37:09):
It's coming from.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:10):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:37:10):
Um - You
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:12):
Can literally talk to the farmer. And ask
Kristina Stanley (00:37:14):
About
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:14):
About the backgrounds. And the basis of it.
Kristina Stanley (00:37:17):
And we've gone out over the years, the amount of farm inspections and - Oh yeah. Business that I have made to personally see it. You know, even going, we have one vendor that's not just a meat farmer, but they're also a processor and they have a processing plant to go out and watch them process that. You mentally prepare for that. I'm
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:35):
Sure you do.
Kristina Stanley (00:37:36):
That a -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:37):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:37:37):
But to see it and understand it and respect what they do - Yeah.
Page 30 of 71
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:40):
It
Kristina Stanley (00:37:41):
Just, it's part of the education component that comes with - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:43):
Their
Kristina Stanley (00:37:44):
Role.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:45):
And you probably never envisioned the fact that you would be doing, like, you would get this deep into, like, agriculture, right?
Kristina Stanley (00:37:50):
Never.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:37:51):
You, you know so much more than you probably ever though you would know.
Kristina Stanley (00:37:54):
On the agriculture side and even just the logistics side of how to get everyone to fit in a space.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:38:00):
Yeah. And,
Kristina Stanley (00:38:01):
You know, do you have an F-150 or is it a Toyota Tundra? Do you have a one foot or two foot extender? Are you hauling an 18 foot or a 20 foot trailer? And - Yep.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:38:11):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:38:11):
The d- depth and dimensions of vehicle sizes - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:38:14):
Is
Kristina Stanley (00:38:15):
Not something that I saw in my future. Um, here we are.
Page 31 of 71
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:38:19):
You're like, that truck could not fit in that garage because I know how wide it is. Mm-hmm. Like you'll have all kinds of random knowledge.
Kristina Stanley (00:38:25):
They're random facts, but I think any, that's part of the fun, but it's also, I think with any job, the things that you just never expect, you need to know. Yeah. But with the wellness side, the meat, the dairy, A2 proteins are huge. We have a, we have two dairy creameries - uh-huh. That offer a wide variety of dairy products. One is A2, one is not. And we get -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:38:49):
What is A2?
Kristina Stanley (00:38:50):
A higher protein. Okay. Um, people that have intolerances. Um, I don't wanna say that one incorrectly. That's
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:39:00):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:39:01):
Um -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:39:03):
Intolerances to protein or lactose? To, to lactose. Okay.
Kristina Stanley (00:39:06):
Yeah. So that part would be one that is, um, I, I don't wanna give incorrect facts on that one.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:39:13):
Yeah,
Kristina Stanley (00:39:14):
Yeah. But typically when people cannot tolerate the lactose and dairy, their process removes it. So it is easy or to digest. Yeah. And people's stomach can tend to handle it a little bit better. Well, that's good
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:39:28):
To know. I didn't even know about that as an option. Okay. Perfect. Okay. So let's talk about the fact that you guys are an award-winning farmer's market. How did that come to be? What do you guys do to kind of keep up that brand, that experience, that reputation, you know?
Kristina Stanley (00:39:44):
It's kind of funny because at this point that seems so long ago -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:39:47):
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Does it.
Kristina Stanley (00:39:48):
That for me, it's kind of hard to even celebrate that anymore. Sure.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:39:54):
Because we are
Kristina Stanley (00:39:55):
In such a different market -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:39:56):
Yeah. Than
Kristina Stanley (00:39:57):
We were back in 2022. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:40:00):
We
Kristina Stanley (00:40:00):
Have gone through so many transitions and moves since COVID. Yeah. So when COVID hit, we relocated. We did three different formats in one year. It was - Really? We did a drive-through. Then we did a social distance - Oh my gosh.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:40:17):
Walking market
Kristina Stanley (00:40:17):
Out at the convention center. And then we moved to Met Ross.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:40:21):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:40:21):
Then in 21, we stayed at Met Ross with a slightly bigger footprint. In 2022, when we won the award, it was time to move back to our home in the
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:40:30):
Original
Kristina Stanley (00:40:31):
Location. Because we were in a new footprint, we had a whole new concept for how it was laid out. We were no longer all under the pavilion. You weren't being kind of herded through. The community showed
Page 33 of 71
up and they were really excited about it. So when this award came out, it was based on the community voting. So we won it because the community voted for us. Yeah. And that is how we
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:41:00):
Ended up with it. I think you can still absolutely hold onto that, you know. I'm like, if you win an Oscar, you won an Oscar. And you will continue to have that award and promote it, right? Is that something that, like, moving forward you guys would wanna look at? Is it, is it a thing to continue to, like, put yourself in the running to be an award-winning farmer's market? Or was that kind of like a unique year or experience to have that?
Kristina Stanley (00:41:22):
I - Because
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:41:23):
Clearly if you guys did something with a new setup, like, you would be well recognized for it.
Kristina Stanley (00:41:28):
Over the years, regionally, nationally, we have, we've won our fair share of awards.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:41:34):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:41:35):
I don't do anything to seek out awards.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:41:38):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:41:39):
It, I just wanna operate a safe, clean - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:41:43):
Fun
Kristina Stanley (00:41:44):
And successful farmer's market where - It can speak
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:41:47):
For itself. Traditions
Kristina Stanley (00:41:48):
Can build. And if we get another award, that's fantastic.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:41:53):
Yeah.
Page 34 of 71
Kristina Stanley (00:41:55):
I think why the community is also so excited about this market is we have award-winning vendors and - uh-huh. The quality and the product they bring and the awards they win help add to our success. That's a good point. And we are, we're not a market without a vendors - Yeah. Without shoppers and without staff and vice versa. Mm-hmm. The vendors want the market to be successful. We do a lot to invest in them. So when everyone is pouring their heart and soul into what they do to make that the best that they can -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:42:29):
Yeah. I
Kristina Stanley (00:42:30):
Think the ripple effect is then - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:42:33):
The
Kristina Stanley (00:42:34):
Awards come. And
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:42:35):
So one that comes to mind is like Yoli. Mm-hmm. They were a James Beard award nominee. Winner.
Kristina Stanley (00:42:40):
Winner.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:42:41):
Winner. They were a winner.
Kristina Stanley (00:42:42):
Yep.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:42:43):
I mean, that's incredible.
Kristina Stanley (00:42:44):
It's impressive. Yeah. And
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:42:46):
To
Kristina Stanley (00:42:46):
Know they really launched their business - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:42:48):
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At
Kristina Stanley (00:42:49):
The market. I mean, the two owners were working the booth, flipping tortillas on a grill because no one had ever heard of that type of tortilla. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:43:00):
And
Kristina Stanley (00:43:00):
To see how big they've grown. Um - And
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:43:03):
You're a part of their story. And
Kristina Stanley (00:43:04):
That's where it's
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:43:05):
So cool.
Kristina Stanley (00:43:06):
There's so many vendors where the market is a part of their story and their growth. And the market has really been a platform for small business owners to live that American dream. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:43:18):
It
Kristina Stanley (00:43:19):
Is an opportunity for them to grow bigger and better than they even imagined. Yeah. And that's why I really do what I can as an operator to help them succeed - uh-huh. Which then also benefits the community - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:43:33):
Because
Kristina Stanley (00:43:33):
Then they have a place to come out that they wanna be and products that they wanna take home to their families.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:43:38):
Yeah. I mean, you should genuinely, you and your team have so much pride for a lot of stories like that. Like I think of, um, Slow Rise is another good example. So I think what they started in Lawrence at their farmer's market. They came to Overland Park. The lines were around the corner. Arou - probably around,
Page 36 of 71
I don't know, miles away. That's what it seems like. So many people showed up. Now they had their brick and mortar. Mm-hmm. In Overland Park, mind you.
Kristina Stanley (00:44:00):
A lot of businesses - That's
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:44:01):
Huge.
Kristina Stanley (00:44:02):
That started at the market have ended up with brick and mortars. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:44:07):
And
Kristina Stanley (00:44:07):
Some that, it's been years since they've been at the market that people might not even remember. Mm hmm. And now it's kind of funny because even some of the owners that are in brick and mortars see where we're at with the market and they're like, "How can I come back to the market?"
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:44:20):
Oh, really? So
Kristina Stanley (00:44:21):
They're now kind of thinking, what is a way, how, what's an opportunity? How can I do something different? Have a
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:44:26):
Presence there again. Yeah. So
Kristina Stanley (00:44:27):
To watch it come full circle has been pretty cool. What
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:44:29):
Are some other ones? Like I'm thinking Taco Naco, is that one? Taco
Kristina Stanley (00:44:32):
Naco. Um, they're actually a really cool story because they applied in 2020 - uh-huh. Before COVID hit. Mm. They had this whole concept of what they envisioned. Pandemic hit. That concept went out the window. Yeah. I loved what they were offering. So it's, okay, what if we try this? What if we try that? So we went back and forth and they just have great food and they're great people. They really do. And that in itself - Yeah. Like when you believe in that, people are gonna believe in you. And so they went from starting in a drive through format to now they have three brick and mortars - Yeah. In
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:45:12):
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Kansas
Kristina Stanley (00:45:12):
City. They were just down - I don't
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:45:14):
Think I knew they had a third. They have Overland Park, Westport.
Kristina Stanley (00:45:16):
And, um, uh, the other one is. Oh dear Lord. But either
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:45:22):
Way, they open a third one. I mean, that's the big thing. Yes,
Kristina Stanley (00:45:24):
They have a third one. Okay.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:45:25):
Good for them.
Kristina Stanley (00:45:27):
Even they do a ton of pop-ups. They do a lot of events. Like they were just down at Fan Fest. Um - Oh yeah,
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:45:32):
Perfect. Yeah, I saw them there.
Kristina Stanley (00:45:34):
Yeah. They, they just integrate themselves into the community. The wiener kitchen certainly
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:45:39):
Has
Kristina Stanley (00:45:40):
The wiener wagon at the market. Huge following. Um, vendors that might not have a brick and mortar but are now in grocery stores all over, not just this area, but across the country. Fox
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:45:55):
And Bowl is one of my favorites. I don't know which came first. If they had their brick and mortar. They have their brick and
Kristina Stanley (00:45:59):
Mortar first.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:00):
Page 38 of 71
And then they came. But I'm obsessed with their olive sourdough. I can't get enough of it.
Kristina Stanley (00:46:04):
So they're an interesting one. So rewinding a few years ago, most applicants that I was seeing, we were the first place they were applying.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:14):
Like
Kristina Stanley (00:46:14):
This is where they wanted to launch their business.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:17):
And can I say, mind you, there's something like 17 farmer's markets in the metro. Is that right? I
Kristina Stanley (00:46:22):
Honestly don't even count anymore.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:23):
I think I just read that other day. I was like, okay, I would have thought there were like five or six. I didn't know there were that many like in the surrounding perimeter. There's a
Kristina Stanley (00:46:31):
Lot.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:32):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:46:32):
Um, there's a whole nother thing on that we can go down, um, a little bit later in terms of food stamps and how - Yes.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:39):
The
Kristina Stanley (00:46:40):
Food, um, assistance program, we're all working together. Okay.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:44):
Um,
Kristina Stanley (00:46:44):
So we have a list of all of the markets and it might even be a little more than that. Yeah. But Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:49):
Page 39 of 71
There's
Kristina Stanley (00:46:49):
A ton in the area. Um - Which is
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:46:52):
Great. Which is
Kristina Stanley (00:46:52):
Great. Yeah. And that way there's something for everyone. Every market has its own vibe, has its own community. Mm-hmm. If it's in your neighborhood, maybe you don't want to leave your neighborhood. Maybe you don't like this vibe. Yeah. And that's one of the great things about having options. Yeah. Well, some
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:47:06):
People might just want to walk to the market. We can't walk to the Overland Park Farmer's Market, but we will gladly drive every Saturday.
Kristina Stanley (00:47:11):
And that's, that's the beauty of having options for people. Yeah. And maybe it's not all the time, but it's an occasional thing.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:47:18):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:47:19):
Well, with Fox and Bowl, the year that they applied, there were numerous vendors that were applying that were coming from other farmer's markets. Mm.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:47:29):
And
Kristina Stanley (00:47:29):
That was a trend I really hadn't seen before. So I had a conversation with the owners and then a couple other applicants that year. And I was like, why Overland Park now? Why not sooner? Why, like, why didn't you
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:47:44):
Start
Kristina Stanley (00:47:44):
Here? Yeah. And all of them said, we knew we didn't have the equipment to make enough product to sustain a full day. Oh.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:47:56):
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I
Kristina Stanley (00:47:56):
Was like, oh, that's interesting. Mm-hmm. So they needed to scale up - uh-huh.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:48:00):
Before
Kristina Stanley (00:48:01):
They could come. Because the market has gotten so big, the demand and the amount of products vendors have to be able to produce to get through a majority of the market day. It's, it's another level. I was
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:48:14):
Gonna say, I hadn't even though about that fact. Like, I guess you just get to the point where you kind of learn how much to prepare, like, as you, you've had more experience there with the amount of traffic and, I don't know, seasonality and stuff. And it's
Kristina Stanley (00:48:26):
A balance because we, as a, an essential food provider mindset and not a pop-up mindset - Yeah. Vendors (00:48:32):
Don't get to leave early. Yeah. So everyone stays until one o'clock - uh-huh. Or noon if it's later in the season when we close. So if you're there till one o'clock, you wanna have enough product. And this concept of constantly selling out early, it's not a fit for how we operate. Yeah. So being able to produce enough to serve someone that's, whether they're coming at 8:00 AM - uh-huh. Or 11:00 AM, we want them to be able to have that offering. Are there gonna be some things seasonal- seasonally that sell out? Sure. Absolutely. But in general, to keep enough produce, to keep enough flowers, to keep enough f flour, milk, dairy -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:49:12):
Sourdough bread. Sourdough
Kristina Stanley (00:49:14):
Bread.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:49:14):
I mean, that's a lot of loaves of bread. It's a lot
Kristina Stanley (00:49:16):
Of loaves.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:49:16):
To put the work into. Yeah. And
Kristina Stanley (00:49:18):
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So they have a lot that they have to do to harvest or make all of that. Mm-hmm. But as we scale up, they have to be able to get it to market. Yeah. And so that's where even the coordination that I have is their vehicles are getting bigger. You know, they're not pulling in with -
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:49:33):
Oh my gosh, yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:49:34):
Tiny sedans. Yeah. I
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:49:36):
Mean, these
Kristina Stanley (00:49:36):
Are sprinter vans with extenders and big trailers. Mm-hmm.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:49:40):
Which you just see right behind them. Mm-hmm. Yep.
Kristina Stanley (00:49:42):
For some. Yep. Um, so navigating this growth - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:49:47):
Has been
Kristina Stanley (00:49:47):
Something we've all kind of learned together.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:49:49):
Well, and I'm sure with, like, the new aspect of it, like, for example, last Saturday, we went and got pasta. Um, and the dry pasta. And I think there were, like, four left. That guy has been there for years. Mm hmm. I don't know how long he's been there, but I'm sure the demand, like, last Saturday where it was just really busy, he's probably like, "Oh my gosh, I'm always prepared," right? And it was probably towards the end of the market. And we got what we wanted, but I was like, "Good for you. Like, this is incredible."
Kristina Stanley (00:50:18):
So - He's like,
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:50:19):
"Bad for me because I need more." But you know what I mean? Like - It's,
Kristina Stanley (00:50:22):
It's hard. Yeah. Because in some cases you don't want to make enough to where you waste it - Yes. And you lose money where you're bringing it, it just sits there. So finding that balance, and this year it's been
Page 42 of 71
really difficult because the growth that we have seen since returning to Clock Tower Landing - Yeah. Has been, it's been another unprecedented year. Mm-hmm. Food vendors, for the most part, can upscale a little bit more. If they already have that commercial equi- equipment - uh-huh.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:50:49):
For
Kristina Stanley (00:50:50):
Them to up production, if they have the staff, m- most of them have been able to accommodate that. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:50:55):
But
Kristina Stanley (00:50:56):
In terms of the produce, in terms of flowers and even meat or dairy, sometimes it is weeks, months, or even years - Yeah. To be able to scale up. And that is part of my job is to keep a pulse on - Sure. What's happening out on the farms and are people upscaling? Are they downscaling? Are they adding more product? 'Cause the last thing I want is to see a void of key products in the market.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:51:23):
Yeah. And also going back to keeping in mind that you are supporting these people and their families and their business and everything. Like, I'm even thinking of the flowers, right? How much time and effort goes into what they have to prepare? And if they didn't sell all of those flowers, what are they doing with them at the end of the day? I don't really know. Um, but we are there to be able to supply them with our, you know, consumerism by supporting local, which I think is, is huge because we, we take that for granted, right? You go into a Hy-Vee or a different grocery store and it's like different margin, you know? Mm-hmm. Um, and if the flowers don't make it, well, they're not, quite frankly, I mean, no offense to Hy Vee, but they're not always as gorgeous as what is put together at the market, right?
(00:52:03):
And so I think it's just that reminder of, like, go there and know how much you're helping them. And talking
Kristina Stanley (00:52:08):
About ways to - Buy their goods. At the end of the day, most people don't realize, so when, when the end of the day comes, one o'clock, noon, later in the season, we do have a food pantry that - Oh, okay. Comes through, um, usually within the last hour. Yeah. So vendors that have excess product - uh-huh. They can
donate whatever it is. Awesome. They wanna donate. Anyone that's been associated with food pantry knows that some of the biggest things they lack is produce. Yes. So we do have vendors that give a ton of produce. It, they do get a receipt, so it's all very, very legit. Sure. But knowing that that food is going to somebody else in this community is also a win-win. Yeah. Now there are some farmers that will take the produce home and they'll feed it to the animals or maybe they do have a market the next day.
(00:53:02):
But they're such good stewards - uh-huh. Of the land and resources - Yeah. That they are very intentional about what they're doing with leftover products and/or byproducts.
Page 43 of 71
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:53:15):
Yeah. I love that. Um, okay. So let's talk about payment options and how you support everybody in the different ways that they can purchase goods at the farmer's market. So the EBT program?
Kristina Stanley (00:53:28):
So we do have, um, we do offer EBT, electronic benefit transfers, formally known as food stamps. Mm hmm. And food equality is important. Overland Park Farmer's Market has sort of been deemed a bougie market. Yeah. A higher end market. Yes, there is a place for that. Mm-hmm. But I think people also forget that we do want food equality and food access for everyone. Mm-hmm. So being a part of a larger program, um, the Double Up Food Bucks Program within the Heartland region, we have the token program, which if somebody is on food assistance, they can bring their EBT card up to the info booth, we'll swipe it. And then we offer a, up to a $25 match per day, per market day. Okay. Awesome. So essentially someone could have $50 to go buy groceries. They come back, uh, they came on a Saturday, they come back on a Wednesday, and they're getting another $25 match.
(00:54:31):
So they're essentially getting $50 to spend on groceries. That's huge.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:54:35):
Have you guys always done that?
Kristina Stanley (00:54:37):
Yes. Since the city took over the operations, we have had, um, EBT and the match - Okay.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:54:43):
Since
Kristina Stanley (00:54:43):
2011.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:54:45):
Is that unique to your market or is that something that's common across the Metro?
Kristina Stanley (00:54:49):
Years ago, it was more difficult for a lot of markets to do it. Okay. It
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:54:54):
Requires
Kristina Stanley (00:54:55):
Staffing and equipment and - uh-huh. Just some resources that weren't available. Yeah. So we're winding 15 years. There were not a ton. At this point, almost every market offers that. Okay. And a huge part of that is because of Mark and Cultivate KC and a bunch of great opportunities where people have come together to really advocate for food equality. Okay. And bringing everyone together so every market has the same option. Love
Page 44 of 71
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:55:24):
It. 'Cause
Kristina Stanley (00:55:25):
A lot of times if you're on food assistance - uh-huh. Your access to how to get to a market is also difficult. True. So the more markets that can offer that - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:55:36):
The
Kristina Stanley (00:55:36):
More opportunity there is for people to have access to this match program.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:55:41):
Just out of curiosity, um, are you familiar with Canby's? Yes.
Kristina Stanley (00:55:45):
Do you guys
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:55:45):
Work with them or do vendors work with them or is that just by choice? If a vendor is like, "You know what? We have leftover produce. We wanna donate it." It's
Kristina Stanley (00:55:52):
By choice. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:55:53):
Okay. I just happen to be familiar with them from like doing stuff with them through content creation, so. No.
Kristina Stanley (00:55:58):
The, the agricultural food community in Kansas City is not that big. So - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:56:02):
There
Kristina Stanley (00:56:03):
Is a lot of overlapping of kind of knowing who everyone is and it's just w- what's the easiest or who do I wanna support? But yeah,
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:56:14):
There's
Kristina Stanley (00:56:15):
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Definitely support there.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:56:16):
Okay. Um, let's talk about winter. Now that you guys are gonna be year round, what's kind of the plan for getting into December and winter months?
Kristina Stanley (00:56:25):
So previously we have had one market in December. Mm-hmm. We will now have three. And then a lot of people don't know this, but we had an unofficial market for many, many years where vendors would just unofficially set up where the market had been. And it could range from a few vendors to 15 vendors - Uh-huh. In the winter months. But now it finally gets to be official. Okay. So it is city supported. There will be city staff. The EBT program will be an option. So we are year round. Um - So
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:56:59):
It'll just continue through every Saturday? All
Kristina Stanley (00:57:01):
But four. Okay.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:02):
So in
Kristina Stanley (00:57:02):
Order to have a successful market, you have to have vendors. Yep.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:05):
And
Kristina Stanley (00:57:06):
I have learned - That helps
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:07):
Me.
Kristina Stanley (00:57:07):
Over the years that Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas weekend, New Year's weekend vendors - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:14):
Do
Kristina Stanley (00:57:14):
Not wanna be there. They are very family oriented and they also deserve a break. Of
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:21):
Course, yeah. And they
Page 46 of 71
Kristina Stanley (00:57:22):
Wanna be with their family if we can build in some built-in breaks for them and say, "If we don't have a market, take a breather." Yep.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:29):
That's
Kristina Stanley (00:57:30):
Also a win. Um, then the other weekend will be the first weekend in April that we are not open. Okay.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:37):
So we're
Kristina Stanley (00:57:37):
Gonna pause at the end of March. Kinda gear
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:39):
Up for - Gear up.
Kristina Stanley (00:57:40):
Let the vendors take a beat, prepare for the primary market season. Yeah. This year, I had planned that break. Mm-hmm.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:57:51):
We
Kristina Stanley (00:57:51):
Were gonna take that first April off. And then I was watching vendors' habits that Saturday before we opened. The amount that did not come to that unofficial market. I was like, "It's like I know you guys are
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:58:02):
Something." Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (00:58:03):
So I was like, that was a really smart move. Um - I do
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:58:05):
Love, by the way, that every time I go, like if I talk to a vendor, I'll be like, "Oh, I was just talking to Kristina." And they're like, "Ah, Kristina." It's like, you just, everybody knows you. Everybody's friends. Like it's one big team.
Kristina Stanley (00:58:16):
It's, yeah, getting, that's, I mean, that's part of the fun of this job is the relationship building and getting to know them and whether it's the vendor or the employee or their kids that are working there. Yeah. Yeah.
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Mindy Hargesheimer (00:58:26):
Yeah. We, we,
Kristina Stanley (00:58:27):
It, it's, it's a big episode cheers. Everyone knows everyone. Just
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:58:31):
Gotta get the beer in there. There is some wine though, so. There's some
Kristina Stanley (00:58:33):
Wine. There's some wine.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:58:35):
So with the winter months, then when will we know what vendors will be there or will it kind of change week to week? Like you just maybe, or we don't know yet? I
Kristina Stanley (00:58:43):
Am still working through - Okay. How that application process
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:58:46):
Works
Kristina Stanley (00:58:46):
Because it changes how we view everything. Mm-hmm.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:58:49):
Their
Kristina Stanley (00:58:49):
Vendor contracts currently end at the end of November. Oh, okay.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:58:53):
So
Kristina Stanley (00:58:54):
The entire way we think and process applications is shifting. Yep. And
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:59:00):
I am
Kristina Stanley (00:59:00):
Li - that's literally what I was doing before I, uh, walked in here today. Oh my gosh, Mindy Hargesheimer (00:59:04):
Page 48 of 71
That's so funny. Is that
Kristina Stanley (00:59:05):
Transition. But to be in place - But
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:59:08):
That's truly exciting to have something to look forward to in like January and February, which are like the worst months ever. They
Kristina Stanley (00:59:13):
Are brutal months. Yeah. And I think it does bring some light. It gives people an opportunity to continue some habits. Mm-hmm. And it's a win-win. I think there is this misconception. A lot of people still think of farmer's market as a summer activity. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:59:30):
But
Kristina Stanley (00:59:30):
It can truly be a lifestyle for that locovore. Mm-hmm.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:59:35):
Here's
Kristina Stanley (00:59:36):
A way to continue to have fresh food, support local year round. You are making that choice - uh-huh.
Mindy Hargesheimer (00:59:45):
To
Kristina Stanley (00:59:47):
Buy local year round. And it's not this concept. I mean, the amount of people that think we end when school starts or when, um, the fall hits. Mm-hmm. And the number one question is, whoa, you have a farmer's market December, like, there can't be any produce. I'm like, there's a lot of produce.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:00:03):
Yeah. You
Kristina Stanley (01:00:03):
Get the root crops, we've got mushrooms, we have hydroponic lettuce. Um - Well,
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:00:08):
It's like we're buying that at the grocery store in the winter months, so absolutely, you'll be able to find some of those at the
Kristina Stanley (01:00:13):
Page 49 of 71
Market. There's, it's not the same variety. Sure. You're not gonna get the corn, the melons. Even to my surprise a few years ago, one of, um, my farmers, they, their biggest crop of cherry tomatoes was in December.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:00:28):
Really?
Kristina Stanley (01:00:29):
They -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:00:29):
Unexpected.
Kristina Stanley (01:00:30):
Unexpected.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:00:31):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:00:31):
And even to this day, they have a very large offering of cherry tomatoes late into the winter months.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:00:38):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (01:00:39):
And that will even carry into January. So you're still getting a lot of options and you're still supporting local. And I think that is one of the hardest and most difficult concepts to teach people is a market can be local with produce.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:00:56):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (01:00:56):
Farming and technology has evolved so much -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:00:59):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:00:59):
In even the last decade, let alone the last couple decades, to where they're coming up with ways to produce things so people can continue to buy them.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:01:10):
Yeah. So
Page 50 of 71
Kristina Stanley (01:01:10):
When you have families that are making it a point to come out in the winter, they're keeping up the habit to shop local, but it's also a win because the vendor still has an opportunity to make money.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:01:22):
And let's be real, a lot of people can't stand sweating in like the thick of summer. Like right now. So you can look forward to that. I was gonna say Wednesdays too, if you're not as much into the crowds, if that's not your thing, go on a Wednesday. Little lighter, right? Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:01:37):
A few years ago I had a farmer give me the most beautiful analogy between Wednesdays and Saturdays. So she attended both. Mm-hmm. And she goes, "Well, I make so much more money on Saturdays. I prefer Wednesdays." And I go, "Tell me why."
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:01:54):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:01:56):
She said that Saturdays is like Christmas Day where it is the chaotic day where you have all the family members, you don't really get to engage with anyone. It's just short, brief conversations.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:02:11):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:02:11):
Wednesdays is like Sunday family dinner.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:02:14):
Aw.
Kristina Stanley (01:02:14):
Where you get to sit down, you can have in depth conversations. It's just much more intimate.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:02:19):
Yep.
Kristina Stanley (01:02:20):
And while I find shoppers, some prefer the Wednesdays because it is a slower pace, there's more convenient parking. You might not have all the offerings that you get on Saturdays. If you want
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:02:32):
The
Kristina Stanley (01:02:33):
Connection, if you want that intimate, slower paced, that is what Wednesdays are for.
Page 51 of 71
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:02:38):
I love that. That's perfect. Um, because I think there's a lot of people that live alone that might be looking to get out and connect with somebody, but they're not necessarily wanting to go to a bar or, you know, coffee shop, whatever the case may be. I was also gonna say too, for like families on a Saturday, maybe it's just me projecting, but, um, great way to get your kids out of the house and off iPads and things and do stuff that is, um, social.
Kristina Stanley (01:03:01):
Very much so.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:03:02):
Good opportunity and plenty of parking to get there as well for the people that cannot walk -
Kristina Stanley (01:03:06):
Very
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:03:07):
Much. To the market.
Kristina Stanley (01:03:07):
Saturdays is great for little kids, big kids, big kids.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:03:11):
Yep, big kids. That's all of us. Yeah. It
Kristina Stanley (01:03:13):
Is all of us.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:03:14):
Um, out of curiosity, have you traveled to other farmer's markets in different cities to do any research? Or what do we know about, like, like, was our market inspired by any others and what they're doing?
Kristina Stanley (01:03:27):
I cannot go on vacation - Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:03:30):
Without
Kristina Stanley (01:03:30):
Visiting a farmer's market at this
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:03:32):
Point. I wondered. That is
Kristina Stanley (01:03:33):
Page 52 of 71
Just part of my wife and I's traditions.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:03:35):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:03:36):
It is, if there's a market and we don't have a set activity or something planned, I am at that market or multiple markets.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:03:43):
Yep.
Kristina Stanley (01:03:44):
Um, but professionally, I have been a part of several different organizations that focus on markets and market managers across the country, whether that's wholesale, public, or retail. Mm-hmm. There's a difference in types of markets as well. And the littlest things to some just big ideas that I've picked up along the ways, um, some of it I don't even realize that I have picked up on things. Some of the ideas, you know,
(01:04:13):
We did it, we implemented it, no longer apply. But just being able to connect with other like-minded people who work in a industry that is, that it's a weird job. Sure. We have a very weird schedule. We do very weird things. Um, you know, it's just kind of great to see that. But watching how they implement rules, how are they charging vendors? What, what is their load in, load out? What are their setup requirements? How do you keep safety at the forefront? Mm-hmm. Um, just a lot of behind the scenes - Yeah. Conversations and things that most people don't even realize take place. Yeah. But it is really nice to, even if it's an idea that, or a philosophy we don't believe in -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:04:54):
Uh-huh.
Kristina Stanley (01:04:54):
Why does it work for them? And it's kind of a check and balance, "Okay, yeah, this doesn't work for us because of X, Y, Z."
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:05:01):
Yeah. Well, so random, but when I was there a couple weeks ago, I told you that the Pavilion, I felt like I was in Seattle. It gave me this, like, other city vibe in the best way. It was raining. It felt very cozy. It was like, it, it, there was just something about it that I was like, "I feel like I'm in the Pacific Northwest right now." And it was, like, the best feeling to kind of, like, get a little escape. So I love that.
Kristina Stanley (01:05:22):
When you talk about Clock Tower Landing and having that pavilion feel, what I think a lot of people are coming out and saying is Clock Tower Landing, all of the different spaces offer something different.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:05:35):
Mm.
Page 53 of 71
Kristina Stanley (01:05:36):
So if you don't wanna be out in the sun, you got, you have the pavilion. The canopies offer a completely different feel. If you wanna be up on the patio versus the plaza, that is a different feel.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:05:47):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:05:49):
And I love that we have all of these different experiences - uh-huh. Within one space.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:05:55):
And let's not forget the live music that
Kristina Stanley (01:05:57):
Is there. And the live music. Yeah. Yep. And eventually we'll start to have more programming, educational activities. I finally got to hire a full-time person last December. Oh, good. What does
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:06:07):
That mean? What's to come?
Kristina Stanley (01:06:08):
Her lane will be doing all of the programming, all of the kids' activities, educational component. That was her background. Uh-huh. Um, she comes from a very strong food industry, um, aspect. So she's bringing a lot of food safety. We do focus on food safety in the market. Mm-hmm. Um, and she will also be building our volunteer program. Oh,
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:06:28):
Cool. Okay. Amazing. Yeah. There's
Kristina Stanley (01:06:30):
A lot of, a lot of things that we've talked about doing for years -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:06:33):
Yeah. That we
Kristina Stanley (01:06:33):
Just didn't have the support for that once we lock down operations and the current space a little bit more -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:06:38):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:06:39):
She'll be building all of that out.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:06:41):
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And I should add to, like, a little thing that you underestimate is the number of people that are working that are there to feel safe, to have somebody, um, to ask a question if somebody gets lost, you know, things like that. I think that's a huge, um, benefit as well. It is. So - But I hadn't really thought about until I was thinking, like, oh my gosh, what if your child runs away or?
Kristina Stanley (01:07:01):
There are, um, when we talk about the city investing - uh-huh. In the farmer's market, in downtown Overland Park, it's not just with the construction of Clark Tower Landing. Yeah. It's also with staffing and the resources behind the scenes. So behind the scenes, 14 out of 15 departments within the city are involved in making this market happen. Yeah. And they're helping me, they're helping the vendors, they're helping this community. But on a market day, there's 14 staff members - uh-huh. That operate the market. There's four to five police officers, and then there's CERT volunteers. Um, CERT are, uh, certified emergency response team. Perfect. So they're trained in large crowds. Yeah. And there's four to six of those on a Saturday. Yeah. So there's a lot of staffing - Yeah. To make this event safe and successful.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:07:53):
I just think that's important to mention just in the world that we live in today, just to be like, okay, crowds, you know, not always comfortable with it. You can feel comfortable. There's a great amount of staff and support there.
Kristina Stanley (01:08:03):
PD has really, um, been an integral part in looking at this new operation. Mm-hmm. Um, and not just on staffing, but just how it was designed - Yeah. And what do we need to make this space feel safe?
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:08:16):
Were the canopies designed to be kind of like trees?
Kristina Stanley (01:08:18):
Yes.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:08:19):
Okay, I assumed, but didn't wanna make a wrong assumption.
Kristina Stanley (01:08:21):
They're, the design very much mix a tree. Um, even the design pattern on the canopies is to mimic a tree. Love
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:08:30):
It. It's
Kristina Stanley (01:08:30):
Green and kind of fades out with the gradient pattern.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:08:33):
Yeah.
Page 55 of 71
Kristina Stanley (01:08:33):
Yeah. Good catch.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:08:34):
Well, I also, somebody posted, I don't know who it was, but they took pictures when nobody was there.
Kristina Stanley (01:08:39):
Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:08:40):
Was that, I don't know if it was for you guys, but I was like, oh, that's actually pretty cool to see with nobody there and to see the structure.
Kristina Stanley (01:08:46):
The cities had professional photos and videos. Yeah. And then all of the companies that, of course, that have touched it have sent people out to take photos. Yeah. Yeah, that was some stuff we did right before we opened to get small
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:08:57):
Shots. I can' remember who it was through but I could go back and find it, so. Okay. So as somebody who won, I listened to so many podcasts and I love to learn about so many things, but like health and wellness is a big one. And so I had asked you, I wanted to talk, I wanna go back to, um, the whole idea of a lot of people, we talked about protein as one, um, clean eating, but I think a lot of people right now are really focused on the idea, like even collagen. I was asking like, are there ways to incorporate fiber, collagen, um, back to the protein and, and clean eating. So I kinda wanted to go through that for people who were like, I would love to know how I can buy local or find some like clean, very healthy, um, products or produce or food or anything at the farmer's market to kind of walk through that a little bit more.
(01:09:43):
Um, vegan, gluten-free. Um, I noticed they had a vegan ice cream vendor. Yo guys have one, which I think is new this year, which to me, somebody who avoids dairy for the most part, I was like jackpot. Um, so kinda wanted to go back to that a little bit in terms of like kind of these wellness hacks that people are trying to focus on to improve their health on the inside and out.
Kristina Stanley (01:10:06):
I think anyone in marketing knows there's always gonna be marketing buzzwords.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:10:11):
Yes.
Kristina Stanley (01:10:12):
And people that are not in marketing are going to hear these words and you're going to just latch onto them. Mm-hmm. And whether you jump on that or not, or you need it for whatever health reasons, following the wellness world can be overwhelming.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:10:29):
Mm-hmm.
Page 56 of 71
Kristina Stanley (01:10:29):
And it can be a transition to figure out what do I need? What does my body need? What do I want? So when you hear things like high protein collagen, gut health, fiber, clean eating, gluten-free, vegan, organic, all natural, I mean, it -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:10:43):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:10:44):
It's a -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:10:45):
It's a laundry list. Yeah. And itself. It's being thrown at us. And - But we don't want to ignore it either to figure out what we can do.
Kristina Stanley (01:10:51):
Agreed. And I think the most simple way to break this down is just to remember that when you're at a farmer's market, that is pretty much the most ultimate wellness hack that you can find.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:11:06):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (01:11:06):
An apple is an apple. A tomato is a tomato. When you wanna talk about having cl- clean food - uh-huh. That's as clean as you're gonna get. It's one ingredient. It is picked at its peak freshness. So the nutrients are the highest that they can possibly be. Mm-hmm. When you're looking at, um, heirloom varieties.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:11:31):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (01:11:31):
We have dozens of heirloom variety products that you will never see in a grocery store because they are so fresh that they cannot last - That's a good point. On a normal sh - store shelf - Yeah. Because they go bad fairly quickly, which also means you need to get them home, take care of them and eat them.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:11:50):
Right.
Kristina Stanley (01:11:50):
Um, but the market can take these simple, can take these bu- buzzwords and really make it simple for somebody. And you can get the gluten-free, the vegan, you can get, um, the collagen just by buying those ingredients at the market without even -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:12:11):
Yeah.
Page 57 of 71
Kristina Stanley (01:12:11):
Worrying about it. Do we also offer the sweet treats? Absolutely.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:12:15):
Can't avoid those. Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:12:16):
Life is a balance.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:12:17):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:12:18):
And I think people are truly surprised that, you know, if you can't tolerate gluten, well, we have vendors that are growing their own flour and milling it themselves, or it's milled that morning -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:12:32):
Uh-huh.
Kristina Stanley (01:12:32):
And a vendor has it ready for you to go, and that's so much more easy to stomach. Um, so whether it's a dietary need, a allergy, if you talk to those vendors, they, a lot of them can, can accommodate it. And a lot of times, if they don't, if they have a product that you're like, "I really wish I could try this."
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:12:57):
Mm-hmm. "I
Kristina Stanley (01:12:57):
Really wish it was gluten-free." A lot of times they have it.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:13:00):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:13:00):
And because they already know people need that
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:13:03):
And want
Kristina Stanley (01:13:03):
That.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:13:04):
Page 58 of 71
Yeah. Well, the gluten-free, I, I mean, obviously so many people are, are dealing with that. And, and it brings me to when you hear people say like, "Oh, well, okay, so you eat bread here, you eat pasta here, and you feel terrible." Right? Um, for people who have the ability, "Have you gone to Italy recently? Did you eat the pasta and the pizza? Did you feel fine?" You kind of hear these, like, little narratives sometimes, like, when you're listening to maybe stories about it. And it's like everybody, you know, feels fine when they're in Italy because their requirements are very different when it comes to, like, what, you know, how they make their pizza crust and their pasta and everything. So I think that that's a really good reminder, the fact that you can buy the flour and trust it to be potentially healthier. Let's talk about some fun people who've shown up to the Overland Park Farmer's Market.
(01:13:47):
So, um, I personally love our Kansas City celebrities, or I just love celebrities in general. But, um, you know, I don't know that Beyonce has made it there yet. But what are some famous faces that have made it over who love KC and love to do their shop local? Um,
Kristina Stanley (01:14:04):
We, we have seen some local Kansas City celebrities that, that have come out. There's, and those are just the ones I have seen or staff have seen. I am sure there is a lot more that I am not
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:16):
Even - Sure.
Kristina Stanley (01:14:16):
Aware of. Um, we've had numerous starters of the Chiefs come out. Um, current players, retired players. Um -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:26):
I would love to know what they bought. They just walking away with some steaks and -
Kristina Stanley (01:14:30):
Here's what's funny.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:31):
Beef jerky.
Kristina Stanley (01:14:31):
Here's what's
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:32):
Funny. Or is that profiling?
Kristina Stanley (01:14:33):
No, um, so they all, you know, make a pretty good income.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:39):
Uh-huh.
Page 59 of 71
Kristina Stanley (01:14:40):
The vendors are giving them their
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:43):
Products. Isn't that the way it works? Yeah. Uh-huh.
Kristina Stanley (01:14:44):
Mm-hmm. And so they're trying to buy it. The vendors don't wanna take the money. The vendor's like, "No, here, take this. Please try this."
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:50):
Yeah. And
Kristina Stanley (01:14:51):
So there's a big difference in income for some of
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:54):
Them. Sure.
Kristina Stanley (01:14:54):
And these vendors are just -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:56):
That's really funny. Because they
Kristina Stanley (01:14:57):
Are so excited -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:14:58):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:14:58):
That this Chiefs player or this actress is standing in front of them.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:15:03):
Yep.
Kristina Stanley (01:15:04):
And they're just like, "Oh my goodness, here, please." And they're like, "No, please take my money." So watching that battle is actually quite - It's a
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:15:09):
Fun - It is a fun battle. Interaction, I'm sure. Yeah.
Page 60 of 71
Kristina Stanley (01:15:12):
Yeah. So from Chiefs players to actresses to, well, royals, players, wives - Yeah. Um, KUK State starters. Uh-huh. All, all types of people.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:15:24):
Love it. Okay. Just had to ask because that's always fun to know. Um, okay. Anything else that we have not covered? I feel like we've covered a lot. We have. But anything else that we have missed that we wanna point out to people? Again, this is all about one of the most incredible. It's a foodie experience, it's a shopping experience, it's a coffee experience. It's, like, so many things under one canopy. Um, what else did we miss, if anything? I mean - Go back and check my notes that I put here.
Kristina Stanley (01:15:52):
You know, you being a shopper and an advocate - <laugh>. Of this market, being a mom, a woman, as you said, in your, uh, mid - 40s - Yep. You have checked a lot of the boxes. Yeah. And your experience has made this very easy to talk about. Good. Um, so I think we have checked a lot of boxes on - Perfect. Everything that the market can offer for all different types of people.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:16:17):
Okay, good. Um, now, onto just a couple rapid fire questions. What is on your Kansas City bucket list that you have not done that you want to experience in Casey?
Kristina Stanley (01:16:32):
I, um, am a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. Ooh. Tell me more. Um, just the thrill, the challenge, like, being at an age where I'm still very active, like, doing some of those things, you know. I, I might have a little bit of a lead foot, so - Ooh. Doing some of the, um, like, being dirty race car -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:16:52):
Uh-huh.
Kristina Stanley (01:16:52):
Going into that, that is still -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:16:55):
Have you looked into, um, the Kansas Speedway and doing one of those? I
Kristina Stanley (01:16:59):
Have. I absolutely have. So, um, my wife works at AdventHealth and they are
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:03):
The
Kristina Stanley (01:17:03):
Sponsor of the NASCAR.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:04):
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Oh, yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:17:05):
So going down in the pit -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:06):
Perfect. Watching
Kristina Stanley (01:17:06):
The cars. Getting behind one has not happened yet.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:10):
Do you wanna do that? You've gotta do that. I did a ride along. I would
Kristina Stanley (01:17:13):
Love
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:14):
That. It was, honestly, I did a ride along, and it was exhilarating. But it was also a little terrifying. Terrifying. I was with, like, a, you know, retired, um, driver. This is years ago, like, pre - COVID. But we were going so fast around a turn that the tires started shredding, and it was, like, coming in through the little net on the side. And I was like, "I don't know if this is normal or not." You know, and it was completely fine. Nothing happened. But I was like, "Okay. Well, there we go." That was, uh, quite the experience.
Kristina Stanley (01:17:40):
That would be amazing to experience. Like, I would love that.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:44):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:17:44):
Um, something most people do not know about me, but the show that's been around for a long time, The Challenge.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:51):
Uh-huh. Oh, yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:17:53):
I love watching
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:54):
The TV. Rowback.
Kristina Stanley (01:17:54):
Page 62 of 71
I would love to be like, "Oh, that looks so fun."
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:17:57):
Yeah. "Oh my
Kristina Stanley (01:17:57):
Goodness. Let me do that." 'Cause they're just doing some extreme thing. I'm like,
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:01):
"Okay,
Kristina Stanley (01:18:02):
Wait, maybe I don't wanna do that one."
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:04):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:18:04):
But to see some of the things that they come up with seems -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:07):
Have you done Worlds of Fun, the thing that drops and you swing? Would you ever do that? Do you know what I'm talking about? I never in my lifetime would do that, personally.
Kristina Stanley (01:18:15):
Nothing with a rope. Scare me. The
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:16):
Rope aspect. Okay. Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:18:18):
Um, that's where I draw the line.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:19):
Yeah. Okay. A car,
Kristina Stanley (01:18:20):
Different story.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:21):
Good to know. Okay. Um, when you're not at the farmer's market, what is an ideal day for you in KC? Where do you like to go? What do you like to do? Um - Outside your house when you're - When you're not sleeping from a 12-hour day.
Kristina Stanley (01:18:35):
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Um, my wife and I, we will pick different coffee shops.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:39):
Mm-hmm.
Kristina Stanley (01:18:40):
Um, I'm a chai drinker, not a coffee drinker.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:42):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (01:18:43):
So it is picking a different coffee shop to try. Yeah. Um, she loves breakfast out. Okay. I prefer dinner out, so it ends up literally
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:18:53):
Being - That's me. I like dinner out too.
Kristina Stanley (01:18:54):
An entire day. Um, I do have to give a huge shout out to my friend Jay Sanders, um, owner of Justice Measures of Wild Child. Um - I
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:05):
Want him to come on the pod.
Kristina Stanley (01:19:07):
So he knows I will say this. I was his really. I was his first boss.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:12):
Oh, really? Uh,
Kristina Stanley (01:19:12):
Because he -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:13):
No way. Came up
Kristina Stanley (01:19:13):
Through the, um, aquatic system.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:15):
Oh, no way. I love it. And he's
Kristina Stanley (01:19:17):
Page 64 of 71
A lifeguard. He might kill me for saying that.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:19):
Nah.
Kristina Stanley (01:19:19):
Um, but I have been a champion of his for many, many years.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:24):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:19:25):
And -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:25):
He's incredibly talented, my gosh. So
Kristina Stanley (01:19:26):
Talented.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:27):
Um,
Kristina Stanley (01:19:29):
But just, yeah, a good cocktail.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:31):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:19:31):
Um, while I love him, I will go out to other bars and try them as well.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:35):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:19:35):
So really a full day of eating and drinking is, um -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:40):
Food and beverage all day long.
Kristina Stanley (01:19:41):
Food and beverage. Um -
Page 65 of 71
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:42):
That's all I need to. The
Kristina Stanley (01:19:43):
World I work in. It's also what I love to do. Um, if I am not with my wife, I will be at a rock concert.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:50):
Okay, great.
Kristina Stanley (01:19:51):
Mm-hmm.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:52):
Any concerts, um, lined up that you're gonna go to this year?
Kristina Stanley (01:19:55):
Yes. Both, um, happen to be at the new Morton
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:19:58):
Amphitheater. Morton, yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:19:59):
Um -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:00):
Maybe we'll cross over.
Kristina Stanley (01:20:01):
Diehard, Hard Rock, Breaking Benjamin, Byfinger, Death Punch. Um -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:06):
Okay, maybe not. I'm not going toho. See, that's
Kristina Stanley (01:20:08):
Not. Yeah.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:09):
I'm like, Mumford and Sons, Jack Johnson. There's a few others. 311. We're going to 311. Yeah. I
Kristina Stanley (01:20:14):
Have a couple friends that are my rock buddies.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:17):
Yeah. And
Page 66 of 71
Kristina Stanley (01:20:17):
That is people don't see the two.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:19):
Yo group. Yeah. I've got
Kristina Stanley (01:20:21):
My, my little group for that. Um, so I'm excited to see the new amphitheater.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:25):
I think you'll like it. It's amazing. I haven't actually been to a show. I've only, like, toured it, but I'm excited.
Kristina Stanley (01:20:30):
It's, um, I'm hearing good things.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:32):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:20:32):
Um, just another
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:33):
Cool
Kristina Stanley (01:20:33):
Spot. Even just things like trying new places in Kansas City. Like it's so -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:38):
Uh-huh. It's never ending.
Kristina Stanley (01:20:40):
It's never ending, but sometimes in your own city, you don't become the tourist. Yeah. So you don't try the new things. Mm-hmm. Finally, with the ants weekend that we had with our nieces and nephews, we took them to the rabbit hole. And - Oh my gosh. I'm - I
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:20:53):
Still haven't been. This is not the first time it's come up on a podcast and I'm like, "Okay, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go." And then I did it.
Kristina Stanley (01:21:00):
So I'm also an avid reader. Like -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:21:03):
Page 67 of 71
Okay, perfect. 60
Kristina Stanley (01:21:04):
Books a year. Um - Wow, good for you. That my one disconnect from work. Fiction. All. All of it. Anything thatakes me into someone else's story that gets me out of my story - Yeah. For a little bit. So finally going and seeing that and being with kids to see it through their eyes -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:21:20):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:21:21):
That was incredible.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:21:22):
I'm not gonna lie, we have two nephews that are, um, five and one. And when they come back to KC, which should be in the next six to 12 months, we've kind of reserved that also for them to come. We were. Long story short, we were gonna go there last weekend and the girls were like, "No, we wanna do something different," at the time. And I was like, "Okay, when, um, when the boys come, we'll go." So it's, it'll be coming.
Kristina Stanley (01:21:44):
I was so impressed that it could capture the attention from a six-year-old to a 13-year-old.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:21:49):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:21:49):
When a place can do that, they have figured something out.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:21:53):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:21:54):
Um, and I think that's also just the, the books
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:21:56):
Component.
Kristina Stanley (01:21:56):
Yeah. Reading is timeless. It is ageless.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:21:59):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:22:00):
Page 68 of 71
And -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:01):
Are you a bookshop, shopper? Are you an audiobook or?
Kristina Stanley (01:22:04):
Both.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:05):
Okay.
Kristina Stanley (01:22:05):
Both. Also depends on the phases or -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:08):
Yeah.
Kristina Stanley (01:22:09):
Work. Like if I'm driving, obviously you can't read.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:11):
We had some really good, like, indie bookshops here, so just curious if you went to any in particular.
Kristina Stanley (01:22:17):
Farmer's markets and bookshops when I travel seem to be where
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:20):
I,
Kristina Stanley (01:22:20):
Uh -
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:20):
Oh, there's one in downtown Overland Park, right?
Kristina Stanley (01:22:22):
Yes.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:22):
Haven't been yet. That's one of my list too.
Kristina Stanley (01:22:24):
Yes. Great bookshop.
Page 69 of 71
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:26):
Um,
Kristina Stanley (01:22:26):
Locally owned. They're the things that you find. Yeah. Um, that people just don't necessarily know unless you go out to a new neighborhood, try things. Be a tourist in your own city. Yeah. In your own neighborhood. Yeah. And you will find things that you don't even know exist.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:22:40):
Yeah. And I think a good place I, to end too, is to really plug downtown Overland Park. I mean, it has grown so much. There's so many amazing things to do there. Shop, eat, drink, just walking around, art, you know, all of it. Um, and then I actually put on here too, like, you know, we can't overlook the fact
that Overland Park has always been highly regarded for, like, living, schools, quality of life, you know? And I plug all the time that we moved here from Chicago, but, um, we love it. We live in Overland Park, but we love it. And we completely understand why all of that wrapped up, you know, and all the experiences that you get is just so incredible. So, good place to be.
Kristina Stanley (01:23:18):
It very much is a good place to be. And I will say, I am biased about Overland Park, the market, downtown Overland Park, but there's nothing greater than getting to work and play where you live.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:23:31):
Yeah, you should be biased. You have good reason. Well, this is so fun. Thank you for coming on.
Kristina Stanley (01:23:35):
Thank you for having me. Thank you for letting me talk about what I love.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:23:39):
Well, I invited you to come on because I wanted to hear all about it because I want everyone to go every Wednesday, every Saturday, year round.
Kristina Stanley (01:23:45):
Really fun to share it with someone who also enjoys
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:23:47):
Being
Kristina Stanley (01:23:47):
There.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:23:48):
Yeah. Yeah. Love it. Well, thank you.
Kristina Stanley (01:23:50):
Thank you.
Mindy Hargesheimer (01:23:51):
Thank you so much for tuning in and finding inspiration in these incredible stories. If you love what you hear, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave a rating, and share the show to help these Kansas City voices reach even more listeners.