It is the co-op’s vision to support and strengthen community connections with our local producers — so here are their stories! In this Meet Your Producer series, we will highlight our neighborhood farmers, ranchers and producers so you can see and hear what they’re all about.
Moon on the Meadow
Jill Elmers
1515 E. 11th Street, Lawrence, KS
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About the Farmer
Jill Elmers of Moon on the Meadow worked as an engineer for 27 years before her firm invited her to take a summer off – “so I looked at my bucket list and there was ‘work on an organic farm.’” She reached out to Mark Lumpe with Wakarusa Valley Farm and worked for him during the summer of 2000. She’s been farming ever since.
“It’s really thanks to Mark that I got started. After that first season I said, I want to do this. So Mark traded me a little land to grow for their CSA. I was still working full time and leasing little bits of land to farm on.”
Jill is passionate about progressing the local food and flower movement, connecting with other producers and supporting the next generation of farmers here in Douglas County. In addition to welcoming apprentices at the farm through the Growing Growers program, she’s leasing one of her covered tunnels to local flower operation, Big Bluestem. Jill was chair of both the Douglas County Food Policy Council and the Lawrence Farmers Market Board of Directors. She currently serves on both the Kansas Rural Center Board and the Kansas Farmers Union Board, and she is a founding member of the Kansas City Food Hub and Common Harvest Farms.
About the farm
In 2006, Jill purchased the property they are on now – 3 ½ acres and their home, growing certified organic vegetables of all sorts, plant starts, flowers, herbs, microgreens and grains throughout the last 20 years. They’ve partnered with local businesses on exclusive products like calendula for local herbalists, rye for 1900 Barker, flowers for local restaurants and more.
As summers have gotten warmer, the focus of the farm has shifted in recent years to early and late season production in their high tunnels. This year, with some perennial foods like rhubarb and asparagus, and overwintered produce like carrots, lettuces, and chard they had 3 full tables of produce at the first market of the season mid-April. Their season will extend well into the winter.
“We re-evaluate what’s working each year and adjust. Now we say - it’s gotta be a fun day. And if it’s not, why? What can we do about it for tomorrow?”
Find Moon on the Meadow produce and flowers at the co-op or the Lawrence Farmer’s Market!
“Thank you to the people who support The Merc and The Farmers Market. This community’s focus on local during the pandemic was critical for farms like ours. Everyone honed in and said “I want to know where my food comes from. It saved us. You’re a critical part in keeping this place going.”
