Food Safety Highlighted on KFU Newton Farm Tour

MCPHERSON - For local food businesses in the Newton, KS area, leveraging relationships and opportunities with one another has helped each business thrive. This interconnectedness has also made food safety a top priority. Kansas Farmers Union took the opportunity to host a Local Food Safety Collaborative Farm Tour and highlight Grazing Plains Farm, Grace Hill Winery, Prairy, and McGinn’s Grapes and Grains on June 24.

GRAZING PLAINS FARM

KFU board member and dairy farmer Jason Schmidt welcomes Local Food Safety Collaborative Farm Tour attendees to his Grazing Plains Farm on June 24, 2025.

For 5th-generation dairy farmer Jason Schmidt of Grazing Plains Farm, “get big or get weird” has become his motto as dairy consolidation pushes smaller producers out of the industry. On his 70-head dairy near Newton, Kan., this has meant building infrastructure for on-site milk processing, focusing on low-cost production, and targeting local buyers with specialty products. 

Initially, the dairy’s milk was all sold in commodity markets, where it was mixed with milk from other operations. As Schmidt continued developing the dairy, he realized he could bring additional value and diversification to his operation by making products with his milk on-site. 

This realization drove Schmidt to invest $30,000 in an on-farm creamery and store. With the help of Miriam Goertzen-Regier, a local cheesemaker, Schmidt began producing cheese to sell in his farm store and at local grocers. 

Using social media, word of mouth, and local connections, the farm store has quickly grown into a fulfilling endeavor for both producer and consumer. Schmidt was never interested in keeping his milk in the commodity market long-term, and this provides an outlet for some to be diverted toward local customers. For customers, the Grazing Plains Farm Store is an opportunity to visit the peacefully secluded farm and purchase Schmidt’s delicious products.

A key aspect of Grazing Plains Farm’s success had been its dedication to food safety. The certified Grade A dairy undergoes regular milk sampling and disease testing. It also maintains rigorous cleaning and sanitization standards. 

For Schmidt, these measures are essential to creating safe, quality products for community members and businesses.

GRACE HILL WINERY

Jeff Sollo of Grace Hill Winery explains the steps in winemaking and the importance of cleanliness in the process to tour attendees.

In 2004, Dave and Natalie Sollo planted the first vines at what would become Grace Hill Winery. Their son, Jeff Sollo, lovingly refers to this decision as a “father’s mid-life crisis” that grew into a place for sharing food, wine, and experiences. 

Throughout 2005, kitchen experimentation and networking with other winemakers guided the Sollos’ education about winemaking. That same year marked the start of a plant expansion project that lasted until 2008.  

Over 20 years later, the 15-acre winery just northeast of Wichita is home to around 5,000 vines and a successful family enterprise. Operated by Jeff and his brother Brian, Grace Hill Winery offers a large variety of wines and experiences for visitors. 

Much like the Sollo’s journey, winemaking is a long, complex process. The wine grapes are planted three years before they can be harvested. For their 20-year lifespan, the eight grape varieties grown at Grace Hill Winery must be protected from threats like hail, frost, birds, and chemical drift. 

Once the fruit is ripe in August and September, volunteers help harvest in exchange for lunch and drinks. From a typical harvest of 25-30 tons, Grace Hill Winery will produce 5,000-10,000 bottles of wine. However, this only accounts for roughly 6% of the winery’s production.

Grace Hill also purchases grapes from other local growers like McGinn’s Grapes and Grains to supplement their harvest. From these additional grapes, the winery will produce roughly 90,000 bottles annually. Much of this production is distributed to around 120 local liquor stores.

While there are few legal regulations surrounding winemaking in Kansas, quality control is essential to producing quality wine. Winemaking equipment is regularly sterilized, and temperature-controlled production areas are constantly cleaned. The wine itself is filtered four times before it reaches the final bottle.

For the Sollos, these measures help ensure they can continue sharing some of Kansas’s finest wines with customers from all over the Midwest. 

PRAIRY

Prairy's commercial production kitchen where cookies, peppernuts, granola, wine-tasting crackers, and other baked goods are produced, and then sold in stores nationwide.

For Prairy, a food and home goods store in Newton, Kan., producing baked goods in-house has given them national reach while still serving their local community. Over its 25 years in business, the store has steadily grown into a local hub for sustainability, community, and connection. 

In 2000, the business, then known as Prairie Harvest, opened as a cooperative food store focusing on bulk and organic products. By 2011, the business had purchased a small peppernut baking business and began in-house wholesale production.

After 14 years of operation, it was purchased by the Gaeddert family and quickly underwent a large expansion. Rebranded as Prairy, the business installed a new baked goods production line and began offering more products. 

Now spanning four historic buildings in downtown Newton, Kan., Prairy offers a staggering variety of local food, home goods, outdoor gear, and apparel. The store produces cookies, peppernuts, granola, wine-tasting crackers, and other baked goods, which are then sold in stores nationwide. It also offers an array of fresh drinks and meals in-store for customers. 

With the active production kitchen, food safety remains a constant focus for the business. 

Before a recipe arrives on the production line, it's sent to Kansas State University for quality and nutritional testing. The temperature-controlled kitchen is inspected annually and sanitized regularly. After a food item is baked, it won’t be touched by another bare hand until it reaches the customer. 

These actions allow Prairy to produce and sell products nationally while maintaining a thriving storefront open to local customers.

McGINN’s GRAPES AND GRAINS

Carolyn McGinn, co-owner of McGinn's Grapes & Grains tells tour attendees about her family's farm.

Operated by former senator Carolyn McGinn and her husband Mark, McGinn’s Grapes and Grains has been an advocate for Kansas’ agricultural heritage since 1976. 

Using their on-site event venue, vineyard, high tunnel greenhouse, and Airbnb rental, the farm strives to connect people with their food and the farmers behind it. Part of this mission is enhancing access to affordable local food options, in part by offering lamb, fresh produce, wine made from their grapes, and other products to consumers. 

The vineyard, in particular, has become a growing attraction as wine made from their grapes becomes more popular locally, with many varieties earning accolades and awards. 

The idea for a vineyard came from a conversation with Dr. Dave Sollo, co-founder of Grace Hill Winery, while Carolyn was on the campaign trail. Sollo quickly became a resource for the McGinn’s as they began exploring grape growing. 

Today, the McGinn’s sell their grapes to the winery. They also sell bottled wine to farm visitors and offer wine tastings by appointment. 

As an event venue, food safety is always a priority for the McGinn’s. Maintaining strict facility cleanliness standards has been essential as they welcome guests onto their property. Many of these efforts are focused on the kitchen area, where utensils and equipment for food and drinks are cleaned in a three-compartment sink. 

In the future, the McGinn’s plan to offer more on-farm event hosting and wine tasting opportunities. The food safety measures they take help ensure every guest has a safe, enjoyable visit, whether it’s for a tasting, an event, or an overnight stay.

The tour was sponsored by National Farmers Union's Local Food Safety Collaborative a collaboration between National Farmers Union Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration to provide training, education, and outreach to local producers and processors to enhance the fundamental knowledge of food safety and help these local producers and processors comply with applicable Food Safety Modernization Act regulations.

About Kansas Farmers Union - Since 1907, Kansas Farmers Union (KFU) has worked to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life for family farmers and ranchers and their communities. Kansas Farmers Union represents its members, who are engaged in diverse farming and ranching pursuits, through education, legislation, and cooperation.