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Tag: Chris Edmunds

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Joe Edmunds – Kaw Valley Greenhouses

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Growing a greenhouse business is not an easy proposition. Today we’ll learn about an innovative family which has developed their greenhouse business so that it can sell millions of plants across the Midwest.

Chris Edmunds and her brother Joe Edmunds are two of the family members who own and operate Kaw Valley Greenhouses near Manhattan, Kansas

Last week we met Terry Olson, owner of Eastside and Westside Markets in Manhattan.  Today we’ll learn about the greenhouse business started by her father, Dr. Leon Edmunds, a K-State plant pathologist who began Kaw Valley Greenhouses near Manhattan in 1967.

For his greenhouse, Dr. Edmunds and his wife Pat had a built-in labor force: Their nine children. Terry, the oldest, eventually opened her own separate retail market. Four of her siblings now own and operate Kaw Valley Greenhouses: Joe, Chris, Pete, and Knute.

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Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Terry Olson – Eastside and Westside Markets

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter
Eastside Market in Manhattan, Kansas
Eastside Market in Manhattan, Kansas

“Connecting with customers.” That’s what owner Terry Olson likes best from working with the Eastside and Westside Markets in Manhattan. In 2016, this business is celebrating 40 years of providing “fine fruits, fresh veggies, and fast friendly service.”

 

Terry Olson is the owner of Eastside and Westside Market. Her parents came from Wisconsin. Terry grew up in the family produce business. “My parents’ families got through the tough times of the depression by growing big gardens,” Terry said.

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