Explore Agritainment

Steve and Cindy Frey, of Weston Red Barn Farm in Weston, MO, were named Farm Direct Marketers of the Year by the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA). The award was presented to them at NAFDMA’s annual conference, held in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Weston Red Barn Farm is a children’s educational farm, pumpkin patch, and orchard located in Weston, which is about 20 minutes north of Kansas City. The Freys purchased the farm in 1989 and raised their children there. Today, their grandchildren are also enjoying the farm, along with thousands of visitors a year. The Freys employ three full-time employees, and in 2007 there were 75 part-time, seasonal farmhands.

“Ninety percent of our farmhands are spouses of military officers stationed at Fort Leavenworth attending the Command and General Staff College,” say the Freys. “We cannot even begin to describe how fantastic these families are. We love them, they are the Number One reason Weston Red Barn Farm is successful.”

In 2007, the Freys hosted 18,000 school children who toured the farm. Visitors enjoy petting the sheep and horses or taking a tractor-drawn wagon ride. In the fall, visitors can find their way through the corn maze.

Also that year, they started making “green” improvements to the farm, installing waterless urinals in the men’s restrooms and converting to fluorescent lighting. The Freys have plans to power the barns and barnyard areas with solar and wind generated power.

For more information on the farm, go to www.westonredbarnfarm.com.