Meet Laura Wuthnow of StoneBriar Farm

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Wuthnow.

Hi Laura, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Our family has always been one of the entrepreneurs, ever since immigrating from Belgium in the 1920s.

You could say dreamers, or perhaps just people who bore easily, but my grandfather was always on the lookout for the next thing. Dad, Ron VanLerberg, has been the same way.

Six or 7 years ago, Dad got the wild idea of starting a strawberry patch and we jumped right in. I’d say we had some gardening experience, but we certainly weren’t farmers and had never grown a strawberry let alone thousands of plants worth.

We’ve been learning by doing ever since and now grow around 15,000 plants every year for our U-pick patch just outside De Soto, KS. In addition to strawberries, I have personally grown cut flowers for several years and this year my sister Kristin and I began beekeeping.

This past October we took another giant leap as we opened our wedding and event venue. Dad, Ron VanLerberg, continues to be the owner, me and my two sisters, Patty Casalou and Kristin Koch, as well as my brother-in-law, Andrew Koch are all involved in the business in varying capacities.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every endeavor is a learning process, and I’m not sure that anything agricultural will ever be easy. We are dependent on weather, and Kansas weather is so variable from day to day and year to year. One year, we may have a beautiful spring, the next, snow on Easter, and another an early heat wave.

You just have to roll with the punches. Every year we find something in our process we can do better or adjust for the next, you just have to always be willing to learn. Learning new things and new ways of doing things keeps this business interesting though.

As far as our event space goes, we are all new to the wedding industry. While we’ve planned weddings of our own, things are constantly changing. We are so thankful for the support and advice we have received from veterans in the industry.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about StoneBriar Farm?
We are StoneBriar Farm, a u-pick strawberry patch and event venue.

We are a small, family-owned operation and our family focus drives everything we do. We work to make our strawberry patch a destination for families where they can have a day of making memories together.

With our wedding couples, we do our best to support them for a stress-free celebration. We are committed to kindness and honesty in everything we do.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Keep learning. Keep asking questions, doing research, and talking with others in your industry. Nothing is perfect at the start and that’s okay. Just keep learning how to do things better.

Contact Info:

• Website: stonebriarfarmks.com

Image Credits
Haylee B. Photography