Jan 19, 2026
By Border Queen Harvest Hub
What started as a small backyard garden has grown—quite intentionally—into one of south central Kansas’ most beloved local food destinations.
For Sarah Werner and her husband Gage, the beginnings of Werner Creek Farm in Winfield were anything but strategic. “It was an accident,” Sarah laughs. Seventeen years ago, the couple planted a garden that simply got out of control. Year’s before, Sarah had developed a love for farmers markets and local food while living in Lawrence. That environment sparked something deeper than just growing vegetables—it sparked a passion for connection.
“I fell in love with the local food concept,” Sarah says. “You get to connect with the people buying your product. You’re proud of it, and you can explain why it’s healthier and why it tastes better.”
From the very beginning, the Werners were intentional about growth. They didn’t want farming—or later, the business—to dictate their lives. Instead of scaling quickly, they added pieces slowly, making sure each step felt manageable. When excess produce became an issue, they didn’t grow bigger fields—they started preserving. Jams and jellies came first, followed by salsas, pasta sauce, pickles,and other value-added products.
That steady evolution eventually led to a bigger leap. Sarah’s husband, a school teacher at the time, left teaching in 2021 to help build the farm full time—a true leap of faith. In 2022, they opened a tiny 200-square-foot farm store. “At first, we wondered how we would ever fill it,” Sarah recalls. “Now we’re constantly asking where we can squeeze in one more product.”
Today, the store is a carefully curated celebration of local food. While Werner Creek grows a wide variety of produce—tomatoes (including heirlooms you can’t find in grocery stores), cucumbers, squash, greens, carrots, potatoes, spinach, kale, and more—they also collaborate with other Kansas producers. Eggs are sourced from fellow farmers to meet demand, summer sausage and beef sticks come from Beaver Creek Farm in Cowley County, ice cream from French Farms Creamery in nearby Oxford, honey from Arkansas City, and everything on the shelves is local or Kansas-made.
The division of roles has been key to their success. Gage manages the farm full time, while Sarah serves as the business manager. “Staying in our own lanes has been a key part of our business plan,” she says. With a handful of year-round staff and high tunnels extending their growing season, the operation runs with both efficiency and heart.
Challenges haven’t been absent. When COVID hit, the Werners had hogs ready for slaughter—but no processing availability for 18 months. The experience reinforced something they already believed deeply: growing small and growing intentionally matters. “We’ve had to hustle a lot,” Sarah says, “but we’re not being controlled by our business. We can breathe at the end of the day.”
That mindset has allowed Werner Creek Farm to keep innovating without overextending. Take-and-bake meals and weekly soups were added, featuring as many local ingredients as possible, withplans to add more. Take and Bakes and Grab and Go options, like the soups, will be a bigger focus this year.
Grants have played a significant role in supporting that growth. COVID relief funding helped build their on-farm commercial kitchen, a space they dreamed about for years before it became reality. The facility is split between kitchen and storage, and recent grants have added walk-in freezers and expanded storage capacity. “Take advantage of grant opportunities,” Sarah encourages. “They made a huge difference for us.”
Looking back, Sarah says the one thing she would do differently is pause earlier for formal planning. “Once we realized this was going to be a business, we should have stopped and planned more. We didn’t write a formal business plan until we’d been doing this for ten years—but it worked out.”
Today, Werner Creek Farm produces, processes, and distributes much of what they sell themselves. They also offer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription boxes, providing members with first-pick vegetables, eggs, and bread starting in mid-May, with options for 8- or 16-week shares.
Through every phase, Sarah’s leadership stands out—not as someone chasing rapid expansion, but as a woman in agriculture committed to sustainability, community, and balance. Werner Creek Farm is proof that success doesn’t have to mean burnout, and that growing with intention can be just as powerful as growing big. #IYWF2026