Yellow school buses parked beside bright sunflowers set the scene for a day of exploration at Gieringer’s Family Orchard and Berry Farm in Edgerton. While kids eagerly explored, parents and teachers worked to keep them from wandering too far into the many opportunities the farm had to offer.

The Johnson County farm is owned and operated by Frank and Melanie Gieringer and their son, Brice. Frank never imagined he’d be running a u-pick farm and agritourism destination since he grew up with a more traditional farming experience in row crops and livestock, but they started the orchard in 2001.

“When we bought this farm, it was overgrown,” Frank says. “We spent the first two years bulldozing trees and building a pond. We planted a few peach trees on a whim in 2004. I was looking for a new challenge and fruit trees in Kansas seemed like a good way to learn something new.”

When Brice wanted to come back to the farm in 2012, Frank told him he could, but he needed to find something that interested Brice and would generate income – a practical request. That’s when strawberries were introduced to the farm.

“We started selling the strawberries, and since I had this traditional ‘grow it and sell it’ mentality, it took me a while to learn that we had a great opportunity for an agritourism location,” Frank says.

Strawberries turned into a diverse array of crops including peaches, blackberries, blueberries apples and pumpkins. Depending on the season, consumers are allowed to come to the farm and pick their preferred ripe fruit.

The farm also features a corn maze, an apple launcher, a very popular corn pit and several other attractions to keep families busy.

“We try to keep most things somewhat agricultural-themed,” Frank says. “From the signs in the corn maze that share facts about corn to hosting ag-related events. We know most people, especially in our urban county, are three or four generations removed from the farm so we try to give our visitors an experience that shows them some of the agricultural elements of a farm. Not only can they go home with a memory and an experience, but they get to go home with something good to eat, too.”

A HAND UP NOT A HANDOUT WITH THE H-2A PROGRAM

In addition to working as a family, the Gieringers utilize the H-2A program through the federal government to help supplement their labor needs.

“The H-2A program has been really beneficial for us since we’re such a seasonal operation,” Frank says. “It’s a great opportunity for the workers, too, but they’re sacrificing a lot by leaving their families for up to 10 months at a time. The H-2A program offers them an opportunity to get a hand up, not a handout.”

The workers the Gieringers hire through H-2A typically come from Mexico, and even though they leave their families, they find a new one with the Gieringer family.

“I try to make them feel like family, because they essentially are,” Frank says. “We really depend on them, and we couldn’t do what we do without them.”

FAMILY FUN AT A FRUIT FARM

Whether you’re picking fruit or waiting in line for their apple cider donuts (worth the wait), the experience at Gieringer’s is one the whole family will love.

“The best thing for me about our little agritourism spot is the feeling of knowing that when people leave here, they’re happy and they’ve had a good time,” Frank says.

Just don’t get lost in the corn maze.

Visit the Gieringer’s Family Orchard and Berry Farm in Edgerton starting in May with strawberries until the end of October with pumpkins. Daily admission is $10 on Fridays, $12 on Saturdays and Sundays. Children ages 2 and younger are free. The opportunities for u-pick fruits are an additional charge. Be sure to check out their website at www.goberryfarm.com for current information.