The greeter couldn’t say, “Welcome in!” or “How can I help you?” Instead, the hello came with ears perked, a tail wag and a jaunt over with an expectation of pets (which were, of course, given). At Prickly Pear Farm and Home in Kinsley, Wrenn, a golden retriever, takes her job as greeter as seriously as her owner, Ellie Bowman, takes being an entrepreneur. The approach may look a bit different, but the passion and determination in Ellie and Wrenn make for a solid team.

Starting in the Show Ring

Growing up in Edwards County, Ellie was involved in 4-H, primarily displaying her prowess in the ring showing beef cattle. She excelled in 4-H, eventually earning her animal national champion Gelbvieh female at Cattlemen’s Congress in 2023.

“I grew up in 4-H, which was my life, and I absolutely loved it,” Ellie says. “I did all of it, but showing cattle was my favorite. I felt really valued with 4-H in my community. It’s really important, looking back and being part of the community now as an adult, that those 4-H kids — their opinions and ideas — are valued.”

After graduating from high school, Ellie attended Kansas State University, where at first, she struggled to find her place. Her mom shared how Ellie started in a couple of different colleges but didn’t enjoy where she was until she found the College of Agriculture.

“On our first college visit where she could be with a group of people in the same college she initially chose, I got a text from her that it wasn’t right for her within five minutes,” Ellie’s mom, Jeannine, says. “She eventually found her place and, in true Ellie style, excelled.”

Ellie graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in agribusiness in three years. “I took school pretty seriously,” she says.

Buying the Local Lumberyard

Before her spring 2022 graduation, Ellie, like many college students, wasn’t exactly sure what the next chapter of her life would look like. She knew she wanted to work for herself, and when a lumberyard that had been a fixture in Kinsley for 35 years came up for sale, she knew it was her opportunity.

“This light bulb came on and I said, ‘Yep, this is what I’m going to do,’” she says.

In November 2022, Ellie, her parents and Wrenn opened Prickly Pear Farm and Home and made it a place the community could continue to rely on for a plethora of gadgets and gizmos like bolts and fasteners, plumbing supplies, nails, screws, rakes, shovels, building materials and hardware and fencing supplies. They also offer paint mixing services and a lumberyard, plus a new mercantile area to entice a wider audience to the store.

“I want Prickly Pear to be a place where anybody feels welcome,” Ellie says. “With a business like this, sometimes it can be a challenge to get women in the door, but with the mercantile, I think we have some products they’d especially love.”

The mercantile is featured right as you step in the store. After giving Wrenn some pets, you’ll see shelves of canned and jarred goods, clothing items (some featuring Wrenn herself), a collection of greeting cards made by a local teenager and more. Past that are rows of well-stocked and organized home DIY products. Even the shelving in the store was a product of good fortune and online shopping. “I was on Facebook Marketplace one day, just browsing,” Jimbob, Ellie’s dad, says. “And I came across this post about a Tuesday Morning closing its doors in Kansas City. They were selling all of their shelving units — and it was a deal we just couldn’t pass up. We hooked up some trailers, left here around 5 a.m. and got home around 10 p.m. It was a long day, but worth it.”

Where Credit is Due

Prickly Pear is a product of Ellie’s ingenuity, her dad’s handyman expertise, her mom’s business acumen and Wrenn’s playful disposition. The combination has worked so well, Ellie brought Prickly Pear to a second location in Elkhart. Ellie began managing Elkhart Lumber Company and rebranded it as Prickly Pear Farm, Home and Lumber. “I credit a lot to my parents,” Ellie says. “My dad is the fixer, I’m the business management and my mom helps manage some of the financial side. My parents always encouraged me, as a female, to do what I know fits me. Even though I’m a young female in this industry, I’m also just a person doing business in these communities — and that’s how I want to be seen. I’ve been treated with a lot of respect, and I think the community members, both here and in Elkhart, are very thankful to have someone reinvesting in their community.”

The teamwork of the Bowmans has made the store in Kinsley what it is today — thriving and profitable. The store doubled its business in the first year.

“I always say the customer is No. 1,” Ellie says. “I want to try to make sure we have what they need or want and have them leave here with success, whether they bought something from us or we sent them to somebody else in the case where we may not carry what they need.”

With Ellie’s second venture underway, her time is split between managing the store in Kinsley and finding a groove with the store in Elkhart, which has gone well for her.

“I’m not sure where the future will lead, but I’d love to open even more Prickly Pears,” Ellie says. “For now, I’m focused on making these two stores thrive and being an integral part of their respective communities. We are in a good spot with Kinsley, and now in Elkhart, the store got a facelift and after five years of not having a greenhouse there, we just finished the first season this year of that being open.”

Her time as a 4-H member has given her a keen sense of building up youth, and as a member of the Edwards County Farm Bureau, she’s always thinking of ways to involve the young voices in the town.

“Looking back to when I was in 4-H and how much I wanted to be heard, I want to give these kids an opportunity to shine and be a part of the success of Kinsley and Elkhart,” Ellie says. “It’s what my mom and dad wanted for us, and it’s what I want for the future.”

Grit Meets Grace

Nothing is outside Ellie’s grasp. From 4-H excellence to graduating college with honors and opening her own enterprise, that determination has carried into other aspects of her life.

“I think I have a good amount of grit,” Ellie says. “It’s essential, especially now as a business owner, but it’s also helped me lose more than 200 pounds — which is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

Ellie has also won several awards from Kansas Department of Commerce for her ingenuity and entrepreneurial acumen. At the 2024 To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards ceremony, Ellie received the Under 30 Entrepreneurial Award. She was also recognized by LBM Journal, a media company serving the lumberyard sector, with its 40 Under 40 distinction in 2026. Everything Ellie does is done with passion, intelligence, determination — and the best greeter anyone could ask for.

To learn more about Prickly Pear Farm and Home, visit www.pricklypearfarmandhome.com.