Farm Store Opens North of Kendall

by Michele Boy | May 8, 2025

Drive ten miles north of Kendall where the blacktop ends, where the dust of the county dirt road flies. Travel a few more miles and on the Kearny County side of the border you will find the Horton Farmstead. Trees, farm equipment, a small backyard playground, barns, and a small, restored well house, The Farm Store. It is where a family legacy began and continues. 

Lora Horton penned a note and framed it inside the Well House. “This building, originally constructed in the late 1940s by Elmer Ploeger (Caitlyn’s great-grandfather) has long stood as a symbol of innovation and resilience. Adjacent to the original structure was a windmill that pumped water into a cistern located just east of the building. Once full, the water flowed into a large tank, perched atop the cinder block wall. Through the simple power of gravity - this system provided running water to the family home - a remarkable advancement of the time! It was for this reason the building became known as The Well House.”

Over the years, The Well House served many roles: A place for hired hands to rest and a small shop where Elmer and his wife, Elsie sold fresh eggs, cream, and milk to help support the farm.
Five years ago, Caitlyn (Horton) Willhaus had a vision of community, and local, fresh food.  It was a vision that came with a few roadblocks. The original plan was to tear down the old shop and build a new building. When they realized they didn’t have the time to do it themselves, they hired a contractor. That soon fell apart. It was time for new ideas. They decided to restore the old well house.
They gutted it, replaced the rotted-out wood, and furnished it with multi-generational pieces along with finds such as a McCray antique refrigerator that husband Cooper restored.

Today sheep, goats, and dairy cattle roam in their pens. Cooper and Caitlyn Willhaus, along with their four boys take care of many of the farm chores. Conway cooks and bakes with Grandma (Lora Horton), Chevy collects the eggs, and Cedric helps mom check animals all hours of the night. Caitlyn said, “Even if it is cold, he wants to go check them.” 

And baby Clancy on Caitlyn’s hip doesn’t stop her from dreaming and reimagining buildings, barns, and spaces. One of those dreams came true. Last Saturday, the Modern Menagerie Farm Store held a grand opening. “A farm store space where we proudly continue the tradition of offering farm-fresh eggs, cream, milk and more.”

The public came out to visit and shop. There was steady traffic all day. Over one hundred people. Children interacted with sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys, chickens, dogs, and dairy cattle. Adults shopped from southwest Kansas vendors offering homemade breads, honey, tallow, soap, and more. Farm equipment was brought out to let children safely explore the machinery. A few animals were out for children to pet and ask questions about. 

A free lunch was served at the barn where the Ploeger sisters, Emma Horton and Anna Graber, grew up. The meat, cheese, and produce were all locally sourced. They smiled recalling their childhood memories and love how the farm continues with life. 

“The turnout was great,” said Caitlyn, smiling broadly. “I had to restock the store with meats, milk, cheese, and yogurts, a few times.”

But the ideas don’t stop for forward-thinking Caitlyn Willhaus. She has plans for several events each year. She wants to add fresh, local produce this summer, if possible. She dreams of a small pumpkin patch on site. She wants to install a bathroom, a walk-in refrigerator, and a commercial kitchen.  One dream is to offer farm classes to teach children how to make butter and learn to milk a cow She is working towards adding products from other local vendors like Lydia Gould’s Far Away Bread Company.
Caitlyn said, “None of this would be possible without help from my parents, John and Lora Horton. I hope to make this a one stop shop for local goods, and to build more community.”

While Caitlyn is excited to share this endeavor with you all, she does have some basic rules to abide by. Please don’t bring pets. Let them know if you are coming, particularly at night. Call 620-451-0050. 

Looking for more opportunities to purchase from local vendors? The Hamilton County Farmer’s Market will open Friday June 6 at 4:00 PM on Highway 50 across the street from Dollar General. It will be held every Friday from 4:00 -7:00 PM.

cover photo Emma Horton, Anna Graber, and John Horton/photo by Michele Boy