We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Karen Koehneman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Karen below.
Karen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the toughest parts of scaling a business is maintaining quality as you grow. How have you managed to maintain quality? Any stories or advice?
All of the little details add up to a wonderful experience for the senses. Let’s begin with the visual as you drive or bike to Sunflower Hill Farm, gardens filled with colorful native flower that help feed native birds and insects. Fragrance of delicious food wafting from the kitchen to the parking lot, will lure you further into the experience. Your taste buds will awakened by the toasty, creamy, spicy and freshness of our farm made recipes. The details have to be consistent.
Training staff the importance of focusing on the smallest details ensures a consistent experience for the guests. More than anything else, guests want the sandwich or the soup to taste and look and smell the same every time. Table linens, napkins, flatware and flowers must be staged properly and shiny clean. all napkins should be folded the same, chairs should be placed barely touching the tablecloth and flower vases should have crystal clear water. Consistency is followed closely by guest service.
Kill them with kindness, Anticipate needs, Smile, Acknowledge a returning customers, and be
engaged consistently
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Karen, I am a mom, grandma, nurse and horticulturist. All of these vocations led Mike and I to purchase a small farm that we call Sunflower Hill Farm. I wanted a place to grow a large vegetable garden, set up beehives and raise chickens for their eggs. The mom in me wanted to nurture gardens into colorful and whimsical spots. The grandma in me wanted chickens because my grandma had chickens on her farm when I was a child. The farm has many varieties of chickens and they are a big hit with our guests. The nurse in me wanted fresh and flavorful veggies to grow, eat and share. The horticulturist in me brought all my vocations together in the same place.
When Mike and I bought the farm nine years ago, we had no intention of the business that is now growing up before us. The farm was in a very dilapidated state and we started by mowing down 5 feet tall weeds, clearing lots of poison ivy and honeysuckle. Friends and family asked about hosting events and weddings. Our first few weddings had no running water or restrooms. We hired an architect, Jeff Day and a general contractor, K-Build and Frisella Nursery. And over a two year period, out of the dust arose an event space and a spacious home.
The triangle of talent, designed, moved tons of soil and rock and built a barn and house leaving no detail behind. The barn serves as the event space, a cafe and a market. With plenty of outdoor patios, the gardens are on full display, On wedding days, the house is used by the bride and groom as a peaceful place to prepare for their big day. the house is also available for rent to vacationers in Missouri wine country.
Sunflower Hill Farm is a family owned and operated venue. On any given day we have four generations of family helping maintain the farm
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Owning your own business is not the the faint of heart. The farm has endured floods, fires, fox in the hen house, equipment failure, faulty employees and falls. With every unfortunate disaster, I think to myself, where did I go wrong and how can I learn from my mistake. Although flooding is a natural disaster, the creek was cleared of debris to avoid future flooding issues. Every out of control fire at the farm was caused by human error. I now have hoses and fire extinguishers on hand. Several foxes have visited the chicken coop and destroyed countless chickens, turkeys and quineas resulting in a more secure hen house. Cafe equipment is expensive and when they need a repair or replacement it hurts the bottom line, take care of appliances and equipment. I do not want to discuss faulty employees, all business owners have them, ask them to leave. Personally I have fallen many times at the farm. the worst fall landed me in the hospital for two days. In another fall, I broke my foot. Lesson here is too slow down, know where the farm dogs are at all times and get back up and begin again.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I have had many pivotal events in my life, career and business that rerouted my future. In life suffered a near death experience that left me a more compassionate person and a little more fearless or maybe reckless. My career in nursing traversed hospitals, doctor office and school nurse. I learned so much about life and death and those experiences made me a better mom, but when my children were in high school, I went back to school myself to get a degree in Horticulture. As in nursing, growing involves care and knowledge. Only difference is plants are supposed to be green and patients should not be green.
The most profound pivot for the farm was the going from a personal place to go and get lost in the flowers and trees to becoming primarily an event business.
Sunflower Hill Farm, like many businesses suffered in the hands of COVID. How does the farm generate revenue when we could not host events or open the cafe? The staff started preparing dinners for the locals and dropped them at doorsteps without any human contact. COVID was our biggest setback.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sunflowerhillfarm.com
- Instagram: sunflowerhillfarm
- Facebook: sunflowerhillfarmMo
Image Credits
The Young’s Photo + Film Laura Ann Miller Photo + Film Chelsea Liefer Photo Mike Cassimatis Photography K-Build Media