Jul 27, 2026
By Stephanie Eckroat
A food stand on the corner of Hillside and 103rd in Sedgwick County may be small, but it is mighty in all the ways that matter. At SKF Family Farms, Steven and Kelly Foster have carved out a thriving family operation in this little patch in Mulvane, sandwiched between Haysville and Derby, where sandy soil and steady determination have turned a once‑overgrown field into a place overflowing with life. The farm’s name, SKF, is drawn from Steven and Kelly Foster’s own initials and reflects how deeply their family is committed in every part of the work. The couple met through 4‑H as kids, long before they knew they would someday build a farm together. Today, they are raising their boys and running their operation completely debt free.
The farm began with a simple decision.
“Our kids are only little for so long,” Steven says. “So, we decided I would stay home and grow a garden to supplement our income and take care of our boys."
That garden grew faster than they expected. Steven, who once worked as a machinist, found himself drawn to the work.
“This place makes me happy,” he says. “It’s my escape.”
What started as a few extra vegetables soon became something bigger and, in 2024, Steven built a roadside stand.
Ninety‑five percent of the Foster family’s harvest moves straight through that small stand on the corner, where customers pull off the road, make their selections and leave their payment in a simple box. Extra produce from the Foster’s garden has grown into rows of cucumbers, hundreds of tomato plants, and thousands of onions, along with cantaloupe, potatoes, greens, squash, okra, and beans. Every crop starts as a seed in Steven’s hands and ends up on that corner; a quiet exchange between grower and neighbor that has become one of the small, steady traditions of the area.
The farm itself has expanded far beyond the stand. Steven now grows more than 300 cucumber plants and 500 tomato plants; all started from seed. He planted 7,000 onions this year, along with three varieties of potatoes and eight varieties of watermelon including red, orange, and yellow flesh — more than 8,000 seeds in all. Watermelons have become one of his specialties. Last year, he donated 25 of them to a homeless shelter. He also donates watermelons to the local library’s end‑of‑summer party, where kids get to taste different varieties and learn how they are grown.
“We try to be part of the community,” Steven says.
In fact, the very first produce he ever sold came from taking extra garden vegetables to his kids’ story time at the library. That moment planted the seed for the roadside stand.
The soil here is sandy and loose, a surprise to Steven, who grew up around Topeka where heavy clay soil is more prevalent. He was not sure how crops would respond, but the land proved ideal — quick draining, warm and easy to work. The conditions have allowed him to experiment with seedless watermelons, which have become increasingly popular with local schools, and he is already in discussions with a district about supplying them in the future.
Requests from customers often shape what Steven grows next. When people began asking for sweet potatoes, he decided to give them a try. He started both purple and orange varieties with guidance from extension education. His first instinct was to plant 1,000, but Kelly encouraged him to ease in and “get it figured out first.” The project is now moving forward thoughtfully, expanding only as they learn what works best.
Steven’s farm continues to expand. He is adding a greenhouse so he can offer fall and winter produce like lettuce and tomatoes. He also rents five acres from a neighbor, turning what had been an overgrown Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field, which is land set aside and planted to grasses so the soil can rest and rebuild, into a productive garden by cutting trees, burning brush and restoring the soil. A local beekeeper from town, who owns Bushel and a Peck, keeps his hives on Steven’s farm, which helps pollinate the crops while producing honey from the very plants Steven grows.
The farm’s reach extends beyond produce. Steven grows flowers; sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, baby’s breath, and mixed wildflowers, supplying two flower shops in Mulvane and Derby. The Foster family also partners with the local FFA chapter to grow around 6,000 pumpkins each year. Mulvane FFA students take the lead in planting, tending, and harvesting the crop, gaining hands‑on agricultural experience that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom.
At its core, the pumpkin project is an educational experience that naturally grows into a broader community service effort. Each year, roughly 500 pumpkins are donated to primary school children, giving Mulvane FFA members a chance to connect directly with local families through hands-on service. Steven sells the remaining pumpkins, helping sustain the partnership and ensuring the program continues to thrive.
Steven hopes this year’s profits will allow him to buy his first tractor. For now, he borrows one when he can and hand till the rest, a reminder of how much of this farm has been built through sheer effort. But every season brings new progress, new partnerships, and new possibilities. What began as a small garden to help a young family has grown into a farm that feeds neighbors, supports students, strengthens community ties, and proves that even the smallest stand can make a mighty impact.