Monday, August 31, 2009
Few may remember former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ off-hand comment two years ago while visiting wineries in Washington State.
“You should be thankful we don’t make wine in Kansas,” she said. “If you ever see Kansas wine, don’t drink it.”
Don Bryant, co-owner of Jefferson Hill Farm and Winery in McLouth sells goods at the Lawrence farmer's Saturday morning. Bryant responded to Kathleen Sebielius' apology with a letter asking for local vineyards the ability to sell wine at farmer's markets.
But Kansas winemakers remember. Her comments, and subsequent meetings with Kansas winemakers, resulted in a series of reforms. The state legislature passed a law this summer that spurred a recent amendment to city code allowing the retail of alcoholic drinks at the Lawrence Farmer’s Market.
Don Bryant, who is a co-owner of Jefferson Hill Farm and Winery in McLouth with his wife, Maxine, was among the several Kansas winery owners who received a letter of apology from Sebelius for her comments. He said he responded to her apology with a letter saying that, to really help Kansas winemakers, she should pass a law allowing them to sell wine at farmers markets.
Kansas has 19 vineyards and 15 wineries, which combine to produce more than 50,000 gallons of wine each year. Until the city commission approved the amendment on Tuesday, they were only allowed to sell their wine at their own vineyard, ship their wine out-of-state and sell it through a licensed Kansas liquor store.
To discuss what changes were needed, Sebelius invited the Bryants and other winery owners to a conference with herself and Kansas secretaries of agriculture and commerce. Bryant said he told her there that they needed to be allowed to sell wine at farmer’s markets.
And now, two years later, Bryant’s suggestion has become a reality.
Jessica Sadler, Janks, Okla., junior, wasn’t surprised by the amendment’s passage.
“It’s not like people will come to the farmer’s market and get drunk,” she said. “It’s probably like everything else. It’ll taste better because it’s made locally.”
Don and Maxine Bryant, who have spent the last 11 years and much of their own money building their winery, said they appreciated all the work it took for statesmen to change the laws.
“I’m grateful for what they’ve done,” Don said. “It’s just difficult when you’ve sunk so much money into a farm, and they’ve added so many attachments to selling a product.”
Though the amendment is a step to loosen up these restrictive laws, Tom Buller, coordinator of the Lawrence Farmer’s Market, said the amendment still had its limitations.
“It has to be a local vendor and you have to own your own vineyard,” he said.
Not only that, but vendors are only allowed to participate in one farmers market per week. Lawrence has two, one on Thursday morning and one on Saturday morning.
“That’s the law: sell at a bona fide farmer’s market, one day a week,” Don Bryant said.
Both Don and Maxine Bryant said they were still frustrated with the limits placed on their business.
“I think some of it is so ridiculous, like not being able to sell wine in baskets with chocolate,” Maxine Bryant said. “And let us sell at events.”
Don Bryant said he would begin selling his wine at the Lawrence Farmer’s Market next Saturday morning, after he received his sales permit.
— — Edited by Abbey Strusz
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