Kansas Farmers Union is celebrating the 2026 International Year of the Farm Woman
On September 12, 2026, Dr. Lucinda Stuenkel, Sunny Day Farms, Palmer Kansas will be highlighted. Lucinda became the lead operator of the ranch and conventional crop farm in November of 2010, due to the untimely wreck that claimed her husband Daryl and his brother Kevin. This accident left behind two wives, five children and a very successful ranch that Lucinda stepped up and took over management of. Over the past 16 years she and Kevin’s two sons Aaron and Ryan have carried out plans that were in place; along with many new additions and improvements to the farm that made it easier for a woman and children to operate. Lucinda called it: “Farming with less muscle.” Over the years many regenerative and soil health practices have transformed the operation into the learning ranch that it is today.
Sunny Day Farms, 1835 Parallel Rd., Palmer, KS 66962 tour will start with check in and refreshments at 9 AM, on the back porch. This is a tour you will want to be sure to attend! The day will consist of great information, an on-site tour, networking, lunch, refreshments, and more. This field day is sponsored by Kansas Farmers Union, Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition, Clay County Conservation District, and Kansas Soil Health Alliance.
Pre-registration is a must if you want lunch! Bring your lawn chair.
The tour will offer:
*Cattle working areas, maternity and calving barn
*Modifications to equipment, machinery, tools
*Pasture grazing systems include paddocks, cross-fencing, poly wire, water development
*Various grasses, forages and cover crops
* Pasture cropping, sequential cover crops for live roots at all times, winter vetch cover crop proceeding milo
* Minimal haying and bale grazing
* Returning marginal cropland to native grass
* Beginning use of biological soil amendments
* Pollinator Strips
* Quail Coveys
* Goats grazing sericea lespedeza
Agencies involved in the research and practices:
Audubon Certified Bird Friendly Beef
Sand County Foundation Research Division
Kansas Wildlife & Parks
Clay County Conservation District
Details and required Registration Info: www.kansasfarmersunion.org/news
Or email, text or call Mary Howell: mary@kglc.org, 785-562-8726.
Questions: Call Mary or Lucinda 785-313-2056, Aaron Stuenkel 785-630-1203 or Ryan Stuenkel 785-541-1360
Make plans to attend!
- Driving Directions: Follow these directions to Sunny Day Farms and NOT GPS, especially if it has rained recently as many of the roads are primitive and impassable after a rain. Drive Either 25 miles South of Washington, (Hwy 36) driving on Highway 15 OR 12 miles North of Clay Center (Hwy 24) driving north on Highway 15 to Clay County 30th Rd.
Go East on Clay County 30th Road (also called 362) for 3 miles. Turn North (left) onto Quail Road for 1 mile. Turn East at the T (right) onto Parallel Road for 1.5 miles (at the second T, take the road less traveled which is straight East). Yellow and brownstone house with green mailbox.
Park in the barnyard grass by the corral East of the house and registration/snacks at the back porch.