Where Kansas history, local harvests and heartfelt hospitality come together for an unforgettable farm-to-table evening
Past meets present at Echo Dell Farm, a farm-to-table dining destination in north central Kansas. Tucked away in a small, peaceful valley, dinner guests can enjoy a selection of locally sourced foods accompanied by the gentle, distant echoes of farmers tending their fields.
The farm was first homesteaded in 1871 by a Civil War veteran named John Livers, says Sue Shoemaker-Shea, who opened Echo Dell Farm three years ago. “His son later sold it to my parents, who lived here for 74 years,” she adds.
Amy Meng
Opening Echo Dell Farm was a way to honor her parents, Shoemaker-Shea says, as well as the generations of farmers, ranchers and Native Americans who have worked this land. “When my mom was in her 90s, she told me that the original owner called this place Echo Dell Farm. I immediately knew it was the name we’d use for our dining destination,” she says.
Keeping the menu full of wholesome, Kansas-sourced food is Shoemaker-Shea’s top priority. The artisan breads are made in a small cottage bakery just down the road. Meats come from local ranchers, jellies and jams from local farmers markets. Most seasonal produce comes from the farm. Home-grown onions, potatoes, veggies, fragrant herbs—even the edible flowers used to garnish foods—add freshness to each meal.
“We like to say that we cook from the ground up,” Shoemaker-Shea says.
Chef Chris Coffman thrives on the challenge of working in a rural setting. “The weekly harvest is the biggest inspiration for our menus,” Coffman says. “We change them every week based on what is fresh and available. We try really hard to never repeat an exact dish, though there are a few fan favorites, including our French onion bisque and butternut and acorn squash bisque. They come back once a year.”
Amy Meng
Planning a multi-course dinner is all about the details. Like a well-directed play, the stage is set to create a memorable evening. As soon as guests arrive, they are served aperitifs in vintage hand-cut champagne coupes. Next, Shoemaker-Shea greets the guests and offers a toast before sharing some of the farm’s history and an explanation of the seven-course meal they are about to enjoy.
Showcasing classic, historical flavors, the menu served at my dining experience was inspired by America’s 250th anniversary. We started out with a grazing platter loaded with crudités, pickled vegetables and an array of cheeses made from goat, cow and sheep’s milk. But it was the pumpkin hummus, served in small, hollowed-out pumpkins, that left diners audibly delighted.
Echo Dell Farms can accommodate between 20 and 30 guests. On the evening I visited, 23 diners gathered to enjoy this intimate experience. Our group ranged in ages and backgrounds, yet conversation flowed easily, a reminder that the language of good food has become universal. Guests compared notes on the rosemary-infused water and savored a velvety soup of smoky poblano and sweet potato brightened with cilantro oil, which delighted even cilantro-averse diners.
We all have our preferences, of course. For me, tarragon all too often overpowers a dish. But I started to question my long-held belief after trying the farm’s heirloom tomato and tarragon salad.
Amy Meng
For the main course, Coffman served bison, a dish that many of the guests had never tasted before. Coffman’s slow-cooked pot roast, served with rutabaga and parsnip, was both tender and tasty.
To end the evening, pastry chef Tammy Cooper served a classic apple crisp, accompanied by flavored whipped cream, an edible shard of caramel-flavored sugar glass, and a pot of French press coffee.
Meals last about two and a half hours. The various courses are served on assorted vintage dishes and paired with eclectic silverware, making each place setting unique. When the weather allows, guests gather around dining tables set outside among the tall trees. During inclement weather, the tables are moved inside the family’s farm home.
However, Shoemaker-Shea’s plans for 2026 include opening an indoor venue, which will serve as a cozy space for smaller weddings, celebrations, and even cooking classes.
Before and after dinner, guests are invited to tour the property. The Old Man of the Forest, a sculpture carved from one of the trees on site, is a favorite among guests. The grounds are filled with other eye-catching metal sculptures made from parts of old farm equipment and tools. This working farm also likes to show off its menagerie—everything from miniature pigs and donkeys, to emus, alpacas, geese, guineas and goats. Guests looking for a cozy retreat after dinner can relax in front of one of the fire pits, cup of coffee in hand, often beneath a starlit sky.
Amy Meng
Handcrafted cocktails are available at the Grain Bin Bar, a round metal grain bin that Shoemaker-Shea’s husband, Pat Shea, turned into a bar. Within its rounded walls, experienced bartenders mix cocktails using spirits from Dodge City’s Boot Hill Distillery. Order one of the bar’s unique selections, such as Echo Dell Sunset, Goat’s Mustache or Farmer’s Old-Fashioned, which features a wheat-based bourbon from Kansas. Handcrafted beers from Irrigation Ales in Courtland are also available; their beers are made with locally sourced ingredients, including Kansas-grown malt, hops, fruits, veggies and herbs.
Echo Dell Farm may be off the beaten path, but reservations are a must. This experience is typically booked a couple of months in advance. Although the farm attracts diners from surrounding counties, it also draws people from all over Kansas and nearby states.
