photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Matt Dehaemers, owner of Compass Prairie Art Farm, stands in his remnant 10-acre prairie on Monday, September 23, 2024.

Crickets and grasshoppers sing among the native grasses and flowers on a 10-acre remnant prairie southwest of Eudora. The prairie – located on the Compass Prairie Art Farm – offers numerous seasonal blooms of native flowers, and its highly diverse landscape is hard to find.

“There’s like a different palette of color that seems to sprinkle itself through the prairie,” said Matt Dehaemers, owner of Compass Prairie Art Farm. “Whether it’s coneflowers, a form of sunflower, blazing star or asters, it’s fun to see.”

Today, about 4% remains of the original tallgrass prairie ecosystem worldwide, and The Flint Hills of Kansas make up nearly 80% of what’s left, according to The Nature Conservancy. The Compass Prairie Art Farm is named after the compass plant, which can live for up to 100 years given the right conditions, and there are many of them on the prairie.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Compass Prairie Art Farm on Monday, September 23, 2024.

“They very much stand out above everything else,” Dehaemers said.

Dehaemers expressed that the most fulfilling aspect of his work and owning the farm is serving as a steward of the prairie, which he said has a documented 105 species of wildflowers and grasses that create the complex ecosystem of the land.

“I feel like a very rich person to have something this special,” Dehaemers said.

While he is a farmer, Dehaemers is also an accomplished artist. He’s been creating art for about 25 years and is known for his large public art installations. One of his works, the galvanized steel sculpture “Seven Sentinels,” is located at Kansas City’s municipal tow lot. His art can be found throughout Kansas City and the Midwest, with significant pieces displayed at Arrowhead Stadium and Operation Breakthrough at 31st and Troost.

His farm was put together over the past year, and Dehaemers said that creating it was an art piece in itself, especially with the flower bouquets.

Growing his flowers to what they are today started on a much smaller scale, where he would cut some flowers and give them to people.

“I enjoy creating a composition, just like an art piece,” Dehaemers said.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Matt Dehaemers has started making butterfly art pieces out of recycled iron chairs. He is pictured on Monday, September 23, 2024.

“It was just joyful to do that,” Dehaemers said. “It’s kind of become my happy place. And last year, I wanted to give it a go and see if I (could) grow a lot of them, and so, I’ve been learning my way through it on this scale.”

The project has since developed into combining his two passions – creating art and growing his farm.

In preparation for the Kaw Valley Farm Tour in the first weekend of October, he has recycled old rotary tines from tillers and welded them onto steel tubes to replicate flowers. Dehaemers is also working on other projects, including using all the parts of four iron chairs and turning them into butterflies.

This is the first time the Compass Prairie Art Farm will be participating in the Kaw Valley Farm Tour, and Dehaemers said he never thought he would have the opportunity to do it after attending several weekends over the years.

“When I started (growing) the flowers, and then the connection to the prairie, I thought you know, this would be really fun if I could do this,” Dehaemers said.

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photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Some prairie blazing star on Compass Prairie on Monday, September 23, 2024.

The 20th annual Kaw Valley Farm Tour will showcase 39 farms this year, inviting visitors to explore local agriculture. The event will take place on Saturday, October 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants can look forward to a variety of farm offerings and activities. For further details, including a map, driving directions, tour tips, and ticket purchases, visit kawvalleyfarmtour.org.

The Compass Prairie Art Farm will host two special walks of the remnant prairie, one on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 10:30 a.m. led by Courtney Masterson, proprietor of Native Lands LLC, and the other on Sunday Oct. 6 at 10:30 a.m. with Sheena Parsons, Field Station Manager for the Kansas Biological Survey. Photographer Terisa Morgan will also be available for mini photo sessions on the remnant prairie on Sunday, Oct. 6 from noon to 4 p.m. Additionally, there will be art featured by Holly Swangstu, Troy Swangstu and Anastacia Drake to view during the weekend.