Cami Koons

Reporter

Flatland contributor Cami Koons is a freelance journalist focusing on food chain and sustainability issues.

Stories by Cami Koons

An aerial view of the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, which sprawls across almost 4,000 acres.

Lake City Ammo Plant May Reload

Congress has approved language for the National Defense Authorization Act that reverses the previously proposed cuts to small ammunition production at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant.

Melissa Nelson-Baldwin catches hemp hurds as they fall out of the decorticator at South Bend Industrial Hemp.

‘Highway to Hemp’: Waves of Fiber and Grain

South Bend Industrial Hemp, located at the outskirts of Great Bend, Kansas, is at the cutting edge of the emerging industrial hemp economy.

A multi-colored mural of Osage Nation members against a light pink backdrop. This story outlines the erasure of one of the many Native American nations who resided on what we now know at Kansas City.

curiousKC | How the People Who Are Native to KC Lived, and Why Their Story Has Been Erased

The story of how Kansas City came to be often eliminates the story of the tribes who were forcibly removed. This is the story of the Osage Nation.

Pasture-raised turkeys at Farrar Family Farm in Adrian, Missouri.

Locally Sourced Turkeys Flying Off the Shelves for Thanksgiving, Despite Higher Prices

Demand for turkeys, particularly smaller birds, is strong this Thanksgiving season, even thought prices are up about 20% over last year.

Jill McKeever, creator of the perfume brand For Strange Women, mixes together a new scent using organic plant material.

Alternative Fragrance Shop Serves (Scent)sitive People

For Strange Women, a natural perfume store based in Kansas City, creates unique scents for people all over the world.

Early in harvest season, Luke Poindexter walked the fields to cherry pick the prettiest hemp buds to sell as smokable CBD flower.

‘Highway to Hemp’: Fledgling Industry Struggles to Take Root

Growing industrial hemp has proven riskier and more difficult than many farmers in Kansas and Missouri initially expected.

Sophie Blank (left) and brother Calvin pick pumpkins at Johnson Farm every year.

Great Pumpkins Keep Family Traditions Alive, Even Through A Pandemic

More than 80% of Americans plan to buy at least one pumpkin each fall. Like turkey on Thanksgiving or singing at Christmas, the pumpkin patch has become a family tradition for many.

Anton Washington, who leads the Houseless Task Force, helped folks get situated at an encampment on 11th Street and Harrison Ave.

curiousKC | A Homelessness Resources Guide

Here's a brief housing and homelessness guide with information on seeking or giving help.

Myranda Agnew and Kevin Hawkins at the Community of Hope in Leavenworth

The Hidden Homeless of Rural America

Unhoused people in rural areas of Kansas and Missouri often go unseen and unhelped.

Robert Cox's stepson, Tristn Jevon, passed away in February from an accidental fentanyl overdose.

Mind, Body and Crime in the Country

Drug addiction and untreated mental health issues are leading contributors to higher violent crime rates in rural America.