Forget purple mountains’ majesty, in Garden City, it’s all about those amber waves of grain. To Kansans, nothing beats those wide fields of shimmering gold, waving in the breeze beneath a picture perfect robin’s egg blue sky. You can practically smell the bread, baking in the air.
For Garden City, the harvest is a special time. Workers flood the city from every direction, some from as far away as Canada, and it is easy to see why. Garden City sits in the perfect sweet spot, right in the middle of the Kansas bread basket. There are plenty of places to stay, and a seemingly unlimited supply of some of the best restaurants in the state, just what you need after a long day in the combine.
In fact, some of the best, most productive wheat fields grow just outside the city, and even if they don’t, many seasonal workers find Garden City is worth the drive.
Weather this year has been hot and dry, the season is off to a great start, and the US Department of Agriculture predicts a strong season in 2020.
Hard Red Winter Wheat
The National Association of Wheat Growers places Garden City near the center of their wheat growers’ map, placing it in prime position for growing hard red winter wheat.
Hard red winter wheat accounts for 95% of the wheat grown in Kansas. It has a strong, earthy flavor and its size and high protein count makes it ideal for baking bread. Additional, Hard red winter can be used to make tortillas and flatbreads, as well as ramen noodles.
Wheat workers who stay in Garden City will no doubt find a little bit of what they harvest in the field right there on their plate.
Long Days Deserve Comfortable Nights
Many Garden City residents have friends of family who work in agriculture, and we know what a tough job it can be. Especially during harvest times, the workload can be intense and the days are sure to be long. During those busy times, sleep becomes all the more important.
Modern farming relies on various pieces of heavy equipment. This makes the work go much faster than manual farming, but it can also lead to accidents. Most accidents involving heavy machinery are preventable, and one of the best ways you can stay vigilant in helping to prevent them is by getting a good night’s sleep.
It’s true. There is a grim statistic from the American Sleep Association that says drowsy driving is responsible for 40,000 injuries annually. Combine drowsiness with heavy machinery and you could be looking at something very, very serious.
Aside from potential for injury, lack of sleep can cause a serious dip in productivity. An underslept worker loses 11 days annually due to lack of sleep, and at harvest time, when being successful requires pinpoint accuracy in wind and weather, timing and productive workers can mean the difference between a good harvest and a great one.
Where To Stay in Garden City
Garden City Kansas has no shortage of places to hang your hat at the end of a long day in the field. From hotels to motels to a pretty, quaint bed and breakfast, Garden City has it all. No matter where you choose to stay, you will be greeted with a smile and the exceptional customer service visitors who come to Garden City have come to expect.
We have listed a few options below, but urge you to remember there are plenty more to choose from in Garden City.
The Heritage Inn and Suites
The Heritage is one of the top hotels in Garden City for good reason. They offer comfy beds, a breakfast buffet, even a workout facility if you’re not too tired from the harvest. The hotel is also attached to Parrot Cove, an indoor waterpark complete with slides, a lazy river, and an indoor climbing wall.
Stay here and you might just want to stick around until next year’s harvest too.
Best Western Emerald Inn and Suites
Aside from the usual, comfortable beds, large rooms, good shower pressure, the Emerald Inn boasts one of the best hotel breakfasts in Garden City. Perfect for a field worker on the way to a job site, this is the kind of thing that will fuel you and and keep you going all day long.
The AmericInn by Wyndham
The AmericInn has a perfect location, close to restaurants and Garden City sites, as well as the highway. This makes it an ideal launchpad for a farm worker who has decided to stay in the city. Like many places in town, the AmericInn offers its guests all the luxuriuous amenities they could want, as well as a complimentary breakfast in the morning.
In Conclusion
We hope you will consider a stay in Garden City for this year’s wheat harvest and for years to come. Here, you’ll find the very best in amenities, comfort, and care that will have you ready for what lies ahead!
