Cooking Up Something Good in Northeast Kansas

Just like a good recipe works when different flavors and textures come together in a delicious dish, Jessica Gigstad’s life on a crop farm in Everest, Kansas, works as a beautiful blend of different roles — wife, mother, adventurer, homeschool teacher, local TV show host and blogger.

Jessica grew up on a dairy farm in Nebraska but had no interest in farming. She wanted to see the world.

“It’s funny to me how things turned out. Having grown up on a farm, I couldn’t wait to get away,” she said.

No one was more surprised than Jessica when she fell for Scott, a crop farmer in northeast Kansas who grows corn and soybeans on his family farm. When they were dating, Scott mentioned his love of travel — especially skiing — and Jessica was intrigued.

“He was a nice package of having those wholesome country values and yet being a little more carefree,” she said.

That was more than 10 years ago. Today Jessica and Scott are married and have a daughter Liesl, age 7, and a son Cal, age 5. And even though Jessica wanted to move away from the farm when she was younger, she now appreciates how the farming lifestyle makes for a close-knit family.

“We get to spend a lot of time with our kids. We can run a lunch out to Scott and get to see him during the day without worrying about bothering office co-workers,” she said. “Liesl’s a total daddy’s girl and loves to spend time with Scott. And Cal loooves machines. He could stay out in the field all day.”

Jessica is proud of Scott’s work ethic and is grateful the children have a chance to see that firsthand.

“It’s good for them to see their dad working hard. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty,” she said.

He’s also incredibly savvy about the business side of agriculture. He follows market reports and agriculture news throughout the day.

“The global economy really plays into when you sell your grain. It’s complicated. You have to be really well-informed and keep an eye on what’s going on in the world,” Jessica said. “What they do in China and Argentina really affects American farmers. Farmers have to be smart to figure all that out.”

Jessica also put her brains to use homeschooling her kids with several other families in the area.

“I formed a co-op with some of my friends three years ago. We meet three mornings a week and we give the kids a classroom experience. We have it set up where each mom takes a subject,” she said.

When COVID-19 hit the area and many schools switched to online learning, Jessica and her friends already had a successful rhythm within their own bubble.

“It’s been such a blessing,” she said.

Another blessing has been her cooking. When Jessica cooks, she likes to tinker. Whether she’s throwing together a one-skillet meal for dinner or concocting an on-the-go lunch, she approaches it with playfulness and enthusiasm.

“I love playing with a recipe,” she said. “I love being creative. I like to try new things. I’m pretty adventurous that way.”

Jessica’s creative spirit has been behind lots of amazing recipes like sunshine bars, Mediterranean nachos and chipotle “mock and cheese.”

Inspired by Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman), Jessica wanted to share her love of cooking with others. She started a blog called Highbrow Downhome and has her own local cooking show.

“It’s a nice creative outlet for me. Who doesn’t love to eat?!,” she said. “My background was in theater and vocal performance and I wanted to use that in some way.”

When she’s developing recipes, she dreams up different scenarios — a busy mom on a weeknight, a picnic lunch — then imagines what she would like to eat in those circumstances. And the results are mouth-watering.

So, while Scott is busy focusing on the farm — repairing equipment, managing the soil, planting, harvesting — Jessica is busy homeschooling and dreaming up more recipes to share.

To get to know Jessica better, visit her blog or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.