Gateway to the West

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We left Cameron, Missouri yesterday and traveled East across the state towards St. Louis. The drive took place on back roads, and when we realized that we'd be passing right by the world's largest goose and pecan, we knew we had to stop.

Maxie the Goose is located in a small town called Sumner, the wild goose capitol of the world (although we didn't see a single wild goose while we were there). She's a big statue in the middle of a small public park, and we could walk right up and touch her. After some good photos and video coverage, we were off to Brunswick, home of the world's largest pecan. We found it, sitting right outside The Nut Hut, a family-owned store on the side of the highway. We pulled over to take some pictures, and while outside noticed a sign reading "Pop-Up Theater". We had to know. We went inside, where we met Farmer James, son of the original owners of James Farm, Inc. He was very friendly, and we got to talking to him and asked what a pop-up theater was. Little did we know what would await us...

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He told us that the farming industry in northern Missouri was experiencing some tough times, and he knew that in order to keep his pecan farm ahead of the competition, he had to do something different. So he created a children's book, starring the two characters in the company's logo, Wham the Hammer and Petey the Pecan. The book did pretty well, and from there Farmer James decided to do more to attract people to his store. He created a giant pop-up book, 8' x 8' , and placed it on a stage in a storage backroom behind the store. He built a sitting area for an audience, added lighting and a sound system. The original plan was that he would read the story aloud to the children who came, but when people heard about his plan, more and more people became involved. Before he knew it, local musical groups had recorded professional songs Farmer James had written for his story. A former Disney artist was hired to create the larger-than-life illustrations, and by the time it was all said and done, Farmer James had created a full 45-minute show complete with pop-up sections from below the stage, a live stage performance with Farmer James donning costumes and singing and dancing along with the songs, inviting audience participation.

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But back to us. We asked what a pop-up theater was, and he said that since we were on our honeymoon, he would give us a 5-minute preview, free of charge. We followed him back to the stage, where he turned on all of the equipment and began the show. He skipped through most of the story narration, giving us a taste of the different musical styles in the show, as well as the artwork in the giant book. He did a wonderful job of telling a fun fictional story, while also teaching us quite a bit about the pecan farming industry. This is a must see for anyone traveling through this area -- kids and adults alike will enjoy it.  Farmer James also has plans for a mini-amusement park to help boost the Brunswick economy. The entry way to the theater is a work in progress. He's wanting to create a Willy Wonka style, with bright lights and moving equipment that pecan farmers use daily. His farm and store can be found along Route 24, just west of Brunswick in northern Missouri. Find out more about Farmer James and his pop-up theater at:

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http://www.agrimissouri.com/articles/jamespecanfarm.htm

and

http://www.mda.mo.gov/cgi-bin/agrimomembers.cgi?id=94

We love this guy, and are sure you will too!