Kansas State University

search

Kansas Profile

Tag: community vitality

From Tampa, Kansas to Tampa Bay, Florida

Posted on by Pat Melgares

From Tampa, Kansas to Tampa Bay, Florida. That’s quite a journey and quite a contrast.

Welcoming reception in Tampa Bay, Florida
Welcoming reception in Tampa Bay, Florida

Today, in the conclusion of our series about Tampa, we’ll learn about the remarkable connection that was made between these two communities – one small and rural, the other large and urban.

During the last two weeks, we’ve learned about Dave Mueller, a Marion County farmer who has purchased and renovated several buildings in Tampa, Kansas. He shared the story of this amazing urban-rural connection.

This all began with the creative staff at the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Tampa Bay, Florida, which is located on the west coast of the state along the Gulf of Mexico.

The Tampa Bay tourism staff was just wrapping up a conference in Orlando, a couple of hours away. As many of us do these days, they asked their phones how long it would take to drive home to Tampa. When the answer came back, “23 hours,” they were amazed.

Was something wrong with their GPS? No, the phone had correctly calculated the drive time from their location to Tampa…Kansas.

Continue reading “From Tampa, Kansas to Tampa Bay, Florida” →

Lannin Zoltenko, Zoltenko Farms and Wildcat Blockchain

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Woman and man posing for camera
Melanie and Lannin Zoltenko

“We deliver the male.” No, I’m not referring to the U.S. Postal Service.

 

In this case, it refers to a business that delivers selected male genetics to pork production operations across the Midwest. This same innovative farm family is also pursuing blockchain and bitcoin mining from its location in rural Kansas.

Lannin Zoltenko is president and managing partner at Zoltenko Farms and Wildcat Blockchain. His family’s farm is in Jewell County, just one mile from the Nebraska state line. Five generations of the family have lived here. The farm became a century farm in 2017.

Zoltenko’s folks are James and Sherryl Zoltenko. Lannin and his wife Melanie have two boys: Chandler, who is farming, and Taran who is at Kansas State University, which is also her father’s alma mater.

For decades, the Zoltenkos had a traditional diversified livestock farm raising cattle, crops and pigs. The hog operation was farrow-to-finish, meaning that the males (boars) were bred to the females (sows), which gave birth to piglets that were then raised to market weight.

In 1997, Zoltenko was considering whether to come back to the farm. His parents were trying to decide whether to retire or expand.

Continue reading “Lannin Zoltenko, Zoltenko Farms and Wildcat Blockchain” →

Victoria Lumber

Posted on by Pat Melgares

It is nine o’clock at night. You are in the middle of a plumbing repair, and you find you need another plumbing fitting. The big box stores are closed. Delivery service is a day or two away.

What do you do?

Store front, Victoria Lumber
Victoria Lumber

If you’re in Victoria, Kansas, you call Jim. He’ll come open Victoria Lumber so you can get the part you need. This is the kind of customer service that helps sustain this store in rural Kansas.

Jim and Becky Scheck are the owners of Victoria Lumber. Jim grew up in the area and worked at a manufacturing plant in Hays until the company relocated. He then farmed and worked in the oilfield.

In 1983, a neighboring landowner asked Scheck if he would want to work part-time at Victoria Lumber, the local hardware store and lumberyard.

Scheck took the job. Within six months, he was working there full-time. He started as a yard man, then worked at fixing screens and moved up to become a bookkeeper. “It gave me a good overview of the entire business,” he said.

Victoria Lumber Company was founded in 1952. In 2006, after the previous owner became ill, Jim and Becky purchased the business.

Continue reading “Victoria Lumber” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Kay Haffner, Grainfield PRIDE

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

“That shows a lot of pride.” This statement applies when we see a community that is clean and neat, with active businesses and busy downtown buildings. Today, we will visit a group of community volunteers who are utilizing their pride – and the Kansas PRIDE program – to benefit their rural town.

Kay Haffner is the co-chair of the Grainfield Community Development Committee, active members of the Kansas PRIDE program. In 2020, Kansas PRIDE is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding, so we will be highlighting Kansas PRIDE communities during the year ahead.

Kansas PRIDE is a partnership of K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Masons, and Kansas PRIDE, Inc. Through the program, local volunteers identify their community’s priorities and then work with the resources of these partners to create their ideal community future.

The Grainfield Community Development Committee or GCDC formed and joined the PRIDE program in 2009. Kay Haffner and her husband own a trucking company here.  She volunteers with the GCDC.

“We were a town that was dying,” Kay said. “Nothing was being done.” GCDC members decided to refurbish the community’s old, faded Christmas decorations. They got tinsel and lights and redid the decorations. It went so well that they decided to take on more projects.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Kay Haffner, Grainfield PRIDE” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Nancy Daniels and Nadine Sigle – First Impressions

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Did your mother tell you that? If so, she was right. First impressions are important, for communities as well as people. Today we’ll learn about a program which can help Kansas towns create their community’s best possible first impression for visitors and prospective residents, while setting the stage for community action.

Nancy Daniels and Nadine Sigle are community vitality specialists with K-State Research and Extension. They use a program called First Impressions to provide helpful feedback for community improvement initiatives across the state.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Nancy Daniels and Nadine Sigle – First Impressions” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Dane Hansen – Part 2

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

 From scholarships to strategies, from volunteers to entrepreneurs, from rural health care to community betterment: All those elements are being supported by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation which is investing deeply and strategically in northwest Kansas.

Betsy Wearing is coordinator of programs, communications, and new initiatives for the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Betsy was a long-time director of the Greater Salina Community Foundation before joining Hansen.

Last week we learned about successful entrepreneur Dane Hansen. His estate plan provided part of his assets for a foundation in his hometown of Logan to benefit northwest Kansas. A group of excellent trustees has grown those assets through the years.

For decades, the Hansen Foundation has been known for the scholarships it provides to students in northwest Kansas. There are several categories of these renewable college scholarships which can provide a student up to $10,000 per year. Last year 280 total scholarships were made available.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Dane Hansen – Part 2” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Trudy Rice – National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

It was time to elect a new president. No, I’m not talking about the Electoral College. In this case, I’m referring to a national professional association which was electing new officers. When the voting was done, the new president of this national organization is a woman from rural Kansas.

Kansas native Trudy Rice is the incoming president of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals

Trudy Rice is the incoming president of this organization known as the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, or NACDEP. That name is quite a mouthful, but it represents lots of important community development educational programming which is being carried out across the country.

Trudy grew up in western Kansas and graduated from Norton. She went to K-State and got a degree in education. She also met and married Ron Rice and returned with him to his family farm in Douglas County south of Lawrence.

Trudy began her career in extension as a 4-H agent in Douglas County and then took time off to stay home as she and Ron had children. She also owned and operated her own small business. When the kids were older, she returned to extension as a family and consumer sciences agent in Douglas County. Son Brad is now back on the farm and daughter Brandie is a faculty member at K-State.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Trudy Rice – National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Heather Morgan – Project 17 – Part 2

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

T, W, and S are three letters which are sometimes used to precede the title of a project in southeast Kansas. What does TWS stand for? The Weather System? Toward West and South? Some company? No, in this case, it stands for “Together We Succeed,” which is an apt description of the mindset which drives Project 17 in southeast Kansas.

Pictured left to right: Heather Morgan, Project 17 director; April Mason, K-State Provost; and Jeff Tucker, director of the Advanced Manufacturing Institute.
Pictured left to right: Heather Morgan, Project 17 director; April Mason, K-State Provost; and Jeff Tucker, director of the Advanced Manufacturing Institute.

Last week we learned about Project 17, which uses Together We Succeed as an unofficial motto. Heather Morgan is the executive director. She grew up in Pratt, did undergraduate work at Kansas Wesleyan and then got her master’s in public administration at K-State while working with the women’s basketball team and K-State Athletics.

After graduation, Heather worked in the governor’s budget office in Topeka. She joined the state Juvenile Justice Authority where she became assistant commissioner and also served for a time as a county manager.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Heather Morgan – Project 17 – Part 2” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Heather Morgan – Project 17

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

What’s your platform? No, not fancy shoes or the policy statements which are debated and adopted by the political parties every four years. I’m talking about what has been referred to as a “regional change platform.” In fact, it is a grassroots network that is working to improve the lives of citizens across a multi-county region of southeast Kansas.

project17logoProject 17 is the name of this project for regional economic development and community engagement in the southeast region of the state, led by the Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AMI) within Kansas State University’s College of Engineering. Jeff Tucker is executive director of AMI. Since 2004 AMI has been working with companies, communities, and regions throughout Kansas to help cultivate rural, innovation-based economies.

Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Heather Morgan – Project 17” →