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Kansas Profile

Author: Jason Hackett

Ray Ford and Joel Heath, Burr Roasters

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

Not all coffees are created equal. Today we’ll meet a couple of artisan coffee roasters who have learned the truth of this statement and applied it to their remarkable coffee business.

Ray Ford and Joel Heath are the makers of this remarkable coffee. They are co-owners of Burr Roasters & Cafe in Leavenworth.

From left: Ray Ford, Joel Heath
From left: Ray Ford, Joel Heath

Ray Ford grew up in Kentucky and joined the Army. “I grew up with bad coffee,” Ray said. “Everybody drinks coffee in the field,” he said. “(The coffee is) warm and you’re cold.” Soldiers drank whatever coffee was provided.

Ray took a job in retail which included working in a coffee shop. “I got a knack for it,” Ray said.

He finished his Army career at Fort Leavenworth. An Army friend named Johnny Kasper was also in his church. They talked about opening a coffee shop in Leavenworth after they retired. Together, they opened Burr Roasters, a veteran-owned, small-batch roastery and coffee shop located in historic downtown Leavenworth. Continue reading “Ray Ford and Joel Heath, Burr Roasters” →

Jackie Mundt, ag advocate

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

Growing food and growing people. Those two are not the same, but they both have to do with positive development for the future – and they are the two motivating priorities that inspire one young Kansas leader daily. They have helped propel her to not one, but two national agriculture awards.

Jackie Mundt
Jackie Mundt

Jackie Mundt is communications and marketing manager for Kanza Cooperative Association and a two-time winner of national awards from the American Farm Bureau Federation. She and Marc Rundell live on Marc’s family farm in Pratt County.

Jackie grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. She was active in FFA and was elected national FFA president in 2004. Her duties involved traveling to FFA chapters, schools, and other meetings across the United States and beyond. One of those meetings was the state FFA convention in Fresno, California.

“I fell in love with the people and the campus there,” Jackie said. She ultimately enrolled at Fresno State University and earned a degree in agricultural communications. Along the way she met Kansas farmboy Marc Rundell. Continue reading “Jackie Mundt, ag advocate” →

Michele Nordahl, Anderson & Forrester

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

“Where should we land?” That sounds like something a pilot might say, but in this case, I’m referring to a business decision. A company in Denver was looking to relocate and considering various locations. The place where they chose to land with their business was a small community in rural Kansas.

From left: Michele Nordahl, Chad Nordahl and Roxane Metzen
From left: Michele Nordahl, Chad Nordahl and Roxane Metzen

Michele Nordahl and Roxane Metzen are co-owners of the Anderson & Forrester company, which they chose to relocate from Colorado to Clearwater, Kansas. Anderson & Forrester is a maker of specialized brass fittings which serve as orifices to channel natural gas or propane inside gas- or propane-powered devices.

Michele is a longtime human resources business executive. She grew up in Oregon and worked in New Jersey before her career took her to Wichita. In 2014, her employer asked her to evaluate different company-owned businesses that the company was considering selling. One of those was Anderson & Forrester, which Michele eventually purchased herself with her friend Roxane. Michele is president and CEO. Michele’s son Chad is now general manager of the company. Continue reading “Michele Nordahl, Anderson & Forrester” →

Heather Johnson, S&S Drug – Part 2

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

Have you had your shot? That question was on the minds of millions as vaccinations for COVID-19 were rolled out across the country. Today we’ll learn about a rural Kansas pharmacy which responded to the pandemic in remarkable ways.

S&S Drugstore
S&S Drugstore

Last week we learned about Heather Johnson, chief executive of S&S Drug, a family-owned pharmacy in Beloit. Heather and her husband Jim Johnson have three children in college and high school. Jim, an attorney in Beloit, had grown up at the nearby rural community of Randall, population 65 people. Now, that’s rural.

“We hosted Jim’s high school class reunion at our house. They had 100% attendance,” Heather said. “Of course, it was only seven people,” she said with a smile.

But serious times hit rural America when the pandemic spread in spring 2020 and stay-at-home orders were issued across the nation. “Like any small business, the pandemic had a big impact on us,” Heather said. S&S closed its doors for four months and reopened in June 2020. Even though the retail operation closed, the pharmacy still had to meet essential needs and provide prescriptions through drive-up and delivery. Continue reading “Heather Johnson, S&S Drug – Part 2” →

Heather Johnson, S&S Drug – Part 1

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

“Giving back.” The term is frequently used, but what does it mean in practice? Today we’ll meet a family-owned pharmacy where the people have a longtime commitment to giving back to their rural community.

Heather Johnson is the CEO of S&S Drug, a family-owned pharmacy in downtown Beloit. S&S Drug has served north-central Kansas for more than 100 years. In 1986, Max and Michele Heidrick purchased the drugstore, and it has been in their family ever since. Their daughter Heather grew up in the business.

S and S Drug
From left: Jay Heidrick, Heather Johnson, Joe Heidrick, Michele Heidrick, Max Heidrick, Missy Heidrick

Heather went to Kansas State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and later got a master’s in special ed. She married Jim Johnson, who had grown up in neighboring Jewell County and earned a degree in agribusiness. After graduation, they moved to Norton, where Heather taught and Jim worked in a bank until he went to law school at the University of Kansas. In 2005, they moved back to Beloit, where Jim joined the law practice of attorney Curt Frasier. In 2007, Heather took a position as bookkeeper at her family’s business, S&S Drug. Heather and Jim also had three children. Continue reading “Heather Johnson, S&S Drug – Part 1” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Sarah Siders, Spark

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

A little spark can get a fire going – or in this case, it might help get entrepreneurship going. I’m referring to an organization named Spark which serves as a hub for resources to support entrepreneurs.

Sarah Siders is executive director of Spark. A Kansas State University graduate in social work, she left Manhattan briefly and planned to work overseas but came back a year later. She got married, went to graduate school for clinical social work with the goal of becoming a therapist, and then worked in the mental health department at Fort Riley’s Irwin Army Community Hospital. She and her husband also serve as a co-pastors of a Manhattan-based church, The Well. After nine years in the mental health field, she opened her own business.

Sarah Siders
Sarah Siders

“When I started my own counseling and coaching practice, I found I loved the business side of things,” Sarah said. She joined the organizing team of the 1 Million Cups entrepreneurship organization, worked closely with some of the original founders of the Manhattan co-working space called The Fellow, and wrote for Manhattan Business News. In 2019, colleagues encouraged her to run for Manhattan City Commission, which she did but was not elected.

“Five days after the election, a member of the organizing team recruited me to help develop a new entrepreneurship nonprofit organization in Manhattan called Spark,” Sarah said. In the first few months, Sarah developed Spark’s branding and took the lead on the proposal securing the bulk of Spark’s funding. In July 2020, Sarah was selected as executive director and the organization earned 501(c)3 status. Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Sarah Siders, Spark” →

Brett Hubka, A Mural Movement

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

There’s a fever which has begun in a Kansas community. Don’t worry, this is a good kind of fever. It is what one artist described as “mural fever,” where a community put up a mural and that led to another mural and then another. These murals have improved the downtown appearance and sparked new interest in the community.

Clay Center mural
Clay Center mural

Brett Hubka is community bank president in Clay Center, president of the Clay Center Rotary Club, and the person who launched the initial idea for a mural in his community.  Brett has rural roots, having grown up in Medicine Lodge. His mother is from the rural community of Sharon, population 158 people. Now, that’s rural.

Brett attended Kansas State University, where he met his future wife who is from Oberlin. They married and moved to Oklahoma where she attended optometry school. She joined a practice in Clay Center where Brett came to work in the bank. “Rural Kansas is important to us,” Brett said. “This is where we want to raise our kids.” Brett’s parents, Mike and Elene Hubka, are educators who now live in Manhattan. Continue reading “Brett Hubka, A Mural Movement” →

Mark Breault, Tailwind Pole Vault Club

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

Stand out above the crowd – in fact, 14 feet above the crowd. What makes this possible? Pole vaulting. Today we will learn about an innovative rural Kansan who is coaching and mentoring young people in pole vaulting and in life.

Mark Breault
Mark Breault

Doctor Mark Breault (pronounced “bro”) is the founder and operator of Tailwind Pole Vault Club. Mark grew up at Concordia, attended Cloud County Community College and then chiropractic college in Iowa before returning to open a chiropractic practice in his hometown. As a doctor of chiropractic, he became known locally as Doc Bro. He retired in 2014.

“I had pole vaulted in high school,” Doc said. “When my son got into school, there was no coach for that event. My old coach was still the head track coach there, so I volunteered to coach the pole vaulters.” Continue reading “Mark Breault, Tailwind Pole Vault Club” →

Inga Ojala, artist

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

It was the opening scene of the TV show “Gunsmoke.” Marshal Dillon stepped into Hollywood’s version of Dodge City’s Front Street for a quick-draw showdown with an unnamed gunman. That unnamed gunman was in fact a technical advisor for many major western stars. His daughter, an accomplished artist, would eventually find her way to the real Dodge City in Kansas.

Inga Ojala
Inga Ojala

Inga Ojala is an accomplished artist and art teacher. She is the daughter of Arvo Ojala, the gunman from the opening scene of “Gunsmoke.” Arvo Ojala’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Finland and settled on a ranch in Washington state. It was rugged country.  Arvo said he learned to shoot by shooting the heads off rattlesnakes. That would certainly provide an incentive to shoot quickly and accurately!

By the early 1950s, Arvo was working as a Hollywood stuntman. He observed the cowboy movie stars and designed a special type of holster which enabled them to draw their guns more quickly. Arvo practiced his skills to the point that he could draw in one-sixth of a second. Continue reading “Inga Ojala, artist” →

Cassidy Cage, Halle Schindler – C&H Designs

Posted on by Jason Hackett

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University

“Home is where the Herd is.” Wait, that’s supposed to say, “Home is where the ‘Heart’ is,” right? For two creative young women who grew up working in agriculture, both of those statements could apply. These women have used their creative talents to develop a business which is marketing products across Kansas and beyond.

From left, Halle Schindler and Cassidy Cage
From left, Halle Schindler and Cassidy Cage

Cassidy Cage and Halle Schindler are founders and business partners in the company named C&H Designs, after their first initials. Both are students at Kansas State University.

Cassidy Cage grew up at Muleshoe, Texas, and came to K-State where she is a student in Animal Sciences with a communications and marketing emphasis. She also joined the Sigma Kappa sorority.

Halle Schindler is studying agribusiness at K-State and joined the Sigma Kappa sorority at K-State as well. In fact, the two were paired together when Halle became Cassidy’s little sister within the sorority. The two became great friends and eventually roommates. Both of their families are involved in producing cattle. Continue reading “Cassidy Cage, Halle Schindler – C&H Designs” →