Kansas State University

search

Kansas Profile

Category: Community vitality

Craig and Amy Good, Good Farms

Posted on by Pat Melgares

Today let’s go to Lupa Osteria Romana, a high quality restaurant in the heart of New York City. The restaurant is serving delicious pork.

Where was it raised? On the Good Farm, half a continent away in Kansas.

Craig and Amy Good, portrait
Craig and Amy Good

Craig and Amy Good are the owners of Good Farm, the source of this specialty pork. Craig, the son of Don and Jane Good, grew up in Manhattan. He graduated from Manhattan High and earned a degree from Kansas State in animal science. Craig met and married Amy who earned her degree in what is now called health and human sciences.

After graduation, Craig worked for Fred Germann, who was an innovator in producing Specific Pathogen Free hogs. After five years, with Fred’s blessing, Craig and Amy moved to a farm near Olsburg and started producing breeding stock of their own.

“My passion is to make the next generation of production better than the last,” Craig said. He worked hard on improving the family’s swine herd and selling quality breeding stock to other pork producers.

Then the hog market crashed in1998. The market dried up for Craig’s boars and gilts.

“We went through a brief time of blaming others,” Craig said. “We could blame the packers or blame the corporations, but the blame game serves no purpose.”

Craig and Amy came up with possible alternative crops for their farm and approached K-State agricultural economist Vincent Amanor-Boadu. He looked at the alternatives but ultimately said to them: “Do what you’re good at, and that is raising hogs.”

Continue reading “Craig and Amy Good, Good Farms” →

Pawnee Rock Easter Pageant

Posted on by Pat Melgares

Let’s take a trip back in time. How far?  Let’s say, a couple of thousand years. That’s the premise of a play that one rural Kansas community performs live on Easter Sunday, using a remarkable stone outcropping as a natural stage.

Pawnee Rock with three crosses on top
Pawnee Rock Easter Pageant

Dale and Berny Unruh and Roy and Tricia Prescott are co-organizers of the working committee that produces this play as the Pawnee Rock Easter Pageant. Dale is a native of the area who taught agriculture before farming. While at K-State, he met his wife Berny, who became an extension agent. Berny is originally from the rural community of Munden, population 100 people. Now, that’s rural.

Tricia grew up at Pawnee Rock. She went to Fort Hays State, married Roy, and is a teacher. Both the Unruhs and the Prescotts live near Pawnee Rock today.

The town of Pawnee Rock is named for the actual rock, a remarkable sandstone outcropping that stands 50 feet above the surrounding plains. For centuries it has been a landmark for natives and travelers across the prairie.

In 1932, an east-coast author wrote an Easter-themed play called The Way of the Cross.  It tells the story of a modern-day person who goes back in time and is observing the events in the city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’s crucifixion. According to the Bible, the crucifixion took place on a hill near Jerusalem.

In 1936, the ministerial alliance at Pawnee Rock decided to perform this play outside as a sunrise Easter pageant, using the rock itself as the natural backdrop. Three crosses were temporarily placed atop the rock. A choir provided accompaniment. It worked so well that, until 1972, the pageant was performed annually (except for World War II) on Easter Sunday. Continue reading “Pawnee Rock Easter Pageant” →

Nancy and Chip Crum, C Cross Custom Welding

Posted on by Pat Melgares

A pedestrian bridge is being installed in a southeast Kansas park. This project did not involve any supply chain issues, because this bridge didn’t come on a slow boat from somewhere. This 60 foot long bridge was built from scratch and installed by a craftsman in rural Kansas.

Man welding bridge in southeast Kansas park
Chip Crum C Cross Welding

Nancy Crum is the owner and operations manager of C Cross Custom Welding, the company that produced this 60 foot long pedestrian bridge. Her husband Chip primarily does the welding and fabrication. C Cross Custom Welding is based in the Elk County town of Howard.

Nancy grew up in the Howard area. Chip also lived in Colorado for a time before coming back to Howard. They met and were married.

“My grandpa was a blacksmith,” Chip said. “My dad was a farrier, a farmer and a carpenter,” he said. “One day when my dad was farming, the disk broke in the field. I welded it and it stayed together.”

Perhaps this showed that Chip had a gift for welding, although he didn’t have formal training.

“It came easy to me,” Chip said. “All I’ve had is on the job training. If you keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut, you can learn a lot.” Now, there’s some wise advice.

Nancy does bookkeeping for local businesses. “I worked with computers and I liked art,” Nancy said. Chip was working at a nearby rock quarry and dabbled in welding. Continue reading “Nancy and Chip Crum, C Cross Custom Welding” →

Audrey Rupp, HorseThief Reservoir

Posted on by Pat Melgares

Would you like to go camping on a lakefront property? Then build yourself a lake next door.

Aerial view of HorseThief Reservoir, western Kansas
HorseThief Reservoir

That statement might sound overly simplistic, but today we’ll learn about a reservoir that was recently constructed in southwest Kansas. It is serving the outdoor recreation needs of thousands of people in Kansas and beyond.

Last week we met the Jantz family of MJE LLC, which is the company that constructed this project known as HorseThief Reservoir. Audrey Rupp is district manager for HorseThief Reservoir. Gene Webb is HorseThief’s historian.

Audrey grew up at Tribune, studied Tourism and Hospitality at Fort Hays State University and became manager at HorseThief in November 2021. Gene Webb is a lifelong resident of Hodgeman County where the lake is located.

“I’ve hunted and fished in this area since I was 12 years old,” Gene said. “Now I’m 85.”

Gene served on the board of the HorseThief Reservoir Benefit District for many years. “The Corps of Engineers had been interested in the possibility of a dam here back in the 1930s,” Gene said.

In tight budget climates, how would such a project get accomplished? In more recent years, the Pawnee watershed district studied the issue and proposed going to the state to create a tax benefit district that could generate resources for reservoir construction.

“I was on an advisory committee to see if people were willing to support a sales tax to build the lake,” Gene said. In 2004, the proposal was put on the ballot in Hodgeman, Ford, Gray and Finney counties. The proposal passed by more than a 2-1 margin. The Pawnee Watershed District owns the land, which is leased to the HorseThief Benefit District. Continue reading “Audrey Rupp, HorseThief Reservoir” →

Heather, Aaron Jantz – MJE

Posted on by Pat Melgares

“Moving heaven and earth.” That’s a saying to describe doing everything possible to make something happen.

Two men and a woman standing and posing for picture
Aaron, Max and Heather Jantz

Today we’ll meet a Kansas company which literally follows that philosophy. This company is an earth-moving business and much more.

Max Jantz founded Max Jantz Excavating in 1974 with a John Deere tractor, one pull-type earth scraper, and what he called “a love of the land.” The first work headquarters for the company was the old barn on the family place north of Montezuma, Kan.

Max primarily did dirt work for commercial and municipal projects. He sought opportunities throughout the Midwest to grow the operation by expanding his skills, crews and equipment fleet.

By 2001, Max had gone from a one-man operation to managing a staff of more than 40 employees and an equipment fleet of more than 130. At that time, a strategic decision was made to focus on the development of turn-key dairy and beef cattle feedyard facilities. The company also underwent a name change and became the more inclusive MJE LLC.

As the business continued to grow, Max’s son and daughter joined the company. Today, son Aaron Jantz is chief executive officer and daughter Heather Jantz is chief operating officer.

Aaron and his wife have two children, as do Heather and her husband Aaron Albers who is a project manager with the company. Megan Elsey is director of public relations.

Continue reading “Heather, Aaron Jantz – MJE” →

Donna Krug, bicycle trail

Posted on by Pat Melgares

“Due to the pandemic, it’s not been possible to travel and see the world. But now, the world has come to us.”

Man and woman riding tandem bike
John and Donna Krug

That’s a paraphrase of a sentiment expressed by one Kansan as he described the benefit of improvements made to the bicycle facilities in his community. These improvements have welcomed people from across the globe.

Last week we met Donna Krug, district director and family and consumer sciences agent for the K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District in Barton and Ellis Counties. She and her husband John live in Great Bend.

Donna grew up on a farm near the rural community of Washington, population 1,131 people. Now, that’s rural. “We had a tandem (two-seater) bike when I was a kid,” Donna said. After she and John married and had kids of their own, they rode bikes as well.

“We had always been a biking family,” Donna said. In 2000, she and John purchased a tandem bike for themselves. Bicycling became a passion.

“We’ve put 75,000 miles on our tandem bike,” Donna said. “We’ve ridden in every Kansas county and every one of the contiguous 48 states,” she said. While it’s not possible to ride a bike across an ocean, Donna still has hopes of riding a bike in Hawaii.

Continue reading “Donna Krug, bicycle trail” →

Donna Krug, Cottonwood District

Posted on by Pat Melgares

When your business or organization needs to conduct a staff retreat, where do you go? Sometimes groups leave their town to go to a bigger city with lots of venue choices.

Woman smiling on cover of magazine
Donna Krug

Today we’ll meet an Extension district whose staff chose to go in the opposite direction. They are choosing to hold their retreats in the smaller towns within their counties.

Donna Krug is the district director for the K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District, comprised of Barton and Ellis Counties. She also serves as a family and consumer sciences agent for the district.

Donna grew up on a farm near Washington, Kansas. After graduating from K-State, she became a 4-H agent in Texas where her future husband, John, was attending chiropractic school. They married and came to back to Kansas where Donna became the family and consumer sciences agent in Barton County. John was a chiropractor in Great Bend for 32 years.

“As an Extension agent, I do a lot of health and wellness and nutrition classes,” Donna said. “I like sharing my knowledge on health and wellness, and I love the people who come to learn.”

She enjoys teaching Stay Strong, Stay Healthy workshops and has developed10 family and consumer sciences fact sheets focused on health and nutrition. She’s now teaching a sauerkraut making class.

“I recently did a fact sheet on taking a new look at fermented foods,” Donna said. “I shared it at a national meeting. The folks at Iowa State called and want me to come present it there.”

Continue reading “Donna Krug, Cottonwood District” →

David Carrico, Carrico Leatherworks

Posted on by Pat Melgares

“True Grit.” That classic Hollywood western movie was remade in 2010. The characters in the film were equipped with authentic leather holsters, gunbelts and saddles – hand-made by a craftsman located in rural Kansas.

Many with black cowboy hat standing between two leather saddles
David Carrico

David Carrico is the founder and owner of Carrico Leatherworks, the business that produced these period leather items for the film industry and others. He operates the business from his home place near Edna, where he was born and raised. He is the fourth generation on the family farm. Son Denton, a K-State student, is the fifth.

“My dad made me a leather belt when I was a kid,” David said. He grew up cowboying and working cattle. “I learned to make these things out of leather because I couldn’t afford to buy them,” David said with a smile.

He found he enjoyed making leather goods. People who saw his products would often ask if he could make them one like it, too.

David went to Coffeyville Community College where he took a living history class. He became fascinated by American history, connected with some Civil War re-enactors, and joined in re-enactments himself. He then applied his leather-working skills to make authentic period pieces such as belts, holsters, and saddles that actors could use. He also met and married his wife Deena, a Pittsburg State grad who is now a teacher.

David went on to K-State where he earned a degree in agricultural education. At the time of graduation, there were no teaching jobs open so he decided to continue to do leatherwork.

“I told my wife that, if this didn’t work out, I’d get a real job,” David said. “I haven’t had to get a real job yet.” Continue reading “David Carrico, Carrico Leatherworks” →

Myndi & Jason Krafft, Krafft Beef

Posted on by Pat Melgares

“California girls.” Does that bring to mind blonde hair and sandy beaches?

Family of four sitting in farm field
Left to right: Jason, Kensi, Myndi and Kinley Krafft

Today we’ll meet a young woman from California with interests beyond the beachfront. She developed an interest in agriculture, married a Kansan, and made her way to the Sunflower State where the couple is adding value to their family beef operation through direct-to-consumer marketing.

Myndi and Jason Krafft are the owners of Krafft Beef in Phillips County. Jason is a fifth-generation farmer and rancher. He grew up farming with his dad, grandfather, and uncle and was active in 4-H and FFA. He made the livestock judging team at Colby Community College and then the team at Cal Poly in California. He met Myndi in an animal science class.

Myndi had grown up in southern California. Her family had a garden and backyard chickens. Her great grandfather had farmed near Enid, Okla. and Liberal, Kan.

“I remembered his stories and I became interested in where our food comes from,” Myndi said. She studied agriculture at Cal Poly, met and married Jason, and earned her ag teaching credentials plus a masters degree.

“I was an ag teacher for 10 years in the bay area,” Myndi said. She team-taught soil chemistry and a sustainable ag biology class which counted toward the students’ science requirements. “Agriculture is science,” Myndi said.

Continue reading “Myndi & Jason Krafft, Krafft Beef” →

Ashley and Adam Comeau, Brant’s Market

Posted on by Pat Melgares

A century of sausage-making. That sounds like a lot of work, and a lot of tasty food. Today we’ll learn the remarkable story of a family-owned meat business that had its beginnings 100 years ago. Now, another young family is taking the business to the next level.

Man and woman standing next to meat counter
Adam and Ashley Comeau

Adam and Ashley Comeau are the owners of Brant’s Market in Lucas and Plainville. Ashley grew up at the nearby rural community of Zurich, population 99 people. She went to Fort Hays State and then earned her law degree at Washburn Law School.

Adam is the son of Plainville entrepreneur Chuck Comeau who we have previously profiled. Adam graduated from the University of Kansas and earned an associate’s degree in paramedicine at Barton County Community College. He met and married Ashley. They moved back to Plainville where Adam works for Ellis County EMS and Ashley is a practicing attorney.

In 2018, they heard disturbing news: Brant’s Market in Lucas was going to close. This meat market had a rich history.

In 1922, James and Marie Brant purchased the meat shop in Lucas and renamed it Brant’s Meat Market. It was a full-service butcher shop that became especially famous for James’s recipes from Czechoslovakia, such as jaternice, ring bologna, and sausage.

James’ sons George and Frank learned these recipes and continued the family business. George’s son Doug became the third generation in the business, later assisted by daughter Stephanie. Continue reading “Ashley and Adam Comeau, Brant’s Market” →