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Kansas Profile

Category: Community vitality

Jeff Grieshaber, TravAlum Trailers

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

Some days I feel pulled in different directions. Probably lots of people feel that way these days. Today we’ll meet a company which finds that its products are definitely being pulled in lots of different directions – but that’s a good thing. That’s because this company makes livestock trailers that are pulled by trucks from Kansas to locations all across the continent.

TravAlum trailer
TravAlum trailer

Jeff Grieshaber is co-owner and manager of TravAlum Trailers, produced by Liberty Inc. in Manhattan. From its home base in Kansas, this company’s trailers are being pulled in lots of different directions.

TravAlum Trailers has its roots in the Travalong trailer company which was based in Waterville. In 1991, Jeff’s father Tom and two other gentlemen bought the Travalong company. Jeff came on board in 1992.

Travalong Trailers were built from steel. In 1995, this group also bought an aluminum stock-trailer business in southwest Missouri. After operating two facilities for a number of years, they brought that business to Kansas. In 2014, they sold the steel factory at Waterville along with the Travalong brand name, in order to concentrate on the aluminum trailer business. Because of the historical connection with Travalong and because these trailers are made of industrial strength aluminum, these trailers are called TravAlum. Continue reading “Jeff Grieshaber, TravAlum Trailers” →

Tara Vance, Norton County Community Foundation

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

Bingo! That’s a fun game that many people love to play. Today we’ll meet a creative community foundation which used bingo and other projects to support its community during the pandemic.

NorCoBingo card
NorCoBingo card

Tara Vance is executive director of the Norton County Community Foundation. A Stockton native and Fort Hays State grad, she became director of the Norton Chamber of Commerce. In 2012, she was asked to serve as part-time director of the community foundation as well.

The more she learned about the importance of local philanthropy, the more committed she became to the community foundation. “I’ve developed a passion for it,” she said.

Scott Sproul, director of the Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center Inc., was Norton County economic development director at the time. “He was a great mentor to me,” Tara said. “We saw that the private donor world would be essential (for our community) if tax dollars aren’t there someday.” Continue reading “Tara Vance, Norton County Community Foundation” →

Greg Howard, Lecompton PRIDE

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

“Some people want to tear old buildings down. We want to build old buildings up.” That statement from the chair of the Lecompton PRIDE program, Greg Howard, symbolizes the vibrant spirit of this community.

Lecompton PRIDE building
Lecompton PRIDE building

In 2020, Kansas PRIDE is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding. This is another in our series highlighting Kansas PRIDE communities.

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.

Lecompton is one example. “We’re just a group of volunteers that come together for the community,” Greg said. He works at the post office in Lawrence and is a longtime Lecompton resident who served on the local school board for 20 years. Continue reading “Greg Howard, Lecompton PRIDE” →

Kansas Wheat and K-State Grain Science flour distribution

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

Flour power! No, I’m not having a flashback to the 1960s. I’m referring to the kind of flour that comes from wheat and is used for baking bread.

When the pandemic hit in Spring 2020, and people were stuck at home, such flour was less available in stores. Then Kansas Wheat and the K-State Department of Grain Science and Industry mobilized to provide a free flour distribution to Kansas families. Such generosity led to these entities being recognized as Ag Heroes by the Kansas Department of Agriculture during the 2020 Ag Growth Summit.

Wheat flour distribution at K-State
Wheat flour distribution at K-State

Justin Gilpin is the chief executive officer of Kansas Wheat. Gordon Smith is head of K-State’s Grain Science and Industry Department. That department includes several facilities, including the Hal Ross Flour Mill. These entities came together to provide this flour distribution in June 2020.

Kansas Wheat is the product of a cooperative agreement between two organizations:  The Kansas Wheat Commission and the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers. Continue reading “Kansas Wheat and K-State Grain Science flour distribution” →

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Keri Harris, volunteer mask-maker

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

When my family would go on a car trip, we usually would begin by asking, “Kids, have you gone to the bathroom?”

Now we ask, “Kids, have you gotten your masks?”

Mask-wearing has become important due to the pandemic and the requirements of many stores and municipalities. One Kansas woman has helped respond to the need for masks in her community and beyond, earning her recognition as an Ag Hero from the Kansas Department of Agriculture during the 2020 Ag Growth Summit.

Keri comes from the town of Reserve in Brown County originally. Her family moved to Derby, where she grew up and went to college. A job opportunity took her to Lawrence where she met her husband, and they now live on his family farm east of Overbrook and have two children.

Keri Harris has been the district manager for the Franklin County Conservation District since 2001. On her own time, she has become a prolific mask-maker.

Keri Harris

“Our nine-year-old daughter is in the sewing project in 4-H,” Keri said. “When the pandemic first hit, our local extension office sent out an email that the local care home was needing masks. I thought it might be a good, simple sewing project for my daughter.”

Keri and her daughter picked out a design, used some leftover fabric that they had on hand, and sewed several masks which for the care home.

“I posted a picture of her helping me sew on Facebook,” Keri said.  “People said, `Oh, if you have any extra, we could sure use them.’” So, Keri and her daughter sewed some more and gave them away.

“She helped me with about the first 50 before she lost interest,” Keri said. However, people were still asking for masks so Keri continued sewing them. “I had done quilting before the kids were born. It was fun to do this. We were using miscellaneous leftover fabric that we had on hand, so we would sew them and give them away.”

After she started buying fabric, people volunteered to pay for the masks. She told them they could donate money to buy more fabric. K-State, Chiefs, and Royals prints have been popular. Continue reading “Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Keri Harris, volunteer mask-maker” →

Joni Albers, Hungry Gardens

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

A blue ribbon. For millions of 4-H youth through the years, blue ribbons have been awarded in recognition of a high-quality project.

For Joni Albers, the founder of the Hungry Gardens in California, her first blue ribbon helped launch a lifelong interest in horticulture. She is now using those skills to produce healthy food for urban neighbors.

Joni Albers
Joni Albers

Originally from Hoxie, Joni’s roots go deep in rural Kansas. Her grandparents were dairy farmers, and her family always had a large garden. “My mother got me started in gardening,” Joni said. “I had my first garden at six years old.”

She was also a member of the Solomon Valley 4-H Club. In her first year, she took her homegrown green beans to the Sheridan County Fair and won a blue ribbon. “That started it all,” she said. Joni was active in 4-H, taking on projects such as sewing, art, bucket calf, and woodworking, but horticulture was her favorite. Continue reading “Joni Albers, Hungry Gardens” →

Tonya Martisko, Gaeddert Farms Sweet Corn

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

Sweet corn. It’s one of the joys of summer. Freshly picked sweet corn, cooked and served with some butter and salt, can be a summertime treat. When there happens to be extra sweet corn, it also can be a benefit when it is donated for families facing food insecurity.

Gaeddert Farms Sweet Corn stand
Gaeddert Farms Sweet Corn stand

Tonya Martisko and Julie Ball are sisters and owners and operators of Gaeddert Farms Sweet Corn, based on the third-generation family farm near Buhler.

Gaeddert Farms, one of the state’s leading vendors of sweet corn, has been generous to many families in need. This generosity caused the company to be recognized as an Ag Hero by the Kansas Department of Agriculture during the 2020 Ag Growth Summit. Continue reading “Tonya Martisko, Gaeddert Farms Sweet Corn” →

Matt Case, Cherokee County Food Fight

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

“Food fight!” Don’t worry, I’m not referring to a riot in the school cafeteria. This food fight is a friendly challenge to generate more food for local families who need a hand. This worthwhile competition went so well that it won recognition as an Ag Hero.

Matt Case
Matt Case

Matt Case is the manager of the Farmers Co-op in Columbus, Kansas. He grew up working on farms around Columbus and married his high school sweetheart. After being trained in precision machining, he worked in industry and then had the opportunity to come back and work for the Farmers Co-op in his hometown. In 2016, he became general manager.

The Farmers Co-op generates around $80 million in annual sales with seven locations in Cherokee County. It is also community spirited, hosting an annual food drive, for example. Continue reading “Matt Case, Cherokee County Food Fight” →

Kristine Larson Davis, space engineer

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

“Shoot for the stars.” That can be inspiring advice. Today we’ll meet a young woman from rural Kansas who followed that advice – not just as a dream, but as a career. Thanks to the K-Stater magazine, the K-State Alumni Association, and writer Ashley Pauls for this story.

Kristine Larson Davis
Kristine Larson Davis

Kristine Larson Davis is a spacesuit engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. She grew up at Galva in McPherson County. As a kid, she looked up at the stars and dreamed about exploring the universe.

Her parents would often take her to the Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson.  That museum helped make the wonders of the universe feel just a little bit closer. In middle school, she had the opportunity to attend space camp and heard that one of the best ways to work at NASA was to become an engineer. Continue reading “Kristine Larson Davis, space engineer” →

Kelly and Thaddeus Perry, Perry’s Pork Rinds

Posted on by Jason Hackett

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

The thank-you note came from the office of former President George W. Bush, expressing appreciation for the wonderful pork rinds provided by this remarkable business.

Thaddeus and Kelly Perry

Thaddeus and Kelly Perry are owners and founders of Perry’s Pork Rinds in Bronson.  They grew up in southeast Kansas, married and moved to Bronson to be near family.

Thaddeus, a butcher, would occasionally fry pork rinds in the backyard as a hobby. Kelly remembered delicious pork rinds from the Ozarks.

When Kelly and Thaddeus wanted to earn some extra money for a cruise, they decided to sell pork rinds and funnel cakes at an upcoming fair in Missouri. Continue reading “Kelly and Thaddeus Perry, Perry’s Pork Rinds” →