People of Kansas

To capture the variety of personalities and faces of Kansas. This blog seeks to show the world that this beautiful state has a great population of caring, hardworking and innovative people. Follow us at Facebook.com/peopleofks and twitter.com/peopleofks 

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"A person who's belly is half-full has a million problems, but a person who's belly is empty has but one. Poverty in this country is driven by one single factor - the price of food."

- Dr. Dan Thompson, a third-generation veterinarian, professor and Director of the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. Dr. Thomson is recognized internationally as a leader in animal welfare, beef cattle production and cattle health management. He also hosts a nationally aired veterinary television show, DocTalk, which discusses food safety, food security and ways to improve the health and well-being of both livestock and companion animals.

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"The strength of the company remains its people. From the beginning, everyone who's worked here believes in Hudson Cream Flour."

- Reuel Foote (pictured here with his son, Derek), the general manager and president of Stafford County Flour Mills in Hudson, Kan. - one of the only remaining independently owned mills in the country. The mill has specialized in producing premium-quality Hudson Cream Flour, the "flour without fault," for the home baker for 110 years. More than 95 percent of the wheat milled here comes from approximately 80 farm families in Stafford county, many of which have supplied Hudson Cream with wheat for generations. For more information on how they make their signature flour, and how they developed the capability to run on 100 percent sustainable energy, visit: http://kansasfarmfoodconnection.org/blog/2017/10/11/hudson-cream-the-flour-without-fault Story and Photo Credit: John Schlageck, Kansas Living

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“Our goal, and the goal of Kansas agritourism, is to give people a place to really experience Kansas and Kansas farm life. With so much of Kansas land in private ownership, it’s important to share our lives with people flowing through our state. Our goal here at the farm is to focus on fun. We love what we do every day.”

- Betty Corbin, pictured with her husband David, owners of Towanda, Kansas’s Fulton Valley Farms. The Fulton family has operated their farm since 1869. In addition to raising crops, Dave and Betty Corbin added popular agritourism attractions servicing the Wichita area and beyond including multiple indoor and outdoor wedding venues and the Woods Conference Center. The Corbins are also the only registered reindeer breeder in Kansas and host multiple public and private events with their herd. For more information, and photos, visit www.fultonvalleyfarms.com. Photo Credit: Farm Talk Newspaper — at Towanda-City.

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“The dinner table is one of the most powerful weapons in the quest toward social justice, and common understanding, and racial reconciliation. If we can sit at a dinner table and break bread together, anything is possible.”

- Benjamin Anderson, CEO of rural Kearny County Hospital (center), spearheaded a project to arrange dinner dates between native Kansans and refugee families living and working in the Garden City area. Though Kansas pulled out of the federal refugee resettlement program last year, increasing numbers of immigrants from war-torn countries in Africa and southeast Asia moved to southwest Kansas over the past decade to work in the meatpacking industry. After visiting the African Shop in Garden City to purchase imported tea, Anderson exchanged numbers with the Somali owners and became the first ‘white person’ the family had over for dinner in the 10 years they lived in the community. "I left thinking, ‘Good grief, if we can have people living in our community for 10 years that have never been in the home of a local person, how isolating that must be,’” says Anderson, who had similar feelings after moving to the area from California. "And out of that, this project called ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ emerged." Photo and story credit: Bryan Thompson / Kansas News Service Anderson is pictured above with Ahmed Musa (left), Abdi Musa and neighbor Khadra Hirsi. For the complete story, visit: http://kcur.org/post/southwest-kansas-dinner-exchange-aims-bridge-cultural-gaps#stream/0 — in Garden City, Kansas.

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"It shows them that somebody cares about them...They’re sweet kids, all of them."

- Nancy Hogan, long-time Topeka resident, on why she prepares 50-60 bags of candy for neighborhood kids to pick up from her front porch each Friday afternoon on the way home from school. Hogan offers a warm greeting to each child, distributing candy until about 7 p.m. - when she warns them that it's too late to be wandering the streets. Hogan estimates that she gives away 200-300 handmade fleece hats in the winter. And when new families move into the neighborhood, she brings them cookies and a card with her name and phone number so they can call her if they need help or advice. In addition to other community activities, Hogan and her husband Ed spent a decade fostering about 40 children in the Topeka area. Photo and Story Credit: Samantha Foster/ CJOnline

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"I've always enjoyed coming to work each day and seeing the people - many of whom I have known for years, or perhaps I have known their parents or grandparents. ...I seem unable to get fired - but this is something that I know and enjoy."

- Barbara Taylor, who recently received an award for 75 years of service from the Kansas Bankers Association. Taylor started working as a teller in 1942 for the First National Bank of Edna. In 1966, she accepted a job in nearby Coffeyville at Condon National Bank (now Community State Bank) where she's still currently employed part-time. Photo and story credit: Labette Avenue, Montgomery County Chronicle, Andy Taylor/Taylor Newspapers 

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“I love farming. It’s the best life I can imagine – raising food for people. Despite this rough period, I’m in it for the long run.”

- Tom Hauser farms with his wife Marieta in Ulysses, Kan.  On April 29, 2017, a snowstorm blew across the state and blanketed some of Grant County where the Hausers live with 20 inches of heavy, wet snow - damaging much of the 2017 Kansas wheat crop. Farmers across Kansas are now beginning to cut wheat and harvest what remains. Photo and story credit: John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau "Dealing with Disaster" Series. For the full story, visit: https://www.kfb.org/Article/Dealing-with-Disaster-Tom-Marieta-Hauser

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"There were 75 people (who came) the first four or five days. It was people who had lost their own land and fence, but they knew we had lost more. Looking back, how we respond to disasters after this, half the battle is just showing up. If those people hadn't shown up, we would be sitting in a puddle of mush, wondering what to do."

- Jenny Giles Betschart (pictured on the right with her sisters Molly and Katie). Jenny and her sisters are the sixth generation of farmer-ranchers working on their family operation in Ashland, Kan. On March 6, 2017 the Starbuck wildfire swept across the 30,000-acre Giles Ranch in an hour, claiming four homes, a barn, outbuildings, an office, 500 head of cattle and at least 100 miles of fence. The Starbuck wildfire - the largest in state history - burned more than 500,000 acres total across southern Kansas. For more information on the Starbuck wildfire, visit Kansas Agland and their story on the Giles family: http://www.kansasagland.com/news/stateagnews/giles-sisters-still-strong-after-wildfire/article_3f71e089-8cf3-5ffb-a893-9608ccc11c60.html Photo credit: Sandra J. Milburn / The Hutchinson News

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"I.Q. is not just intelligence. It is intelligence plus opportunity. We need to find ways to get our kids exposed to new things."

- Ms. Delia Shropshire, PhD, has been the principal of Holy Savior Catholic Academy  in Wichita since 1999. Originally from Baltimore, Shropshire is the youngest of nine children and has sought to serve as a positive role model and mentor for others throughout her life. Holy Savior Catholic Academy serves 185-200 K-8 students, most of whom are African American along with Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American and European American children. Through encouragement, evangelization and educational excellence, the school has helped diverse students build hope so they can be successful learners and successful in life. For more information on Dr. Shropshire and Holy Savior Catholic Academy, visit http://holy-savior.org/school/history 

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"Leadership needs two things - civility and compromise. Today, compromise is a dirty word. The word compromise is the only way we can live together in a modern world. But it takes a real leader to have compromise."

- Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh is a professor emeritus of agricultural economics at K-State University in Manhattan, Kan. His service on numerous national task forces, boards of directors, speaking engagements and advisory groups has allowed him to actively protect and promote domestic food and agriculture policy throughout his career. He has taught thousands of students since he joined the K-State faculty in 1971.

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"It's a lot of fun."

- Dean "Crazy Legs" Walker, a man of few words, on why he has spent much of his life helping to promote and preserve the 13-mile stretch of Route 66 in Southeast Kansas. Walker, born and raised in the Baxter Springs area, has served as President of the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association and visited with hundreds of tourists driving the historic highway through his hometown. Walker's legs are double-jointed, allowing him to turn his feet completely around. He has been called "one of the great characters of the road" by the creators of the 2001 Disney/Pixar movie "Cars," and helped inspire the character "Tow Mater," who was known for driving in reverse.  

The section of Route 66 passing through Kansas is one of the best preserved stretches in the country, with attractions including the Rainbow Bridge and historic Riverton store. For more information, visit: https://www.travelks.com/ksbyways/route66/

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“Don’t ever apologize for where you're from - that’s what makes us who we are. That’s our foundation, our values. We’ve had young people move here from urban areas after getting a top class education and they said, ‘I feel like I’m part of something, I’m part of a community.’ It’s not about population; it’s about attitude. And that attitude is infectious. ...This is our home. We’re not in the middle of nowhere. We’re in the middle of everywhere.”

- Greensburg mayor Bob Dixson is a lifelong Kansan and retired postmaster. After a tornado devastated his town in 2007, Dixson ran for mayor and helped rebuild Greensburg as a model of sustainability, including a state-of-the-art LEED Certified hospital and school.

More information on Greensburg can be found at: http://www.greensburgks.org/

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"I used to stress over the dinner, wanting everything to be just perfect. Then I realized I was making Thanksgiving dinner about ME rather than my GUESTS; instead of being thankful for them, I was all tied up in knots...Time is our most precious ingredient, and I've discovered that when we gladly share our time to make certain guests feel wanted and welcome in our home, they would be quite happy eating a hot dog for Thanksgiving dinner!"

- Chef Alli (pictured with her husband, Pat) is a self-proclaimed “Kitchen Crusader” who has been stirring up a love of farm fresh cooking across her home state of Kansas for 10+ years. Through her speaking engagements and TV appearances, Chef Alli seeks to connect with the home cook, teaching savvy cooking strategies and effective culinary techniques to make time spent in the kitchen a positive and rewarding experience. She lives in rural NE Kansas with her husband and three sons. Learn more about Chef Alli and one of her favorite Thanksgiving recipes: https://chefallisfarmfreshkitchen.com/2015/09/17/chipotle-sweet-potato-gratin/ 

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"A lot of kids want to sit around and stare at a screen. We fight that as well. We fight enrollment numbers, I can't do anything about that. But what I can do is give kids opportunities to get outside and play. Instead of just staring at a screen − let's go outside and play and have some fun."

- Western Plains High School football coach Luke Ritchie has been loading a small bus every Monday with boys from the elementary and junior high in Bazine, Kan. and driving them 30 miles to the high school in Ransom for flag football practice. After declining enrollment left Western Plains High School without a football team this year, Coach Ritchie and the administration created a multi-level team practice for flag football games every Friday night. Ritchie, who grew up in the area and played sports at Lewis High School, said the school (and its activities) is the heartbeat of rural communities. "If you lose your school in your community, you lose your community, period," he said.

For the full story on Coach Ritchie and Western Plains High School, check out the Kansas Agland article: http://www.kansasagland.com/…/article_6a81953a-acb2-5298-b2…

Photo Credit: Lindsey Bauman, Hutchinson News

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I am tired of negative politics at all levels and particularly online. Our communities thrive when citizens give of themselves for the common good. We must keep focus on the good leaders around us.

- Dustin Kuntz has been mayor of Harveyville for 17 years, a small town in Wabaunsee County with a population of just under 300. Together with a group of Harveyville mothers and community members, Kuntz recently secured a Community Development Bloc Grand (CDBG) to supplement local fundraising efforts to build a state-of-the-art playground, picnic area and storm shelter. “This project would not have come together without multiple groups of people and individuals being willing to unite for a common goal,” said Mayor Dustin Kuntz. Kuntz is also the vice president and co-owner of the Harveyville Seed Company, a family-owned agribusiness serving farmers and ranchers in eastern Kansas. Dustin is pictured here with his wife, Kristina.

For more information on the new Harveyville playground and CDBG grant, visit: http://abcreative.net/cdbg-recipient-harveyville-ks-celebr…/

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"People have been coming to our apartments and saying 'We are sorry. Nothing will happen. We love you.’ That is what the USA is about. It's not about divisions."

- Halima Farah, a Somali immigrant in Garden City, told USA Today after three men were arrested and accused of plotting to blow up Farah’s apartment complex. After the arrests, numerous residents and religious leaders staged a peaceful demonstration over the weekend to support the Somali residents. Garden City, in Western Kansas, has a population of about 25,000 and a Somali community of about 500 people, many of whom are employed at local meatpacking plants.

Photo Credit: James M. Dobson/ Garden City Telegram

More information on this story can be found here: http://www.gctelegram.com/.../article_d76e670a-06da-5e84...

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"The swirling issues that surround our food are far from black and white – they’re all a deep and lovely shade of gray. ...Seeing the families behind this food, those who work the fields that I spent my childhood in Kansas driving past (but never seeing up close) and who work in the offices and plants to help keep this food safe when it reaches our table, made me a lot more comfortable with all that gray."

- Jess Smith, a Kansas City-based food blogger and photographer, recently joined a three-day tour of Kansas farms with local farmers, bloggers and dietitians. More details on her trip to farms across Kansas, along with creative family-based recipes, can be found on her blog Inquiring Chef: http://inquiringchef.com/farm-to-table-and-everything-in-b…/.

Photo Credit: MKL Photography and Designs