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Volunteers support SAVE as part of future of agriculture By Lucas Shivers The beekeeping pro- with KSU, Cloud and Bar- Kansas Department of gram got started due to ton County Community Agriculture (KDA) and Ag- LaGrange’s daughter, who Colleges with fully accred- ricultural Education Club specializes in clinical psy- ited programs. students from K-State built chology with a niche pilot “Our dream is that with- and painted beehives as story in beekeeping. in two years we’ll have a part of a service project “Before I served 28 full operational training for the Servicemember Ag- years in the Army, I helped program for those who ricultural Vocation Educa- my cousin with bee keep- wish to be part of farming,” tion (SAVE) Farm in Riley ing,” LaGrange said. “It he said. County. was fascinating. It’s a small SAVE bridges gaps with For the project, Eric part of the overall SAVE a home-like training cen- Koehlmoos, club president, program, but a great way to ter where participants can connected with former ag- help everyone learn farm- learn to farm and heal as riculture teachers and other ing and recover in the pro- they are brought into the KDA volunteers. cess.” culture of rural life and ag- “We spent the whole Nearly 2.3 million vet- riculture. day painting beehives,” erans and transitioning “One purpose is to help said Koehlmoos, senior in service members are look- orient them to know more agricultural education. “I ing for a meaningful way of what they want to do,” thought it was a great idea to live and work. A high LaGrange said. “We also and a good service proj- percentage indicate an in- have an internship to place ect to give back and help terest in farming or rural a person on a farm for a full encourage others to be in- KSU Ag Ed Club member Eric Koehlmoos paints boxes that will become bee- life. Therefore, a tremen- working cycle. Both get a volved in agriculture.” hives. dous opportunity exists for stipend and incredible work As part of national vol- SAVE and Kansas. experience.” unteer month early in the “We’re moving along The average age of farm- summer, more than 20 pretty well with plans to ers in the U.S. is approach- KDA employees worked reach people,” LaGrange ing 60 with 40% over 65. with KSU students to assist said. “We have hundreds Sixty-three percent (63%) SAVE, which helps veter- of transitioned veterans and of our farms may be in the ans and service members military personnel wanting last generation. Therefore find a pathway to farming. to come. The demand is succession planning is criti- “SAVE meets a need already there. We’re always cal in the country’s farming on both sides of the aisle,” in need of help to get equip- future. Koehlmoos said. “Ag needs ment and donation to move “We will begin assem- more people looking into this program along.” bling more equipment this the future, and veterans Upon completion of fall to expand the workshop can use opportunities when SAVE training, transition- program on our farm,” La- they come back home. It’s ing servicemembers and Grange said. “We hope to a good marriage to give veterans will be matched hire staff; most of the work future career paths.” with mentor farmers with so far has been volunteer.” A gap exists between the the potential to work on, The SAVE teaching need for new farmers and a KSU Ag Ed Club members Rachel Bellar and Zach Callaghan assemble frames, manage or own a farm. farm includes more than large potential population “We’ve had 262 partic- 2,000 acres of cropland, where the bees store the honey in a hive. of new farmers within our ipants complete the SAVE livestock animals, orchards veteran and transitioning at KSU, helped put together plot of land between Riley “We have gotten over program so far,” LaGrange and horticulture. The farm service member popula- the service learning pro- and Keats. In addition to 3,000 pounds of honey so said. “In addition to farm is specially designed to tions, said Gary LaGrange, gram. hands-on farming, we’ll far this year, and we’ll more training, we visit and tour help those with disabilities SAVE founder and presi- “It’s one of several ways train in basic mechanical than double that before the approximately 25 sites each work with equipment and dent. that volunteers can come skills like welding, wood- end of the year with more cycle to share ideas and animals through an entire The ag ed club combines and assist us,” LaGrange working and others.” honey harvests,” LaGrange connect with future plans.” farm cycle. more than 60 members said. “We have a formal To support a future for said. “We hope to migrate Future Paths for Veter- For more, contact La- with predominantly ag ed- arrangement with the Flint agriculture, provide hands- bees to California to pol- ans and Soldiers Grange via the website at ucation majors and others Hills Volunteer Center. It’s on vocational training and linate almonds as part of In sharing next steps, http://www.thesavefarm. from College of Ag. a great opportunity to have facilitate healing, SAVE our commercial training SAVE plans to expand and org/. “We support Kansas FFA others do something in the works in many sectors of program in coming years.” fully develop a curriculum and ways to be best suit- community service area agriculture to place those ed as future teachers down and help veterans out. They trained on working farms. the road,” Koehlmoos said. assist in our venture. It’s a “Since we have a bee- “Service learning allows win-win for everyone.” keeping program, we de- Kansas-born innovation you to see things from a Beyond bees, SAVE cided to open a shop where different perspective. It de- seeks to provide a full train- we make bee hives and velops more empathy and ing farm with an adjacent other supplies,” LaGrange compassion. When we go clinic, assists servicemem- said. “Volunteers work be- into teaching, service learn- bers and veterans to tran- side the veterans as they ing is an important part of sition and enables them to put together and paint the any FFA program. It’s who learn valuable vocational hives.” we are.” skills. SAVE specifically runs Volunteers Step Up “As a little background, more than 200 bee hives; Susan Metzger, former- our training program covers and thanks to a USDA ly a KDA deputy secretary all aspects of agriculture,” grant, they will be up to and now an assistant dean LaGrange said. “We have a 500 within two years. County drought declarations updated While there have been itor Severe Drought (D3) gomery, Morris, Morton, some recent rains, drought status, contiguous counties Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, conditions for many areas and reported issues. This Ottawa, Pawnee, Pottawat- of the state, especially east- now moves ten counties omie, Pratt, Reno, Rice, ern Kansas, continue to into Emergency status from Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, worsen. a Watch and 12 into Emer- Seward, Shawnee, Stafford, Declining livestock gency from a Warning. Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, water and feed supply con- Drought Watch coun- Wabaunsee, Washington, tinue to be reported. This ties (18): Cheyenne, Cloud, Wyandotte has resulted in emergency Decatur, Gove, Graham, Counties in emergency status being added in east- Jewell, Logan, Mitchell, stage are eligible for emer- The recent Grass & Grain story about the Harvest Brigade caught the at- ern Kansas for any county Norton, Osborne, Phillips, gency use of water from tention of Donald Umscheid of Flush. His father and uncle, Ray and Al Um- with a U.S. Drought Mon- Rawlins, Republic, Rooks, certain state fishing lakes. scheid, built what may have been the first ever self-propelled combine in the Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, They also become eligible winter of 1939-1940. A photo of the combine appeared in the Top Producer Thomas for water in some federal edition of Farm Journal magazine in 1987, with a caption that read: “THE Drought Warning coun- reservoirs. FIRST SELF-PROPELLED COMBINE? This photo was taken in western ties (15): Allen, Chautau- Individuals and com- Kansas in the summer of 1940. There was no such thing as a self-propelled qua, Elk, Ellis, Greeley, munities need to contact combine on the market. So two farmer-brothers made one. Running gear Lane, Ness, Rush, Rus- the Kansas Water Office and chassis apparently came from an old car. The engine and its radiator sell, Scott, Trego, Wallace, (KWO) for a water supply appear to have come from a truck of already-venerable vintage. Add the Wichita, Wilson, Woodson request prior to any with- Drought Emergency drawals from lakes. They reel, cutter bar and grain separating unit of a pull-type combine and you counties (72): Anderson, will in turn be referred to have a forerunner of things to come.” The sentence describing the brothers Atchison, Barber, Barton, the appropriate office to ob- as being from western Kansas was incorrect, since the pair hailed from Bourbon, Brown, Butler, tain the necessary permit to northeast Kansas. Although Donald subscribed to Farm Journal magazine, Chase, Cherokee, Clark, withdraw the water. he had not noticed the details of the photo and it wasn’t until Pat Heptig, who Clay, Coffey, Comanche, The Governor’s Drought ran the Flush Store, pointed it out to him, that he realized it was the combine Cowley, Crawford, Dick- Response Team will con- his dad and uncle had built and the photo was taken on their home place. inson, Doniphan, Douglas, tinue to watch the situation Heptig had recognized a shed in the background of the photo and thought Edwards, Ellsworth, Fin- closely and work to mini- it looked familiar.