12 02 2014 (Pdf)

Entrepreneurs build rural business with passion for outdoors By Lucas Shivers line, currently including a and daughters of our farming Striving to make outdoor variety of shirt styles and and ranching communities life attractive, Justin Raaf, colors that feature the At- who can join our team as Stuart Raaf, Brian Placek tracktive logo. managers, operators, sales- and Bryson Robbins are co- “The driving idea behind people and stewards of our owners of a rural life startup our apparel is to offer great- land and natural environ- and hunting company called looking clothing that is ath- ment.” Attracktive Outdoors. letic, functional and distinc- In one example, the team “We have always found tive,” Robbins said. “People works with graduates of the outdoors to be attrac- who exercise outdoors, be Kansas State University’s tive,” Robbins said. “By that walking, hiking or jog- Wildlife Outdoor Enterprise adding the letter ‘k’ to the ging, even yoga, enjoy wear- Management program, like word ‘attractive,’ it creates ing our long and short Kurtis Wells of Corning, to the word ‘rack’ within the sleeves, as well as tank perform field research in word ‘attracktive,’ which has tops.” north central Kansas who an association to deer since a Robbins said a distinct helps operate an outfitting deer’s antlers are commonly grassroots customer base service. referred to as his rack. One sprang up from the Salina Attracktive Outdoors is of our products that com- area to Kansas City along collaborating with Kansas pelled us to create a compa- the I-70 corridor. deer hunting outfitters, such ny is an attractant, which by “Word-of-mouth adver- as Midwest Whitetail Ad- its nature, is attractive.” tising, friends and family, ventures, to research how Growing up in rural Riley and attending tradeshows in- deer utilize Beer4Deer and and Pottawatomie counties, cluding the Kansas Sampler possibly other products in including the Highway 24 Festival in Wamego have all the future. areas near St. George and been effective ways of “We continue to seek out Wamego, the Attracktive spreading awareness and mutually beneficial business Outdoors founders were ex- creating customer interest,” relationships with outfitters, posed at early ages to the Robbins said. “Attracktive retailers, professional great outdoors. Parents, un- Outdoors will also have a hunters, and other related cles, older siblings and display booth at the Monster companies and individuals,” cousins had profound influ- Buck Classic in Topeka on Placek said. “These efforts ences on the team, resulting January 23-25, 2015. We hold great potential, and we in decades of positive out- Brian Placek, Bryson Robbins, and Stuart Raaf are the founders of Attracktive Out- look forward to seeing our are excited about the possi- door experiences. doors, a company that uses spent brewers’ grains to create a supplement for deer. friends and customers bilities.” “We share a deep respect “We learned that the feasibility to manufacture. hance their hunting and out- there.” The team also recognizes for the natural environment, spent brewers’ grains that re- “This premium Beer4 door experience. The team anticipates other markets for products animal stewardship, perse- mained after the brewing Deer formulation delivers “Generally speaking, steady increases in sales of related to hunting, fishing verance and hard work, and process would be attractive well-balanced nutrition with Beer4Deer will attract deer both Beer4Deer and active and apparel, as well the po- outdoor safety and aware- to deer,” Justin said. “The a focus on the health of a to a particular area, keep wear as their internet and re- tential to create markets ness,” Stuart said. “The best name ‘Beer4Deer’ was an deer’s digestive system,” them coming back to that tail presence grows. through innovation and tech- story is always the potential obvious one that came Justin said. “A healthy diges- area, and provide deer with “We are enjoying the hard nology. They have experi- that the next outdoor adven- quickly and stuck.” tive system may help a deer excellent nutrition that they work that it takes to continu- mented with scent cover-up ture holds. We can all spend Using knowledge and ex- absorb more nutrients from need to be healthy and reach ally grow the company and products, as well as other more time creating great out- periences gained from study- the food they consume, have their full potential,” Placek make it succeed,” Justin feed-based and mineral- door memories. Hunting is ing Feed Science and Bakery a higher body weight, a said. “More specifically, said. “We planted the com- based attractants and supple- an activity that Americans Science in the Grain Science stronger immune system, Beer4Deer can be used in pany seed and continue to ments for deer and other should remember is part of Department at K-State, and live to maturity. Healthy, combination with one or water it, trim it, fertilize it, game. our country’s culture.” Placek proceeded with for- mature deer is what every- more trail cameras to take a amend it, and monitor the For more information, Starting Attracktive Out- mulas that included barley, one wants.” photo inventory of the deer forecast. We aim to continue www.AttracktiveOutdoors.c doors, and specifically one wheat, yeast and even beer There are a number of in a hunting area.” operating the self-sufficient om and www.Beer4Deer. signature product called extract to achieve the right ways deer hunters can use Attracktive Outdoors also business that can ultimately com will be available soon, Beer4Deer, came while nutrition, palatability and Beer4Deer year round to en- has an apparel and clothing hire college graduates, out- or the Attracktive Outdoors brewing beer at home. door enthusiasts, and sons team can be contacted now Farmland now available via On Demand digital platforms Depletion of Ogallala Academy Award®-win- available for rent and pur- mand or Pay-per-View plat- ning filmmaker James chase via On Demand platforms in December 2014. Di- Aquifer empties streams Moll’s feature length docu- forms – providing more peo- recTV and DISH sub- (AP) – The depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer is causing western Kansas to lose many mentary, Farmland, is now ple with the opportunity to scribers will have access to view the film from their own Farmland through their of its perennial streams, which is damaging the state’s ecosystem, a water expert said. homes and digital devices. Video-on-Demand or Pay- Many streams in western Kansas used to be fed by the aquifer because its water table The film’s move to digital per-View channels begin- was higher than the streams. But because the aquifer’s water table has dropped three feet platforms takes place this ning on December 2. The or more below the stream beds, most of the streams are now dry year-round, said Jim But- month, following a success- film is also being made ler, geohydrology section chief with the Kansas Geological Survey. ful four-week run on available to companies that Butler showed the Big 12 Universities Water Workshop at the University of Kansas a Hulu.com and Hulu Plus. deliver Video-on-Demand newly released map showing that more than 60 percent of the aquifer has been depleted, Farmland is available for (VOD) or Pay-per-View the Lawrence Journal-World reported. digital download via iTunes, (PPV) content to ATT U- “This pumping has obviously had an impact on the western third of Kansas,’’ Butler Amazon Instant Video, Verse, Verizon Fios, Com- said. “It’s also caused collateral damage on our ecosystem health – especially our peren- Blockbuster On Demand, cast, Cox Communications Sony PlayStation, Vudu. and Time Warner Cable. nial streams.’’ com, Xbox and YouTube. Viewers are encouraged to The aquifer supplies about 95 percent of water used for irrigation in Kansas and about The cost to download and check their local VOD/PPV 25 percent of the water used in the United States, Butler said. own the film ranges from channels on their respec- He used photographs of the Arkansas River near Larned to demonstrate the problem. $14.99 to $19.99 for high def- tive cable and satellite tele- One of the photos showed the stream today was dry and rocky. inition and $12.99 to $14.99 vision providers for details. “This is a very dispiriting sight,’’ Butler said. “It’s a tremendous loss to our ecosys- for standard definition for- During its theatrical tem.’’ mat. Online rental will cost debut this year, Farmland Kansas has been warning farmers for decades that they were depleting the Ogallala but approximately $4.99 to $7.99 was shown in more than 170 heavy irrigation continued despite several studies and task force reports. Gov. Sam for high definition and $3.99 theaters across the country Brownback has appointed another task force, which the state hopes will persuade farmers to $6.99 for standard defini- including Regal Cinemas, tion format. Marcus Theatres, Carmike to reduce water use. Farmland will also be Cinemas, Landmark The- Butler said if farmers in northwest Kansas had pumped 22 percent less water in the past available to traditional atres, and many key inde- several years by using techniques such as no-till, water levels would have remained sta- satellite and cable televi- pendent theaters. ble in the short term. sion subscribers via their “If we cut back we can buy some time in the system in western Kansas to find solu- respective Video-on-De- Continued on page 3 tions,’’ Butler said. “It’s all about buying time.’’ Page 2 Grass & Grain, December 2, 2014 Fist-sized pork chops The U.S. Department of aren’t bad either. And don’t Agriculture suggests eating CHS Foundation supports KSU’s forget a grilled leg of lamb.

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