Inside KC Tour...........Page 10 Farm Bill Update..........Page 5 Grazing Workshops...........Page 6-7 AAM Reunion..........Page 8-9 Kansas Kontact July/Aug 2013 Central Kansas tours to feature agritourism, wildlife, history, stargazing By Nick Levendofsky Kansas Farmers Union invites everyone to at - tend a day of tours in the Pawnee Rock, Great Bend, and Larned areas on Saturday, Aug. 10. The morning will start at 9 a.m. at the Pawnee Rock State Historic Site at Pawnee Rock. Ac - cording to the Pawnee Rock website, many of the Plains tribes reportedly used it as an obser - vation point from which they could track and Continued on Page 2 photo courtsey Heartland Farm Food Hub Development Workshop: Aug 29 By Mercedes Taylor-Puckett What is a Regional Food Hub? -Carries out or coordinates the aggregation, The second workshop in the “Food Hubs and distribution, and marketing of primarily Co-ops: How local family farms can feed our locally/regionally produced foods from multiple communities” series will be offered August 29, producers to multiple markets 9 a.m. - noon in the Douglas County Fair’s -Works closely with producers to ensure they Dreher Building, 2110 Harper St, Lawrence. can meet buyer requirements by either provid - The workshop will provide farmers, community ing direct technical assistance or finding part - ners that can provide this technical assistance. organizations, and local governmental entities with information on the multiple phases of food Kathy Nyquist is a strategy consultant pro - hub development. viding business development services for re - Using the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative gional food system coalitions and as a case study, the workshop will explore best entrepreneurs. As principal of New Venture Ad - practices in food hub development and outline visors, she has led multiple feasibility studies the project phases including: identifying oppor - which investigated the commercial viability of tunities and need, conducting a feasibility regional food system infrastructure projects. study, developing a business plan, and launch - She completed the 2011 feasibility study for ing the food hub. Dane County, WI. “With numerous Kansas food hub initiatives WFU Executive Director Tom Quinn and in various stages of development, we are so for - Sarah Lloyd represented the organization dur - tunate to have representatives that are able to ing the development and launch phases of the share the back story of the Wisconsin project Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative. Quinn ex - from research to launch,” stated Mary Howell, plained, “Our food hub project started with a KFU Membership Specialist. study sponsored by a local governmental initia - Scheduled speakers include Kathy Nyquist, a tive, and was incubated in a partnership be - principle at New Venture Advisors, and Wis - tween government, university, community consin Farmers Union (WFU) Special Projects organization and farmers. The business start- Coordinator Sarah Lloyd. Continued on Page 3 Page 2 Kansas Kontact—July/Aug 2013 Pawnee Tour draw for visitors. Their gentle, also enhances understanding humming ways, beauty, won - of the continued development from Page 1 derful fleece, and inquisitive of the Trail. The Santa Fe Trail nature have “added value” to Center does charge an admis - swoop down upon buffalo the farm. sion fee of $4 for adults, $2.50 herds and wagon trains. At around 11 a.m., we’ll for students (12-18), $1.50 for At times, travelers on the make our way to Great children (6-11), and admission Santa Fe Trail regarded it as Bend where we’ll grab boxed is free for kids under 5. the most dangerous place they lunches and drive up to the At 5 p.m. we’ll have had to pass. However, it was Kansas Wetlands Educa - some time to let KFU also a welcome landmark for tion Center for a self-guided members Tom and Sheryl travelers, signaling that about tour of the facility. According Giessel show us around half of their journey was now to its website, The Kansas their “neck of the woods.” behind them. Wetlands Education Center is There are other historical sites Unfortunately, much of dedicated to educating the such as Sibley’s Camp, Zebu - Pawnee Rock was destroyed in public about wetland commu - lon Pike Plaza, and the farm of the 1870s by the railroad and nities, their importance, and a past NFU president. We may by settlers who were in need of the need for conservation and even get lucky and have the building stone. The remaining restoration, with emphasis on opportunity to visit Tom and portion was acquired in 1908 Cheyenne Bottoms and Sheryl’s farm near Larned. by the Woman's Kansas Day Quivira National Wildlife For those who need a break Club. The next year it was Refuge. They accomplish this from the long day of touring, turned over to the State of through interactive exhibits you’re more than welcome to Kansas as an historic site. On and interpretation and educa - relax for a few hours until we May 24, 1912, a stone monu - tional programs. head back up to Heartland ment was dedicated. Pawnee Following the KWEC tour, Farm for the BBQ and Rock was listed in the Na - about 2 p.m., we’ll drive to stargazing at 7 p.m. The tional Register of Historic Larned where we’ll tour event costs $15 per family Places in 1970. the Fort Larned National (two adults and up to four At 10 a.m., the group will Historic Site. Both Fort children) and that includes make its way north to Larned and the city of Larned the cookout, live music, fel - Heartland Farm, a regis - were named to honor Col. lowship, and stargazing when tered agri-tourism operation Benjamin F. Larned, paymas - the annual Perseid meteor situated on an 80 acre home - ter general of the U.S. Army, shower streaks across the stead. According to its web - when the post was established Kansas sky. site, Heartland Farm, a in 1859. It is recommended that you ministry of the Dominican Sis - In a time of change and con - bring lawn chairs and blankets ters of Peace, is a Christian flict, Fort Larned was on the for the evening, and the farm community committed to front lines. According to its does have space available for working for the healing and website, the Fort's mission those want to bring tents and care of the Earth and its in - began to protect the mail and camp, or you may want to habitants. Members of the culminated in Hancock's War book one of their guest houses community are committed to and the Medicine Lodge for the evening at $25 each. exploring and living the prin - Treaty in 1867, and then Please make reservations in ciples of community, simple ended with the completion of advance by calling (620) 923- living, nonviolence, justice the railroad in less than two 4585 or email and peace, and the nurturing decades. Today it remains the [email protected]. of all God’s creation. best-preserved fort of its time. For those who stay in a guest During the morning, we'll At 3:30 p.m., we’ll tour house or camp, a cookout tour the farm, where we'll the Santa Fe Trail Center breakfast is available for $15 enjoy ample space for hiking, Museum in Larned. Ac - per family or $5 each. There strolling, meditating, or walk - cording to the website, the are other hotel accommoda - ing the labyrinth. Spiritual Santa Fe Trail Center is a tions in the Larned and Great companioning, experimental unique educational institution Bend area in case Heartland art, and educational tours are devoted to the interpretation Farm is booked. also available, as well as the of the historic transportation Please RSVP by calling purchase of organic produce route known as the Santa Fe the KFU office at (620) in season. Visitors are also Trail. It preserves artifacts and 241-6630 or email welcome to browse through manuscripts related to the [email protected] by the gift shop. The farm’s al - blending of the major cultures Aug. 1. pacas are another unique along the Trail. The museum www.kansasfarmersunion.org Page 3 Food Hub could offer a significant op - fication as well as develop - from Page 1 portunity for farmers to have ment of marketing materials more direct control over their from each farm, helping to tell up phase required the direct markets and to re-build an ef - our farmer-member stories in leadership of the core group of ficient and sustainable con - the marketplace are additional farmers who were making an nection between the food they services that will be provided initial investment of produce and local consumers. by the co-op. both money and product. It The organization believes “Wisconsin Farmers Union also required a core sponsor that retaining even a modest is happy to be in a position to and investor like WFU to pro - percentage of total food pur - be part of these exciting efforts vide a stable source of initial chases within a region offers a to build a diverse regional funding and essential staff huge potential market for food system that works for support.” farmers. both farmers and eaters,” said According to Quinn, WFU "To be successful and grow WFU’s Sarah Lloyd. became involved in organizing market share, local food sys - Complete event information the food hub co-op for several tems need efficient infrastruc - and registration can be found reasons. “First, our board de - ture and marketing systems. at foodhubsandco- cided as part of our strategic One of the most important les - ops.blogspot.com. For ques - planning process that we sons we've learned is that we tions, contact: Mary Howell – wanted to re-engage with our don't need to completely re - [email protected] or Mer - original roots in cooperative place conventional distribu - cedes Taylor-Puckett – development.