santa’s Salina summers
Salina area’s premier Magazine on People, Places & Style
OPENING MOVES
Lindsborg Chess School Introduces and champions the Game of Kings Summer 2012 $3
Healthful Trend of Heritage Farming Frank Reese & the Sorells
I’m alive because my breast cancer was detected early…
…and because I had the right team to help me win the fight of my life.
—Nicole Moyer At just 33 years old, Nicole Moyer was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought and beat her disease at the Tammy Walker Cancer Center—the comprehensive cancer treatment center for north central Kansas. “I had my first chemo within two weeks of being diagnosed. It’s a hard thing to go through, but the nurses at Tammy Walker were right there to help me every step of the way. I had my own patient navigator to answer questions and that made a big difference. Early detection is very important. I believe it helped save my life. “Tammy Walker and Salina Regional were both very good. I wouldn’t change anything about my treatment. Each day is a gift. It’s just great to be alive. I’m cancer free.”
www.tammywalkercancercenter.com See all of Nicole’s story at www.srhc.com
table of contents
volume 03 / issue 02
Christy Underwood Kathy Malm Linda Saenger
for advertising rates and information (785) 822-1449
Sales executives Sue Austin Tina Campbell Tiffani Emmel Erica Wiseman Jenny Unruh Laura Fisher
Ad designers Jamie Jeffries Aaron Johnson
Debbie Nelson Natalie Pankratz Brian Green Mary Walker Heather Phillips
features
Publisher Olaf Frandsen advertising director Kim Norwood advertising sales managers
34
Annette Klein Kristin Scheele
photographers Lisa Eastman Larry Harwood
Production and editorial services for Sunflower Living provided by: Editor art director graphic designer Chief Photographer General Manager
Nathan Pettengill Shelly Bryant Jenni Leiste Jason Dailey Bert Hull
e-mail Comments to sunflowerliving@sunflowerpub.com
sunflower resumes sunflower spaces
Patricia E. Ackerman Chelsey Crawford Sarah Hawbaker Karilea Rilling Jungel Meta West
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Contributing writers
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Salina Journal Circulation Department Christy West 333 S. Fourth, Salina KS 67401 (785) 822-1467 / (800) 827-6363 ext. 347 cwest@salina.com
4
local profiles out & about
Subscriptions to sunflower living
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Practical on the Prairie
A couple’s red brick home allows pursuit of big dreams with low impact on the land
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
table of contents
SANTA’S SALINA SUMMERS
Before the holiday rush begins, the big elf relies on his secret identity and a welcoming community to enjoy the offseason
40
And this Little Piggy went Heritage
At Lazy S Farms, a retirement plan gives way to a revolution in pork production
08 09 10
Amanda Collins
A young baker pursues her dream.
Debbie Elliott
An educator and her dog begin a new phase of life.
Sue Shuman
A business woman introduces Salinans to the world.
16
Take Two
For a single professional with a love for the country, finding a dream home leads to finding another dream home instead
24
NOM DE GRRRL
30
Chess Openings
46
PHOTO CONTEST
Skates don’t mean a thing (if you ain’t got that derby girl zing)
20
The longstanding popularity of chess does not necessarily rest on hard-core professionals but on millions of amateur players such as Quade Leonard who master the basics at an early age
‘Johnny Appleseed’ for the Birds
For Frank Reese, heritage poultry farming has a direct connection to a childhood of county fairs and family dinners
Announcing a winner and next season’s contest theme Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
5
under the cover
from the
editor
contributors Patricia E. Ackerman “And This Little Piggy Went Heritage”
CHELSEY CRAWFORD “Take Two”
LARRY HARWOOD “Practical on the Prairie” “Pawn Promotion” “And This Little Piggy Went Heritage” “Santa’s Salina Summers” LISA EASTMAN Sunflower Resumes “Take Two” ‘“Johnny Appleseed’ for the Birds” “Nom de Grrrl”
from the editor
Sarah hawbaker
Larry Sorell, pictured above, says he honestly planned to retire. But life had other plans for him. The Glasco farmer, whose work has won national attention, is just one of many stories in this edition focusing on people in the Salina area whose lives were enriched by unexpected twists and turns. There is our cover story, a promising chess student who began the game from a chance sighting of a chess board at a local inn, as well as a medical professional whose new job led to a new home—and then to much more, a prize-
winning 4-H student who grew up to be at the forefront of an agricultural revolution, and a group of friends whose holiday hobbies snowballed into top-secret North Pole identities. We hope you enjoy reading these stories about your neighbors … and live your own lives to the fullest this summer season. nathan pettengill editor
“Chess Openings” “Nom de Grrrl” “Santa’s Salina Summers”
Karilea Rilling Jungel “Practical on the Prairie”
Meta West Sunflower Resume
on the cover: Quade Leonard, playing white at the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess in Lindsborg, contemplates his next move.
6
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
previously...
Previously... Letters, Comments and Observations about our Previous Edition
SAVE THE DATE
We received this email from Kim Thirkell in response to our story about the architecture and history of the Great Plains Theatre in Abilene. We love the Sunflower Living publication and read it from cover to cover. This issue was more meaningful to my husband and I because we were married in the First Presbyterian Church in Abilene that is now the Great Plains Theatre. I’m not sure when the church was sold to First Southern Baptist but it was not in 1964 as stated in the article. We were married August 12, 1967, and it was still the First Presbyterian Church, and Rev. John Kellison was the pastor. – Kim Thirkell The bride is correct, of course. According to county records, the transfer was in 1971. We apologize for the mistake and wish Ms. Thirkell a happy 45-year anniversary. She apparently knew the right date, the right location and the right person to marry. Above is a photograph of the Thirkells on their wedding day—at the First Presbyterian Church. Photograph courtesy Booth Photography and Doug and Kim Thirkell.
Your Turn
BACK HOME
Tom Frese is back home in Menden, Germany, after spending a year living with the Ostenberg family of Salina and attending Bennington High School. In our spring edition story relating Tom’s experience, the German sports enthusiast talked about the excitement—and difficulty—of adapting to American sports. After our story was published, but before Tom returned to Germany, he joined the Bennington High golf team where he left his own modest mark on the sport, medaling in every tournament and winning two of them. Hats off to Tom “Tiger Woods of Menden.” Incidentally, the organization that coordinated Tom’s stay in the United States is looking for responsible families to host exchange students in the coming year. If your family is possibly interested in hosting a student, you can contact the local representatives for Educational Resource Development Trust/SHARE, Mary Beth and Robert Winters, at (785) 825-9104 / (785) 822-8837 or go online at www.sharecentral.org
NEW AWARDS
Our spring edition cover story on young twirler Meg Henry mentioned she was the current Miss Majorette of Kansas for her age division and category. Since the publication of that issue, Meg has advanced in her age and competition categories and won the titles of Intermediate State Solo Champion and Intermediate Junior Miss Majorette of Kansas at statewide competitions in May 2012. This summer, at the University of Notre Dame in late July, Meg will be competing for the national title in her age and level category. She will also join members of the Salina-based Shannon’s Stars Twirling Club, who are competing in several team categories. We join the Henry family in wishing all of the Salina-region team members the best of luck in their competitions.
If you have something to share about this edition of Sunflower Living, please send an email to sunflowerliving@sunflowerpublishing.com or write to us at Sunflower Living / PO Box 740 / Salina, KS 67402. We are always eager to hear from you.
sunflower resume
a closer look at area business people
Q
Amanda Collins story by meta west photography by LISA EASTMAN
A frequent sandwich on your daily menu is the Grilled Hawaiian. What inspired its creation?
a
I thought of it while driving, I like Hawaiian burgers so I thought: “Why not a panini-style sandwich?” Grilled ham and fresh pineapple seemed like the perfect combination. Then, one of my right-hand women, Heidi Stohs, said: “Let’s add brown sugar caramelized onions!”
Q
It’s on the menu, but what exactly is an Elephant Ear? A flat bread sandwich filled with a trio of deli meats Sugared yeast dough, rolled out flat to resemble a large ear A green salad inspired by a plant with the same name A cabbage roll filled with couscous and exotic spices
Q
Besides your studies, what else occupied your time at KSU?
Amanda Collins Occupation: Co-owner/Baker, Amanda’s Bakery and Bistro Job Location: 301 N. Broadway, Abilene Birthplace: Abilene
Monster truck races
name:
After graduating from Kansas State University with a degree in hotel and restaurant management in December 2004, Amanda Collins returned to her hometown where she worked as a baker at the Kirby House until December 2010. In April 2011, her dream of owning her own bakery came true when she bought a coffee shop and converted it to Amanda’s Bakery and Bistro.
8
Turkey/Bacon Melt
Working in a fast-food establishment
I threw the 20-pound weight throw and during a threeyear period placed in the top three at the Big 12 Conference.
Q What are three top sellers in your bakery? Bierocks
Shot-put and indoor and outdoor hammer throw
Cinnamon Rolls (in winter)
Q a
When did you first begin baking?
At age 7, when I was old enough to be in the kitchen and when I joined the Navarre Boosters 4-H Club.
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
sunflower resume
a closer look at area business people
name:
Scuba
Therapy Dog Job Location: Wherever Debbie Elliott goes Birthplace: Concordia, Kansas Occupation:
Born into a litter where all the dogs received the name of different hobbies, Scuba was raised at the CARES dog center in Concordia and then trained as a therapy animal at the Kit Carson penitentiary in Colorado. She returned to Concordia in 2005, where she was paired with Debbie Elliott. The two of them graduated from a training course and have worked together since that time. Scuba followed Elliott into retirement at the end of the 2011-12 school year.
Debbie Elliott Occupation: Educator Job Location: Retired Birthplace: Abilene name:
Q
Debbie Elliott story by nathan pettengill photography by LISA EASTMAN
Abilene native Debbie Elliott received her bachelor’s at University of Kansas and her master’s at Kansas State University before returning to her hometown to begin a 29year career in education. For 20 years, she taught at various grade levels and for the last nine years she served as principal for Kennedy Elementary School. She retired from the position at the end of the 2011-12 school year.
Q
THEN
A} There is a much greater focus on the learning needs of every student. B} We understand a lot more how to teach because we know a lot more about how students learn. C} Technological tools such as the internet and iPads really enhance learning.
A} The teacher was teaching for the group and then working with students individually. B} There was not as much research on the process of learning. C} It was all paper and pencil, maybe with a movie here and there.
10%
eating, drinking and everything else
visiting with people
50%
35%
running, walking or swimming outdoors
sleeping
Q
If dogs had report cards, what would be on Scuba’s report card?
ORY
CATEG
t
men mpera
Te
A+ in temperament—her tail is always wagging A+ in patience – she is always there for the people she is meant to help C in following snack rules – she is sneaky about seeking out people who might give her treats e Patienc
k ing snac
Follow
What are the greatest differences between your elementary school studies and current elementary school studies?
NOW
5%
What is a breakdown of Scuba’s typical retirement day?
Q
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
rules
A+ A+ C
Where will you be when school starts up again this summer? In my garden
On the NASCAR circuit
Probably substitute teaching in a classroom. I’m trading in the administrative working 24/7 to get back into the classroom—ideally with Scuba.
9
sunflower resume
a closer look at area business people
SUE Shuman
story by nathan pettengill photography by LISA EASTMAN
Q
What are the three stamps/visas in your passport that you are most proud of?
A remote location that is definitely worth the time and expense to visit is an
African safari.
Sue Shuman Occupation: Owner, World Travel Center Job Location: 1827 S. Ninth St Birthplace: Abilene
Q
What do you take in your carry-on luggage that might surprise people?
a
A goose-down pillow. I don’t go anywhere without my goosedown pillow. It’s full size but squishes down to nothing.
name:
Traveling has made me a better business person because
Sue Shuman left Kansas to attend UCLA in California and then transferred to Kansas State University, where she graduated in 1961 with a degree in radio and television. For many years, Shuman worked as a legal and executive secretary and kept busy volunteering for her children’s school activities such as the drum and bugle corps. “We did everything: cook dinner, be a chaperone, be a sponsor and coordinate the buses,” says Shuman. “And I was such an optimist from my experience working with the drum corps that I thought I could move people anywhere and run a travel agency.” In 1983, she began doing just that by purchasing World Travel Center.
Q
Do you prefer to travel by … Plane
I have excellent employees who stay home and do the work while I’m traveling. Q
There’s no place like home—but if your home wasn’t Salina, where would you want it to be? Toledo, Ohio Toledo, Spain
Ireland Bora Bora France
Train Automobile
Cruise
10
What is something in your office that tells something
One thing that I love is a framed quote saying “travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.”
about you?
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
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Practical on the Prairie Home of Ann Zimmerman and Dexter Eggers story by Karilea Rilling Jungel photography by Larry Harwood
A couple’s red brick home allows pursuit of big dreams with low impact on the land
zimmerman Home
Y
LEFT: The EggersZimmerman home north of Salina was built as an ecological house that would blend well with an active life on the prairie. RIGHT: Ann Zimmerman, an attorney who has a secondary career as a singer-songwriter, composes music from her home.
ou could almost miss it, the small driveway which extends from the road approximately three miles north of Salina on Ohio Street. But if you catch this turn and cross the cattle guard across the drive, you will spy a lovely setting of stables and barns on your left and a red brick house on your right. This is the E Bar Z Stables, the home of Ann Zimmerman and Dexter Eggers. When the couple moved to these 230 acres of land in 2006, the barn and the stables were already standing and presented an idyllic Smoky Hills landscape for the practicing attorneys with roots in western Kansas and the Salina region. Working with Lawrence-based architect Joe King, Ann and Dexter drew up a plan to complete the grounds with a dream home that would be energy-efficient, winter-resistant and practical on the prairie. Looking back on the construction, Ann and Dexter say one of the biggest hurdles was keeping the construction workers on board with the architect’s guidelines. For example, Ann explains, “Everybody working on the house argued that the AC would not be big enough.” The work crews wanted to enlarge
the smaller-than-average air ducts, but the couple insisted that the home’s design—and the addition of ceiling fans in each room— would allow a minimal use of the AC and the air ducts. In addition, water lines installed in the concrete of the floors throughout the home allowed water to circulate throughout and keep the house at a standard 65-68 Fahrenheit year round. The home is also wellinsulated. Its walls are layered like a sandwich with 4 inches of concrete on the outside, 2 inches of Styrofoam in the middle and another 4 inches of concrete on the inside. Ann says these fortresslike-standards allow the walls to “never get colder than the actual below-ground temperature outside.” These heating and cooling innovations contribute to low electric bills of $65 per month during the winter and $30 per month during the summer. Crucial to regulating the home’s temperatures and systems is a small control room that Dexter refers to as his “space shuttle room” or “control room.” Here, computer systems monitor the temperatures of each individual room and control four water pumps, each operating separately and dividing the home into sectors: the basement, the upstairs, the bedrooms and the main portion of the home. Each pump draws its water from what Dexter refers to as his “munchkin” boiler. It has a computer system that regulates the amount of warm water that circulates through each room and sends out more heat if, for example, the floors cool or a shower is being taken.
Sunflowerliving / Summer summer 2012
13
sunflower spaces 1.
Ann and Dexter drew up a plan to complete the grounds with a dream home that would be energyefficient, winter-resistant and practical on the prairie. 14
Sunflowerliving / Summer summer 2012
zimmerman Home 2.
the
details
TABLE FOR TWO
The home’s wide, southern-exposure windows offer some practical heating while also providing a connection to the prairie—both visually and by reminding the couple of the slow, seasonal changes that affect all the life upon the land. “We watch the sunlight as it expands its line over the winter season, with the light crawling across the floor, widening up and onto the walls,” says Ann. “Then, as we go into spring, the light band starts to shrink. By the middle of summer, there is no sunlight on the floor at all. By August 17, a 2-inch-wide band starts the winter season all over again.” Being in touch with the surrounding land is vital to Ann and Dexter, who plant winter wheat and harvest soybeans on their territory. The couple also raise and train quarter horses, housing anywhere from 20 to 30 horses in their stable at any time. The stable stands north and east of the house, a new addition that replaced several smaller horse sheds once scattered over the acres. Ann and Dexter have chosen to leave what they think is the original 100-year-old barn standing because of its stonework and some markings, such as the initials “CME” and the year “1940” scratched into the stone. Dexter says he’s been told the initials and date were made by a farm neighbor who came over to help add stonework to the barn in that year. For Ann, themes of land and home are often tied through music. A songwriter, Ann says her work is often inspired by the nature around her. She frequently composes this work from her music studio on the second floor, then shares it with friends, family and fellow musicians at house concerts. As many as 30-50 people gather in the Zimmerman-Eggers house for these events where the couple move their furniture aside and sit their guests on the main floor and along the upstairs balcony. It’s a chance for Ann to share her talents and the prairie scenes around her home with others. “Sometimes I don’t feel like I deserve all this beauty,” says Ann. “We do try to be good stewards with the land and really enjoy our home.” 3.
4.
The home offers cozy dining for two, but often also accommodates numerous guests for house concerts
1. The kitchen’s
extensive natural wood and sheet-metal roofing exemplifies the home’s blend of nature and eco-efficiency.
2. Dexter Eggers and Ann Zimmerman raise and train horses on their property. 3. Both Dexter and
Ann grew up in Kansas and chose to make Salina their home.
4. Ann composes many of the songs that she has recorded and released as CDs.
COWBOY ROOTS
A comfortable home, the house is also the headquarters for the couple’s E Bar Z Stables—and the cowboy hat is not only décor, but necessary working equipment.
5. Ann and Dexter have updated the grounds with a modern barn and stable complex.
STABLES
The stables house both longterm boarders and short-term equine guests.
5.
THE VENTS
Comparatively small vents such as this were part of the design plan—and construction confusion—in creating the home.
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
15
sunflower spaces
take two Home of Jenni Short & Kelly Dunn story by Chelsey Crawford photography by Lisa Eastman
J
For a single professional with a love for the country, finding a dream home leads to finding another dream home instead
enni Short had always loved living the country life. She had loved growing up on her family farm in Nebraska. And she had loved starting her family at a rural house outside of Salina. So when she got a job offer she couldn’t refuse, the position of director of the critical care and progressive care units at Salina Regional Health Center, Short had much to think about. She understood taking this job would require living in town closer to the hospital so she could arrive there at a moment’s notice when
16
needed. Knowing the job was an amazing opportunity for her, after going through all the years of schooling to be a nurse practitioner, Short decided to take it. Now all she had to do was find a house that would feel like home for her and her two children, Laykn and Tyler. Short focused her search on the south side of Salina. Though she looked at many houses, nothing seemed to suit her family. After an exhaustive tour of homes, Short’s real estate agent told her he had
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
Short & dunn Home
LEFT: Kelly Dunn’s home became the Dunn-Short home thanks to a romance that was born from a previous house project. ABOVE: The Dunn-Short home’s tall ceilings allow for generous amounts of sunlight to pour through the windows. BELOW: Heavy oak doors lead to a light, open floor plan.
one more home for her to view, a certain brick home resting on a corner of the Magnolia Hills Estates. This new development, right off Markley Road and almost in the country but still in Salina, contained many houses by Kelly Dunn Construction. The firm’s owner, Kelly Dunn, has built more than 400 homes in the Salina area. The Magnolia Hills Estates project was one of his favorites. Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
17
sunflower spaces
Now all she had to do was find a house that would feel like home “I was looking to go south in Salina because the city is expanding so much in that direction,” says Dunn. “I have a lot of other areas in Salina that I have constructed or am currently working on, but this was a great area for a more upscale community.” One of these homes, a brick house on the corner of Dunnwood, drew his attention. In fact, the builder liked his creation so much that he moved in there. But he still kept the home listed for sale. And that’s how Short walked in with her real estate agent and immediately knew she had found a place for her family. Little did she know she was taking the home right out from under the contractor who built the entire area. For Dunn, however, there is always another home in the works. So he continued building and set his eye for his own residence on a new project approximately one mile from Short’s home. It was a grand two-story home with a four-car garage, heavy oak doors, vaulted ceilings
1. The Dunn-
2.
Short home’s deck looks over a largely undeveloped area, bringing the rural landscape that Jenni Short originally sought.
2. Kelly Dunn and Jenni Short shared a love for the same home, and then for each other. 3. The home’s “mancave bar” area in the basement allows plenty of room for entertaining.
the
details OPEN SPACE
Wide walkways and open spaces allow plenty of room for this blended family.
18
COMFORT
Working fireplaces will keep the family warm in winter.
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
TROPHIES
No mancave is complete without fishing trophies.
KIDCAVE
Adults don’t get all the fun. A private nook creates a perfect kidcave.
Short & dunn Home 1.
3.
WIDE VIEWS
The raised deck allows for clear, wide views of the surrounding land.
and a mancave basement bar complete with a bear rug and trophies of birds, deer and fish. After a short period of time, Dunn relocated and was ready to fulfill a request from Short. She had settled into the first home with her two kids, but found one thing missing—a finished basement. So she called her builder and asked if he could do that job for her. Dunn agreed to go back to his old home, this time as a contractor. He arrived. He began the work. He finished the work. And somewhere along the line, Dunn and Short started dating and became engaged. This past spring, the couple realized they had a choice on their hands. Did it really make sense to own two dream homes? By June, they merged as one family in Dunn’s home. “It’s a much bigger area for us all to live together as a family,” says Short. The newest new home meets her initial requirement of being out in the country and close to town, but has one extra furnishing in it. Who would have known that falling in love with a house could lead to much more?
Sunflowerliving / Summer 2012
‘Johnny Appleseed’
for the Birds story by nathan pettengill photography by Lisa Eastman
For Frank Reese, heritage poultry farming has a direct connection to a childhood of county fairs and family dinners
frank reese
LEFT Frank Reese has won national attention for his traditional approach of raising poultry, such as this New Hampshire rooster, on his farm near Lindsborg. ABOVE Reese stands next to a barn being built on his farm with a combination loan/grant from nonprofit organizations Farm Forward and the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). INSET Chickens, such as these Barred Rock hens, are allowed wide spaces to roam and forage at Reese’s farm.
F
rank Reese grew up on his family farm just four miles north of Salina straight up Ohio Street. This was an area where the farm kids would join the “81-Hustlers” 4-H Club to prepare their animals for the Tri-Rivers Fair and, if they were lucky and diligent, the big show at the state fair in Hutchinson. For Frank, it was turkey, chickens, ducks and geese that kept him busy. He prepped them for competitions in Salina, Abilene, Minneapolis and Ellsworth before aiming for the state prize. After all, the competition was serious for a rural farm boy in the late 1950s. And not only for him. In the days before American Idol and multimillion dollar Super Bowl broadcasts, the animal shows at rural areas were the big show of the year. Presiding over them were legendary
breeders, men like Hy Patton of Hutchinson who knew their livestock and would pass down a verdict tempered from a long heritage of farming. The young kids who won would, perhaps, inherit their knowledge and respect in the farming community. But Reese says this tradition began falling apart in the mid 1960s, the time he and his family had moved to a farm outside of Lindsborg. “The industry was beginning to change, and what they were teaching the youth began to change,” recalls Reese. “They were beginning to produce rapid-growing turkeys and rapid-growing chickens.” The standardization of American poultry is well-documented and, perhaps, an obvious result of the period’s agricultural revolution that saw a drastic rise in productivity in all Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
commodities, from wheat to meat. University researchers and then agricultural corporations began selectively breeding and altering birds so they became plumper quicker—decreasing the time it took to bring them to market and increasing the calories on them. A new type of chicken was hatched. And it was moving the nation from local farming to industrial production. By the late 1990s, back in Lindsborg, Reese began noticing what he thought were disturbing trends. “Not only were the birds disappearing, but all the people who taught me began disappearing.” And with them, potentially, went their knowledge and role in the community. “When I was a kid, every little town in America had a local butcher,” says Reese. “They depended on a few farmers to
21
local profiles provide them with poultry. And you knew the farmer, you knew the butcher, and you knew the quality you were getting.” Reese inherited flocks of heritage birds whose lineage he could trace back 70-80 years. And he drew up a mission statement for his farm that concentrated on the genetic preservation of the original birds, the ones that humans had lived with and eaten for all of history save the last few decades. His efforts, particularly his work with turkeys, began to attract media attention from local outlets such as the Salina Journal and national coverage in The New York Times and ABC national news, which named him “Person of the Week” in November 2007. Slowfood advocates such as Patrick Martins of Heritage Foods in Brooklyn, New York, describe Reese as a legend of poultry farming. “He’s the only one who creates a vertically integrated market for rare breeds,” says Martins. “And who buys from him? The top restaurants in the nation. Not only is this about maintaining high taste—and that is what it is all about for a top chef—but, Reese is the largest alternative to the industrial-poultry complex and has been for years.” Martins adds that Reese faces more obstacles in his work with chickens. Turkeys evoke a sense of Americana—people want them to be fresh and authentic when they serve birds at Thanksgiving. But chickens are chickens—more often associated with nuggets than nostalgia.
“When I was a kid … you knew the farmer, you knew the butcher, and you knew the quality you were getting.”
1.
1. Reese’s barn project, backed by Farm Forward and the ASPCA, seeks to set a new standard for conditions in raising commercial chickens. 3.
-frank reese Nonetheless, Reese’s focus on chickens has won an unusual honor. This May, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced a loan of over $150,000 to Reese’s Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch in order to support his “humane poultry welfare.” It was a first for the animal-rights organization. Suzanne McMillan, director of the ASPCA’s farm animal welfare campaign, says her organization chose to work with Reese for a number of reasons. “He has a long history of working on these issues and a very solid track record. And one thing we really like about him is he is well-known for being very generous with his knowledge, his skills in terms of sharing information with other farmers around the country who are interested in adopting these sorts of high-welfare protocols. That’s very important to us because ultimately one of the wonderful things that will come from this grant is helping Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch establish itself as a model for the larger poultry industry.” The funds, administered through the nonprofit group Farm Forward, will be used to construct a larger poultry barn at Good Shepherd and enable Reese to assist other farmers interested in following his production techniques.
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Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
2. Reese, now
recognized as one of the nation’s top authorities on heritage poultry farming, got his start with the Salina-area 4-H programs.
3. Reese’s Barred
Rock chickens require 140-160 days of growth before heading to market, as opposed to the commercial industry standard of 42 days of growth.
2.
frank reese
Martins says that Reese could become the “Johnny Appleseed” for high-quality, heritage chicken flocks across the nation. And for Reese, now 63, that is an important distinction between the legacy he wants to create and the legacy of industrial chicken market, now controlled by a narrow band of corporate breeders and suppliers. “My goal is not to have people buy my chickens across the U.S.,” says Reese, “but to have every community have someone who raises the chickens for their local consumers. There is no animal that has been more genetically altered, more genetically changed and that suffers more than the chicken.”
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
local profiles
Nom de
Grrrl 24
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
roller derby
S
he pulls on her fishnets, shorts and turquoise top. She applies makeup, perhaps even some face paint. With each brace and pad she straps on, she slowly transforms from mom, wife, employee, student or sister into her alter ego. As soon as the skates and helmet are secure, the transformation is complete. She stands on the track, ready to jam, block, pivot or cheer on her teammates. She is a Salina Siren—one of the approximately 30 women who make up Salina’s amateur, flat-track roller derby squad. Much time and effort has gone into training and preparing the squad for its first season that began this May, but perhaps no preparation has been more important than each individual team member’s creation of a roller-derby persona. This is the name on their jersey, their identity as a player, the person they become when the skates are laced and the game is on. These transformations from regular people to alter egos are hard to describe, says Lucy Allin, aka Splitten VonKitten. Allin likens competing under a derby identity to having a chance to play out other parts of her true self, not held back by her identity as a mother or someone’s employee. “Your derby name is that part of your personality that you don’t typically expose to the world,” explains Rebecca Nichols, who goes by the derby name Stiletto Stawlker. For Nichols, her bout name represents roller derby’s appeal. “This is a sport where I get to be athletic, intelligent and still look sexy on the track,” she says.
story by Sarah Hawbaker photography by Lisa Eastman
Skates don’t mean a thing (if you ain’t got that derby girl zing)
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
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Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
roller derby
Getting There Of course a roller derby identity is not created overnight. And the sport itself had to overcome obstacles, even in the minds of its new advocates. Nichols says the idea of getting knocked down while on wheels left her a little leery at first. Others have been wary of roller derby as well, with thoughts of the bankedtrack, anything-goes roller derby of the 1930s and 1940s. But modern-day roller derby is flat-track with strict rules. Although it remains a contact sport with plenty of bravado, most derby girls are not out for blood and broken bones. “It’s not just girls beating each other up for the sake of a show,” Nichols says.
Derby Primer
So what is derby? Flat-track roller derby is a regulated contact sport that consists of two 30-minute periods made up of two-minute jams. Each team has a “Jammer,” as well as the pack, which is made up of four “Blockers,” one of whom plays the role of the last-ditch defense, or “Pivot.” The goal is for the Jammer to skate through the pack as all players circle around the track.
Once a Jammer breaks through, she can start scoring points by passing members of the other team. This is where team strategy comes into play to prevent the other team’s Jammer from passing. Although body contact is legal, some contact is not. If a Blocker trips a Jammer or uses her elbows, for example, she can be sent to the penalty box. Tim “Mayor” Utterback, who serves as a nonskating official (NSO), says the sport follows clear rules with active enforcement. Each bout requires seven skating officials and 13 nonskating officials. The skating officials are watching for penalties both inside and outside of the pack while others keep their eye on the Jammers, keep time, call timeouts and count points. NSOs keep track of penalties, time the jam, keep score, operate the scoreboard and oversee the penalty box. Each member of the team must also learn the rules of the game and pass both a written and skating test in order to play. The team typically practices three nights a week for two hours per session.
to etlker stilstaw
learn more
Rebecca Nichols
For more information about the Salina Sirens, including their schedule, information for potential players and postings about their travel team, The Twisted Sisters, visit www.salinasirensrollerderby.com/sirens To learn more about the sport of roller derby, visit the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association at www.wftda.com.
Derby Legacy
For the derby girls, what they get in return from the efforts they put into the sport is far-reaching—even into the next generation. Nichols says that derby has become a family activity, as many of the derby girls bring their children with them to practice. Both Nichols and Allin agree that introducing their children to their derby alter egos has been a good thing. “For me, as a mom, it is nice to show my kids that I’m more than just one thing,” says Nichols. “I can work, be a mom and be a derby girl.”
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
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the
basics Players
Player positions refer to the position a skater is playing in a given jam. A skater is not limited in the number of positions she may play during a bout, but is limited to playing one designated position at a time. A maximum of four Blockers and one Jammer from each team are allowed on the track during play; only one of the Blockers may be a Pivot Blocker.
pivot blocker
Blocker
Prior to the start of a jam, Blockers line up behind the Pivots and ahead of the Jammers. They play a key role in determining the position of the pack and keeping the pack formed. Blockers never score points. Only the Pivot Blocker may become eligible to score points, called Passing the Star.
Leanne Turner
l Nitachillpil
The pivot tells the team what to do, and Leanne is really outspoken and can make sure everybody hears her directions. The pivot can also exchange positions with the jammer, and Leanne is great at that.
Blocker identification: Non-Pivot Blockers do not wear helmet covers.
blocker
Pivot Blocker
The Pivot is special subset of Blocker with the extra ability of receiving a star pass. Prior to the start of a jam, Pivots line up at the front of the pack. In certain circumstances, a Pivot may take over the position of Jammer for her team (Passing the Star). The Pivot is a specialized class of Blocker—they are Blockers in all senses and practices, with the additional ability to receive a Star Pass. It is not mandatory to field a Blocker as a Pivot. Pivot identification: Pivots wear a striped helmet cover.
Jammer
Prior to the start of a jam, Jammers line up at the rear of the pack. The Jammer’s role is to score points for her team. A Jammer may pass her position to her team’s Pivot (Passing the Star). Jammer Identification: Jammers wear a helmet cover with two stars, one on each side. A player lined up in the Jammer Starting Position will not be considered an active Jammer unless she is wearing a helmet cover with visible stars.
www.wftda.com
Kym Bearden
Bohica
CUPCAKE
When I’m a blocker, I like to be on the middle inside, because that’s where the jammers are most likely to go – and I like to hit them and take them out.
Like many sports, roller derby requires players to specialize in particular positions. On this page, Salina Sirens president Kym Bearden talks about each position and the Sirens who fill the current starting lineup.
blocker
Marideth Highsmith
dly DreaLox
A lot of roller derby is recognizing where you need to go and when you need to go there. Marideth can move her feet fast. She specializes at blocking anyone and moving opponents out of bounds.
blocker Lucy Allin
Lucy is a jammer, but we place her in the blocker position because she flourishes and showboats on the line. She’s top notch.
Splitten von Kitten
Back row, from left: Kym Bearden and Marideth Highsmith; Middle row, from left: Leanne Turner, Lucy Allin and Tammy Harrison; Front row, Shannon Redetzke
Jammer
Shannon Redetzke
Dotcha i
Shannon has been skating since she was little. She glides through the pack so easily. It’s amazing.
chess
openings story by Sarah Hawbaker photography by Larry Harwood
The longstanding popularity of chess does not necessarily rest on hard-core professionals but on millions of amateur players such as Quade Leonard who master the basics at an early age
Quade Leonard
Lindsborg’s Chess Central
Q
uade Leonard’s introduction to chess came when an ornate chess set at the Swedish Country Inn in Lindsborg caught his attention. This was when he was 4 years old, the age when he probably still thought his dad could do most anything in the world, so he turned to his father, Ed Leonard III, to teach him the basics. Quade recalls that as he was learning the game, the hardest part was mastering how to move the different pieces and knowing where each piece could move. At age 9, he has mastered the basic moves as well as several advanced strategies. Now he has his own ideas about the game’s premises. For example, he is bothered by the limitation that the king can only move one space. It is the king, after all. Over the years, Quade has improved his game and sought out more advanced instruction through the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess in Lindsborg. He Caleb Rettig, left, plays a chess match has competed at tournaments and attended the with Quade Leonard. chess school’s social chess nights since he was 6 Caleb, a student at McPherson High years old. School, received Quade’s mom, Sheila, says her son does well a first-place recognition for at math and logic-type tasks, so it is no surprise leading the state of that he has taken to the game of chess. But Quade, Kansas 18 and under who says chess “is actually kind of fun,” also team at the May 2012 Intercontinental enjoys being part of a chess community with the Scholastic Chess chance to meet other kids who challenge him in Teams Championship in Chicago. tournament play. Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
Led by community chess enthusiasts such as Mikhail Korenman and Irwin Fisk, Lindsborg already had a thriving chess club and school in 2003 when former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov lent his name to the organization to form the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess. Located in the town’s central Main Street, the school has leveraged its international recognition to promote the game of chess at a local and state level. The school sponsors social chess nights, sends instructors into area schools to mentor students and hosts two chess camps each summer. School president Marck Cobb says these activities are all part of the nonprofit’s mission to “promote chess education and provide educational services, life experiences, international cultural relationships and understanding.” Though the school is working to expand online chess education, including a partnership with the Smoky Valley Virtual Charter School in Lindsborg, Cobb says that a physical location and real-life gatherings of chess players, such as the residential summer camps, benefit the people and the sport. “By being in the same group and playing with each other, they compete with other individuals and learn from their strengths and weaknesses,” says Cobb. For young players, having a chance to meet others who share an interest in chess can be a very important social development. Though a majority of Karpov’s summer chess students are between the ages of 12 and 18, Cobb emphasizes that chess is a good game to learn or master at any age. “Chess is a good sport because you can have a kindergartner playing a 12th-grader,” says Cobb. “You respect a player’s skills regardless of their age.” Chess players serious about their skills can receive a ranking by winning matches at sanctioned events, such as ones hosted by the Lindsborg school. The most widely recognized system in the United States sets several degrees of categories with a ranking of 100 points for novices to 2,400 points for senior masters. An international grandmaster, such as Anatoly Karpov, holds a point ranking under the international system of above 2,600 points. Cobb says intense instruction, such as the Lindsborg summer chess camp, can raise an intermediate player’s ranking by several hundred points. But as in any sport, says Cobb, the process of learning and competing in chess holds valuable lessons in itself—even if those lessons are how to lose graciously.
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local profiles
Now he has his own ideas about the game’s premises. For example, he is bothered by the limitation that the king can only move one space. It is the king, after all.
LEFT: Quade,
who learned to play chess at age 4, has relied on the Karpov chess school to greatly improve his game.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Marck Cobb,
“There may be better people, but I am good, too,” Quade says of his abilities. This confidence, he explains, allows him to calm himself when tournament nerves strike. He has competed at tournaments in Canton-Galva, Concordia, Hillsboro, Lawrence and at the state chess tournament at the University of Kansas. Sheila thinks chess translates into other aspects of Quade’s life. “Chess helps him to stop and think when making a decision,” she says. Shelia also says that the game has taught Quade that if he practices at something, he will improve. That lesson of hard work, she believes, is important later in life whether Quade continues to play competitive chess. Though Quade is busy with swimming meets, soccer matches, baseball games and Cub Scouts, he continues to improve his game by playing online, on computer chess games and on the iPod. But the real question: Can Quade beat his dad at chess yet? “Yes,” Quade says. “Of course.”
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president of the Karpov school in Lindsborg, reviews historic and ongoing chess matches with players.
Quade Leonard
Advice to beginners ‌ Mastered the rules and the moves for each piece? Marck Cobb, president of the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess in Lindsborg, says beginning chess players should also keep these things in mind to improve their game. 1. You must learn to concentrate and focus in order to win. 2. You must plan, because a failure to plan results in failure. 3. You must adapt to each new situation. 4. You must look beyond the obvious. 5. You must maintain self-discipline because impulsive behavior will create losses. 6. You must make accurate decisions. 7. You must understand that success or failure depends only on you. 8. You must respect your opponent and learn to believe in your abilities. 9. You must remain calm under pressure. 10. You must maintain confidence and not
learn more
give up in the face of adversity.
To learn more about the programs, camps and instructions offered through the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess, visit www.anatolykarpovchessschool.org, or call 785-227-2224.
Santa’s Salina Summers
Before the holiday rush begins, the big elf relies on his secret identity and a welcoming community to enjoy the offseason story by Sarah Hawbaker photography by Larry Harwood
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A
hhh, summer in Salina. It’s the time for family gatherings, days lounging by the pool, flip flops, fireflies and reindeer games. Wait. Reindeer? Exactly. Salina just happens to be the summer home to five very special Santas-in-Training, or SiTs. The Salina SiTs spend the summer, their last chance for some rest and recreation before the big holiday season, blending in with you and me. Of course for that reason, the reindeer are often hidden and the Santas rely on cleverly constructed Off-Season Identities, or OSI for short, that allow them to enjoy the anonymity of the civilian lifestyle.
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
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Paul McDaniel
Off-Season Occupation: retired Santa-in-Training Since: 1999
Favorite Thing about Being a Santa in Training:
} “Watching the fulfillment of children and adults when they come visit us.�
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}
on becoming mr. claus:
“I was the last one to be included as a Georgetown Santa. When I first started as a Santa, I was a misfit. As a joke, I had put on an old Santa outfit and went to take part in the fun with my neighborhood friends. After they had their laughs, they told me to purchase a more modern suit and join them.”
Mel
Augustine
Off-Season Occupation: Machinist and welder at Hoff’s Machine & Welding Inc. Santa-in-Training Since: 2003
But how did five Santas-in-Training end up in Salina? Let’s just call it the Miracle on Georgetown Road. The first Santa, Santa Jack, who goes by the OSI of Jack Schmiedeler, kept his true identity a secret until 1999. But that year, for some reason, he wanted to bring a little extra Christmas cheer to the people driving through his neighborhood looking at holiday lights. So he simply put on his suit, strolled down his driveway and stood there waving. Before he knew it, Santa Jack’s neighbor, who goes by the OSI of Paul McDaniel, let Santa Jack in on a little secret. He, too, was an SiT. As fate would have it, three more Santas-in-Training made themselves known on Georgetown Road over the next three years. There is Santa Pete,
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
OSI Pete Martin; Santa Mike, OSI Mike Chaput; and Santa Mel, OSI Mel Augustine. From the meager shelter of a small tent, the five Georgetown Santas began handing out popcorn and candy to cars full of people who drove by. Before they knew it, word got out and the Santas would have over 1,000 visitors each night. With their cover blown, Santa Pete called for backup. Fortunately, the neighborhood also housed Elf-inTraining Justin, OSI Justin Martin, who helped Santa Pete build a wooden shelter from native cedar trees. (Yes, SiTs are very talented indeed—all that time in the toy workshop does have practical application.) What they created became known as the Santa Shack, complete with a wooden stove for those cold, winter nights, festive lights, music and seats.
What Santa Jack started nearly 13 Christmases ago has grown into a yearly tradition for Salina and the surrounding areas. “The adults enjoy it, too. You should see the grins on their faces,” Santa Jack says. They all agree that there is just “something” about Santa. “Santa is an institution,” Santa Paul says. Santa Mel says he is pleased to see the tradition being passed down to kids and grandkids who assist the Santas in passing out candy and in preparing popcorn. They prepare for the season with a stockpile of more than 20,000 candy canes, in addition to hundreds of other types of candy that is either donated or sold to the men at discounted prices.
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Mike Chaput
Off-Season Occupation: Mail carrier, U.S. Postal Service (Unlike Santa, I deliver “all year long”) Santa-in-Training Since: 2001
Favorite quote:
} “We don’t stop playing because you grow old. You grow old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw
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Pete Martin
Off-Season Occupation: Fleet manager for a construction company Santa-in-Training Since: 2001
}
Favorite Reindeer and Why:
“Prancer is my favorite reindeer because he has that natural ability to fly and lead the rest of the reindeer in the proper ‘Hoof Cadence.’”
Favorite cookie:
} “Whatever we get while being Santa. I’ll always remember two little girls about 6 years old who had come by, then went home and baked us some cookies . They were so proud. The mom said it was their idea and they didn’t want any help. Some of the best cookies ever.”
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
a
“We couldn’t do it without the generosity of the community,” Santa Jack says. In addition to area businesses helping out the Santas with free or discounted items, those who come to visit the Santas often bring food, treats and hot cocoa, as well as their Christmas wish lists, which wallpaper the inside of the Santa Shack. The men say they continue being Santas simply because spreading a little happiness and cheer gives them such joy. In turn, for several years now, Salina has protected the identity of these kind-hearted elves and allowed them to spend their summers simply being among us, doing what they love and enjoying a well-deserved break.
Jack Schmiedeler
Off-Season Occupation: Semi-retired cartographer and surveyor at Wilson and Company Santa-in-Training Since: 1999
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lazy S Farms
This little piggy
went
heritage story by Patricia E. Ackerman photography by Larry Harwood
L
arry and Madonna Sorell have nurtured nine children, hundreds of overnight guests and a unique variety of livestock since moving to their 40-acre farm outside of Glasco in 1970. Originally, the couple set up Lazy S Farms as a standard commercial hog operation and continued to operate it as such until approximately 20 years ago. Larry worked as a hog operations manager for a decade, and then he decided to retire and made what he thought might have been his last livestock purchase, three unusual heritage pigs.
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Heritage pigs are rare breeds of pigs that, for one reason or another, have not been favored for largescale commercial hog operations and have been left comparatively untouched by selective breeding. Proponents of heritage pigs—and heritage farm animals in general—often align their practices with free-range and hormone-free approaches, producing what they say is a refreshingly untainted and natural taste as well as a more humane, more sustainable approach to farming.
Larry Sorell feeds his heritage hogs
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Madonna and Larry Sorell have continued farming on their land outside Glasco despite passing their official retirement.
But Larry says he had not necessarily thought it,” Larry says. “Some breeds were very difficult to through that entire process when he purchased his find,” says Madonna, who points out that one breed, post-retirement pigs. “I bought two gilts and a boar the Mulefoot Hog, is still listed as critically rare by the as a hobby,” recalls Larry. “That decision has really American Livestock Breeding Conservancy. Today, the Sorells’ operation has grown to snowballed on us over the past 10 years.” Not long after buying the three heritage pigs, approximately 100 sows and 400 offspring, including the Mulefoot Hogs as Larry and Madonna well as Red Wattles, Large attended a meeting Blacks and Gloucester Old of local turkey Spots. To sustain these rare growers and heard a breeds, the Sorells keep representative from their best hogs for breeding Heritage Foods in stock and encourage other Brooklyn, New York, farmers to raise heritage speak about the -Larry Sorell hogs. Larry has assisted 14 growing demand for heritage turkeys. He also mentioned a growing need farms in Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas with starting for suppliers of organic heritage pork. After further heritage hog operations, and he serves on the board of discussion, Larry and Madonna decided to try raising directors for the Red Wattle Hog Association. This revival of heritage animals would not be possible heritage pork on Lazy S Farms. This meant a road trip. “We traveled over 1,800 miles across the U.S., picking without interest from consumers and from distribution up heritage pig breeding stock wherever we could find organizations such as Heritage Foods, the organization
“We traveled over 1,800 miles across the U.S., picking up heritage pig breeding stock wherever we could find it.”
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The Sorells have concentrated on raising heritage pig breeds, such as this Mulefoot hog.
that sent the representative who sparked the Sorells’ interest. Heritage Foods works with a chain of suppliers and processors to bring heritage produce to upscale restaurants throughout the United States. The nearest restaurant that serves the Sorells’ pork is Lidia’s Kansas City, an Italian restaurant in central Kansas City, Missouri. Lidia’s chef de cuisine Cody Hogan notes some heritage pig breeds are better than others for particular dishes, such as cured pork or sausages. “But the biggest difference is when you compare heritage pork to large-scale commercial pork,” says Hogan. “There is always a huge taste difference.” “On a normal hog there is mostly white meat, and it tends to be dry,” explains Larry. “The meat from heritage hogs has more marbling in it and as a result is a much juicier meat.” According to Larry, “As long as people continue to eat, this market will continue to grow.” A growing market and a commitment to a personal connection between the supplier and processor require Larry to spend much of his time on the road delivering his pigs. “I’m gone three, sometimes four, days each week,” he says. And when he is not traveling, his days typically begin at 7 a.m. and end after dark, leaving little time for a typical retirement schedule. “We thought we were basically done with hogs after Larry retired,” says Madonna, who adds nonetheless, “It has been awesome to watch this heritage operation grow unexpectedly.” The couple’s distant future might, however, include retirement. Larry says he hopes he can one day pass on his operations to one of his kids. After all, eight out of nine of them have chosen to remain in the region—the Sorells’ own heritage contribution.
The Sorells also breed some Scottish Highland cattle. Part of the heritage farming philosophy includes allowing plenty of space for farm animals to move about. Horses are kept on the farm for work and recreation.
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
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farm to plate A strong component of heritage farming is the belief that heritage meats are best if served fresh. For Lazy S Farms pork, this means months of planning and coordination and then a final rush of delivery, processing and preparation resulting in meat going from the farm to the plate in a matter of days.
Nick Fantasma from Paradise Locker Meats unloads the Sorells’ pork at Lidia’s Kansas City restaurant.
Late September 2011 – Litters of Red Wattle, Gloucester Old Spot and Large Black pigs are born on Lazy S Farms Late January 2012 – Patrick Martins of Heritage Foods in Brooklyn, New York, coordinates with Larry Sorell of Lazy S Farms on approximate delivery dates of pigs to Paradise Locker Meats processing plant in Trimble, Missouri May 15, 2012 – Martins and Sorell finalize delivery date of 8-month old pigs to processing plant (heritage pigs, in general, require two more months of growth than pigs from standard commercial hog farms)
May 28, 2012, 9 p.m. – Sorell leaves Glasco, Kansas, for Trimble, Missouri May 29, 2012, approximately 3 a.m. – Sorell delivers pigs to Paradise Locker Meats processing plant May 29, 2012, approximately 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. – Pigs are slaughtered for processing May 31, 2012, approximately 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Pork parts are processed and packaged June 1, 2012, 11 a.m. – Pork packages are loaded for delivery June 1, 2012, 1 p.m. – Pork arrives at Lidia’s Kansas City restaurant in central Kansas City, Missouri June 1, 2012, 1:30 p.m. – Sous chef Nick Janner prepares an Osso Buco dish from the Sorell pork. June 1, 2012, 2 p.m. – Dish of Osso Buco is served
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Glasco, KS
25
Trimble, MO Kansas City, MO
May 28, 2012, 7:30 p.m. – Sorell loads 25 pigs onto a trailer wagon. “We bed the trailer down with straw and wet it down to keep it cool. We need to load the pigs and deliver them at night because of the heat,” explains Madonna Sorell. “If it got too hot or if Larry would have any problems on the road then the pigs would overheat.”
Neck Chops
Loin Chops Ribs
er
Should Jowl Bacon
Fatback
Ham
Bacon
“once you get used to using heritage pork, then you can’t go back to the commercial pork where all the flavor has been bred out. It’s all about the flavor for us.” -Dan Swinney This Osso Buco, prepared from the Sorells’ pork, is a regular menu item at Lidia’s Kansas City. The restaurant’s executive chef, Dan Swinney says of heritage pork that “once you get used to using heritage pork, then you can’t go back to the commercial pork where all the flavor has been bred out. It’s all about the flavor for us.”
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012
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Photo contest
roadside For this issue’s photography contest, we invited readers to submit their photographic take on the theme of “Roadside.” There were several interpretations of this theme, but three of our five judges selected this image as their top pick. First Place
Kim Martin Kim Martin, who has lived most of her life in Salina and works at a metal fabrication shop, took this picture on Mother’s Day as she was traveling to visit her parents and came across this particular field of wheat seven miles east of Salina. Martin, who used a GEX 500 camera for the picture, says the bright green colors at the center of the photo are mostly natural. Her post-production work concentrated on brightening the gold colors that surrounded the section of green. Chosen by:
Shelly Bryant jason dailey Art director, Sunflower Publishing Chief photographer, Sunflower Publishing www.sunflowerpub.com www.daileyimages.com
Lisa Eastman Photographer, Sunflower Living www.prophotoks.com
Runner Up
Theme for the 2012 FALL Edition:
“ORANGE”
sunflowerpub.com with a heading of “Photo Contest” B) Submission must be made before August 13 C) Only submit the image if you are the photographer and the copyright holder of the image and if you live in the delivery region of Sunflower Living magazine D) Files should be in digital form, either JPEG or TIFF, that can be printed up to 8X10 at 300 dpi E) By submitting an image, you consent to having the image published in the magazine and posted online in connection with the magazine
Submission must be made before August 13
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Chosen by:
We want to feature your photograph in Sunflower Living magazine. Each issue, we will announce a theme and accept photograph submissions from readers with a permanent address within the delivery region of Sunflower Living magazine. Our panel will judge the submitted photographs and select a winning image, which will run on this page in the following edition. The winning photographer will receive a prize of $50.
Submission Guidelines: A) Email the image to sunflowerliving@
Jenni Leiste Designer, Sunflower Living www.sunflowerpub.com Chosen by:
next round
dale cole
Larry Harwood Photographer, Sunflower Living www.larryharwoodphoto.photoshelter.com
Sunflowerliving / summer 2012