Kansas State Agriculturist by Lisa Moser

Spring 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ Volume 64 â&#x20AC;˘ Number 1

10 Mentors Behind Mics 24 Southside Scoops 26 Tale of the Ale 38 Returning Rural

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE UPCOMING EVENTS

02.10.18

Alumni Basketball Pre-Game Tailgate

04.07 .18

K-State Open House

04.27 .18

Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament

04.28.18

Alumni & New Graduate Dinner

Alumni

Connect to your K-State roots by participating in upcoming College of Agriculture alumni events. For more information visit www.ag.k-state.edu/alumni

Advocate Educate Connect

Join Collegiate Farm Bureau at Kansas State University! Bi-Monthly Meetings Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference Collegiate Quiz Bowl and Discussion Meet

Industry Tours Seasonal Socials Networking Opportunities with Students and Local Producers

Find us on Facebook at Kansas State Collegiate Farm Bureau

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Contents 10 28 34 45 56

Editorial

7 Where’s the Farmer?

K-State Farmer’s Market offers an opportunity for agricultural clubs to provide agricultural education.

Features

10 Mentors Behind Mics

Professors step out of the classroom and onto the stage to share their love of music.

14 Not Part of the Plan

Two K-State alumni find passions outside of the agricultural industry.

Rooted in Ag

38 Returning Rural

Two K-State students share their love for the place that raised them and why returning to their roots is important to their futures.

42 Family in the Fields

One K-State student shares the experience of being part of his family’s custom harvest operation, and working in and out of the field.

45 The Farmer

Fraternity members use mopeds as quick transportation to campus.

Justin Knopf, a K-State alumnus, is featured as one of the two farmers in the Discovery Channel documentary, "Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman."

18 Warm Weather Wildcats

49 Sunflower State of Mind

16 Rhos on the Road

Agriculturist staff offer perspectives on campus activities during the summer.

Eats on Our Streets 24 Southside Scoops

New Call Hall Dairy Bar offers an agricultural education opportunity.

Learn about the state flower of Kansas, and how it contributes to the region as a whole.

College Close-Ups

50 Calling in Conservation

New club on campus offers opportunity for students to connect with conservation.

26 Tale of the Ale

52 Botanical Beast

28 Finding Her Whey

54 AgriCULTURED

30 Steaking a Claim

56 Feeding Man's Best Friend

Kansas 1863 wheat variety provides unique flavor for a wheat ale at Tallgrass Taphouse. Retired doctor finds a passion in producing goat cheese. Five friends come together to develop a local meat market for specialty, highquality products.

Photostory

34 College of Agriculture Watermelon Feed

Take a peak at the annual College of Agriculture Watermelon Feed.

Pungent flower draws big crowds to Manhattan over the summer. Kansas Paraguay Partners brings students to Kansas State University. K-State major helps provide seat at the table for furry friends.

58 Continuing the Legacy

Department of Animal Sciences and Industry builds new Purebred Beef Unit.

60 Learning the Landscape

A horticulture class helps students identify plants and more.

Agricultural COMMUNICATORS OF TOMORROW

@K.State.ACT

@K.State.ACT @K.StateACT @K.State_ACT

Meetings every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in Umberger 312.

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Top Row (Left to Right): Lisa Moser, Danielle Comstock, Chantelle Simon, Shannon Barry, Molly Bertz, Payton Stoppel, Sarah Moyer and Ashley Fitzsimmons. Bottom Row (Left to Right): Beth Copper, Jill Seiler, Shaylee Arpin and Hannah Schlapp.

n the midst of a world where the gap between producers and consumers is ever widening, individuals proudly involved in the agricultural industry are working tirelessly to bridge this void. Our issue of the Kansas State Agriculturist highlights some of these individuals and their stories. The features section contains stories about faculty members who step out of the classroom and reach the public through music; an agricultural fraternity making a name for itself through transportation and columns about how campus reaches visitors in the summer. The special section is all about the Eats on the Streets of Manhattan. These stories feature a new dairy bar in the union, beer made from Kansas wheat, locally-produced goat cheese and a new meat market in town. All of these products exemplify the farm-to- table-model and are produced in the Manhattan area.

In Rooted in Ag, we share a story about students who plan to return to their hometowns. You can also read about a family agricultural business that crosses the nation and an alumnus who shared his knowledge of the industry with millions as part of a documentary. Ending the section, we share facts and stories about the state flower. The final section zooms in on the college, featuring a club that is reaching beyond the agricultural industry to share a common interest in conservation with others. We invite you to read a story about a special stinky flower that drew hundreds to K-State over the summer, as well as stories about students who are taking what they learned from K-State to their home in another country and a major that reaches the general public through man’s best friend. We hope that through our 72-page magazine, you can see and appreciate the hard work behind each word, story, design and photograph. We want to thank the

entire faculty who have prepared us for this class as well as Lisa Moser who has guided us through the magazine process gracefully. Go Cats! -The Editors Jill, Shaylee, Hannah and Beth

Spring 2018 • Volume 64 • Number 1

ON THE COVER Read more on page 24. Photo by Shaylee Arpin 10 Mentors Behind Mics 24 Southside Scoops 26 Tale of the Ale 40 Returning Rural

Colophon: Volume 64, Number 1, of the Kansas State Agriculturist was produced by the Fall 2017 agricultural student magazine class and printed by Jostens. This 72-page magazine, plus covers, was created using Mac computers. Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator were used in layout and design. Images were taken by students or obtained from Adobe Stock Images. All pages were designed by the Agriculturist staff. Advertisements were designed by the Agriculturist staff or came from original artwork. Pat Hackenberg of the IGP Institute provided technical advice and assistance during production. Inquiries about this issue should be addressed to Lisa Moser, Kansas State University, Department of Communications and Agricultural Education, 301 Umberger Hall, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.

di e M w

g n i t e k r a Ma

It starts with the seed.

A hands-on workshop for business owners focusing on marketing and communication. February 27 & 28 Manhattan, Kansas 785.532.1173 newmedia@ksu.edu

A World of OPPORTUNITIES Online agriculture degree programs.

Kansas State University College of Agriculture offers opportunities to enhance your career with online graduate degrees, certificates and minors. Explore programs in • food science • bakery science • food safety and defense • agribusiness • agricultural education and communication • grassland management • advanced horticulture • horticultural therapy

VISIT global.k-state.edu/ag | 800-622-2578

6 the AGRICULTURIST

Always on. Always there.

Editorial

Agriculturalists are missing from the K-State Farmer’s Market and we have the responsibility to do something about it.

nce a month, busy students bob and weave between scattered booths in Bosco Plaza. They’re on the hunt for anything from secondhand clothing and homemade jewelry to freshly baked cookies. This eclectic group of wares is being sold to students and faculty members as part of the K-State Farmers’ Market, and at times, it might leave passersby wondering: where are the farmers? The K-State Farmers’ Market was established in March 2016 and is held on the last Wednesday of March, April, September and October. Any member of the K-State community, including student organizations and faculty and staff, can set up a free booth to sell their homegrown or homemade items. Contrary to its name, the plaza does not attract a lot of farmers. Instead, popular vendors include bake shops, clothing stores and even a pottery maker. The number of organizations representing the College of Agriculture at the market can be counted on one hand.

Advocating for Agriculture

In a world where less than 2 percent of the population is involved in farming, the K-State Farmers’ Market is the perfect opportunity for agricultural clubs and organizations to advocate for agriculture. Only 13.1 percent of K-State students in the Fall of 2016 were enrolled in the College of Agriculture, according to the undergraduate student demographics report. The K-State Farmers’ Market is an opportunity for agriculturalists to reach out to the other 86.9 percent of students on campus. Whether it is commiserating about the latest animal rights activist stunt on social media or sharing an article about the merits of GMOs with our friends on Facebook, many of us involved in agriculture can agree that we want to advocate for the industry and causes we are passionate about. Too often, we get stuck in our own College of Agriculture echo chamber, spending copious

amounts of time and energy communicating with ourselves. In our excitement to share our message, we don’t actually connect with the people we want to — consumers. In some instances, they are turned off by something we have said because we have not established a relationship of trust with them. Other times, they don’t see the article we tweeted about the differences in organic and conventional practices. This echo chamber can be easily seen at K-State by the invisible line that separates the north side of campus from the south. The nature of the layout of campus means many agriculture students never have a reason to venture any further south than Waters Hall. Consequently, we are missing out on the opportunity to advocate for agriculture within the borders of our own campus.

Reaching Across Campus

Consider breaking through this chamber by becoming a vendor at the K-State Farmers’ Market. Perhaps it’s a small way to reach across that invisible line, but sometimes the smallest of gestures can hold the greatest potential. What if the Meat Science Club sold processed meats or the Dairy Science Club offered cheese from Call Hall? There are so many other products that clubs and organizations could share with the K-State community. Perhaps your club does not have a product to sell. Then maybe you could join with another organization to help educate consumers about their food. Whatever your situation, it’s time we place our actions where our words have been and reach across that invisible line, stepping up as agriculturalists and being present to consumers. If we do not tell our story, others will. It’s time to put the farmer in the K-State Farmers’ Market. K

Jill Seiler Valley Center, KS

KSU ASI: Home of National Champions

Champion Meat Animal Evaluation Team

Reserve Champion Livestock Judging Team

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Call Hall Dairy Bar

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Mentors Behind Mics

Six musicians and 15 degrees create an “eclectic” sound for college functions.

everal Kansas State University professors occasionally trade in their lecture halls and student stares for a bandstand with a local crowd. The cover band “Too Many Degrees” is stacked with academics, as the name suggests. Their tunes fill rooms at university functions with a taste of bluegrass and country rock. “There was no real plan to do this, but it really started 10 years ago,” David Grieger, animal science professor, says. “It just seemed like a fun thing to do — fun enough that we’ve kind of kept it going. I’ve stopped telling people, ‘We’re not really a band.’” When the first band members began playing together, they connected over common musical interests. The original members included Grieger, singing and playing the guitar and harmonica; Kevin Carnes, physics professor contributing vocals and music on the mandolin and guitar; and

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Gerard Kluitenberg, agronomy professor, on percussion. “I started playing with those two guys, and the bluegrass music was fun to play,” Grieger says. “I could sing a little bit in harmony, and Kevin had a good voice; so it was just fun immediately.” The animal science department has been a popular venue for “Too Many Degrees,” providing the band several performance opportunities annually.

“It just seemed like a fun thing to do – fun enough that we’ve kind of kept it going. I’ve stopped telling people, ‘We’re not really a band.’” David Grieger Animal Science Professor “Probably 80 percent of what we do is something animal science–related,” Grieger says.

“If it wasn’t for ag, we wouldn’t have gigs.” He smiles, referencing the department as not only being its biggest supporter, but also one of its very first. “If there was a staff appreciation lunch or the spring picnic for animal science or a Christmas party, we’d play some tunes for that,” he says.

Adding Degrees

The band has evolved in its musical range and musicians since its beginning. Biology professor Jessica Johnson joined the band three years ago when she was earning another degree, her doctorate for stress physiology from the animal science department. A fellow graduate student had mentioned Johnson’s musical talents to Grieger. “He asked me to come by sometime after they finished up a gig, just to have some fun and jam out,” Johnson says.

Features

Soon Johnson became a regular member. “I got her to sing Patsy Cline,” Grieger says. “Then I introduced some other songs to her. She has given us a little different sound.” Patsy Cline’s song “Crazy” is a crowd-pleaser for the band, Grieger says. “When Jess starts in on that, especially older folks in the

crowd, they’ll stop and take notice, because she sounds like Patsy Cline,” he says. Johnson tells why she also enjoys performing that song and others like it. “What I really like about Patsy is she’s just very soulful,” she says. “She’s got a lot of power in her voice, and it gives me a rush every time.”

Creating Unique Sound

While the vast majority of the songs they play are covers like “Crazy,” they lay claim to two original works. “I’ve written two songs, but those are fairly class-oriented, like the “Palpator Blues” song, which relates to my bovine reproduction course,” Grieger says (see sidebar).

continued...

Palpator Blues By David Grieger

David Grieger originally named the band “Bluegrass Prairie” before his wife inspired the change to “Too Many Degrees.”

Gerard Kluitenberg, agronomy professor, looks on the band as he plays percussion.

Loadin’ kids up in a big white van; with sleeves and lube and a one-arm tan; We’re searchin’ for cows with low fer-ti-li-tae, So, run ‘em in boys, let’s see who goes and see who stays The AI date was long a-go, the cleanup bull, no libi-do It’s gonna be easy; all parts and placen-tomes, What could go wrong, out here where the buffalo roam? At sixty days you find a mouse, at ninety a rat is in the house A hundred and twenty, a cat that’s small, and at // one fifty let’s play soft-ball… The first cow in, I give her tail a twist; I push on in right up to my wrist; But some-thing’s wrong and I can feel it in my soul… I look down, and dang, I’m in the wrong hole The next cow is AI-bred, I did her in the spring and that’s what I said; But now I find an aber-ra-tion… A nicely toned bi-fur-ca-tion. (She musta slipped the calf) The calf feels big at a hundred and eighty; at two-ten I won’t miss no baby

She’ll calve soon; and I ain’t foolin’, unless//, of course, that was just the rumen… In the next cow, I get a slip, but that’s too early, she just don’t fit; Now I do recall that neighbor bull chasin’ her… Oh, he’s a real beauty; a Scottish High-lan-der This day has become a pain, the next cow is cra-zy in-sane, She kicks me right where I can’t say, then sprays // me with, rumi-na-ted hay It’s gotta get better, only 10 to go; I reach for a sleeve and wadda you know: The bag is empty and the lube bottle is spitting air, Good luck arm; you’re goin’ in dry and bare. Well the last one’s in, fi-nal-ly; my arm is tired and I gotta go pee; I call her bred and grab a beer; some-one yells, “Doc, that was a steer”. // Why do I keep teachin’ this class? I could stay inside and sit on my // (I could NOT think of a word to rhyme!) I do it for you kids who chase away my blues… As you go forth, a palpator’s salute to you.

Grieger uses it in his bovine reproductive technology course at K-State, and the band recently performed the song at a beef cattle reproduction conference in Manhattan. Rachel Waggie, animal science student, saw them perform there and has taken a course from Grieger. “It’s really cool to see our faculty do something different, besides teaching all the time,” she says. “It’s a lot of fun and they’re very creative.” Displaying their creativity requires preparation. Grieger says his wife will notice if he has a gig coming up based off his increased time spent prepping. Johnson is indifferent to the location of their performances. “Regardless, if it’s in the basement to practice or if it’s actually in front of people, that doesn’t really change things for me,” she says. “I am excited in both

settings because it’s just fun to be able to get together and practice or perform.” With the time spent preparing, Grieger says it’s nice to see the audience enjoy the band’s music and the best compliment is when he sees couples dancing during their performances.

Reproducing Continued Support

Grieger adds that the animal science department has also been appreciative as they have performed over the years — so much so that it is not uncommon for the department to name ownership of the group. “Dr. Odde could hire somebody better than us, but faces are recognizable and that does make a difference for some of our faculty,” Grieger says.

He agrees that giving back through talents other than just teaching and research is rewarding. “It seems to add to the camaraderie or just the chemistry of the department, and that I do like,” he says. A similar, and possibly more powerful, chemistry carries through the band, Johnson describes. “I feel like if you don’t get along with the group that you perform with, you’re not going to have as much fun, and you’re not going to produce as good of music,” she says. The group’s harmony shows itself in different ways. “We all have very varied backgrounds, not just in life but the type of music we like,” Johnson says. “It makes us a more eclectic bunch. It’s fun to share our passions and be able to practice and perform together.” K

Sarah Moyer Emporia, KS

A cover of Turnpike Troubadours’ song “Every Girl” followed a cover of Patsy Cline’s song “Crazy” when the band performed at an event in Keats, a small town northwest of Manhattan.

12 the AGRICULTURIST

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OF THE Two College of Agriculture alumni find their places outside of the agricultural industry.

ollege is a place where you get to branch out, find yourself and discover what you are good at. You are given at least four years to pick your major, minor and everything in between to help navigate your next phase in life. But what happens when everything gets a bit murky, and that “next phase” becomes one big question mark looming over your head? For Ben Hopper and Drew Goering, finding a career took them down an unexpected path. Hopper, liaison for academic organizations and honoraries for the Center for Student Involvement, and Goering, development officer for the Kansas State University Foundation in the agriculture department, always knew they would bleed purple. Raised by parents who worked in the agricultural sector, attending Kansas State University in the College of Agriculture was just a part of the plan for both Hopper and Goering. “I always knew I was going to K-State. That was never a question,” Hopper says.

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After being accepted to K-State, Hopper decided to major in agricultural communications and journalism with a minor in political science, hoping one day to work in Washington, D.C.

“The relationships I make are with K-Staters who are so passionate about our college and so eager to support us because of their experiences.” Drew Goering Kansas State University Foundation Development Officer For Goering, it was his experience in 4-H and the National FFA Organization that led him to his desire to major in agricultural education. However, Goering quickly learned that deciding on one major was harder than he thought. Goering would go on to change his major six times before finally choosing parks management and conservation

with a recreational business option focusing on community recreation. “Really, the story throughout college is that I could never decide on the right major,” Goering says. “I could never figure out what I wanted to do. I could never find the balance between being around people, being a teacher or doing recreational things.”

College Life

During their years of undergraduate education, Hopper and Goering were heavily involved on campus. Goering joined FarmHouse Fraternity, worked for the College of Agriculture, was an instructor at the Challenge Course and was a part of the Student Foundation. It was the foundation that allowed Goering to find what interested him most. “It was the philanthropy work within K-State that really brought me to where I am today,” Goering says. Similarly, Hopper kept himself busy on campus. He was a member of marching band and Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow. During his fifth year at K-State, he

Features

Kansas State University College of Agriculture graduates Drew Goering (left) and Ben Hopper (right) find their passion outside of the agricultural industry, while staying true to their purple roots.

joined the Union Program Council, where he found the “fun” part of campus life. “I just enjoyed putting on events and fun things for students to do,” Hopper says. “Being a part of the council was really the first step to what I am doing today.”

the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. From all of these experiences, Hopper shares a unique connection. “I got to meet Bill Nye the Science Guy,” says Hopper. “I have his cell phone number, and I texted him during the solar eclipse.”

Job Search

Today, Hopper serves as the liaison for academic organizations and honoraries for the Center for Student Involvement at K-State. In this position, he has the opportunity to cultivate relationships with various student-led groups on campus to make them feel supported and provide them with the resources they need. “I’m 38, but I feel like I’m 18 to 22 years old because those are the students I hang out with,” Hopper says. “I have a different lifestyle than my peers.” Hopper thoroughly enjoys his role at the center and never feels as though it is a “job.” When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he stated that he still has no idea, but he did offer some advice to

After graduation, Goering had his own set of criteria that he would employ in selecting a job. “I didn’t want to find something that I wasn’t going to enjoy,” Goering says. “I wanted to be passionate about it. I wanted to find something where I directly worked with people and have an opportunity to help them find their passions.” Goering took a job at the national level with FarmHouse as a leadership consultant and recruiter. Similarly, Hopper experienced career moves right after college. He started at a small association management firm and then obtained the role of Union Program Council adviser. From there, Hopper advised a fraternity and was the director of

Purple Passions

those who are struggling with the same question. “Just because you get a degree in ‘blank’ doesn’t mean you are stuck in that field,” Hopper says. Goering found his passion working for the KSU Foundation as a development officer for agriculture. In this role, Goering acts as the connection between donors and the philanthropic needs of the university, specifically in the College of Agriculture. He regularly travels around the state of Kansas meeting with potential donors, most of whom are K-State alumni. “The relationships I make are with K-Staters who are so passionate about our college and so eager to support us because of their experiences,” Goering says. “They have such pride because of what this place means to them.” Both Hopper and Goering can agree that their current jobs may not be what they originally planned, but they revel in what they do and how it positively influences the people around them. They encourage students to take risks with their future plans and experiment with career options. Hopper and Goering make it a point to make what they do be about the people and not to worry so much about the details. Hopper says, “You can change the world wherever you are by the work you do and the people you work with and impact.” K

Chantelle Simon Morland, KS

on the A fraternity bonds through agriculture and mopeds.

hint of burnt rubber, broken plastic, cracked headlights and leaky oil sprinkle the parking lot of 1919 Platt Street — the home of the men of Alpha Gamma Rho. At first glance, prized pickups and a set of royal purple buses line the side lot, but nestled in the corner of the L-shaped lot are more than 25 mopeds of all shapes and sizes. Mopeds have become a trademark of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity over the last several years, with almost half of their 89 members owning one, according to Michael McKinney, fraternity member. “It’s a way for us all to laugh and hang out,” McKinney says. “Everyone gets a good laugh when you pull in and there’s 20-something mopeds here stuck together.”

Pride and Joy

Members notice their chosen mode of transportation has earned them a reputation. “Everybody knows us as the fraternity with the mopeds,” says Dean Adcock, fraternity member and agronomy student. “I was talking to an SAE member the

16 the AGRICULTURIST

other day in one of my crops classes, and he said he knew AGRs because of the mopeds.”

“I can leave the house 10 minutes before class and make it there in good time and usually not worry about parking.” Michael McKinney Feed Science Student Adcock says the influx of mopeds in their chapter has been increasing gradually in the last several years. He hears from alumni that mopeds were not a big deal until about four years ago. “Somewhere between then and now, it really took off,” Adcock says. The freedom of two wheels rather than four entices members to buy and ride frequently. Members enjoy riding around town together, he says, and their favorite route includes Bill Snyder Family Stadium and the Kansas Department of Agriculture. “Sometimes we’ll just ride around and have a good ol’ time,” Adcock says. “Usually we’ll ride up to KDA, which overlooks the National Bio and Agro-defense

Facility, and we’ll look at how it’s coming along.” This particular style of cruising is McKinney’s favorite aspect of moped ownership. He says they usually travel in five-to 10-person groups, smiling at people along the way. “I think it’s a good way to bring joy to the town,” McKinney says. “If I had a bad day and I saw a bunch of mopeds cruising around, it’d probably make my day better.”

Moped Logic

Moped use has grown on campus, and one reason is convenience. Designated parking lots fill up faster than in the past. “I can leave the house 10 minutes before class and make it there in good time and usually not worry about parking,” McKinney says. The chapter house’s parking lot also mimics this shift in popularity. “We had to reconfigure the parking lot this year because we had no room for mopeds,” he says. Parking for mopeds and motorcycles on campus is getting harder to come by, but for good reason, Adcock says. Students can

Features purchase a motorcycle parking permit for $90 compared to an off-campus student parking pass for $180, and Adcock says that even though the permit is expensive, it is still worth it in the end compared to a vehicle. “To fill it up, it’s about a gallon of fuel, so about $3,” Adcock says. “You don’t have to carry insurance on them. All around, it’s a very cheap way to get about Manhattan.” Like any driver new to K-State, Cooper Lancaster, a first-year member of AGR and agriculture economics student, experienced confusion with lot markings and his allocated pass. “I have a class in Bluemont Hall, so my moped is a lot better than walking,” he says. “The downside is I always get parking tickets for not parking in the right spot.” When asked why he purchased a moped, Lancaster’s answer is simple. “I wanted a moped because everybody had one,” he says. Adcock whose twin brother attended K-State, agreed that envy is another possible reason for the increase in mopeds. “My brother Del originally got me hooked on it because he showed me how easy it was,” he says. “You have to have one to really know how simple it is.”

Work in Progress

Crashes can complicate the convenience of moped transportation. For instance, McKinney’s moped is glued and screwed together, and he is not alone. “You name it, and we’ve got something to fix in there, but they

all run great,” he says. “There’s a multitude of gentlemen who have extensive moped servicing experience in the house.” McKinney credits their collective servicing experience to their frequent need for it. “I’ve put quite a bit of work into mine,” McKinney says. “However, on the other side of that, there are also a large variety of guys who are good at wrecking mopeds. My moped, included, has been through four wrecks.” Without their in-house services, it would be difficult to find a local mechanic. Many of the mopeds are manufactured in China, so parts are ordered off the Internet. “Most local guys will not work on them,” McKinney says. “They’re meticulous and sometimes irritating to work on, so most of the work has to be done ourselves.” Just like riding, the men of AGR make repairs a group activity. This results in more time to ride, and Adcock says there’s hardly a bad day to hop on and go. Friday and Saturday are unofficial favorites for group rides because of classes during the week. He says, “When I get here to Manhattan, I usually park my car and don’t drive it until the weekends.” Mopeds are likely to be a long-term feature of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity landscape with graduating members selling theirs to the younger wave of men. As for McKinney, he says, “I’ll probably keep mine forever.” K

Sarah Moyer Emporia, KS

Street Talk “I think K-State has a parking problem, and mopeds help reduce the space needed to park vehicles. There have been days I have spent 30 minutes looking for a parking spot and I thought about getting a moped.” Chad Paulk, feed science professor “It’s a smart idea to get a moped because the parking passes are cheaper. I do see the AGRs on mopeds a lot on campus.” Darby Schmidt, agribusiness student “Everyone who rides them always looks like they’re having a great time. It makes my day better when I see people riding around on a moped just enjoying life.” Colton Haney, agriculture technology management student

Hayden Heigele, fraternity member and second-year agronomy student, rides his 1981 Honda Express.

HOBY

Over the summer K-State welcomes a variety of conferences to campus. Members of the Agriculturist staff reflect on their summer experiences spent at those events.

HOBY Ambassadors and staff from the 2015 seminar pose in front of Anderson Hall on campus. Photo by: Jeff and Erica Short of Anecdotally Yours.

18 the AGRICULTURIST

The Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership organization, or HOBY for short, holds a special place in my heart, and the Kansas seminar is appropriately held at a special place itself — Kansas State University. Each summer since 2012, volunteers with the state branch of this international organization have bombarded campus with positive cheers and nurtured the leadership potential of high school students, dubbed ambassadors for the four-day seminar. I attended in 2013 and found passion for the work being done. I have served as a staff volunteer for four years now, and my trips back to K-State’s campus each summer have been full of tremendous personal development and, yes, more purple. Watching campus rapidly change as construction projects took place over summer months has demonstrated a hunger for improvement. Working with the Division of Facilities, HOBY had the opportunity to showcase finished products of that work, like utilizing the brand-new auditorium in the business building last summer. As K-State repeatedly puts its best foot forward for an organization that impacts student leaders, my decision to become a K-State student is reinforced year after year. It’s always fun to breathe life back into the quiet classrooms and residence halls, and friendly K-State Housing and Dining staff help make it easy to welcome HOBY ambassadors into the campus family, if only for a few days. K

Sarah Moyer Emporia, KS

Features FFA

The music is pounding and the light show is starting as blue jackets fill McCain Auditorium. Opening ceremonies begin, and the members stand and say in unison, “To practice brotherhood, honor agricultural opportunities and responsibilities, and develop those qualities of leadership which an FFA member should possess.” Kansas FFA State Convention was where I always started my summer break in high school. At convention, you can compete in different career development events like public speaking or job interview. Different members from across the state would pine for that coveted spot on a state team. Kansas State University might be a purple campus, but during convention, National Blue and Corn Gold rule. At my fourth convention, I got lost while looking for Holton Hall. Several calls to my adviser later, and he walked me to the contest. Even after the trauma of getting lost, K-State’s campus had a special place in my heart since I first came to convention as a freshman. The Leadership Studies building is where I completed my interviews to become a state officer. Bluemont Hall is where my chapter competed in Master Ritual, or opening ceremonies. The Alumni Center is where I hosted a luncheon for an industry partner. As a student who now attends classes in these buildings, I can wear my purple with pride knowing that it all started with a blue jacket. K

Beth Cooper (center) enjoys a summer treat with other members of the summer conference staff.

Cool Cats

While conferences are happening on campus during the summer, there is a group of students who coordinate check-ins, run the desks and assist conference participants as needed. This group of students is the summer conference staff, known by Housing and Dining Services as the Cool Cats. For the summer of 2016, I was able to be a part of this staff. Working as a Cool Cat was one of the best experiences. I got to work with a great staff team, live in Haymaker Hall for a summer and meet participants from conferences ranging from volleyball camps to Wildcat Warm Up, Grandparents University and 4-H Discovery Days. It was a summer of constant change with groups of conference participants in and out of the residence halls every few days. We ran Moore, Haymaker, Ford and

Boyd for most of the conferences coming in and out of the university, but also had Boys State staying in Goodnow and Marlatt. In addition to providing check-in and check-out services for the conferences, Cool Cats also work the front desk of the halls to make sure conference participants have a great experience while they stay at K-State. We also went on duty at least twice during the summer, where we responded to various issues from participants locked out of their rooms to fire alarms going off. It was a different way to see K-State, and I wouldn’t trade that summer for the world. K

Beth Cooper Platte Woods, MO

Chantelle Simon Morland, KS

College of Agriculture Student Council Providing opportunities for internal college engagement and professional networking; recognizing excellence where it is earned, and assessing the needs of the college for all students involved.

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The Manhattan Meat Market is a full service butcher shop designed to meet the needs of the consumer looking for superior customer service and meat quality in a fun and educational Manhattan setting. Our goal is to take care of our customers and to share the stories of the farmers and ranchers in Kansas and across the High Plains who make our products possible.

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MARKET HOURS: Tuesday - Friday 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closed Sunday & Monday

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Manhattan offers a variety of eating options for the K-State student. From fine dining to locally-owned cafĂŠs, consumers can find just about anything they want, including locally produced and sold products. These local vendors provide a niche service for its customers.

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Southside Scoops New this year, Call Hall Dairy Bar has expanded to the Student Union.

or many students and alumni, a double scoop of purple pride in a waffle cone brings to mind fond memories of college afternoons spent at Kansas State University. Since Call Hall’s 1964 debut, the only place to get purple pride was in the Call Hall Dairy Bar on the north side of campus, but now the favored blueberry ice cream is also available on the south side of campus. The Department of Animal Sciences and Industry unveiled a new retail spot in the K-State Union in August 2017 known as Call Hall in the Union. The retail counter serves all the same flavors as the traditional dairy bar from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and aims to reach a new audience. “It is a great opportunity to reach students who are on that side of campus,” says Jared Parsons, dairy plant manager for Call Hall. The decision to open a second retail site came after a survey, where students identified ice cream as something they wanted in the Union. During the Union renovation, plans were created to add Call Hall to the food services. Caribou Coffee had ice cream from the processing facility before the

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upgrade, so it made sense to go with a Call Hall retail area says John Kessler, food service manager for the Union shop. The Union location deals in all things ice cream and ice creamrelated. Purple pride is the most popular flavor, says Kessler.

Dairy Education

In addition to selling ice cream to students, Kessler says the stand is a perfect way to connect with consumers about agriculture. Television screens provide educational information about the dairy industry and how ice cream is produced. “What we have the opportunity to do here is no different than what they have the opportunity to do on the north side,” Kessler says. “The only difference is the fact that in a given week we may see 70,000 people through the Union.” Kessler says the stand connects with consumers through a mutual interest in ice cream and can then explain animal science because of the product. Call Hall ice cream is that it is a perfect example of the farm-to-table concept that has grown increasingly popular. From the dairy cow to

Eats On Our Streets the point of sale in the Union, everything in the process of getting ice cream to the consumer occurs within a 16-block radius. The retail center in the Union has also allowed the Call Hall processing facility to streamline its flavor-making process. Instead of making several flavors a week with lots of wasted product, Parsons and the plant are making only four to five flavors a week. The added retail space on campus has also allowed the plant to market all of their ice cream on campus. Before Call Hall in the Union, the ice cream was sold around town at different retailers. The plant does not really need to sell to third party customers anymore, which Parsons considers an improvement. “We are a university plant and we need to be servicing the students and K-State affiliated entities,” Parsons says. “We aren’t in the business of competing with other manufacturers.” The Union location goes through seven tubs of ice cream a day. When the stand first opened they were selling 10 to 15, 3-gallon tubs daily, but as students returned to a school routine that number has decreased.

traffic and can definitely capitalize on that.” While the Union would like to increase its sales, it is also conscious of its limitations. The K-State Call Hall processing facility is currently processing at capacity. Producing 450 gallons of ice cream a week, Parsons says the plant is at its maximum. Additional ice cream processing equipment, storage area and freezer space is necessary if the plant is to handle anything more than the two dairy bars on campus.

One way Parsons manages the processing limitations is through the seasonal demands. In months when there is not a lot of ice cream

production, cream is frozen and saved for higher production times. “We live by the law of averages here. People are counting on us and we don’t want to drop the ball as a plant,” Parsons says.

Student-centered

One group counting on Call Hall is students. Kessler says it was important to give students what they wanted, and the added bonus is that the students are the ones providing this service for their peers. From the cows milked at the K-State Dairy Teaching and Research facility to the ice cream packed in the plant, and finally the cone dipped in the Union, students are involved every step of the way. Student labor is an incredibly important piece of Call Hall ice cream. Kessler says, “All of these processes are also done by student labor. It’s for students by students, serving students.” K

Jill Seiler Valley Center, KS

Room for Growth

Certainly winter temperatures affect consumers’ appetite for ice cream, but Kessler believes there is room to increase sales. “There is definitely room for growth,” Kessler says. “The Union is an entry point for most of campus and one of the first buildings visited during tours. We have a lot of

Scott Kirk, a student worker, mixes up a shake for a customer in the new Call Hall Union store.

The state of Kansas offers the wheat crop for more than just bread.

ansas brings to mind various images — the Wizard of Oz, changing scenery from border to border, sunflowers, agriculture and most notably, wheat. When driving through Kansas, it’s hard not to find a wheat field. And when most people think of wheat, they think bread. For Jeff Gill, owner and mastermind behind Tallgrass Tap House, his vision of wheat had another path, brewing beer. Being an avid homebrewer before starting Tallgrass Brewery in 2007, Gill knew he wanted to start something both he and others could enjoy. “I love creating things and sharing those creations with others,” Gill says. “I found brewing to be the right mix of that creative work and science for me, while at the same time recognizing that it was the right time to start a microbrewery back in 2007.” Since the start of Tallgrass in 2007, it’s brewing operation has evolved. Most recently, it became home to a 60,000-square-foot brewery, which quadruples the capacity of the largest craft brewer in the state. The brewery has a four-vessel, automated 50-barrel brew house with the intent to have

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production up to nearly 30,000 barrels. The facility is large enough to produce 100,000 barrels per year.

Establishing the Brew

Tallgrass Tap House, both a restaurant and a small portion of the brewing operation, located on Poyntz Ave. in Manhattan, Kansas, is home to 20 beers on tap, six of which are produced at the Tap House in their 10-barrel brewpub system. Although wheat isn’t the main ingredient used in the beer-brewing process, it’s especially important.

“Brewing is a blend of science and art. Each contributes to the finished product.” Chris Chalmers Head Brewmaster With the large facility comes staff who are passionate and knowledgeable about the brew process. Chris Chalmers, head brewer at Tallgrass Tap House, says the process of brewing beer consists of milling certain grain commodities, malted barley commodities and some additional

Eats On Our Streets varieties. Wheat, oats and rye make up the smaller portion. “The vast majority of beer is one or two different base malts, and then you add in specialty grains to create the desired type of beer,” Chalmers says. Achieving the perfect type of brew requires a lot of patience and the ability to come up with a concept of how the beer should taste. As Chalmers says, in a way, making a beer is similar to making a cake. The main ingredient in cake is flour, and then the baker adds other ingredients to turn it into the type of floured cake they want it to be. “Brewing is a blend of science and art. Each contributes to the finished product. There’s lots of biochemistry involved, but you also have to have a creative vision for what you’re trying to accomplish,” Chalmers says.

Gill earned a bachelor’s in geology from K-State, so it was only fitting to incorporate his alma mater into his brewing operation. “We have all these great players here in the wheat industry, it’s our way of bringing the community together while incorporating K-State, farming, wheat and the brewery in one little location downtown,” Chalmers says. Chalmers says having a brewery in Kansas has been an invaluable resource, and it’s been great to have support from the community and enthusiasm for beers they brew. He also credits the brewery’s success to

the large farming community and their eagerness to try locally brewed beers with local commodities. Chalmers says, “Because of the strong farm influence in the community, people are stoked about the project, and that really tells you something about the region and the area of Manhattan. I don’t think there’s anyone out there doing as much focused research as we are on the wheat beer variety.” K

Hannah Schlapp Oswego, IL

Grass to Grain

Tallgrass Tap House builds on Kansas’ reputation as the Wheat State and ranking first in wheat production in 2016. Their seasonal summer brew, 1863 Wheat Ale, uses the wheat variety 1863 bred at Kansas State University. “I think being a Kansan has helped me appreciate the use of wheat in beer. And not just to make it a light beer, but to add character and complexity when used the right way,” Gill says. Using K-State’s wheat varieties was an idea originated by Gill and the previous brew master. They thought incorporating a K-State variety would be a great way to tie in the local farming community and K-State’s grain science and industry department.

Tallgrass Tap House is home to 1863 Wheat Ale, a beer brewed with the 1863 wheat variety that was developed with the help of Kansas State University.

A retired obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Suzanne Bennett now raises goat kids on her dairy goat farm, Holy Goat Creamery, just north of Manhattan.

rom babies to kids, Dr. Suzanne Bennett has seen it all. Bennett retired from her Manhattan area obstetrical practice after 29 years and now spends her days feeding, milking and caring for eight milking does and their kids.

From Hobby to Career

“I have always enjoyed cooking and making cheese, and I have always been good at it,” says Bennett. In 2009, she pursued that passion by attending a cheesemaking workshop in Wisconsin and became hooked on the new hobby. At first, Bennett had trouble finding the right milk to produce the cheese. She settled on using

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goat’s milk because of it’s a high protein content, this makes the smaller mammal’s milk ideal for cheese making. “I had trouble finding good milk that wasn’t too costly and that wouldn’t make the final product inordinately expensive,” Bennett says. Goat’s milk costs about $42 for a gallon and makes about two pounds of cheese. The Bennett family always had quite a few animals around their farm, so it was a natural fit to start a herd of goats to reduce the cost of the milk source for her business. With a little help from the Goddard Family of Lecompton, Kansas, and

the support of her family, Bennett bought a small herd of Nubian doe goats and opened Holy Goat Creamery, located on Highway 24 just north of town.

The Right Critter for the Job

Nubians produce milk that is high in protein and butterfat, which makes the milk great for cheese. However, they also require a lot of specialized care and companionship. This companionship has caused Bennett to synchronize some of the does to kid, or give birth, around the same time each year. “Much like pregnant human mothers, goats look for that same

Eats On Our Streets

Holy Goat Creamery makes a variety of goat cheese products.

kind of companionship during their pregnancy,” Bennett says. Bennett mixes her own feed rations for all her goats. The goats eat a mixed ration of alfalfa and grain. Each ration is different depending on whether the goats are bred, getting ready to breed, lactating, or if they are a buck or a kid.

“Much like pregnant human mothers, goats look for that same kind of companionship during their pregnancy.” Suzanne Bennett Owner “I mix my own grain because I know what is in it, and I can change the mixture depending on where they are in their stages of lactation or pregnancy,” Bennett says. Bennett’s bucks of breeding quality are sold to be used as show and breeding stock. The bucks that don’t meet the requirements are castrated early and sold for meat. The goats are milked six at a time in a raised stanchion with a closed pipeline milking system.

Bennett operates one of only two USDA inspected Grade A goat dairies in Kansas. The creamery is a state-of-the-art facility where she produces mostly Chévre and Feta cheese, but she is working toward other cheese varieties as well. For example, right now her aging room features herb wrapped logs that are covered in penicillin mold. “Eventually we will be making some hard cheeses,” Bennett says. Chévre (French for goat cheese) is a fresh, soft cheese. Feta is a cheese that is aged anywhere from two weeks up to six to eight months. Bennett is perfecting her recipes and is marketing her products to a select number of restaurants within a 150mile radius of Manhattan. Bennett’s goats are currently producing about one and a half to two gallons of milk per doe per day and can make about 40 pounds of cheese in a week. “Next year we will be up and going full tilt,” Bennett says.

Because goat cheese is unique in its flavor profile, it’s a more versatile product in comparison to regular cheeses. It has allowed Bennett to build a niche market in the Manhattan area — one she hopes to continue to grow. Bennett says this is a good time for her to start her business because there is a demand for locallyproduced products. She is marketing to restaurants that are wanting to use local products as well as stores like the Eastside and Westside Market and health food stores. Currently, she vacuum pack her cheese, but in the future she plans to focus more on commercial selling. “Goat cheese has a more complex flavor profile which makes you able to do more things,” Bennett says. “The world is becoming more interested in farmstead and artisan products.” With her success, Bennett says she hopes that she can be a pioneer for other micro-dairies in the future. From goats to creamery to consumer, this product is a new whey to look at locally grown, and Bennett has enjoyed every minute of it. K

Ashley Fitzsimmons Cunningham, KS

A Pioneer’s Perspective

Bennett loves to learn and continues to grow her knowledge daily. She plans to expand her herd to 30 head of milking does in the coming years to allow for more milk and more cheese varieties.

Dr. Suzanne Bennett takes time to greet each goat, calling them by name and giving them a pat.

Five agriculturalists provide high-quality meat to Manhattan residents while supporting Kansas farmers and ranchers.

ny meat-eating person knows the satisfying feeling of cutting into a fresh, juicy, perfectly-cooked piece of meat. The team behind the Manhattan Meat Market is aiming to show that the only thing adding to the experience is knowing exactly where the product comes from. Chad Bontrager, Josh Roe, Justin Law, Jason Walker and Jake Worcester teamed together and developed Manhattan Meat Market in August 2017 because of a shared passion for protein. The meat market has a variety of protein products to choose from including beef, bison, pork and lamb. “We wanted to put together a store that we would love to go shopping in and would find a great cut of meat, whether that’s a steak, a pork chop, a local lamb or bison,” Worcester says. The market has 338 total products and around 285 different meat options, Bontrager says. “The great thing about what we do is the customer can come in, make a specific cutting request and we can accommodate that, so really the number of cuts is unlimited,” Bontrager says.

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The owners strive to make the environment at Manhattan Meat Market educational. The employees at Manhattan Meat Market are prepared to answer any questions customers may have, Worcester says. Talking to new customers is Bontrager’s favorite experience so far. “It’s always fun to talk with a new customer on their first trip into the market. They are excited to see what we have to offer and it gives us a great opportunity to talk about our products and what sets them apart from the competition,” Bontrager says.

Kansas Pride

Another goal for Manhattan Meat Market is to support Kansas agriculture. Worcester believes they are doing this by providing high-quality Kansas food products to a large customer base in Manhattan. Being supportive of Kansas farmers is what drew Dustin Downie, the market’s manager and butcher, to working there.

Eats On Our Streets “I was sold because they wanted to work with local farmers and ranchers in the area,” Downie says. Customers can also expect to learn details about the farmers and ranchers who produce the product they buy at Manhattan Meat Market. Manhattan Meat Market wants to ensure that its customers know that no matter how the food was raised, it is safe. From grass-fed and organic to a conventional feedlot, Manhattan Meat Market provides quality and wholesome products. “It is important to us to be the kind of store that does a good job of sharing the story of the Kansas farmer or rancher,” Worcester says. “We also want to make sure people know that America’s food system is the safest you’ll get in the world.”

Striving to be the Best

Every Man a Wildcat

Standing Out

Four out of the five owners are Kansas State University alumni. Having ties to K-State has helped the local meat market, and Worcester says they would like to help K-State students. “Being known by some at the university, having connections here has helped us in recruiting students as employees,” Worcester says. “We want to be supportive of meat science, animal science and other industry majors here at K-State.” Indirectly, K-State professors play a role in the meat market. “Work done by K-State impacts our approach to food safety and product quality, affecting everything from how we package to how long product is displayed in the case.”

While the Manhattan Meat Market team strives to be the best it can for Manhattan customers right now, they are also willing to expand in the future. “We’d love to continue to grow and serve more consumers,” Worcester says. “Our focus right now is being really good at that core product — to provide a great quality meat. We are looking at other places that could use an opportunity to be connected to Kansas farmers and ranchers’ products.” In five years, Bontrager hopes Manhattan Meat Market will be an established business recognized for product quality and great customer service. He also has aspirations to get students more involved in the business. Downie says the meat is different than what other local markets sell. “Braveheart beef is only sold to restaurants, so working with Manhattan Meat Market was exciting because we are getting the best marbling and cuts that a customer can buy,” Downie says. Soon, customers from around the nation will be able to enjoy fresh

meat products from Manhattan Meat Market. The market hopes to ship product directly to consumers around the state and country soon, Worcester says. “If a consumer wants to get a high quality meat product from a Kansas farmer or rancher, we want to be the ones who provide that,” Worcester says. Reflecting on the experience so far, Worcester shares it’s been a learning process. “It’s been a good education for us,” Worcester says. “All of us on the board are kind of entering the retail business for the first time.” Seeing the customers pleased with the products has been the best part of the experience, Worcester says. But he hopes to see more local customers. “We have a lot of work to do yet to get more people from Manhattan in the store, but there is no doubt that we are providing a product that people are excited about,” Worcester says. K

Danielle Comstock Fredonia, KS

A team of five couples came together to create a local meat market providing specialty meats and cuts.

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ach year the Kansas State University College of Agriculture Council welcomes students to a watermelon feed. They celebrate the beginning of a new year and inform students about College of Agriculture clubs. Students enjoy watermelon, learning about clubs and finding friends following summer break. 1. College of Agriculture students Milea Anderson and Kaylin Fink are excited to catch up with each other after summer break. 2. Danielle Comstock, Lane Nichols, Joshua Stucky and Milea Anderson, members of the College of Agriculture council stand together welcoming students and encouraging them to join clubs. 3. Horticulture club vice president Madi Culley welcomes students to the club booth with purple cupcakes. 4. Aubrey Davis, College of Agriculture Ambassador, is spotted at the watermelon feed enjoying a slice during the event. 5. Student Lacy Pitts and College of Agriculture Program and Events Coordinator Alyson Lister welcome students and help them find clubs to join. 6. New to the watermelon feed this year, students could capture their experience through Snapchat using the watermelon feed filter.

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Photostory

2 1 4 3

6 35

Department of

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Cherie Hodgson Undergraduate Academic Programing Coordinator 343 Waters Hall I 785-532-4559 chodgson@ksu.edu www.ageconomics.k-state.edu

Member Benefits & Services Weekly KLA News & Market Report Kansas Stockman magazine – 10 issues annually www.kla.org – website updated daily KLA Today – timely email updates on industry issues Legislative representation and troubleshooting assistance with state and federal agencies Educational Seminars, Ranch Management Field Days Annual Convention, County & Area Meetings Leadership Conference, Young Stockmen’s Academy KLA is a proud supporter of K-State, and through its foundation, offers several scholarships annually. Check out www.kla.org/scholarshipprogram.aspx for the offering.

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RETURNING Two K-State students plan to use their education near the ground that raised them.

he Rancher. Her hair hit her neck, while the rest is tucked under a faded ball cap. She laughs with joy; her smile is as big as a summer sunset. She cinches the saddle tight and throws her leg over her horse’s side, ready to check her momma cows on a dewy Sunday morning. Kaitlin Houck, a second year student in animal sciences and industry, says the gates of Rock Creek Ranch are her escape. “The ranch is where I go to get away, where the only thing you can see is the big tall grass, and gorgeous big black Simmentals,” Houck says. Houck is a third-generation K-State animal sciences and industry student. Her grandfather, founder of Rock Creek Ranch, was a student in the program when it was still the Department of Animal Husbandry. Houck will also be the

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third generation to return to the family ranch after graduation. “I definitely wanted to go to college and learn more about the industry as a whole,” Houck says.

A Purple Education

Whether it’s learning to balance a feed ration, understanding the effects of government policies on agriculture or dissecting pieces of farm animal anatomy, Houck believes she is learning a lot about ranching inside the classroom. But beyond her education, she says K-State is giving her a future network. “K-State has given me people I’m able to call my friends,” Houck says. From Oregon to Texas and even New York, Houck is meeting students and industry professionals from across the globe.

“They’ve opened my eyes to how vast our industries are and how important it is to branch out,” she says. “These people are assets to me and could be beneficial for the ranch as well.” Houck is already making an investment in the ranch, purchasing her own cattle to add to the family herd. Learning alongside her father, she says she is taking on more responsibility each year. “I go with him to bull sales to help pick out the new herd bulls,” she says. “He’s teaching me what I’m eventually going to be doing by myself.” To achieve her goal of running Rock Creek Ranch, Houck specializes in the production management option within her degree. She notices the small percentage of women in her classes and in production agriculture,

Rooted In Ag

RURAL but Houck isn’t letting the odds stop her. “I don’t feel like I’m ever discriminated against for being a woman,” she says. “At home, everyone knows how hard I work alongside my dad. I may not be able to lift everything out of the truck, but I just have to figure it out. I can always ask questions.” A sack of feed may be considered hefty lifting, but Houck carries the future of the ranch on her shoulders. For Houck, returning home is about longstanding tradition. “For me, it wasn’t about being a girl and running my own ranch and breaking glass ceilings,” Houck says. “My family has worked hard to build a legacy and I think we can build more,” she says. “I want to be there for that future.”

Houck says there is no better alternative in her mind than returning to Rock Creek Ranch. “This is where I feel like I can make the biggest impact,” she says. “And if that’s returning home for you too, don’t let anyone tell you not to do it.”

he Farmer. Will Moreland stretches his legs and leans back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. His smile widens as he recalls his big dreams of his tiny town, Medford, Oklahoma. Moreland’s desire to farm started at a very early age, helping his family raise wheat, corn and soybeans, and maintain a small cow-calf operation. “When I was probably 10, I started driving a tractor,” Moreland says. “I have run my own combine

every year for wheat harvest since I was 11.” With many years of experience already under his belt, Moreland knows his true calling is deeply rooted in the red Oklahoma dirt. But Moreland knows a college degree is necessary for success. “College wasn’t an option,” he says. “Mom and Dad said we were going to get a degree no matter what we wanted to do — even if we were going to be a truck driver, we were going to get a degree.” Moreland, a third-year student in agricultural technology management at Kansas State University, has a knack for operating the harvest and planting machinery. He says the people who surround him provide perspective and connections.

continued...

“The networking has been amazing,” Moreland says. “I don’t believe there are people like K-Staters at other universities.” When Moreland first came to K-State, he often traveled home during harvest and planting to run equipment and help out where needed.

“My family has worked hard to build a legacy and I think we can build more.” Kaitlin Houck Animal Science Student “I was home at least every two weeks,” he says. “Sometimes it wasn’t very odd at all for me to be home every week.” As his involvement increases on campus, Moreland finds himself staying in Manhattan for longer periods.

“I probably still go home about every three weeks depending on the season,” Moreland says. “I’m getting more involved here and taking harder classes.” Although all roads lead home for Moreland, he believes in the value of his purple education. “No matter how much you love home, you’ve got to get involved here, too,” Will Moreland has helped his family in the field says Moreland. “I believe since he was eight years old. as the average age of the farmer it helps make this time continues to rise. more worthwhile. You get more “Back home, people ask, ‘Why out of your time here if you have a are you going to school when you reason to be here and a reason to could just stay here and farm?’” enjoy it, even if you love the heck Moreland says. “But I do believe I’ve out of the farm like I do.” learned a lot here and still have a lot Breaking Stereotypes to learn.” Moreland’s desire to return to Although everyone may not production agriculture isn’t always understand Moreland’s dream understood. At 21 years old, he is a to manage the farm, he says he minority in the farming community has always found support in his K-State family. “Many in the College of Agriculture often say that they would be wrong to tell me not to go home and farm,” Moreland says. “They are supportive of the fact that I’m furthering my education and want to take stuff home. They know it’s quite a noble profession.” But Moreland isn’t returning for the glory or the fame. “I don’t care if it’s overlooked,” he says. “We love what we do.” K

Kaitlin Houck and her father use horses to check and work cattle.

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Molly Bertz Mayview, MO

Family

in the fields

One College of Agriculture student shares how family, fields and farming shaped his life.

or most college students, summer means a break from all of the homework and stress that comes with semester classes. Pool parties, vacations, hanging out with friends and sleeping in all characterize summer break. For Bryce Ginther, summers mean hard work, long hours and plenty of alone time. Bryce, an agricultural technology management student, has spent the past 18 years working for his parents’ custom harvesting business, Ginther Harvesting LLC. That means 18 summers of grain carts, combines and semitrailers. “I don’t know what a summer break is like, but that’s OK,” Bryce says. “I’ve been doing this since I was 2 years old.” Bryce’s father, Tom Ginther, started the business in 2000 after a positive experience as a hired hand for another custom harvest crew. Tom found he worked well under pressure and enjoyed harvesting more than any other farming practice. It was this mindset

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that prompted Tom to form his own harvesting company, a company he would share with his children just a couple years later. “The boys have been around it all their lives,” Tom says. “I am really lucky to have them around to help. It is a dad’s dream come true to have them on the crew.”

Part of the Crew

Bryce rode on the combine with his father until age 8.

“He would sit in the seat and watch. Pretty soon I would let him steer on the straightaways,” Tom says. “He caught on quick.” At 13, he became the tractor and grain cart operator, and just a couple years later, Bryce drove his own combine. With the harvesting operation boasting three semitrailers, two camper trailers, two combines, and a tractor and grain cart, it takes Bryce’s family of four plus a hired hand to move the equipment

Bryce Ginther does routine maintenance on the grain cart.

Rooted In Ag

Bryce Ginther credits his passion for harvesting to his father Tom.

to its desired location. These locations include Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South and North Dakota. On average, Ginther Harvesting cuts for 18 farmers during the summer. That is approximately 8,000 acres and 300,000 bushels per summer. It’s not all work and no play though. Bryce’s family has done plenty of sightseeing when traveling for harvest. “I’ve been to Mount Rushmore eight times,” Bryce says. “Our hired hands have usually never seen it, so we go for them.”

parks management and conservation student and former hired hand. The hours might be long, but they have helped Bryce decide his future career path. His goal is to adapt the technologies he is learning about in his agricultural technology management classes to the harvest field.

Field of Expertise

“Harvesting is all about technology,” Bryce says. “It shows me what we can do differently as a company to change and better ourselves.”

A typical day during harvest means 17 hours of field time. That makes for early mornings and late nights. “When you work such long hours you have to have a good sense of humor, and Bryce is generally pretty goofy and up for cracking jokes with you,” says Tyler Clements,

“College showed me that I want to keep harvesting. I’d be lost without it.” Bryce Ginther Agricultural Technology Management Student

All in the Family

dedicated himself to the company and personal development. “He’s getting better and better all the time,” Tom says. “He’s taking more of a leadership role by getting the guys motivated and teaching them how to do things. He has great people skills and is good at communicating.” Bryce credits his appreciation for the business to his time away at college. It is there where he discovered the value of the work his family does and how much he took it for granted. “This is what I’ve learned to do and it is something I actually want to do too,” Bryce says. “College showed me that I want to keep harvesting. I’d be lost without it.” K

Chantelle Simon Morland, KS

When asked to describe harvest in one word, Bryce says “busy.” Even in the craziness, Bryce has

e t a t S t Whea

AGRONOMY CLUB

The Wheat State Agronomy Club meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in Throckmorton 2002. Activities include professional speakers, delicious food and fun with friends!

DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY | THROCKMORTON HALL WWW.AGRONOMY.KSU.EDU | 785-532-7258 WHEAT STATE AGRONOMY CLUB

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Rooted In Ag

Farmer The national spotlight shines on an agronomy alumnus for his conservation and character.

young boy digs a small spade into the central Kansas soil, uncovering a seed. His father, who kneels beside him, brushes off a layer of precious topsoil to check what they have sown. This picture flashes onto television screens in homes across the U.S. as producers and consumers tuned in to view the documentary “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman” on the Discovery Channel. Meanwhile, in Gypsum, Kansas, some recognize their neighbor, Kansas State University agronomy alumnus and father of three Justin Knopf. Knopf is featured as one of two farmers in the “Farmer” segment of the production. “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman,” which was originally a book authored by Miriam Horn of the Environmental Defense Fund, debuted at the 2017 Sundance Film

Festival last January and then on Discovery in August, almost a year after the book’s release. According to the documentary’s website, “The film is a tribute to people like Justin Knopf, a fifth-generation Kansas farmer revolutionizing industrial scale agriculture to rebuild the fertility, biodiversity and resilience of his soil.” Although the book’s marketing describes Knopf and the other agriculturalists in the published work as “conservation heroes,” Knopf would disagree. “It was important to me that the audience understood that there’s nothing magical about what’s happening here,” he says of his family’s operation.

Investments in Sustainability

“Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman” focuses on Knopf ’s no-till farming

practices and why the system works for his family’s operation. “It’s no doubt K-State Research and Extension is an essential business partner at our management table,” Knopf says. “From some of the agronomic studies they’re carrying out on our fields and scientifically sound on-farm research to K-State Farm Management. K-State is influencing and having an impact on our farm.” Knopf has been back on the farm since 2003 and since then his family has worked with several K-State researchers to improve sustainability, whether it is through wheat nursery plots or a Mesonet weather station or more. Knopf says sustainable practices may be experimental but hopes they will show improvements to farming in the short- and long-term. Knopf ’s perception of sustainability — a moving target

continued...

in and of itself — encompasses evolving sets of management practices and can be especially relevant for him and other farmers as tough economic times pressure farm stability. “Sustainability, to me, has an economic piece, an environmental piece and then also a social piece for the health of our family, my brother and I’s kids, our marriages, how well our community is doing and our local school,” he says. “To me, those are all pieces of sustainability and my definition.” K-State agronomy professor Kevin Donnelly comments on how Knopf preserves his farm even through tough economic times. “He’s focusing on having good economic sustainability as well as environmental,” Donnelly says. “That’s always a tough balance. He’s also an astute business person, so he’s making sure the farm is successful as well.”

implementing them correctly with meticulous management. “In agricultural communities, there’s a lot of folks looking over your shoulder or looking at what other farmers do,” he says. “When he applies a new practice, he does it right.” Horn grew to appreciate how Knopf so diligently reexamined his own practices as she explored his story, preparing for the book’s publication.

Leader in Management

Prior to joining K-State as a faculty member, Donnelly met Knopf, who was a student on the crops judging team at the time. He quickly points out that even then, Knopf was forward-thinking and considerate. “Even though he was not my student, I know him better than a lot of students I’ve had since,” Donnelly says. “He’s certainly been a leader, trying new things and innovative things — particularly with his conservation approach and working with no-till.” Not only does Donnelly complement Knopf on trying new practices, but he commends him for

46 the AGRICULTURIST

Using sustainable soil practices, Justin Knopf keeps optimistic during dry seasons in Kansas.

“There was no question I couldn’t ask — if I pressed him on the use of (say) a particular pesticide, he would send me material to read and ask me in turn to send him the studies that had raised my concerns,” Horn says. “He’d then read them from beginning to end, sometimes changing his mind and practices — and sometimes changing mine.”

A Lifetime Student

Knopf leans against his pick-up and identifies his time in Manhattan as the foundation for pursuing a

conservation-minded approach to farming. A soil microbiologist in K-State’s Department of Agronomy, Chuck Rice, taught Knopf as an undergraduate. “Through my course, we talked a lot about no-till ag, conserving soil, healthy soil, soil biology and microbiology,” Rice says. “Apparently, it made a big impression on him.” Knopf ’s education made such a strong impression on him that he brought Horn to K-State during the writing process. “When Miriam first came to learn about our farm, my history and being conservation-minded, the first thing I did was drive her up to Manhattan and walk the halls around Throckmorton Hall,” Knopf says. Whether it is K-State Research and Extension specialists, Saline County farmers, seed customers, Environmental Defense Fund employees working with farmers or university students, Knopf embraces learning through fellowship with others. “He’s a good role model for young students who are thinking of going back to the farm and even questioning if they want to do that or work in industry because he did that,” Donnelly says. Rice encourages students, especially those with agronomic inclinations, to read the book or watch the film. He hopes students will see what they learn in class is practical in a real world setting.

Consumer Appeal

The “Farmer” portion of the documentary circles back to Knopf

Rooted In Ag The Chosen “Farmer”

Kansas State alumnus Justin Knopf is one of the featured farmers in the Discovery Channel documentary “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman.”

Farms after the wheat crop had turned from green to gold, capturing stunning harvest scenes. Knopf, Donnelly and other agriculturalists appreciate positive, nationally broadcast media such as this, where beauty and conservation connect. A common statement among the group is that the U.S. population continues to drift away from production agriculture. “We have a real challenge in production agriculture to define sustainable agricultural practices from the production standpoint and make sure that someone else isn’t defining that for us,” Donnelly says. “There’s so much interest out there in food, how it’s produced and criticism of modern or conventional agriculture. So much of that is not really based on good fact.” After finishing her book, Horn applauds her main “Farmer” for stepping up to a spokesperson role. “Now he has shouldered this new responsibility of being a voice not only for farming that protects our most vital natural resources, but

also for building common ground,” she says. For consumers who saw a combine kicking up dust for the first time as they watched the premiere of “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman” one Thursday evening, Knopf intends to appeal to them, just as he might his fellow farmers, with his sustainable attitude and Midwestern honesty. He comments that transparency becomes increasingly important as consumers and companies demand to know the supply chain of their purchased products. “I think the values we hold as family farms and ranches are still much the same values our urban counterparts share in their own families,” Knopf says. “If we can be transparent with those values important to us and show this incremental improvement across time, I think that goes a long way for trust.” K

Sarah Moyer Emporia, KS

Knopf hesitated when he was initially approached about being featured in the book, declining Horn’s proposal several times before agreeing. She persisted because of her attraction to his character and story. “I admired that humility and concern for his family’s privacy,” Horn says. “I loved everything about his story: the generations on the land; his love story with Lindsey and his beautiful family; the transformation in his thinking that began at K-State; the depth of his faith and how it shapes his work as a farmer; his sense of responsibility across space and time.” After witnessing the final product, Knopf regards his participation as positive, in part because of the opportunity to highlight sustainable practices being implemented on a commercial farm. “Sustainable is an incredibly difficult word to define, and it has so many definitions. When I think of sustainability, I think about stewardship and conservation, and I think about staying power for the long term,” Knopf says. “Miriam did a fantastic job of bringing out continual improvement over time, and I think that’s important to farmers.” The consistent theme of Knopf ’s character radiates from Horn. She says, “When I first spoke with him I was taken, with his candor and thoughtfulness and warmth and deep gift for explaining things.”

Serving

the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest industry

Offering year-round student internships, part-time jobs and full-time careers. Please visit www.agriculture.ks.gov/jobs for more information.

1320 Research Park Drive â&#x20AC;˘ Manhattan, Kansas

www.agriculture.ks.gov

Rooted In Ag

he sunflower is the state flower of Kansas. It signals the transition from summer to fall. While it may be an overlooked commodity in Kansas, it still has a large production each year. Not only a crop to picture during full bloom, the sunflower has been the subject of research at the Northwest Research-Extension Center in Colby, Kansas. K

63,000

acres of sunflowers planted in Kansas in 2016.

82 million

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The state flower reminds me of home. They remind me of the people that I have met here and how resilient they are.â&#x20AC;? Makayla Fox Agricultural Communications and Journalism Student

pounds of seeds produced

$13.6 million revenue from sunflower seeds

Shannon Barry Sarasota, FL

CALLING i n CONSERVATION One newly established campus club focuses on conserving wetlands for waterfowl with Ducks Unlimited.

ifferent components make up the university experience. While academics are typically the top priority, many students enjoy getting involved in other activities after the books are closed. Kansas State University offers more than 475 clubs and organizations for students. One club has a passion for animals that prefer to be near the water. They are ducks and geese. Ducks Unlimited spans several interest groups, drawing in both male and female members from a wide variety of majors. Although the organization is just getting started on K-State’s campus, current president and College of Agriculture student Zachary Porterfield sees a promising future for the group. After re-establishment in spring 2017, the chapter currently has 30 active members. After making an appearance at the club fair, the group now has the potential for growth as 120 people showed interest in joining the chapter. The K-State’s chapter does many activities throughout the year.

50 the AGRICULTURIST

“We work hard at what we do with wetland conservation and educating the public, but still have fun with it,” Porterfield says. The club meetings typically have a business portion and guest speakers from other chapters to further education within the field. In addition to activities such as decoy carving, boat making and a social bar night, one of the biggest events is hosting their spring banquet.

“Production agriculture and conservations don’t necessarily go hand-inhand together, but we do work a lot with each other.” Zachary Porterfield President, Ducks Unlimited Club “We weren’t sure how the event would turn out with this being our first banquet, but thankfully we found overwhelming support,” Porterfield says. “For that we’re extremely appreciative to have the public come out and support us.”

Historical Roots

Despite popular belief, Ducks Unlimited’s primary focus isn’t to hunt waterfowl. Initiated in 1937 during the Dust Bowl, Ducks Unlimited was founded to protect the waterfowl population that was dropping at an extreme rate because of disappearing wetlands. Ducks Unlimited, a nonprofit organization, works to conserve wetlands that could be used in other ways. Members are passionate about ensuring waterfowl have an adequate habitat while migrating south for the winter. According to the national chapter, their objective is to conserve sufficient habitats to support 13.7 million ducks and 1.6 million geese, roughly 20 percent of the wintering waterfowl in the United States. More than 1.4 million acres of coastal marsh have already been lost in Louisiana and Texas. These losses continue because of natural and man-made causes, including sealevel rise, hydrological alterations, erosion, saltwater intrusion and subsidence, which is the gradual caving in of land.

College Close Ups Working with Agriculture

Agriculture plays a large role in the life of waterfowl because they feed on different grains. It can also create issues for waterfowl, such as a hen laying eggs in a field that will later undergo some form of cultivation. “Production agriculture and conservation don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand together, but we do work a lot with each other,” Porterfield says. When a farmer is willing to give up a piece of wetland, Ducks Unlimited will purchase the area and convert it into an enhanced habitat by making sure the most beneficial

microorganism and invertebrates are available to feed waterfowl. “People may not realize it, but there’s actually a lot of science that goes into the process and serves as a foundation for Ducks Unlimited,” Porterfield says. Following this process, Ducks Unlimited finds it most efficient to sell the property back to the government to keep as conservation land, which provides income for Ducks Unlimited to buy more land.

by auctioning off several Ducks Unlimited items. Students who wish to get involved pay a $25 membership fee to the national and K-State Ducks Unlimited chapters. The banquet ticket is included with membership. For details Porterfield encourages anyone interested to look up K-State Ducks Unlimited on Facebook. K

Payton Stoppel Russell, KS

Student Involvement

Last year’s banquet raised approximately $14,000 in donations for the conservation of wetlands

A rare opportunity bloomed at the K-State greenhouses during the summer of 2017: the university’s titan arum.

lot can happen in 16 years. A teenager becomes eligible for a driver’s license, four presidential terms pass and the Amorphophallus titanum in the greenhouses of Kansas State University began its first bloom, attracting visitors to see the stinky flower.

The Flower

Commonly known as the corpse flower, Amorphophallus titanum or titan arum, is a large, fast-growing plant native to Indonesia. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, very few of these plants exist in cultivation, and bloom only rarely and under just the right conditions. “The plant is endangered in it’s natural habitat and is generally only found at conservatories, large gardens, or educational institutions.

52 the AGRICULTURIST

To see one in flower is definitely a unique experience,” Chad Miller, associate professor of landscape horticulture, says. The titan arum is a unique plant, and is most recognized by the smell of the bloom. “When the flower was forming, all the way up to the bloom, it did not smell at all. It opened up for roughly 24 hours, and during that time period, you had to plug your nose when looking at it because it smelled so bad. It smelled like rotten flesh,” says Dalton Dunn, a horticulture student. The stench of rotting flesh is not produced by the plant to ward off danger, but is emitted to attract pollinators that feed on dead animals. Along with its stinky smell, the bloom emits heat for nocturnal

creatures who use temperature to find food. The university’s titan arum was originally planted in 2001, but did not open until the summer of 2017. After its initial bloom, it can take anywhere from two to 10 years for another bloom. This left Miller with a brief chance to attempt to obtain pollen from the spadix. “I was not able to get a different pollen source in time, they need to be out-crossed, so we did not do any pollination with the hopes of getting any seed. I did however, harvest some pollen and have stored it to share with other institutions in the future,” Miller says. Since the plant blooms in the right conditions, Miller was nervous about whether the plant would open. “As we were observing it and waiting, a bit of doubt and sadness

College Close Ups set in that it may not fully open. That has happened to these plants before. They just don’t have enough energy to fully open. But I distinctly remember the late afternoon that I observed movement or opening of the spathe, the large outer dark purple part. It was quite exhilarating,” Miller says.

The Crowds

While Miller anxiously awaited the bloom of the titan arum, he says the excitement of the visitors added to his anticipation and overall sense of mystery. “There was definitely excitement considering this was the first time this plant was going to flower,” Miller says. “That mix of emotions was exacerbated by all the curiosity and interest expressed by visitors, both in the greenhouse and online.” Dunn worked in the greenhouses this summer and says the event brought many visitors to the gardens. “Everyone who walked in to see it was wide-eyed with amazement. People were taking pictures, and it

was just amazing and joyous,” Dunn says. Visitors came from all over to witness the flower’s rare bloom. Miller says that people were driving several hours to see the corpse flower. “There were so many visitors. I think Dr. Miller kept a log book of everyone who came and where they were from,” Dunn says.

Blooming Social Media

Recognizing the importance of the event, K-State used to social media to document the opening of the bloom for Wildcats who could not see it in person. “This was in the middle of the summer with fewer students here. I felt we needed to broadcast as best as we could. And, of course, we needed to let the general public know about this fascinating plant,” Miller says. Miller set up live feeds of the bloom, video interviews via Facebook Live and YouTube and shared photos across various

platforms to keep flower--watchers up to date. “I figured out as best as I could, as a one-man-show, how to maintain as best as possible a live feed via Facebook. It certainly started to catch on, and definitely was going viral at a few moments in time. It was a lot to handle — making sure the feed was still live and not disappoint folks,” Miller says. The impact of social media and the bloom left Miller feeling hopeful for the future. “If we had been paying attention to the plant a bit closer and observed the inflorescence several weeks earlier — and started having a social media presence, then there is no doubt we would have had many, many more people,” Miller says. “Hopefully we can be more prepared the next time this plant flowers, which I am hoping is in the next year or so.” K

Beth Cooper Platte Woods, MO

Left: Crowds wait patiently for the titan arum to bloom. Blooms typically last 24 hours once opened. Right: Chad Miller, assistant professor of horticulture, educates visitors about the flowering bloom. Photos by K-State Research and Extension.

Two students and one professor share passions for agriculture, Kansas State University and their home country of Paraguay.

ood, farming and fiber unite agriculturists around the world, but for an agribusiness student, an animal sciences and industry student and an agronomy professor at Kansas State University, they are united by one common thread — Paraguay. Through Partners of the Americas, Kansas Paraguay Partners provides Paraguayan students the opportunity to attend universities in Kansas, while providing them with in-state tuition. College of Agriculture students Pablo Gonzalez and Mateo Zavala both chose to attend K-State. “Ever since I was a child, I wanted to study abroad, especially here in the United States,” says Gonzalez, who attended one year of college in Paraguay. After learning about Kansas Paraguay Partners, Gonzalez applied and was accepted to K-State. Today, Gonzalez majors in animal science, and Zavala studies agribusiness.

The Pathway to Agriculture Gonzalez and Zavala grew up in Paraguay’s capital, Asunción. Neither were raised in agriculture,

but they were around it their whole lives. Gonzalez’s uncle is a veterinarian and Zavala’s relatives are in the cattle business.

Mateo Zavala and Pablo Gonzalez both participate in Kansas Paraguay Partners while attending Kansas State University.

54 the AGRICULTURIST

College Close Ups Gonzalez found his passion for animal science by working with his uncle. “If I’m being honest, when I got here, I didn’t know that K-State was so good at animal science,” Gonzalez says. “Hearing how committed the professors were to the students really impressed me.” Zavala began his K-State career studying economics at K-State, but says he felt out of place until he met a graduate student in agricultural economics. Eventually, he found his home in agribusiness. “I was overwhelmed by how good the curriculum was and how much the professors wanted me to succeed,” Zavala says.

Getting Involved

Both Gonzalez and Zavala are involved in the Paraguayan Student Association, which Zavala says was not active when he arrived on campus. Zavala, with the help from his friends in Kansas Paraguay Partners, restarted the group at K-State.

“Going outside of your home country and coming here to study just gives you a whole different view.” Mateo Zavala Animal Science Student Agronomy associate professor Dorivar Ruiz-Diaz serves as the faculty adviser for the Paraguayan Student Association and helped in reviving the program. “It’s a really great way for students to get leadership experience,” Ruiz-Diaz says.

Gonzalez and Zavala both agree that clubs and organizations are not common in Paraguay, so the Paraguayan Student Association was an opportunity to be involved on campus. Ruiz-Diaz is also from Paraguay and attended the University of Illinois and Iowa State University before coming to work at K-State. Before coming to Kansas, he did not know about Kansas Paraguay Partners. He now serves on the organization’s board of directors. Many opportunities exist for Kansas Paraguay Partners in the College of Agriculture, Ruiz-Diaz says. “If we think about agriculture and livestock production, Paraguay’s economy is essentially based on agriculture production, similar to Kansas,” Ruiz-Diaz says. Ruiz-Diaz says there is a great need for students to implement the knowledge they gain from classes and research projects at K-State in Paraguay. He continues explaining many examples of sharing research between Kansas and Paraguay. Both the former minister of agriculture and the current vice minister of livestock in Paraguay are K-State College of Agriculture graduates.

“There’s still so much to learn here,” Zavala says. He aspires to learn more about feedlot management and processes by working in a feedlot, with hopes to then adapt what he learns for the Paraguayan market, as Paraguayan cattle are not usually grain fed. Gonzalez originally planned to go back to Paraguay after college, but being at K-State has changed his plans. “Now that I have seen so much here, I am open to more opportunities,” Gonzalez says. “I would like to help my country in my field.” He plans to attend graduate school following undergraduate graduation. Gonzalez and Zavala say they are grateful for the opportunity Kansas Paraguay Partners has given them, and they look forward to learning as much as they can while in the U.S. “Going outside of your home country and coming here to study just gives you a whole different view,” Zavala says. “There’s a lot to gain from this experience, which I’m really grateful for.” K

Danielle Comstock Fredonia, KS

The Future

Gonzalez and Zavala both plan to take their knowledge back to Paraguay. “It’s different in the sense that in Paraguay, everything moves slower,” Zavala says. “There’s not the amount of research that you guys have here.” Zavala plans to work for a year in the United States before heading back to Paraguay.

FEEDING Man’s Best Campus faculty and students work to serve consumers and their companions.

ong ago, someone coined the term, “A dog is a man’s best friend.” Dogs alarm you in the face of danger, retrieve a toy when you yell, “Go fetch!” and some can even shake your hand. But friendship is not only found in a dog. For some, this bond can be found in a cat, rabbit, or even a lizard. Regardless of species, what started off as only a pet has now become a part of the average family. According to a survey conducted by the American Pet Producers Association, it is estimated that

56 the AGRICULTURIST

68 percent of U.S. households, or roughly 85 million families, own a pet. With a majority of Americans welcoming domestic animals into their homes, Kansas State University animal sciences and industry associate professor Cassie Jones, says this means there must be more seats at the dinner table for our furry friends. “Once we domesticated animals, we took all of their nutritional requirements upon ourselves,” Jones says. “We provide a sole ration for them and are determining how much they eat.

We have the potential to introduce nutrient deficiencies. That’s a lot of obligation.” K-State doesn’t take this duty lightly, as it is one of the only land grant universities in the nation with a pet-food minor and specialty emphasis for undergraduate and graduate students. Within the grain sciences and industry department, this unique program provides opportunities for students to access an industry that plays a significant role in the Kansas economy. Photo courtesy of Rachael Cunningham

College Close Ups According to the Kansas Department of Agriculture, dog and cat food manufacturing has a $3.12 billion impact on the Kansas economy, making animal and pet food the fourth largest export in the state. The positive economic trends continue to rise, as the APPA estimates a $3 billion increase in sales from 2016 to 2017. These large numbers are a result of the high number of pet owners combined with those owners’ increased desire to ensure that their animals are consuming a diet that is just as healthy and safe as theirs. Jones has dedicated her research to ensuring animal and pet food safety because she sees the direct effect it can have on consumers. “There is potential for cross contamination to occur in the home,” says Jones. “Our concern is that a contaminant in food interacts well with the young, elderly, and immunocompromised.” Unknown to most consumers, pet food is regulated and sterilized more than any other animal food. “Pet food is really safe in the U.S.,” Jones says. “It’s my job to make sure that people understand that regardless if you’re buying the most expensive or the cheapest, all of them have the same regulations of safety and have the same nutritional requirements.” Ryan Lierz, a milling science student at K-State, says he has seen a shift in recent pet food trends, with the reason being nutrition. “The consumer is demanding more health-conscious food,” Lierz says. “The dog has become a part of the family, and we want them to live as long as possible.”

Ensuring a Future

K-State is home to only of the only land grant universities with a pet-food minor and specialty emphasis for graduate students. The eight undergraduate students declaring the pet food minor are advised by Greg Aldrich, a research associate professor in the department of grain science. Aldrich hopes to grow the program for current students and to provide further education materials to industry professionals. “The idea is to build it beyond just a few courses and have an outlet for adult learners who may be in transition from their perspective company,” Aldrich says. As the program continues to develop, Aldrich works closely with students and colleagues to find ways to make pet food better for both the animal and the consumer. “We are improving the quality, nutrition and consistency of the product they are buying,” Aldrich says. “When we’ve done our job right, then they can choose their product with a lot more confidence.”

for optimal performance. Lierz Some recent trends in pet food encourages owners to research nutrition include grain-free diets, their pets and see what specific gluten-free diets, using ancient requirements their pet grains and has. adding fruits and “We market to the Greg Aldrich, vegetables. There consumer as we can’t market to the animal.” a research associate are diets that are professor in the even designed to Ryan Lierz department of be therapeutic, Milling Science grain science and improving bone or Student industry, sees the joint health. recent demands Lierz says for novel ingredients as an there are challenges in pet food industry opportunity. education because pet owners are “We are improving the not the end consumer but do make quality, nutrition and consistency the final purchase decision. of the product they are buying,” “We market to the consumer Aldrich says. “When we’ve done as we can’t market to the animal,” our job right, then they can Lierz says. “We know what they choose their product with a lot need, but we have to market to the more confidence.” K consumer anyway.” Lierz says the ideal pet food Molly Bertz is difficult to define. Consumers Mayview, MO should use breed classification as a stronger indicator of quality rather than price as different breeds of animals have different requirements

Continuing the

New Purebred Beef Unit facilities will open doors to many students and research opportunities.

uilt in 1872, the first structure on the current Kansas State University campus was a livestock barn that housed live animals to teach students how to steward, breed and market beef genetics. Since then many things have changed, but the focus on the livestock industry at K-State remains constant. This commitment is demonstrated by the construction of the new Purebred Beef Unit. The Department of Animal Sciences and Industry opened the doors of the new unit in the spring of 2017. “The new unit continues to be a significant contributor to the teaching, research and extension missions of the university,” says Bob Weaber, professor of animal science.

58 the AGRICULTURIST

Weaber is the unit coordinator and says significant changes in animal care and research and the landscape of campus have occurred since the initial construction of a Purebred Beef Barn in 1957. These changes necessitated the replacement of the old facilities. “The outdated facility hindered instruction and demonstration of contemporary practices,” Weaber says. The new facilities include state-of-the-art equipment and space for the next chapter in dedication to student education. The new unit includes the headquarters and calving center. The bull and heifer development center is at another location. The headquarters and calving center are located near the Stanley Stout Center off of Denison Avenue.

Unit Facilities Opens

The Denison Avenue location includes the calving and maternity barn, multipurpose space, office spaces and an apartment for student workers. The animals will be managed primarily in pasture conditions. Animal holding pens, pasture space, as well as a barn for processing, feed storage and mechanic shop are just to the east of this facility. “The new facility really offers a lot to animal safety, student worker safety, research capabilities and expansion of our teaching and extension missions,” Weaber says. “It is a state-of-the-art facility” This new facility is being used for a range of demonstrations and hands-on activities for current and future K-State students. Weaber says it shows K-State’s commitment

College Close Ups to the seedstock, breeding cattle, and commercial beef production in Kansas and the region. The calving barn has a live video camera in the barn so students can monitor a cow or heifer remotely. This opens a door to different research opportunities such as calving behavior and allows students to collect observation data on animals in that space.

Bull and Heifer Development Center

The second facility incorporated with the Purebred Beef Unit is the Bull and Heifer Development Center located next to the existing Beef Cattle Research Center north of Marlatt Avenue. This location includes a dry lot outfitted with covered feed bunks and an automated individual animal feed and water intake monitoring system. The facility includes additional animal staging pens and a processing area. The staging pens are made up of six conventional feeding pens, allowing animals to cycle through the facility. The INSENTEC Feeding System consists of three pens, holding 50 animals per pen, equipped with a system that records an animal’s individual feed and water intake. This system provides different opportunities to study feed consumption and efficiency in beef cattle.

“This technology will really enhance student learning and give add to our capabilities of genetic students hands-on experience in selection and research at the breeding, feeding, management and unit. All bull and heifer selection marketing of purebred seedstock. candidates will “As a student go through the employee, we “The new unit continues test, allowing are involved in to be a significant us to make almost all aspects contributor to the teaching, research and better breeding of the unit,” says extension missions of the Mitchell Duer, a decisions,” university.” Weaber says. third year student The unit also in agricultural Bob Weaber has feed bunks Animal Science Professor economics, of varying sizes, minoring in animal which let researchers study how to science. “We help with maintenance better control cow-maintenance of the facilities and pastures, caring cost and the difference in for the cow herd, preparing for the cow-production efficiency. annual bull sale and much more.” “Research done at the unit A portion of the cattle benefits the industry as a whole produced in the purebred herd are because, in most cases, it can be merchandised in the annual Legacy directly applied in the industry,” Bull and Female Sale hosted the Weaber says. “The genetics we first Friday in March. The first select for can be used in industry production sale,hosted in 1977, quickly and propagated through the was engineered entirely by students gene pool.” to give them hands-on experience in purebred cattle marketing. That Student Benefits tradition continues to this day. Weaber says the new unit helps “My favorite part about working the department to be a leader not at the unit is I get to take a break only beef cattle research, but also from school and spend some in teaching. time outside doing something I “K-State is one of the few truly enjoy,” says Duer. “It is also remaining land-grant institutions rewarding to be able to contribute to with the ability to do commercial the annual bull sale and female sale scale teaching, research and in the spring.” K extension in every facet of the beef value chain,” Weaber says. Ashley Fitzsimmons He says the beef program Cunningham, KS at K-State has the capability to

Learning the

LANDS

The Landscape Plants I class goes beyond memorizing specimens and takes to the landscape to learn plant details.

id you know broccoli is actually a flower? This is just one of the many fun facts that Kansas State University students learn in horticulture 374, landscape plants I. According to the K-State course catalog, this class is “an introduction to landscape plant identification of trees, shrubs and cultivated herbaceous cultivated plants, including perennials, annuals, biennials and bulbs.”

Beyond the Classroom

This class is not just looking at photos of plants in a textbook. Students in this course often find themselves taking weekly trips around campus to see plants being used in gardens and beds. “They (students) can see a bigger form, a more mature specimen and how it can be used in the landscape,” says Chad Miller, associate professor and course instructor. “If we don’t have one in the landscape, we have some plants in the greenhouses. We have a specimen for about 99 percent of the plants covered.”

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Seeing the plants in the landscape at K-State, Miller says, helps them to know more than just what the plant looks like. “It’s one thing to know how to identify a plant, but how do you use the plant?” Miller says. This aspect of the class is horticulture student Brooke Evans’ favorite. “It teaches you to organize all of the endless plants in your head in lists of what’s neat about them or where they fit into a landscape — like good fall color, edible, groundcover, etc.,” Evans says.

Students of any major can take this course and should expect to learn 120-130 plants in a semester. For those who want to continue learning, they can enroll in horticulture 375 to learn another 120 to 130 plants.

Incorporating Fun

Miller tries to make the class enticing for students in the course. “I.D. courses can get a little monotonous, so I try to incorporate some projects and other learning activities,” Miller says. One of these activities is a “Plant Madness” that takes place in

One lab section of the Landscape Plants I identification class observing plants in person on a plant walk during in the K-State Gardens.

College Close Ups

CAPE stories related to different plants. Miller says. These stories and Miller’s humor help keep students engaged in the challenging course. “Dr. Miller’s teaching is great because even though this class is so information dense, he knows when to lighten things up with humor,” Evans says. “You can also tell that he really is fascinated by the plants and it rubs off on you.”

Katy Doll captures a photo of different annual salvias (Salvia species) to use for studying later.

the spring semester during March Madness. Plant Madness, like March Madness, includes a selection Thursday, students filling out brackets and having plants compete against each other. It’s all the fun of March Madness, but with plants, Miller says. A plant wins and advances when a student can successfully reason why his or her plant is better than its opposing plant. This year, Miller plans to partner with the industry, and the winner can expect to receive a plant from Proven Winners as well as the usual extra credit reward. “I try my best to keep students engaged throughout the semester by relating plants to current or recent news or happenings, and interesting

“A horticulturist who couldn’t identify plants would be like an artist who doesn’t know the color wheel.” Brooke Evans Horticulture Student Striving for Success

Every person has their own method of succeeding in a course, but Miller and Evans have some advice to share. “No doubt this is a challenging course, as the students are expected to learn the family, genus, specific epithet and common names, and spell them all correctly for each plant covered in the course,” Miller says. “No sugar coating, memorization certainly plays a part, but I try to encourage students to

go beyond that. Learning the plants will serve them long term. I also encourage them to interact with the plants.” Outside of memorization, Miller says students should have determination, avoid procrastination and study outside of class. Miller provides students with Google maps so they are able to go out on plant walks and revisit the plants they are learning outside of class. The more they interact with the plants, the more familiar they will be and more likely they will learn them,” Miller says. Evans says students should care about the plants they are learning. “To succeed in this class, you’re going to have to care about the details of each plant and actually want to know about them,” Evans says. “Even if you don’t, just tell yourself you do. Embrace your inner plant geek.” For someone in the horticulture industry, plant identification is crucial, Evans says. Evans says, “A horticulturist who couldn’t identify plants would be like an artist who doesn’t know the color wheel.” K

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your graduation date? Talk with your advisor about using evening college, intersession and summer courses in your long-range plan to graduate on time. Expand your scheduling options by fitting an online class into your schedule, available in both eight- and 16-week formats.

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Fit more into your schedule with eight-week or 16-week classes on campus between 5:30 and 10:30 p.m. evening.k-state.edu

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Get ahead with short on-campus or online classes between standard university semesters. intersession.k-state.edu

Take recreation, dance and fitness classes for university credit through UFM Community Learning Center. tryufm.org/credit-courses

College of Agriculture

News

K-State Student becomes Top Junior Angus Showman By Sarah Moyer

When faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, agricultural economics student Claudia Hissong channeled years of hard work to accomplish her goal. Last summer, she was recognized as the top showman at the 2017 National Junior Angus Show in Des Moines, Iowa. “Standing out with the other top 15 contestants is the most nerve-wrecking experience I have ever been through,” Hissong says. “I hear ‘Your 2017 National Junior Angus Showman from the state of Pennsylvania, Claudia Hissong, and the tears just started flowing. It was in that moment all the hard work over my entire junior career paid off, and I achieved the biggest goal I had set for myself.” Hissong first showed cattle in 2010 and always has enjoyed showmanship most. “I loved the ability to show off an animal to the best of their abilities,” she says. “Showmanship is truly all about you, so your level of success is dependent on how hard you’re willing to work.” Furthermore, lessons from Hissong’s mentors culminated with this accomplishment. “I have had some great mentors, who have always encouraged me to do my best and work hard at whatever I do,” she says. “I have also watched older showman and picked up on their techniques.” The National Junior Angus Showmanship Contest is an esteemed opportunity for young people involved in the Angus breed.

Claudia Hissong (right) stands with Dean Hurlbut (left), who started the showmanship contest and who the award honors. Julie Murnin (center) is the American Angus Auxiliary President. Photo courtesy of the American Angus Association.

“Angus Juniors only have one opportunity to compete in showmanship at junior nationals, so it is always a highly competitive event and has been called the most prestigious showmanship contest in the cattle industry,” Hissong says. “To have been selected as the champion is such a humbling experience and goes to show that you can achieve your biggest goal if you work hard enough for it.” K

College of Agriculture

News

Floats and Goats

By Molly Bertz Agricultural economics student Jeff Hadachek needed a way to attract more attendees to his fraternity’s philanthropy. Using his agricultural background, he created the “Floats and Goats” event. Benefiting the Be the Match campaign, attendees signed up to be a bone marrow match and enjoy a root beer float while interacting with friendly goats at the FarmHouse philanthropy on Oct. 29. “A lot of students don’t have agricultural backgrounds and have never seen goats before,” Hadachek says. “People went crazy for them.” Educating people about agriculture wasn’t necessarily the goal for FarmHouse Fraternity, but Hadachek says connecting people to agriculture was a result. “We gave each of the goats names so that people could connect with them,” he says. “It spiked their interest in agriculture and gave the goats a personality.” Billy the Kid, Selena Goatmez and Vincent VanGoat are all owned by fraternity member Caleb Hurst, who is also a fourth-year student in agricultural economics. Hurst and his father brought the goats to the event and

Individuals gather around to interact with one of the many goats at the FarmHouse philanthropy event. Photo courtesy of FarmHouse Fraternity.

66 the AGRICULTURIST

FarmHouse members wear shirts to promote the event. Photo courtesy of FarmHouse Fraternity.

fielded many inquires about the animals throughout the evening. “Our family got a lot of questions about how they were taken care of,” Hurst says. “There was a lot of natural teaching moments that happened throughout the day.” According to Hadachek, the event was a success, with over 350 people in attendance and 110 people registered for the Be the Match campaign. The event raised $1,000 in three hours. The idea was well-supported by both attendees and other fraternity members. Hurst and Hadachek hope to do the event again in the spring, focusing more on the role of agriculture education. “We have optimism going forward,” Hadachek says. “We talked about doing things with goat cheese to give more awareness to how those products can actually be used.” K

Leon Barringer Gives Upson Lecture By Chantelle Simon Leon Barringer, Commander of the 932nd Medical Group and a veterinary operations consultant for Diamond V Nutrition, had one goal during his speech for the Upson Lecture Series, to get agriculturalists to work together. “We have a set of core values that drives us,” Barringer says. “We need to communicate those to people outside of agriculture.” Barringer spoke to a group of students and faculty from the College of Agriculture and the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Hilton Conference Center on Nov. 6, Leon Barringer spoke to students about 2017. The event was hosted by issues surrounding agriculture. Food For Thought.

Barringer spoke about the issues surrounding the world’s food supply and the need for agriculturalists to do something about it. “We cannot afford to take a knee on things like food supply,” Barringer says. “An unstable food supply is an unstable society.” Barringer stressed the importance of pursuing excellence as agriculturists and as globally minded citizens. He recited the U.S. Air Force’s core values, “integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do,” as something that everyone can adhere to. Barringer also stated that difficulties in agriculture will arise, but there is always room for improvement if we work as a team that is rooted in agriculture. K

Donation for new Sustainability Farm By Payton Stoppel Kansas State University has been granted several thousand acres to focus on sustainable agricultural practices and soil conservation, reclamation and protection. A Pottawatomie County native, Harold Lonsinger of Alton donated 2,300 acres of farmland to K-State to develop the Harold and Olympia Lonsinger Sustainability Research Farm. After his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, Lonsinger graduated from K-State with a degree in mechanical engineering. In 1984, he and his wife Olympia moved to Cawker City to farm and raise livestock. “I was given this land for a purpose,” Lonsinger says. "I think the research Kansas State University will conduct will help protect and preserve our precious natural resources."

K-State has several different locations around the state that focus on gathering information to help advance countless agricultural practices. “Among our many agricultural experiment stations, Harold’s gift of more than 2,000 acres of quality Kansas farm and grassland will become a hallmark of sustainable farming research at K-State,” says John Floros, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension. The Lonsinger’ donation not only benefits the college, but will also help farmers for years to come. Much of the Lonsinger land is contiguous and will allow investigators to discover how historical and innovative farming practices effect larger tracts of soil over time. The research conducted will have application for Kansas farmers and for producers worldwide. K

College of Agriculture

News

K-State Gains Sheep and Meat Goat Specialist By Ashley Fitzsimmons Alison Crane is the new assistant professor and extension sheep and meat goat specialist for the Kansas State Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. Crane is an Alabama native and has degrees from Berry College and North Dakota State University. Crane’s main goal as the sheep and meat goat specialist is to advocate for the two industries. She also wants to increase interest and understanding to help facilitate growth, efficiency and profitability through research, teaching and extension work. “We have a wonderful opportunity to change consumer perception of lamb, wool and goat through education and exposure,” Crane says. “With appropriate marketing and education, I believe we could change the perception and therefore increase consumption of our industries’ amazing products.” At K-State, Crane will oversee the daily attributes of the Sheep and Meat Goat Center while advising and

New sheep and meat goat specialist, Alison Crane is pictured with her herding dog and sheep flock. Photo courtesy of Alison Crane.

teaching undergraduate animal sciences and industry students. She will also coach the wool judging team. K

Animal Science Teams Win Across the Nation By Jill Seiler The Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University is home to several national champion competition teams in 2017. Continuing its legacy of excellence that started in 1901, the department had five champion and reserve champion teams this year. “Participating on a collegiate competition team requires a lot of dedication and commitment. These students not only excelled in their respective competitions throughout the year but they continued to keep a focus on their academics as well,” says Ken Odde, K-State ASI department head. The Livestock and Meat Evaluation Team won the national contest in April to become back to back

68 the AGRICULTURIST

champions. The team was coached by Travis O’Quinn, assistant professor, and Chris Mullinix, instructor. Additionally, the Horse Judging Team earned the World Champion title this fall. Coached by James Lattimer, the team won first place honors in placement and reasons. The Livestock Judging Team, Meat Judging Team and ASI Quadrathlon Team finished the year as reserve national champions as well. “We are proud of our students and coaches for their hard work and accomplishments,” says Odde. K

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Staff

Editorial

Shannon Barry

Danielle Comstock

Sarah Moyer

Chantelle Simon

Sarasota, FL

Fredonia, KS

Emporia, KS

Morland, KS

Advertising

Molly Bertz

Ashley Fitzsimmons

Payton Stoppel

Mayview, MO

Cunningham, KS

Russell, KS

Leadership Team

Shaylee Arpin

Beth Cooper

Hannah Schlapp

Jill Seiler

Design Editor

Assistant Design Editor

Advertising Editor

Writing Editor

Salina, KS

Platte Woods, MO

Oswego, IL

Valley Center, KS

70 the AGRICULTURIST

Thank you, sponsors!

You help make this publication possible. Spring 2018 • Volume 64 • Number 1

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Did You Miss? 28 30 52 56 58 Holy Goat Creamery ages their feta cheese for up to eight months.

Five friends opened up Manhattan Meat Market, which offers 338 different products.

More than 2,000 people visited the corpse flower.

The dog and cat food manufacturing industry has a $3 billion impact on Kansas.

The new purebred beef unit maintains 275 registered cattle each year.

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