Progress Agriculture, Oil and Gas Industry 2022

DEDICATION 2022 Ag, Oil & Gas, Industry Progress

Special to the Great Bend Tribune Sunday, February 13, 2022

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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022

FILE PHOTOS

Conservation technicians Dan Frieb, Barton County, left, and Cody Tuzicka, Pawnee County, bring their annual message on soil conservation to a group of fourthgrade students at the Diamond K Farm west of Great Bend at the 2021 Kids Ag Day. The annual event, spearheaded by the Great Bend Chamber Agri-Business Committee, has enlisted the help of dozens of local businesses and organizations to share their expertise on a variety of ag topics for more than 25 years.

Kids Ag Day is still going strong

BY SUSAN THACKER sthacker@gbtribune.com

When one talks about “dedication,” the volunteers who make Kids Ag Day happen year after year are a perfect example.

Kids Ag Day is produced annually by the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Agri-Business Committee, whose volunteers work diligently to

provide educational opportunities to all fourth-grade students in Barton County. Every September, between 300 and 400 kids attend the event coordinated in partnership with the school districts and numerous local business volunteers.

Kids Ag Day celebrated its 28th anniversary in 2021.

For more than 25 years, Kids Ag Day has given area fourth graders the

experience of a day on a working farm.

Children visit several learning stations, go on hay rides and see tractors and farm animals. The goal is to expose children to agriculture and increase their understanding that although food is purchased from the grocery store, it first comes from farms. There is a lot of work that goes into a item’s production before it goes on a store shelf.

In 2021, Ag Day took place at the Diamond K Farm west of Great Bend, one of its traditional settings.

Kids Ag Day is always fun for the participants and worth the time away from the classroom, teachers report.

See AG DAY, 3

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AG DAY, from page 2

Kids learn about farm work, machinery, and more Barb Thoren, a fourthgrade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School in Great Bend, experienced her first Kids Ag Day in 2021. She described the experience and wrote a letter thanking the organizers, which was published in the Great Bend Tribune’s Public Forum.

“Students were able to learn all about the farm and the work farmers do to provide food for tables,” Thoren wrote. “They learned about everything from shoeing horses, to calling cattle in to eat, veterinarian needs, the cost of machinery, land erosion, bees and honey, to nutrition and how much of each food group they need.

“We were even given a grilled hamburger meal, which was delicious! I do not know how many hamburgers were made for all the fourth graders in Great Bend, Hoisington, Ellinwood, and other communities, but it had to be a lot.”

Some elements of Kids Ag Day haven’t changed much since this event was created some 28 years ago. Sponsors know that even in this county that depends on agriculture, many children and adults don’t know a lot about the subject. There’s a lot to learn about how food is produced, how nature must be protected and how there are many opportunities for future careers in this field.

It doesn’t hurt to remind people, as presenters often do, that there are many reasons to “thank a farmer.”

Many of the original group of ag industry advocates who founded the event over 25 years ago are still active in the thriving event today.

TRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS

Park Elementary fourth graders and staff are shown with the new Kids Ag Day trailer donated

by Jim and Kathi Armatys.

Jim And Kathi Armatys donate trailer to Kids Ag Day A donation from Jim and Kathi Armatys has provided funds for a new Kids Ag Day trailer. Thanks to this donation, the Kids Ag Day committee of the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce will have year-round storage for tables and chairs used during the annual event for area fourth graders held in September.

Committee co-chair Scott DeWerff said this second trailer will be helpful from year to year.

“In the past, we’ve hauled tables and chairs from one storage facility to another, usually in one of our committee

member’s sheds or barns,” he said. “Now we can load them all in the trailers where they’ll stay until the next Kids Ag Day event.”

The trailer was recently parked outside Park Elementary School, where Principal Adam Cline, along with the fourth-grade classes taught by Dorothy Leidig and Meagan Henry, joined in thanking the Armatyses.

“Kids Ag Day is such a great event for our fourth graders,” Cline said. “To have an entire day spent on a farm learning in a hands-on way about where

Jim and Kathi Armatys, at left, are shown with the trailer they donated to the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce AgriBusiness committee for Kids Ag Day. Also pictured are committee co-chair Scott DeWerff and Denise and Mark Guthrie from Mark’s Custom Signs.

their food comes from is just priceless.”

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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022

Museum celebrates region’s rich oil history Kansas Oil & Gas Hall of fame completes years of renovations

TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

The Kansas Oil & Gas Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the region’s rich history in the oil and gas industry. In 2021, the museum completed extensive renovations and hosted its first induction ceremony since 2015, inducting 11 new members.

BY DANIEL KIEWEL dkiewel@gbtribune.com

The Kansas Oil & Gas Hall of Fame began in 1989 with the selection of six initial inductees were key in shaping the oil and gas industry in Kansas, according to the Museum Foundation’s historical documents. Industry representatives decided to purchase a property to house the Hall of Fame, later deciding to include a museum to educate visitors on the industry, as well.

“Two goals were uppermost in everyone’s mind,” the Foundation’s history states. “The hall of fame and museum would provide an avenue for education about the oil and gas industry... a major contributor to the growth and prosperity of Kansas.

An equally important goal is “the preservation of the industry’s rich and colorful history.”

Work originally began on the property in 1991, but had not received any significant updates until 2019, when the board of directors decided the museum needed a face-lift. The work was scheduled to be completed in spring of 2020, however The multi-year project faced significant delays due to COVID-19, Klug said. Now that it has been completed, though, every part of the museum has been touched by the renovation.

“The Kansas Oil and Gas Museum had a fantastic year of progress in 2021,” said museum

treasurer Leslie Francis Klug. “We completed the renovation of the Museum and Hall of Fame Building with the help and hard work of many of our Board Members and their spouses, Museum Director Dee Volpert, and Warren Martin of Kansas Strong.”

“The building has been renovated and updated top to bottom, wall to wall, with a beautiful timeline of the Oil and Gas Industry of Kansas welcoming our guests,” Klug said. “We have colorful new signage, electronic kiosks and interactive exhibits.”

After two years of closures, though, Klug said the goal for this year and 2023 is to reopen with a set weekly schedule to allow tours of the Museum and Hall of Fame. “(We want) to reengage our relationship with the community and

school system,” Klug said. ”Previously, we facilitated tours of school children through our museum and hosted workshops for summer camps and at the Great Bend Public Library.”

2021 also saw the holding of the longawaited Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. In the past, Induction Banquets had been held been held every three years, but had not been held since 2015, having been postponed twice, once in 2019 due to museum renovation work, and again in 2020 due to COVID-19. Krug said moving forward, the museum hopes to get back to a to a regular schedule with the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and continue recognizing and celebrating the efforts made to our industry.

As part of the 2021 ceremony, the museum welcomed 11 new inductees, including the

Here Yesterday, Here Today and Here Tomorrow.

first female inductee, Barbara Wingfield van den Berg Oringderff.

Other inductees included: John O. Farmer III, Cecil O’Brate, James C. Remsberg, Kirk Rundle, R.A. (Dick) Schremmer, Gene Zaid, Kenneth Link, George E. Miller Jr., J.C. Musgrove and Pierce Clyde Musgrove.

Klug said the banquet, held in October, sold out with 350 tickets being sold for the event.

“It was a wonderful evening of celebration for these fine people,” Klug said. “Criteria to be nominated to the Kansas Oil & Gas Museum Hall of Fame are as follows: 20 years of service and work in the kansas oil and gas industry, donation of time to the kansas petroleum industry through technical, political and social issues confronting the industry and community involvement.”

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Fossil fuel industry recovery to get bumpy in 2022

BY MIKE GILMORE mgilmore@GBTribune.com

The country’s oil and gas industry rode out of the “near-death” experience that was COVID in 2020 and 2021 in good shape.

But heading into 2022, the ride may turn bumpy as prices and production will stabilize, and the transition away from fossil fuels.

In a Jan. 6, 2022, report on energy transition, Moody’s noted that oil companies will be presented with a paradox by their investors. “The corresponding increase in carbon emissions from greater oil consumption will likely lead to added investor pressure on oil companies to transition their businesses, and to inspire more policy initiatives aimed at reducing demand for oil and natural gas,” the report noted.

Interior Department plans and pending EPA rules on methane emissions form an estimated 81,000 abandoned wells across the country could further change the trajectory for the sector. Other changes in the industry, including technology and efficiency, could shift the outlook this year for the workers and communities that rely on the industry for jobs.

State moving to clean up abandoned wells Earlier last week came the announcement that Kansas will receive $58.6 million in federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law to clean up more than 5,400 hazardous, abandoned oil and gas wells that are identified as a pollution risk due to methane leakage.

Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., of the state’s 3rd District noted that the funds will bring new jobs

report of October 2021.

Oil production was up slightly in 2021, with 1,045,875 barrels produced from 1,807 active wells, as compared to 1,386,391 in 2020 from 1,872 active wells. For natural gas, production in units of 1,000 cubic feet was down, at 122,727 mcf from 16 active wells as compared to 167,059 mcf from 19 active wells in 2020.

An oil pumping unit is shown south of Susank.

and economic opportunity while reducing methane pollution. “Abandoned oil and gas wells pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of communities across Kansas, with the vast majority of these sites in the eastern part of our state,” Rep. Davids said.

“With funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law to clean up our communities and our environment, we are also creating jobs and inviting economic opportunity to these areas.”

Dwight D. Keen, chair of the Kansas Corporation Commission, said that the federal funds will accelerate the state’s ability to take action. The KCC is the agency that regulates oil and natural gas production in the state.

“Given the potential costs associated with plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, we appreciate the availability of federal funds to

HUGO GONZALEZ Great Bend Tribune

complement the state’s well-plugging fund,” Keen noted. “Together, these funds will accelerate our well-plugging efforts and help ensure freshwater resources are protected.”

The federal infrastructure law designated Kansas to receive an initial $25 million in grant eligibility, with an additional $8.722 million in formula eligibility for phase one.

Application for the initial and phase one grants will lead to further instructions to apply for a share of the $1.5 billion available in state Performance Grants.

Recently, the passage of House Bill 2022 made sweeping changes to the abandoned well plugging statutes related to operator responsibility determinations by the KCC in its Abandoned Well Plugging and Site Remediation Fund established in 1996.

The state is divided into four districts, each with

wells prioritized for action in two priority groups. The Priority I group is divided into three action levels (A, B and C) based on their impact on surface water, groundwater and public safety.

Of the orphan wells in Kansas, District 1 in the southwest corner has 13 Priority I wells; District 2 in the center has 107 and District 4 in the northwest corner, including Barton County, has 86 top-priority wells identified as needing attention.

Miami County on the Missouri border in Kansas is a significant portion of the identified orphan wells in the state, with 375 of the 5,269 in District 3.

Remediation sites The KCC Conservation Division manages an inventory of contamination sites that have varying degrees of impact to groundwater, surface water, soil, or wells. The sites have no responsible parties related to oil and gas exploration and production activities.

The current evaluation period (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021) ended with no sites resolved or added, resulting in a total of 47 active sites. A total of 14 sites are rated high as to immediacy level. Cash expenditures projected for site remediation in FY2022 is approximately $150,000.

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Industry trends in 2022 Besides emission controls pressures, Moody’s expects some of these trends to pan out in the coming year: Prices: Moody‘s predicts that increased production may or may not result in lower oil prices. The gap between supply and demand is expected to narrow in 2022, but prices will still be volatile.

Biden Administration impact: The current administration has backed away from the more aggressive reform agenda of stalling new federal leasing or blocking new drilling.

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Workforce: Technology stemming from emissions control may help prop up economic drivers leading to job creation in the oilfield, Moody’s has noted.

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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022

COURTESY PHOTO

Pictured is the Barton County Horse Team, who recently competed at the 4-H Horse Panorama in January 2022 at Rock Spring Ranch near Junction City. The competition features quiz bowl contests, speaking events, and learning opportunities.

4-H, Extension work to equip next generation of ag, community leaders

BY DANIEL KIEWEL dkiewel@gbtribune.com

Head, heart, hands and health. These are the four core tenets of the 4-H program, and it’s what local 4-H leaders look to build in local youth as they remain dedicated to shaping tomorrow’s industry and community leaders.

Though known primary for its agricultural training programs, Michelle Beran, 4-H Youth Development Agent for the K-State Research and Extension - Cottonwood District, said 4-H is so much more than that. “4-H is youth development with a focus on life skills and life skill training, things like communication

skills, leadership, understanding citizenship, and they get a chance to explore (all) that.”

Currently, Barton County has about 150 students, ages 7 through 18 years, active in one of nine different communitybased clubs, as well as one project-based club.

Beran said locally, 4-H has about 40 different project areas available to its participants, all focused on promoting learning, developing new skills, and promoting communication, community service and positive interactions.

At its core, Beran said, is about strengthening rural communities by helping to build and shape its leaders of

tomorrow.

“One of (our) goals is to help raise the next generation of leaders so that our rural communities don’t just survive, but thrive,” Beran said. “Our goal is to help young people be confident, to understand agriculture, livestock and crop production, in the hopes that they will stay and be our next generation of community and industry leaders.”

Because agriculture is a major driver of the region’s economy, part of shaping tomorrow’s leaders means preparing them

to lead in an increasingly technological agriculture industry, which she said a tech-saavy younger generation is already uniquely qualified for.

“As agriculture becomes more technologically advanced, we need those young people who have those skills there,” Beran said.

They also focus on preparing students for a changing agricultural environment. Industry leaders several years ago identified a need for youth-focused animal safety training.

So locally, 4-Hers in various livestock project

programs, including beef, swine, goats (both meat and dairy), sheep, rabbits, and poultry, go through Youth Quality Care of Animals (YQCA). The program discusses food and handler safety, animal

well-being, and character development. Both Beran and Ag Agent Alicia Boor are certified to teach the program locally.

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7

4-H, from page 6

4-H develops rural community leaders, advocates “It’s a lot of different things that really can provide some good education for our youth,” Beran said.

Though the industry is changing and adapting, she said, there are still a wealth of opportunities students can pursue.

While there are plenty of youth who still want to be involved in the ag industry through farming and livestock production, Beran said there are many opportunities for youth to be involved in the industry beyond just those avenues.

She listed equipment mechanics, food scientists, engineers and educators as just a few other professions essential to the continuing strength of the local ag industry, and these are all avenues youth have the opportunity to explore through 4-H. Because farming is often a lifetime profession, training youth in agriculture means also creating adaptable leaders.

One challenge she sees future ag leaders facing is a decreasing of available land for farmers and ranchers, a challenge they hope to prepare the next generation to meet.

Another quality 4-H focuses on developing is strong communication skills, something Beran sees as essential in an increasingly urban world.

“As more of our population moves more generations away from their food production, there is a real disconnect with understanding how food is produced,” Beran said. “(So youth) need to be really on their game, as far as communication skills to be able to share what they do, why they do it,

COURTESY PHOTOS

Agricultural agents from nearby counties came to Barton County in November 2021 to talk about beef and swine selection and raising.

Representatives from the Barton County Fair Association were also present to address the fair livestock process and answer questions.

how they do it, so that the consumer or voter really understands and can be supportive of that role.”

Part of this means giving 4-H’ers hands-on opportunities to learn leadership. They encourage youth to take on leadership roles in the clubs from a young age.

“They are learning parliamentary procedure in their club meetings,” Beran said. “It’s a stair stepped opportunity to take on bigger leadership roles to understand how to be in front of people, how to share your thoughts, and what you believe in an appropriate manner, so that even if people don’t agree, they can still have some civil conversation about it, and move forward in that manner.”

But preparing young

4-H Agent Michelle Beran works with USD 428 grade school youth discussing agriculture as part of the recent GB Reads program, in which elementary school students across the district read the book “Charlotte’s Web” with their families.

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“That’s an important part of making connections

in our communities so that we can help the young people who we do interact with have the best opportunity to expand and extend

that knowledge, those leadership opportunities, that community service, so that they really have a passion and a love for their rural community,” Beran said.

8

• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022

BCC program dedicated to gas line maintenance

BY SUSAN THACKER sthacker@gbtribune.com

Kansas’ natural gas pipeline includes more than 2,600 miles of transmission lines and 21,000 miles of main distribution lines for 120 natural gas companies that provide service to approximately 932,000 gas customers.

Thousands of employees are charged with maintaining the integrity of those lines. That’s where Barton Community College comes in.

Nearly 20 years ago, leaders in the oil and gas industry realized that they needed to train future employees to face the challenges of an aging workforce. They were seeing fewer quality candidates as the jobs became more complex with evolving technology.

Barton found industry partners to create a stateof-the-art training center.

The groundbreaking for the Midwest Utility and Pipeline Training Center, located on the Barton County campus near the baseball fields, was July 16, 2004.

“One thing that makes this program unique is it is hands-on for the student,” said Faculty and Program Coordinator Shawgi Ahmed. There are actual pipelines buried under the training center, where students learn to measure flow, calibrate meters and evaluate pipeline integrity. “This program integrates the theoretical and the practical.”

There are many opportunities in the natural gas transmission and distribution industry for those with a strong technical background. Technicians are needed for corrosion control, gas measurement,

SUSAN THACKER Great Bend Tribune

Instructor Shawgi Ahmed talks to Barton Community College students about types of meters on gas transmission lines.

instrumentation and electrical controls, pipeline construction, and programmable logic controller (PLC) programming.

The Transmission & Distribution Technician program provides training in comprehensive gas industry technologies recommended by regional gas pipeline companies.

Ahmed notes that there are two options for students – a 35-credit hour certificate and a 64-credit hour Associate of Applied Science degree.

The certificate can be completed in one semester, Shawgi said. The associate degree can be completed in a year.

“This program is very compressed,” Ahmed said. Students are in class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

“A student can finish one semester and they can go

A plaque commemorates the creation of the Midwest Utility and Pipeline Training Center at Barton Community College.

to work, or they can stay for one year they earn the associate degree. Or, they can transfer to Kansas State University if they want to get a bachelor of science.”

Also, Barton is working on a collaboration with the University of Kansas’s department of petroleum and natural gas.

During a recent class,

student Cameron Stevenson from Ellinwood said he enrolled in the program because he already had family members in the industry. “I just want to learn more about natural gas and pursue a career,” he said. He learned about the program at a BCC Junior Day. Barton helps area high school juniors plan

for their futures at Junior Day events. The next one will be Feb. 16.

Other students discover the class by word-ofmouth. Jonah Clarke from McPherson told Jayden Schmidt, a student from Fairbury, Neb. They are in the BCC welding program and realized their skill could be tied in to the oil and gas transmission program.

There are seven faculty in the program. Shawgi has a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from OU and a master’s in natural gas from Germany. The rest of his staff are adjunct instructors with years of experience in the industry.

In the fall of 2020 there were nine fall graduates and six of them were hired by gas companies Northern Star, Southern Star, Midwest Energy, Scout Energy and Williams.

For those interested in the program, there are scholarships available, including the Kansas Promise Act “no-cost to the student” scholarship to complete education/ training in select fields of study. There is also the International Schools of Hydrocarbon Measurement (ISHM) Scholarship, a $5,000 award. Financial aid is also available to students.

“We are not only focusing on teaching,” Ahmed said. “We try to support the industry by doing some research. For example, last year we did research and published a journal article about natural gas pipeline corrosion.”

A recent article published in the Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering is titled, “Designing in-house cathodic protection system to assess the long-term integrity of natural gas pipelines.”

Other BCC staff who contributed to the article are Vince Orth, Mary Foley and Kathleen Kottas, along with Catalin Teodoriu from the University of Oklahoma.

The program also offers a career fair – last year it was a virtual career fair – and brings in guest speakers from natural gas companies. Barton and the Kansas Section of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) International host an annual corrosion control seminar at the college. Thanks to contacts in the industry, Barton is also trying to help students find summer internships with these companies.

For more information about the program, contact Shawgi Ahmed at ahmeds@bartonccc.edu.

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GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022 •

9

Antique tractor collection a passion for some

BY RICHARD SHANK Special to the Tribune

Collecting antique tractors has been dubbed everything from a cult, to a disease or even a passion affecting thousands across the nation and I admit to being one of those.

My first experience collecting antique tractors occurred in 1984 when I drove past an implement dealership located on Highway 40 in the east edge of Salina. Parked in the lot was a 1943 Farmall H, a 41-year-old aging beauty that looked “straight” signifying the grill and the hood had no visible dents and dings while the draw bar which is used to hook up equipment, was not riddled with notches. The $875 purchase price was a reasonable asking price and it was a done deal.

All rolled along for six years until 1990 when Dad retired from farming. He had retained two oldies, both of which were in good running condition. My brother, Eddie, purchased Dad’s 1943 Farmall H, which had the distinction of pulling a drill each fall to plant 47 consecutive years worth of wheat crops. I stepped forward to purchase Dad’s 1949 Oliver 99, a tank on four wheels weighing in at 7,300 pounds, with electric lights and starter, along with an 18-miles-per-hour road gear. As far as tractors go, the Oliver 99 was as good as it gets for a mid-20th Century tractor.

Following Dad’s death in 2003, I purchased my brother and sister’s share of the homeplace, which inspired, in part, an expansion of the antique tractor collection, then numbering three at the time.

Growing up, I often had

PHOTOS COURTESY RICHARD SHANK

Richard Shank is shown on an old Oliver tractor, part of his collection.

an opportunity to work for Luther Jorg, a neighbor who resided on the same section as the Shanks. In 1965, Luther purchased a new John Deere 4020. I often drove the 4020 while working for Luther and hoped to own one in the future.

In 2005, Dauer Implement, then Salina’s John Deere dealer, offered a John Deere 4020 for sale featuring a complete overhaul, a major selling point for me, a person lacking in mechanical expertise. Soon, the 4020 was sitting at the Shank farm. Following a 2013 total restoration, thanks to Norris Peterson of Solomon, it looks every bit as good, if not better, 53 years after it was new.

Today, the John Deere 4020 easily qualifies as an antique tractor but its modern look makes it appear anything but old.

After adding two machine sheds to the farm, there was plenty of reason to add a few more tractors to the fleet.

Spotting a Farmall H with a loader for sale in

Russell next door to the famed Meridy’s Restaurant, was all it took to add it to my collection, as the Shank farm did not include a tractor with a loader. The loader did not meet expectations and soon found a new home at the Salina Iron and Metal.

Then, Jerry Hughes, a long-time collector from Manhattan, called to say he was marketing his collection including a 1950 Oliver 77 that seemed like the logical tractor to own next.

And, when he called offering to sell a 1945 (model 60) it, too, seemed like it belonged at the Shank farm.

Who wouldn’t want to own a 1947 John Deere B? When I spotted one next to the highway, north of Pratt, it looked so much like the next addition to the growing collection at the Shank farm that I wheeled in and bought it. And, besides it was small and wouldn’t take up much shed space which made the purchase seem even more logical.

Following the death of my brother, Eddie, his family offered to sell his 1942

All current electrical needs for Commercial, Industrial, Agriculture, Residential and Oilfield.

Shank also collects equipment, like this old hay rake.

Farmall H, which did have a good loader. It’s a tractor that still runs like new as it approaches an 80th birthday. The Farmall H was purchased new by Joe White, who was a neighbor.

My brother purchased the tractor at Joe’s estate sale in 2000, and I am proud to be only the third owner in eight decades of its existence.

To round out the collection, Dennis McKee, a

friend and collector from Hutchinson, in 2020 offered to sell me a 1963 35 horsepower, Oliver 550, which is just the right size for mowing.

Antique tractor clubs have sprung up nationwide in recent years . They host shows where collectors can exhibit treasures and swap stories about their showpieces. Also, the shows provide a venue for vendors to market everything from

tractor mufflers to steering wheels to temperature gauges.

Since 40 percent of the Shank collection is Oliver, it seemed natural to team up with the Central States Hart-Parr Oliver Collectors Association (CSHPOCA) – now, that is a mouthful – a five-state organization made up of 150 members from Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado. CSHPOCA publishes a bi-monthly magazine, which includes thousands of subscribers in the United States, Canada and New Zealand.

At one of these meetings, I learned about the significance of “tractor steps.” As the story is told, the old tractors did not consider the difficulty in getting on and off the tractor, particularly when the owner reaches the age synonymous with “senior citizen” status. Several members of the organization manufacture tractor steps that can be added to the platform which make climbing on and off easier, reducing the possibility of falls. For most older antique collectors, tractor steps are a necessity, not a luxury.

The antique tractor collection at the Shank farm now numbers nine and it could be said is at the “crossroads.” While the machine sheds are bulging at the seams with not only the tractors but a wide assortment of old and still functioning farm equipment, the time has come to either stop buying or build another shed. If common sense rules the day, the decision will be the former not the latter.

This article originally appeared in The Magazine, a publication of the Ellsworth County IndependentReporter.

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255 W. Barton County Road - Great Bend, KS

620-285-3161

10

• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022

Dedicated businesses share their stories This year, the Great Bend Tribune invited area businesses and organizations to take part in the annual Progress Edition. Representatives from these businesses took time to share information about what they do, how long they’ve been doing it, and how things have changed over the years.

Animal Care Hospital Animal Care Hospital, 3400 10th St., Great Bend, specializes in providing veterinary care to dogs, cats and exotics, including the animals at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo. The business offers veterinary medicine and supplies.

Owner Michael J. Malone, DVM, said the business is 42 years old and has been at its current location for 31 years. Originally they treated horses, cattle, pigs and small animals before evolving into the service they offer today.

Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

For more information call 620-792-7373 or email animalcarehosp@att.net.

Southwind Drilling Southwind Drilling is an oil drilling contractor based in Ellinwood. Numerous investors own this 18-year-old business.

Southwind Drilling currently runs two full-time rigs that operate primarily in central and western Kansas.

The company has 30 employees.

For more information contact Jill Suchy at jill@southwinddrilling.com or call 620-564-3800. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The mailing address is Southwind Drilling, P.O. Box 276, Ellinwood, KS 67526.

CHS Inc. Transportation & Logistics CHS Inc. Transportation and Logistics at 35 NE K-156 in Great Bend is a farmer-owned cooperative with corporate offices located at Inver Grove Heights, Minn. Founded in 1931, the business connects growers with feed and food customers and provides the agricultural community with fuels, lubricants and propane.

Previously NCRA refinery at McPherson, the operation was purchased in 2015 by CHS Inc. In moving to CHS Inc. and becoming a part of a global company, the operation has adapted and expanded to also include hauling other hazardous commodities when needed by the main office’s agriculture side, such as ammonia and refined fuel. Montana Crude Oil Transportation is managed through the Great Bend location with approximately 15 drivers that haul to the refinery in Laurel, Mont.

Regional Operations Manager Kayci Harris is in her sixth year at the Great Bend location, with 27 years of experience at CHS Inc. She explains that the location’s main focus is to provide crude oil transportation from lessees to the refinery in McPherson.

“The majority of Kansas crude oil is transported by our team of 80-plus drivers into pipeline access stations that transport to the refinery 365 days a year,” Harris noted.

“As with anything related to the oilfield, we have seen many changes, but the one thing that continues to keep us growing and moving forward is our ability to provide the best service to our customers, no matter what,” she said.

“I believe the oil industry will continue to be a major contributor in maintaining our country’s success,” she said.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, while transportation hours vary. For more information, call 620-7933111, or email kayciharris@chsinc.com.

Farmers Mutual Insurance Company

Farmers Insurance — DeLong Agency LLC

Farmers Mutual Insurance Company has been insuring customers for 125 years, with around 40 years at its current location at 16 N. Main in Ellinwood. Justin Lear, PFMM, is the CEO of the company, which was formed by a group of Barton County residents in 1896 and continues to provide insurance coverage for local customers as well as those throughout the state.

“Our founders sought to insure property that was difficult at the time to insure through the standard insurance market,” Lear said. “That is a philosophy we attempt today with a bit more modern approach.”

FMI provides insurance coverage for residential and commercial properties with policies sold through independent agents across the state. “We are no longer a company limited strictly to the farm market or to a single geographic area,” Lear notes. “Over the 125-year existence of FMI, the largest change is likely threefold: in technology, regulation and policy complexity. In the early years much was done with handwritten documents with short descriptions of coverage and our regulation was more the common courtesy of doing the right thing.

“Today, nearly all activity heavily uses technologies and electronic communication transactions, along with very formal and complex policies as required by both legal and regulatory concerns.

“Yet, our goal remains to always do the right thing, be it through the design of those policies and products or through how those coverages are administered.

“For us, that’s doing the right thing in reliable and personal service.

“Take the time to listen, be kind and become a part of the solution if need be.”

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 620-564-3281, ext.

312, or email jlear@fmi-ks.com.

Matthew DeLong has 10 years of experience as an agent for Farmers Insurance in the Great Bend area. His office at 1920 16th St., Suite 104 in Great Bend is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. DeLong Agency LLC provides insurance options for homes, autos, life, business, four-wheelers, boats and motorcycles. The agency also offers real estate loans and Matthew DeLong refinance options with Rocket Mortgage.

“We are a fully-staffed (Farmers Insurance) Toppers Club Agency, ranking in the top 5% of Farmers agencies nationwide,” DeLong said.

“As much as things change through advanced technology and computer automation, providing good small-town, trusted customer service wins every time when the unexpected happens.

“We have had to adjust our practices to stay in front of current and potential customers through offering more online, 24/7 options,” DeLong noted. “We still have the local office for personal assistance that most of our clients appreciate.

“The price of success is through hard work, patience and perseverance,” DeLong said. “Having clear goals and staying the course will lead to long-term success.”

G & H Insurance Inc. G & H Insurance Inc. at 1616 Main St., Great Bend, has been providing insurance to farmers in the community for 30 years, with 20 years at its present location. Clay Boepple, the first-generation owner, notes that while the industry continues to change with more regulations, treating customers with respect and honesty remains the same. “We enjoy serving the many farmers in our community,” Boepple said.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. For more information, call 620-792-1261, or email info@gnhins.com.

Farms America/Hollinger Auction Farms America/Hollinger Auction, 117 W. Main St., Lyons, sells real estate: residential, farm ground, commercial property via private treaty, live and online auctions. They have made a change to their format fitting the most clientele to get the best/ top dollar for your seller. They have moved from live to online auctions for selling personal property, farm machinery and James D. Hollinger real estate.

Owner James D. Hollinger has been in business for 18 years, with 15 years at their current address.

Business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 620-257-8147 or email hollingerauction@gmail.com.

Smith Supply LLC

COURTESY PHOTO

Pictured is a G & H Insurance Inc sign.

Smith Supply LLC at 300 S. Patton Road in Great Bend has been supplying oilfield country tubular goods, subsurface pumps, production surface equipment and hotshot trucking to the independent oil and gas operators in the community and the state for 22 years, notes owners Jane and Christopher Smith. “We are proud to serve the independent oil and gas operators of Kansas and invest in our community,” notes Christopher Smith.

Smith said that domestic tubular production and availability has diminished recently, requiring the industry to rely more on imported steel. “Diversification and adaptation are keys to longevity and the ability to ride the ups and downs of the oil and gas industry,” Smith said. “Commit your efforts to become the best at what you decide to do.”

Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The business is also available 24/7 by telephone and by appointment. For service or more information, call 620-617-5684 or email christophersmith@smithsupply11c.com.

COMPOST April 2, 2022 DAY 9am - 3pm In case of rain, Compost Day will be 4/9/22

WE’RE GIVING OUT COMPOST Come fill your truck beds, buckets, bags or ke iitt by by tthe he h andf take handful!

COURTESY PHOTOS

Above: Regional Operations Manager Kayci Harris.

Below: A CHS Inc Transportation semi truck.

WHERE? WARD FEED YARD

GREAT BEND FEEDING

1190 100th Ave Larned, KS

355 NW 30th Ave Great Bend, KS