KANSAS! Magazine | Fall 2019

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VOL 75

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ISSUE 3

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KANSASMAG.COM

How Rural Southwest Kansas Communities Rallied to Recover from Fire

$5.00 / Display until Nov. 2019

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Nobody loves Manhattan more than Willie the Wildcat, and he’d love to show you around. You’ll find new artisan restaurants, boutiques, craft breweries, museums, galleries and pulsing nightlife. Outdoor adventures abound in our tallgrass prairie backyard. Willie’s waiting for you in Manhattan, Kansas!

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inside

PHOTOGRAPH Aaron Patton

features

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Drawn to the Land

Cattle drives, harvest roundups and other authentic experiences of rural life bring visitors to the rural beauty of the state

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After the Flames

Having largely recovered from the devastating 2017 Starbuck Fire, communities in southwest Kansas emerge with gratitude and conviction

02 FALL 2019

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

all aboard the

Historic Tours, Lake Tours

Wedding, Celebration & Party Rentals

c OUNCIL g rove . com/Trolley Council grove/morris county

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To schedule a tour or rental call:

620-767-5413

VisitLeavenworthKS.com

913-758-2948

Catch a show.

See unique public art.

Walk in the wild.

BED & BREAKFAST

ASSOCIATION info@kbba

316-765-1845

HEDRICK’S B&B INN & EXOTIC ANIMAL FARM Nickerson, KS hedricks.com

888-489-8039

Fall into colorful autumn experiences in Salina!

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785-945-3225

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millcreeklodgevollandpoint.com

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kbba.com

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GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

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inside departments

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In this Issue

08 10

From the Editor

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PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) Courtesy Land Institute/Amanda Wagner, courtesy Karg Art Glass/Shannon Warner, Dave Leiker, KDWPT

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Kansas Details

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| Cuisine Fine Food and Good Eats | Heartland People and Places that Define Us | Culture An Oz Anniversary Celebration | How To Wise Tips from Friendly Kansans | Kansas Air The Freshness of Outdoor Life | Made in Kansas Must-have local items | Lens A conversation with KANSAS! photographers | Reasons We Love Kansas Celebrating Unique Attractions | Must See Upcoming Events to Enjoy

Wide Open Spaces 32 | Taste of Kansas: Dinner, in Good Faith and Company

Religious communities across the state, but particularly in rural areas, host meals that are often one of their region’s biggest social and culinary events

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36 | The Wild Mustangs of the Flint Hills

Kansas ranchers team with a national program to bring mustang herds back to the Sunflower State 40 | Rural by Choice

These Kansans find peace, beauty and purpose in choosing to live beyond the metropolitan spread page

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KANSAS! MAGAZINE

ON THE COVER Rancher Greg Gardiner stands on his land in Clark County Kansas.

Photograph by Aaron Patton.

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KANSAS! Gallery #KansasMag

05 FALL 2019

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Andrea Etzel

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Laura Kelly GOVERNOR

Brad Loveless

KDWPT SECRETARY

Bridgette Jobe

TOURISM DIRECTOR

SUNFLOWERPUB.COM | LAWRENCE, KANSAS

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Bill Uhler

Bob Cucciniello

Shelly Bryant

Nathan Pettengill

Joanne Morgan

Leslie Andres

PUBLISHER

WE LIKE IKE ...

AND MAMIE TOO! Visit the all-new exhibits unveiling in 2019 at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.

Commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day while learning Ike and Mamie’s story in their own words.

Stay a few days and celebrate Abilene’s 150th anniversary!

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Old Abilene Town Great Plains Theatre Dickinson County Heritage Center Greyhound Hall of Fame Seelye Mansion Unique specialty shops & restaurants

Smithsonian Magazine’s Best Small Town to Visit AbileneKansas.org

DESIGNER/ART DIRECTOR MARKETING, (785) 832-7264

DIRECTOR EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

KANSAS! (ISSN 0022-8435) is published quarterly by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism 1020 S. Kansas Ave., Suite 200, Topeka, KS 66612; (785) 296-3479; TTY Hearing Impaired: (785) 296-3487.

Periodical postage paid at Topeka, KS, and at additional mailing offices.

Newsstand price $5 per issue; subscription price $18 per year; international subscription price $22 per year. All prices include all applicable sales tax.

Please address subscription inquiries to: Toll-free: (800) 678-6424 KANSAS!, P.O. Box 146, Topeka, KS 66601-0146 E-mail: ksmagazine@sunflowerpub.com | Website: www.KansasMag.com POSTMASTER: Send address change to: KANSAS!, P.O. Box 146, Topeka, KS 66601-0146.

Please mail all editorial inquiries to: KANSAS!, 1020 S. Kansas Ave., Suite 200, Topeka, KS 66612 email: ksmagazine@sunflowerpub.com The articles and photographs that appear in KANSAS! magazine may not be broadcast, published or otherwise reproduced without the express written consent of Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism or the appropriate copyright owner. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Additional restrictions may apply.

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in this

issue

PHOTOGRAPHS (FROM LEFT) Justin Lister, Aaron Patton, Dave Leiker

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40 Living the Life

50 Recovery and Return

Beccy Tanner’s story on professionals choosing to live in rural Kansas had strong personal connections. Having lived and worked in Wichita for 35 years, Tanner recently returned to her childhood home of St. John, where her family has farmed ever since they arrived in 1878. Tanner has had some adjustments reentering a community of some 1,200, but she enjoys the quiet, the slower pace, the chance to watch sandhill cranes fly overhead, the generations of family connections and even seeing today’s teens “circle the square” in their cars, just as she did when she was young.

For Michael Pearce, looking back on Clark County’s Starbuck Fire was an opportunity to reconnect with ranchers, community leaders and others he met as a journalist who reported on the fire as it tore across the county in 2017. Pearce recalls those days as “intense and life-changing ” and says witnessing the disaster and recovery gave him a renewed respect for the people who live and work there: “There’s agriculturetough, there’s ranching-tough, and then there’s southwest Kansas ranching-tough—that’s some of the most difficult land to ranch, and yet people in these communities thrive, and they have done so for generations.”

“There’s agriculture-tough, there’s ranching-tough, and then there’s southwest Kansas ranching-tough—that’s some of the most difficult land to ranch, and yet people in these communities do, and they have done so for generations.”

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

page

44 Dave and Sally

around the

state These are just some of the locations represented in this issue of KANSAS! magazine.

A good photographer can work with almost any equipment— and for Dave Leiker’s photo shoot of a Flint Hills cattle drive, that equipment included Sally the mule.

We asked Dave to write about working with Sally.

Managing reins and cameras feels a bit like being a juggling trick rider, with a minimum of actual riding skills. But cattle drive organizer Gwen Hoy knew Sally would be a good photographer’s steed, so she introduced us shortly before our ride into the Flint Hills.

And Sally was the perfect match: sure-footed, quiet mannered, and rock-steady. She also appreciated the occasional pats on the neck as we moved through the hills.

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Sutphen

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Kansas City

30

Hays

50

Ashland

26

Elkhart

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from the

editor “Kansas, now that’s the real America.”

One summer in college, I worked at a popular hotel in Savannah, Georgia. There were many aspects of my position that I liked, but what I most enjoyed was engaging with the guests. One particular fond memory is of talking with a woman visiting the U.S. from Europe. We talked about her visit, which lead to a discussion of the places she had traveled in the United States. When she noted my lack of southern accent and asked where I was from, I told her Kansas. “Kansas!” she exclaimed. I smiled.

She quickly followed up with, “Kansas, now that’s the real America.”

I have traveled enough to know that there is no single “real” America, but for we Kansans, Kansas is the heart of our country. In much the same way, the heart of our state are the families and individuals who make their homes and build their lives here.

When we were working on this fall issue, the one word that kept running through my head was “homegrown.” Kansas is a homegrown state—take care of the people and the land, and they will take care of you. In the stories shared in this edition, you’ll find resilience, purpose, endurance, and faith. These principles at the bedrock of our state continue to be passed down today.

As the seasons transition from summer to winter, autumn is a time for the Sunflower State to show off its colors. Bright yellow sunflowers will lead to a burst of reds and oranges when the leaves change. There will be plenty of picture-taking moments. We’d love to see your photos, so share them with us on Facebook or Instagram and remember to tag #KansasMag.

facebook.com/KansasMagazine @KANSASMag

ANDREA ETZEL

EDITOR, KANSAS! MAGAZINE

KansasMagazine (get spotted; use #kansasmag to tag us)

08 FALL 2019

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Experience Atchison History. Mystery. Entertainment.

s a s n a K DESTINATIONS & ATTRACTIONS

EXCITING 2019 FALL EVENTS: Haunted Atchison Season Funky Junk Flea Market Muddy River Music Festival International Aviation Day Taste of Atchison

Atchison Aviatrix Disc Golf Tournament Oktoberfest Witches Weekend Halloween Parade

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WWW.VISITATCHISON.COM | 800-234-1854

"The Most Haunted Town In Kansas" Haunted Atchison Events Haunted Trolley Rides Murder Mystery Dinners Cemetery Walking Tours Paranormal Investigations Sallie House Tours Haunted Hop and more..

Open May thru November Call for current days of operation Hours: 1-5 PM

New this season..

502 N. Washington Wellington, KS 67152 620.326.3820 | facebook.com/ctmuseum www.chisholmtrailmuseum.us

Weekend Ghost Hunt Event with Dustin Pari & Cindy Kaza @OfficialHauntedAtchison

Great Day Trip Destination

For the full Haunted Schedule, go to VisitAtchison.com

WINFIELD ART IN THE PARK October 6, 2019 Island Park, Winfield, KS

• Outdoor art festival • Entertainment • Wine Tasting • Children’s art activities • Food vendors • Juried Show 12 x 12 booth for $40 Sponsored in part by Winfield Convention & Tourism

October 15 through January 1 170 victorian, antique Christmas trees and ornaments 10-5pm Wed-Sat | 1-5pm Sun (785) 887-6148 | www.lecomptonkansas.com

MOON MARBLE COMPANY Marbles

Traditional Toys and Games

Gifts

600 East Front St., Bonner Springs, KS 913-441-1432 www.moonmarble.com

(620) 221-2161 | www.winfieldarts.org

Call or

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Come explore all that Washington County has to offer

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Restored Vintage Vehicles

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ADD YOUR DESTINATION OR ATTRACTION in KANSAS! Magazine Contact Sunflower Publishing for details sunpubads@sunflowerpub.com 785.832.7264

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Rural by Choice These Kansans find peace,

beauty and purpose in choosing to live beyond the metropolitan spread

The Schmidt family gathers on their dairy farm near Newton. Photograph by Amy Sharp.

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PHOTOGRAPHS (FROM TOP) Amanda Wagner, Shutterstock, Dave Leiker

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Welcome to KANSAS! magazine’s “Kansas Details.” Here we explore what’s new and buzzing throughout the state—from restaurants and shopping to cultural happenings and attractions.

12 Cuisine 14 Heartland 17 Culture 18 How To 20 Kansas Air 23 Made in Kansas 24 Lens 26 Reasons We Love Kansas 30 Must See Events WIDE OPEN SPACES 32 Taste of Kansas: Dinner, in Good Faith and Company 36 The Wild Mustangs of the Flint Hills 40 Rural by Choice

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FALL 2019

cuisine Dining at the Top

With rooftop dining, two Kansas venues offer new ways to enjoy a meal along with a view of the state’s rolling prairies. Here’s an overview of the locations where the atmosphere and the taste are both top considerations.

The Oread hotel sits atop one of Lawrence’s highest points, giving its rooftop terrace, The Nest on Ninth, outstanding panoramic views of the University of Kansas campus, the city’s tree-lined neighborhoods, and the Kaw River Valley. The Nest has live music of various genres on weekends, weather permitting, until the end of the university’s football season. Its menu of appetizers and entrees changes seasonally; previous favorites include the nachos topped with steak, chicken or pulled pork as an appetizer and the strawberry spinach chicken salad.

The rooftop deck at Tallgrass Tap House overlooks downtown Manhattan.

Live music is performed on Thursday evenings until the deck closes because of the weather, typically in October. The brewpub pairs American cuisine with a rotating lineup of at least six craft beers on tap, including the favored Tallgrass 1863 Kansas Wheat. Popular items on the rooftop menu are the house-fried potato chips with French onion dip as an appetizer, the apple-spice walnut salad, and for the main course the salmon BLT, the Tallgrass burger, and the smoked turkey avocado sandwich.

By Cecilia Harris

PUMPKIN PARADISE

Weekends Sept. 28–October 26 Sublette Pick from 200 varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds at Pumpkin Paradise near Sublette.

This patch offers a full day’s worth of family fun with a four-acre corn maze, a play area with mini-mazes, a catapult demonstration, wagon rides, duck races, tetherball, limbo, play houses, human foosball, and more activities.

CLYDE WATERMELON FESTIVAL Aug. 30–Sept.2 Clyde

pumpkinparadisellc.com (620) 668-5680

Celebrate the juicy red fruit during the 120th annual Clyde Watermelon Festival, which began in 1899 and is touted as the first watermelon festival in Kansas. Four days of activities include a free watermelon feed, watermelon carving contest, parade, road rally, golf cart scavenger hunt, demolition derby, and barbecue.

Where in Kansas?

clydekansas.org (785) 446-3547

theoread.com | (785) 830-3921 tallgrasstaphouse.com | (785) 320-2933

FALL 2019

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPH /ILLUSTRATION David Mayes, Shutterstock

Lawrence Manhattan Clyde

Sublette

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Shop now and give the gift of

KANSAS

Visit the From the Land of Kansas Marketplace to purchase and give products that are grown, raised or produced in Kansas.

shop.fromthelandofkansas.com Purchase From the Land of Kansas gift boxes stocked with local Kansas products!

Place orders from Nov. 1 through Dec. 10 to guarantee delivery by Christmas.

BECOME A

BASKET CASE If you haven’t played disc golf in Emporia, you haven’t played disc golf.

WE JUST LIKE GOOD FOOD Plan Your Trip p

visitemporia.com | 800-279-3730

Plan Your Tri

heartland

By Kelly Gibson

Kansas’ roots in agriculture run deep, and as harvest season comes to a close, the state celebrates the bounties of labor, historical farming techniques, agricultural conservation and new technology at festivals throughout the fall season.

Some of these events honor specific crops, such as the Spinach Festival (held September 7 in Lenexa, once known as “The Spinach Capital of the World”).

Other festivals honor crops and conservation in general, such as the Prairie Festival in Salina. Hosted by the Land Institute, this annual event immerses guests in topics including climate change and sustainability through art, music and thoughtful conversations with international leaders across various scientific fields.

This year, the 41st annual festival will take place from September 27–29 at the Land Institute’s Big Barn, located south of Salina. The 2019 lineup features speakers including author Bill McKibben, soil ecologist and biogeochemist M. Francesca Cotrufo, cultural geographer Carolyn Finney, physicist Amory Lovins, and conservation biologist Ana Luz Porzecanski.

While the festival sounds highly academic, the goal is to bring people from all walks of life together to understand the land and how to be more connected to it. Festival offerings include art exhibitions by Land Institute fellow and artist Rena Detrixhe, as well as performances by Grammy-nominated musician Eliza Gilkyson. Don’t miss out on a square-dancing hootenanny, led by the Land Band, and the chance to sleep under the stars in the beautiful Smoky Hill Valley.

landinstitute.org/news-events/prairie-festival | (785) 823-537

pioneerharvestfiesta.com

Hosted by Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and the Nature Conservancy, this free event welcomes visitors to learn historic cooking methods, practice cider recipes, take a wagon ride and carve pumpkins. nps.gov/tapr/index. htm (620) 273-8494

While the festival sounds highly academic, the goal is to bring people from all walks of life together to understand the land and how to be more connected to it.

Where in Kansas?

Lenexa Fort Scott

Strong City

FALL 2019

Stop in for a weekend of straw baling, wheat threshing, corn husking and good times at Bourbon County Fairgrounds. The 63rd annual festival features a steam- and gas-engine tractor show, as well as a flea market and quilt show. Admission is $5 per person for the full weekend, children under 12 are free.

Admission includes a bean feed on Friday night.

September 21, 2019 Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Strong City

Salina

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October 18–20, 2019 Bourbon County Fairgrounds, Ft. Scott

PRAIRIE HARVEST FESTIVAL

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHS Amanda Wagner of the Land Institute

For the Love of the Land

PIONEER HARVEST FIESTA

c

40th Anniversary Show Kaw Valley Woodcarvers Annual Show, Sale & Competition kawvalleywoodcarvers.org

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23: 10-5 & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24: 11-4 LOCATION: RAMADA DOWNTOWN TOPEKA

Admission: $4 per day per person | 16 and under: free if accompanied by an adult

culture

By Cecilia Harris

No Place Like Home

SCARECROW FESTIVAL October 5, Shawnee

Bring the kids downtown to create scarecrows and decorate pumpkins at crafting stations during Shawnee’s Scarecrow Festival. This free event from 9:30–11:30 a.m. also includes a farmers market and a baking contest featuring pumpkin breads and pumpkin pies. Mark your ballot for the downtown business with the best scarecrow. visitshawneeks.com (913) 631-6545

OAKLEY CORN FESTIVAL October 11–12, Oakley

Where in Kansas?

Shawnee

ILLUSTRATION Delcarmat

buffalobilloakley.org (785) 671-1000

Wamego Sedan

visitwamego.com | (785) 456-7849 dorothyshouse.com | (620) 624-7624 Facebook: getsedan | (620) 242-1918

This year, on the 80th anniversary of the release of the popular movie, there’s no place better than Kansas to celebrate everything Oz.

Vote for your favorite dish in the Hometown Corn Cook-off and learn to husk corn on Friday of the Oakley Corn Festival.

Saturday’s lineup includes a corn ear throwing contest for all ages, a corn money-pile dig and pumpkin decorating contest for kids, the Kansas State Cornhusking Contest, and other activities.

Oakley Liberal

In The Wizard of Oz movie, Dorothy tapped her red heels together to return to Kansas because there’s no place like home. This year, on the 80th anniversary of the release of the popular movie, there’s no place better than Kansas to celebrate everything Oz. Scarecrows, tin men, lions, witches and Dorothy Gale doubles will be roaming the streets at Wamego’s OZtoberFest on October 5 as part of the OZ Costume Contest. Other events include a Toto look-alike contest, Poppy Play Field children’s area, Wizard’s Beer and Wine Garden, Auntie Em’s Boutique, OZ Market, a puppet show, and two entertainment stages.

If you can’t arrive for the festival, you can still journey to Wamego at any time to visit the Oz Museum, which features over 2,000 artifacts related to the movie or the original L. Frank Baum book series. You can also have lunch at Toto’s Tacoz and sample the Oz Winery’s Flying Monkey or other Oz-themed wines.

Liberal’s annual Ozfest on October 12 will include look-alike contests, scarecrow building, live entertainment, art vendors, and other activities. At Dorothy’s House and the Land of Oz, open nearly every day, Dorothy leads guests through the Gale farmhouse, down a yellow brick road and into the Land of Oz to meet animated characters from the film.

In Sedan, over 11,600 bricks make up the world’s longest Yellow Brick Road. On May 23, 2020, a Wizard of Oz costume contest and parade will highlight the annual Yellow Brick Road Festival.

17 KANSAS! MAGAZINE

FALL 2019

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLOATING THE KANSAS RIVER, contact Friends of the Kaw online through kansasriver.org or call (866) 748-5337.

By Kalli Jo Smith

how to

Do Your First Float Trip

PHOTOGRAPH Jason Dailey

Fall can be the perfect time to escape the hustle and bustle of work or school and enjoy paddling down a scenic river. In Kansas, we are fortunate to have several options, including the Kansas River National Water Trail. Beginning in Junction City, at the confluence of the Republic and Smoky Hill rivers, the Kansas, or Kaw, River travels 173 miles to its junction with the Missouri River at Kaw Point in Kansas City. Along the way, the course offers 19 different boat ramps for easy access to destinations such as Ogden, Manhattan, Wamego, Topeka, Lawrence, Eudora, De Soto and Kansas City. The series of boat ramps were developed thanks to a partnership between Friends of the Kaw and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, who share a goal of protecting and preserving the Kansas River for Kansans and guests to enjoy and appreciate.

Dawn Buehler, who represents Friends of the Kaw as the official “Kansas Riverkeeper,” frequently leads educational paddle trips from these boat ramps to introduce novices to the river.

“If you have never paddled before, come out on the river with Friends of the Kaw on one of our educational paddle trips. It’s designed to teach you how to paddle, how to read the river, and provide safety tips for a safe and fun paddle.”

Whether you are going with a group or on your own, Buehler has this advice to make your first float trip safe and enjoyable.

If you have never paddled before, come out on the river with Friends of the Kaw on one of our educational paddle trips.”–Dawn Buehler

PADDLING THE KAW: HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR FIRST KANSAS PADDLE TRIP

1. Know where you’re paddling: “[Paddlers] can find all of the boat ramp locations at www.kansasriver.org,” Buehler says.

“You can paddle a 10-mile section in about four hours, but give yourself time to explore sandbars.”

2. Respect public vs. private: The Kansas River is a public waterway, meaning it belongs to all Kansans. Paddle boaters don’t need a permit or reservation to camp on the sandbars.

However, Buehler notes, paddlers and campers should not go up the banks, many of which are private property.

3. Follow the flow guidelines: According to Buehler, novice paddlers should stick to river flows under 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Experienced paddlers can paddle in river flows under 8,000 cubic feet per second. “At 8,000 cfs and higher, the sandbars are mostly gone, and the river is too swift for paddle recreation,” Buehler says. The Friends of the Kaw posts the current flow rates on their website.

4. Come prepared by packing the essentials: Buehler says this should include sunscreen, hats, snacks, trash bags, hand sanitizer, a first aid kit, and a cell phone in a sealed, watertight container.

5. Don’t just pack it: “Always wear a personal flotation device. You never know when it could happen, but if you tip your boat in a moving current, you will need to already have your life jacket on,” Buehler stresses. “Please don’t just pack it, wear it!”

6. Don’t dress to impress: Buehler says paddlers should wear quick-drying clothing and dress in layers. She also recommends packing a rain jacket. “This is Kansas after all,” she says.

7. Pull out the old sneakers: Buehler says the best shoes to wear on the river are old sneakers. “They stay on your feet. We don’t recommend flip flops. Sturdy shoes are needed to move about the sandbars,” Buehler says.

8. Stay hydrated: Days on the river can be long and require a lot of time in the sun. Buehler recommends paddlers pack lots of water to stay hydrated.

Where in Kansas?

Kansas River

19 KANSAS! MAGAZINE

FALL 2019

kansas air

By Michael Pearce

Kanopolis State Park 1.8 miles round-trip Moderate difficulty

Four Great Fall Trails With temperatures cooling and fall foliage colors reaching their peak, autumn is an excellent time to hike or cycle any of Kansas’ 4,000-plus miles of trails. Here are four of the state’s seasonal standouts.

Stride for stride, this is the most eventful trail in Kansas.

The trail brings you across Smoky Hills prairie, to a clear stream and beneath towering cliffs. You can also sit at the mouth of one of two sizable caves. For a slightly longer route, you can return by going up the canyon overlooking the Kanopolis Reservoir.

CHAPLIN NATURE CENTER TRAILS

Arkansas City Up to 5 miles Easy to moderate difficulty This treasure of trails is owned by the Audubon Society of Wichita but is open to the public sunrise to sunset. Trail options include beginning amid prairie grass taller than your head, hiking down through mature woodlands and crossing out to a broad sandbar along the Arkansas River. A visitors center is open on weekends.

SEGMENT OF THE PRAIRIE SPIRIT TRAIL STATE PARK

Garnett, north to Pottawatomie Creek Six miles Easy

Head north from Garnett through woodlands that form a canopy over the trail.

Pass timbered hillsides and tucked-away farm fields.

A nice bridge passes over fast riffles and clear pools of Pottawatomie Creek.

NATURE TRAIL, LAKE SCOTT STATE PARK Up to 6.6 miles Moderate difficulty

A “didn’t know we had this in Kansas” beautiful and rugged trail around a state park famous for scenic beauty. The trail offers great views of the oasis-like lake and winds through sheer bluffs.

... autumn is an excellent time to hike or cycle any of Kansas’ 4,000-plus miles of trails.”

20 FALL 2019

Lake Scott State Park

Prairie Spirit Trail Kanopolis State Park

Arkansas City

Where in Kansas?

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHS KDWPT

BUFFALO TRACKS NATURE TRAIL

TOPCITY OF FUN

When you’re in Topeka, fun is around eve ry corner. Ma during your n ke memories ext family vac and more ation! #NoPla ceLikeKansas STATEHOUSE

GAGE PARK TOPEKA ZOO

KANSAS CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY CENTER

LAKE SHAWNEE ADVENTURE COVE

EVEL KNIEVEL MUSEUM

k

made in kansas

By Amber Fraley

PHOTOGRAPH Karg Art Glass/Shannon Warner

That’s Hot: Crafting a Life with Glass

Rollin Karg started his professional life making other people happy: At his family’s urging, he attended college at Wichita State University on a football scholarship and studied business. He then became a successful businessman in aviation and construction industries before overseeing the operation of a forage harvester factory. But as the years went by, Karg realized he wasn’t happy with his work. “I was just trying to find where my place in life was.”

He began to consider careers such as woodworking that would involve working with his hands and mastering a craft. A breakthrough came when Karg and his wife were on vacation and stopped at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, where they got to view a team of glassworkers practicing their craft. Karg was enthralled. “Oh my gosh, it was fascinating. It was just overwhelming.”

At thirty-eight years old, he began exiting his business career, signed up for a glassblowing course at the University of Emporia, and made the 192-mile round trip from Wichita to Emporia three times a week. He also converted “every dime I had” from his former career into building his own hot glass studio at his home garage. “We turned it into a cottage industry,” Karg explains.

Today, Karg Art Glass boasts a 10,000-square-foot facility in Kechi, just north of Wichita, with an airy gallery where visitors can explore a range of handmade art glass—from paperweights to large sculptures—that cost from just a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. Visitors can also view the crew of glassblowers who help Karg create his works of art. “I’ve got a good, hardworking crew of people here,” Karg says. “I’m enjoying it.”

Karg Art Glass is located at 111 N. Oliver in Kechi. The gallery is open 7 days a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday– Saturday and Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The glassblowers can be seen working 8 a.m. to noon p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and on Saturday mornings, when visitors can also make a paperweight or Christmas ornament. Groups should call ahead to make reservations during holiday season.

rollinkarg.com | (316) 744-2442

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

ART IN THE PARK FESTIVAL October 5, Winfield

Celebrate the 45th anniversary of the annual Winfield Art in the Park Festival Saturday, October 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This juried fine-art festival features painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, pottery, weaving, jewelry, glass and more. Located in the city’s beautiful Island Park, entry is free, but a suggested donation of $2 is gladly accepted. winfieldarts.org

FRENCH MARKET

November 2–3, Liberal Held annually on the first weekend in November, the French Market is a fundraiser for the Baker Arts Center in Liberal. Purchase handmade gifts, decorations and foods from the Bake Shoppe, Tea & Sweet Shoppe, & Gift Shoppes, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Reservations are required for the Saturday sit-down luncheon, but not for the Sunday buffet luncheon.

(620) 624-2810 Where in Kansas?

Kechi Winfield

Liberal

Mike Yoder A conversation with KANSAS! photographers about their work and the iconic images of our home state

lens

After leaving Missouri to get a master’s degree in photojournalism from Ball State University in Indiana, Mike Yoder set off for Kansas to take a job with the Lawrence Journal-World. He was the newspaper’s chief photographer from 1984 to 2016, documenting everything from presidential campaigns to county fairs. His images have been included in the books America 24/7, Kansas 24/7 and a self-published work celebrating the Vinland Fair.

What was your first camera?

My first camera of significance was probably a fixed-lens Canon Canonet I had in college. Nice and compact with a 40mm lens and a large f1.7 aperture. I had started college with an inexpensive Vivitar SLR kit with interchangeable lenses but dropped it in a river in Belize, Central America. By graduate school I was using both a Leica rangefinder and a Nikon F2 w/motor-drive and multiple lenses.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY Mike Yoder

If you created a photographer’s family tree, who would be in it?

My photography family tree would include Joe Costa. From the ‘30s to the ‘70s, Costa was a photographer and supervisor at many New York daily newspapers. In 1945, he became the founder and first president of the National Press Photographers Association and was a large force in freedom of press issues. I had Costa as a professor emeritus in graduate school when he was 78. He told amazing stories about working with flash prior to electronic flash and covering news events with single-exposure, large format cameras.

He was a demanding instructor, emphasized the technical basics of film photography and always wore a tie and long-sleeved shirts with cufflinks—even in the darkroom.

What is the hardest thing to photograph badly?

The hardest thing to photograph badly might be the back of my wife wearing her wide-

brimmed hat as she hikes ahead of me on all our travels. Any landscape is visually improved with her hat as a foreground element. It’s a difficult photograph to screw up and I can show you 50 of them to prove it.

What are some of your favorite Kansas locations to photograph?

One of my favorite geographic spaces and set of buildings to photograph is at the Vinland Fairgrounds, particularly the Vinland Fair Association Fairgrounds Exhibition Barn inside and out. Also, I find the interior space of Vinland’s Coal Creek Library to be a visually wonderful place.

What was your best chance photograph?

Possibly the best “chance” image was one from Chase County at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Landscape painters were setting up easels for a morning of painting. I walked up behind one woman wearing a large, widebrimmed, bright yellow hat, standing next to her large, blue, ready-to-paint canvas, contemplating a Flint Hills landscape. I only had to raise the camera and frame the scene. I basically walked into the photo.

Who would you name a Kansas treasure for their photography?

Bill Snead. A Kansas-born, lifelong visual journalist, a photo colleague and an influence on my own work. He never stopped chasing and documenting unique Kansas subjects and personalities.

A good photographer knows when to anticipate a significant moment and to never drop the camera from your eye until the moment is captured.”

–Mike Yoder

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reasons

By Cecilia Harris

Glacial Hills Scenic Byway Pittsburg Baldwin City Toronto Hiawatha

Hesston

Kansas

Where in Kansas?

Elkhart

We

IN THIS ISSUE Enchanting Fall Colors

CROSS TIMBERS STATE PARK

Toronto Cross Timbers State Park near Toronto features the changing colors of hardwood forests, hills of oak savannah, and prairie grasses. Set amidst rock formations in the gently rolling hills of the Verdigris River Valley, the park’s cottonwood trees turn yellow and its sumacs brighten to scarlet red. Hiking the Ancient Oaks Trail is an ideal way to encounter the colors as the path wanders through an aged forest of red-leafed post oaks and blackjack oaks; to enhance the walk, signage relates a tree’s age to an event in Kansas or United States history. ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations/Cross-Timbers | (620) 637-2213

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KANSAS! MAGAZINE

WILDERNESS PARK

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) KDWPT, Shutterstock, KDWPT, Sunflower Publishing, KDWPT, Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, KDWPT

Pittsburg Over four miles of trails trek through a diverse natural environment of forest, wetlands and grasslands in Pittsburg’s Wilderness Park. Once a coal-mining region, the land is now a nature preserve, and four of its former strip-mining pits serve as fishing ponds. The area is heavily wooded with sycamore, cottonwood, oak, cherry, green ash and other trees, providing a multitude of fall colors including shades of yellow, orange and brown.

Pittks.org | (620) 231-8310

GLACIAL HILLS SCENIC BYWAY

MAPLE LEAF FESTIVALS

Baldwin City and Hiawatha Two Kansas cities host festivals to celebrate the beauty of maple trees. Established in 1958, the annual Baldwin City Maple Leaf Festival is set for October 19–20. A parade, quilt show, musical performances, children’s activities, carnival and 350 vendors are part of the event. Hiawatha’s Maple Leaf Festival is September 21. Festival activities, which take place around the 1920s-era limestone courthouse square, include live music, food trucks, craft booths, bouncy houses, and other activities for all ages. With an abundance of maples, especially in the historic residential district, Hiawatha is referred to as “The City of Beautiful Maples.” mapleleaffestival.com | (785) 594-7564 Hiawathaks.com | (785) 742-7136

Leavenworth, Atchison, Troy and White Cloud The spectacular view of colorful trees from the Four State Lookout in White Cloud is the highlight of an autumn drive along the Glacial Hills Scenic Byway. The 63-mile-long route, which also passes through Troy, Atchison and Leavenworth, winds through rolling hills wooded by predominantly oak and hickory, which turn various shades of orange, gold, and brown; walnut and cottonwood trees add splashes of yellow. Bright red and yellow leaves fill well-established maple trees throughout historic residential neighborhoods in White Cloud and Atchison. travelks.com/ksbyways/glacial-hills | (785) 608-8801

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

CIMARRON NATIONAL GRASSLAND

Elkhart Colors abound each fall on the 108,175-acre Cimarron National Grassland near Elkhart. Cottonwood groves become golden yellow, shrubs such as willow change to a reddish color while buckwheat transforms to gray-green, and bluestem and other grasses turn from red to yellow. One of 20 national grasslands administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, the Cimarron National Grassland came under the care of the federal government in 1937 after years of drought left the land in poor condition. fs.usda.gov | (620) 697-4621

DYCK ARBORETUM OF THE PLAINS

Hesston Visitors to Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston gravitate toward a favorite spot: a large, russet red bald cypress tree near the pond. Here, from mid- to late-October, sugar maple leaves change to bright red, orange and yellow; smoke trees and sweet gum trees bring out the oranges; green ash and ginkgo trees dress in yellows and golds; and American ash, shingle oak and Shumard oak turn deep reds. Even the native grasses and wildflowers, like asters and goldenrods, change colors. dyckarboretum.org | (620) 327-8127

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my reasons with ...

Glenn Maier

Glenn Maier sees a lot of the state in his role as the Travel Master (president) of Kansa Travelers, an Augusta-based trailer camping group.

“Kansas is home to natural landmarks and national treasures,” Maier says. “There are countless museums scattered throughout the state and cultural activities to attend. And, provisions for outdoor activities can be found close to most anywhere.”

One of his personal favorite spots is the campground at Fredonia Bay in Fall River State Park.

“It is well maintained and very quiet and peaceful,” he says. “I like smaller campgrounds and having a place to ride my bike.”

In general, Maier recommends locations with natural landmarks such as Pawnee Rock State Historic Site southwest of Great Bend, historic places such as Fort Scott National Historic Site in Fort Scott, and museums like the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, as well as state lakes and city zoos.

I have barely scratched the surface of the many things Kansas offers to see and do. Hopefully many more will be added to this list in the next few years.” –Glenn Maier As for living in Kansas, Maier lists these top three reasons:

Home.

This has been “home” since 1969. I am happy here.

2

3

It is not always good, not always bad, but always changing.

I can afford to maintain a good standard of living on my retirement income.

Weather.

Cost of Living.

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KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPH Deborah Walker

1

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must see WINFIELD ART IN THE PARK October 5 | Winfield

TALLGRASS FILM FESTIVAL October 16–20 | Wichita

One of the Midwest’s premier celebrations of Renaissance crafts, foods, humor and cosplay. Huzzah! kcrenfest.com

The 45th annual event features work by regional and national artists with food vendors in music at the beautiful setting of Island Park. winfieldarts.org

The 17th annual celebration of short and feature films from around the world. tallgrassfilmfest.com

KOE WETZEL September 6 | Lawrence

OKTOBERFEST October 11–12 | Hays

Alternative country music sensation Koe Wetzel presents a free outdoor concert on Lawrence’s Massachusetts Street. unmistakablylawrence.com

The city of Hays celebrates the region’s German-settler heritage with two days of keg tappings, food vendors, music, stein-holding competitions and more. haysoktoberfest.com

KANSAS CITY RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL August 31–October 14 | Bonner Springs

JOHN STEUART CURRY: THE COWBOY WITHIN September 24 – March 2020 | Manhattan The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art hosts an exhibition of how the American Western Frontier influenced one of the state’s most celebrated artists. beach.k-state.edu

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ALL-AMERICAN CATFISH TOURNAMENT October 12 | Kansas City Professional and amateur anglers gather at historic Lewis and Clark Park at Kaw Point for the Kansas leg of this national fishing tour. visitkansascityks.com CHRISTMAS IN LECOMPTON October 15 – January 1 | Lecompton More than 160 vintage, antique and handmade Christmas trees are displayed inside Lecompton’s Territorial Capital Museum. lecomptonkansas.com

SVENSK HYLLNINGSFEST October 18–19 | Lindsborg Every other year, the town of Lindsborg hosts this celebration honoring the music, cuisine and heritage of the Swedish immigrants who settled this region in the late 1800s. visitlindsborg.com

FORT LEAVENWORTH HAUNTED HOUSES TOUR October 26–27 | Leavenworth The Friends of the Frontier Army Museum present their annual tour of haunted locations throughout this historic city. visitleavenworthks.com FORT SCOTT VETERANS DAY November 9–11 | Fort Scott The city and National Parks host a series of events, ceremonies and a parade to honor the nation’s veterans. visitfortscott.com

FIND MORE EVENTS AT TRAVELKS.COM/EVENTS Because all events are subject to change, confirm with organizers before finalizing plans.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPH John Steuart Curry, The Code of the West, from Spencer Museum of Art, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, original Illustration for Zane Grey’s serialized story “The Code of the West,” The Country Gentleman, July 7, 1923

Fall 2019

Scott Bean Photography K A N S A S L A N D S CA P E A N D N AT U R E P H OTO G R A P H S

7 8 5 - 3 4 1 - 1 0 4 7 | S C OT T @ S C OT T B E A N P H OTO . C O M

www.scottbeanphoto.com

Your oasis in any season.

The Oasis on the Plains

OasisOnThePlains.com

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Taste of Kansas

Dinner, in Good Faith and Company Religious communities across the state, but particularly in rural areas, host meals that are often one of their region’s biggest social and culinary events

By Meta Newell West | Photography by Bill Stephens

Volunteer chefs and kitchen talents of the Sutphen Mills Christian Church old-fashioned Thanksgiving Dinner assemble on the church grounds.

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C

entenarian Mary Louise Doidge has been savoring the flavors of the Sunflower State at church suppers and dinners for decades. Besides the home-cooked food, she believes they provide opportunities to talk to neighbors, visit with people you haven’t seen for ages, strike up a conversation with newcomers, and share a communal meal. For small towns like Doidge’s hometown of Solomon, church meals are a boon to the community, attracting not only locals but also others from surrounding towns and counties. They are so popular in Dickinson County that dates are coordinated to avoid competing for patrons.

Over at the Solomon Methodist Church, about 325 hungry diners generally show up for their fall soup supper that includes annual favorites such as potato, vegetable and chili. Sandwiches, pies and other desserts are also provided.

A week later Solomon’s Catholic church hosts a chicken and noodle dinner. Patrons aren’t shy about heaping chicken and noodles over mounds of mashed potatoes.

They add seasoned green beans to their plates but leave plenty of room for the salads donated by church members. Every manner of Jello-O salad; cabbage slaws; pasta, bean, vegetable and green salads; deviled eggs and relishes is represented—a smorgasbord of dishes that have dinner plates piled high as patrons approach the dessert table laden with wedges of pie.

In nearby Abilene, St. Andrew’s Catholic Church serves up its crowdpleasing ham loaf dinner annually to over a thousand people in just two hours. It takes

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Specialties Some faith-community dinners are known for one standout dish; here are some of our recommendations for where to go if you are after … … bowls of heritage soup.

Hoxie’s annual Election Day soup supper usually attracts about 350–400 voters in the northwest region of Kansas. According to Methodist minister Jake Schadel, “All soups are prepared on-site fresh that day, with generations-old recipes.” Soups include chicken noodle, vegetable beef, chili, clam chowder, all served with fresh vegetables and crackers.

… blintzes.

At the 55th annual Blintz Brunch of the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation, the star attraction is the cottage cheese-filled blintzes served with sour cream, jam and a side of fruit. A gift market and bake sale are also held on site.

over two dozen committees to run this large, fine-tuned event. One committee is responsible for bringing in 32 gallons of white sauce; another bakes up about 140 dozen homemade cookies. Besides thick slices of ham loaf served with homemade mustard sauce, the menu includes potatoes au gratin, green beans, cabbage relish, rolls, lemon bars, brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

Church suppers can also serve up heaping scoops of cultural history. At Fort Scott’s Trinity Lutheran Church, Bavarian music plays in the background as members of the church load plates with grilled bratwurst, bierocks, Reuben casserole, German potato salad, sauerkraut, green beans and “church lady” pies and cakes.

Event chairman Martha Scott says, “You get all three of the entrees so you don’t have to chose just one.” Rueben casserole is a favorite, and the brats are boiled in beer before grilling, adding even more flavor. This Octoberfest meal has been celebrating the German heritage of both the church and its members for over 20 years.

Members of the Manhattan Mennonite Church honor their German heritage with a Mennonite dinner that includes borscht, a savory blend of seven herbs and spices with vegetables in a chicken broth base, whole hog sausage, whole wheat bread, and New Year’s cookies. Barbara Krehbiel Gehring, co-Pastor, explains, “The sausage is made in Peabody, and, unlike most sausage made with the leftover parts of the pig, all the meat is used including the hams and loin. This is premium sausage.” Food for the 500 or more who attend the event is prepared from scratch by church members. Preparation

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Your Reservation is Ready …

Want a full season of good food and fellowship?

Try to attend as many of these traditional faithcommunity dinners as possible. Event information is subject to change, so call ahead to confirm.

• Oct. 15, 2019, 5–7 p.m. — Ham Loaf Dinner, St. Andrews Catholic Church’s dinner, Sterl Hall, 619 N. Rogers St., Abilene / (785) 263-1570 standrewparishabilene.org • Oct. 16, 2019, 5–7 p.m. — Soup Supper, United Methodist Church, 111 N. Walnut, Solomon / Facebook: United Methodist Church, Solomon • Oct. 23, 2019, 5–7 p.m. — Chicken and Noodle Dinner, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 3599 N. Field Rd., Solomon / (785) 655-2221 immaculateconceptionsolomon.org • Oct. 27, 2019, 4–7 p.m. — Octoberfest, Trinity Lutheran Church, 2824 S. Horton, Fort Scott (620) 223-3596 / tlcfortscott@suddenlinkmail.com • Oct. 30, 2019, lunch 11 a.m., dinner 5:30 p.m.

— Harvest Home Celebration, United Methodist Church, 204 Madore St., Silver Lake / (785) 582-4714 silverlakeks.umcchurches.org • Nov. 1, 2019, 5:30–7 p.m. — All Saints’ Day Chili Supper, St. John’s Episcopal Church, 507 N. Buckeye, Abilene / (785) 263-3592 / stjohnsabileneks.org • Nov. 3, 2019, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.— Blintz Brunch, Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation, 917 Highland Dr., Lawrence / (785) 841-7636 lawrencejcc.org • Nov. 5, 2019, 5–8 p.m. — Election Day Soup Supper, United Methodist Church, 1200 Royal St., Hoxie (785) 675-3565 /crossandflameparish.com • Nov. 10, 2019, Noon–6 p.m. — German Mennonite Meal, Manhattan Mennonite Church’s dinner, Pottorf Hall, 1710 Avery Ave., Manhattan (Cico Park) (785) 539-4079 / manhattanmennonitechurch. wordpress.com/german-mennonite-meal • Nov. 23, 2019, 5 p.m. — Sutphen Turkey Supper, Sutphen Mill Christian Church, 3117 Paint Rd. in rural Chapman / (785) 479-1764 or (785) 238-8230 • Jan. 28, 2020, time TBA — Ground Hog Supper, United Methodist Church, 1106 N. Main St., Garden City / (620) 275-9171 / fumcgc.com • Feb. 9, 2020, 6:30 p.m. — Valentine Banquet, Oakley Christian Church (The Cave), 326 Center Ave., Oakley (785) 672-3188 / oakleychristianchurch.com • Feb. or March 2020, date/time TBA — Borscht Supper, Mennonite Church, 500 S. Broadway, Protection / (620) 622-4342 / Protectionchurch.com • July 25, 2020, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. — Czech Festival Buffet, St. Wenceslaus Parish Hall, 2807 Ave. D, Wilson (785) 658-2272 / wilsonczechfest.com

is just another part of the process that promotes fellowship in the church community. “We begin on Friday evening gathering to chop vegetables for the soup. Early Saturday morning the volunteers begin cooking the chickens, and the preparation continues,” Gehring adds.

Protection, in lower central Kansas, also serves up a Mennonite borscht meal. Volunteers have been gathering at the church to prepare the borscht since the early 1970s. They also prepare chili and serve cheese, crackers, relishes and homemade breads and pies. Like many other church meals across the state, the food is donated, with proceeds used for community and church missions.

Wilson’s St. Wenceslaus Catholic Parish serves up a Saturday buffet of authentic Czech foods during CzechFest, a two-day festival that brings thousands to the small rural community with a population of about 750. Offerings include several roasted meats and traditional jaternice— sausage made from pork shoulder with added barley and lots of garlic, sauerkraut and dumplings, small new potatoes with dill gravy, pickled beets, coleslaw, homemade dinner rolls and kolaches.

Just 12 dedicated churchwomen plan and prepare the Sutphen Mills Christian Church’s old-fashioned turkey dinner for 200 on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Roasted turkey, gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls, carrot or cranberry gelatin salads and pie are on the menu. “It’s all homemade,” says volunteer Audrey Sheets. The supper originated in the mid-1930s, and Audrey—who now roasts turkeys, prepares large pans of dressing and does whatever need doing—remembers helping the “grown ups” serve meals during the 1950s. Avid supper-goers think nothing of traversing the country roads north of Chapman to enjoy this traditional feast in the former town of Sutphen, now consisting of just the church and former church parsonage.

In Abilene, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Abilene, hosts an All Saints’ Day Chili Supper offering at least fours kinds of chili: plain, spicy, white, and vegetarian. Crackers, chips, cornbread and sheet cakes round out the menu. According to church member Ann Boughten, “Episcopalians can be a bit competitive in making food so you can count on it being good.”

But even without fierce competition, the chances are good that the rural church or faith-community supper nearest you will have plenty of history, dedicated volunteers, good conversation, delightful dishes and, if you have room, a dessert to top it all off.

… turkey.

The Silver Lake United Methodist Church dishes up an evening turkey dinner complete with all the fixings to celebrate the end of harvest. They also offer a lunch of soup, sandwiches and homemade pie at their 93rd annual Harvest Home celebration in October. The two meals, along with an all-day bazaar, pay homage to the city’s farm roots.

… croutons.

The Christian Church of Oakley hosts a preValentine Day banquet that attracts diners from Colby, Quinter and others from the northwest region of the state. Although the homemade menu varies, it is always upscale with a beef or chicken entree, potato, vegetable, rolls, and dessert. There’s also a green salad with oil and vinegar dressing, slivered almonds and croutons. Minister Jason Schmidt adds, “The kids who serve the meal all love the croutons, so we make extra for snacking.”

… top-secret biscuits.

The men at the United Methodist Church in Garden City are famous for the biscuits they make for their annual Ground Hog Supper.

They begin with a top secret “magic mix” and get highrising biscuits because they cut straight down on the dough, never twisting the cutter. They also serve whole hog sausage, gravy, potatoes, applesauce, sauerkraut, pies and desserts for their 900–1,200 guests.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

The Manhattan

Mennonite Church Fritters Golden, crusty and sugared on the outside, tender on the inside, these raisin fritters provide a burst of flavor in every bite and are a tribute to the culinary traditions of the Low German Mennonites who settled in Kansas. The fritters have become a fundraiser classic at the Manhattan Mennonite Church and are served at their annual German Mennonite Meal.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •

3 scant tablespoons active dry instant yeast (not rapid or quick rise) 1/2 cup warm water (105–115° F) 2/3 cup dry milk 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided 2 cups warm water 1/4 cup melted butter 3 eggs 2 cups raisins Canola oil for deep fat frying Cinnamon-sugar mixture or powdered sugar glaze for rolling

Directions

1. Mix together yeast and 1/2 cup warm water; set aside for a few minutes until bubbly.

2. In a large bowl, mix together dry milk, sugar, salt and 3 cups of the flour. Then add 2 cups warm water, melted butter and eggs.

3. Add the yeast mixture. Stir in remaining 3 cups flour and the raisins to make a stiff dough.

4. Cover and set aside in a warm place; let rise until dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

5. Fill a large saucepan or deep fat fryer no more than half full of oil; heat to 375° F. 6. Stir the dough down after it has risen.

7. Using a serving-size spoon, drop spoonfuls of dough into hot oil and fry until golden brown.

Avoid overcrowding the fryer.

8. Drain fried fritters on paper towels.

9. Roll fritters in cinnamon-sugar or dip in powdered sugar glaze.

Time Approximately one hour Yield Approximately 40 fritters

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The Wild Mustangs of the Flint Hills Kansas ranchers team with a national program to bring mustang herds back to the Sunflower State

By Mary R. Gage | Photography by Dave Leiker

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Steve Vestring

O

ur pick-up truck bumps across chert-strewn pastures as lightning flares over broad hills, green and lush against an ominous gray sky, a suitably dramatic setting to see a herd of wild mustangs with their long, wind-whipped manes flying in the air.

There are some two thousand wild mustangs living here on the Vestring Ranch in the heart of the Flint Hills. An adjacent ranch is home to two thousand more. Thousands more can be found in the Flint Hills, feasting on big bluestem, buffalo grass, switch grass and other grasses that historically sustained vast buffalo and other wild herds, including mustangs.

Protected by Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the mustangs came from federal land in Nevada, Wyoming, Montana and other areas of the western United States.

In effort to ease overcrowding, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contracts with landowners and ranchers, some of whom are in Kansas and Oklahoma, to accept shipments of the mustangs and care for them as they live out their natural lives.

We’ve had mustangs here for almost 10 years. After you’ve had them awhile, they gentle down. They’ll come up to us just out of curiosity.”

–Steve Vestring

“We’ve had mustangs here for almost 10 years,” says ranch owner Steve Vestring. “After you’ve had them awhile, they gentle down. They’ll come up to us just out of curiosity.”

Vestring and his ranch hands feed the mustangs throughout the winter using a processor that spreads the hay out in long rows, making it easier for the older and weaker horses to devour their fair share. But once the hills begin to green up with rich prairie grasses, the horses fend for themselves on pastures that might be as large as a section (640 acres) or more.

“We’ve taken a lot of fence down to make the pastures bigger,” says Vestring, as a group of four bays gallop past.

In order to help manage overpopulation, herds are separated into groups of mares or gelded stallions before being transported to ranch contractors. The mustangs on the Vestring ranch are all geldings. They range in age from 7 to 27 years old and can live to be as old as 30.

The program is not without controversy. In Kansas, there are questions about the mustangs’ impact

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on the grasses of the Flint Hills, and the overall expense and value of the program on a national level continue to be a point of debate.

One longstanding outgrowth of the mustang transfer has been BLM’s partnership with correctional facilities in several states, including Kansas, to enable inmates to gain work experience by working with and saddle training horses from these herds.

In Kansas, around 300 mustangs are held and cared for at the Hutchinson Correctional Center as part of the Wild Horse Program operated by Kansas Correctional Industries.

Marty Mora, a manufacturing manager whose duties include overseeing and assisting the Hutchison KCI facility’s mustang program says, “We’ve been involved in this program for about 18 years. We can get them from a colt on up to about 10 and 12 years old. When we receive them, we’ll sort them out and put them in pens. It can take anywhere from three to nine months to train them depending on the horse. Once the mustangs are trained and saddle broken, we’ll offer them for adoption.”

The Hutchinson program can have up to 14 minimum-security inmates involved, and some become qualified trainers. The experience appears to benefit the men as much as the horses.

“It helps them,” says Mora. “They’re getting good feedback from the animal, and they’re investing in the program. They buy into it and the reward goes both ways.”

In order to help manage overpopulation, herds are separated into groups of mares or gelded stallions before being transported to ranch contractors.

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KANSAS! MAGAZINE

YOUR EXPLORATION BEGINS AT VISITOLATHE.ORG | 913-764-1050

Proud Past – Brilliant Future Come Visit Eisenhower State Park Pomona State Park 785-528-3714 (Osage City Hall) www.OsageCity.com

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Rural by Choice

These Kansans find peace, beauty and purpose in choosing to live beyond the metropolitan spread

By Beccy Tanner | Photography by Justin Lister, Amy Sharp and Deborah Walker

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K

ansas has changed rapidly over the past decades, with some 70 percent of all its citizens now living in metropolitan areas.

That means it is increasingly rare to live in a rural region. But across the state, there remain thousands of people who settle in and thrive in smaller communities and on farmlands.

Here are three stories of people and families who could have taken opportunities in urban areas throughout the nation but became rural by choice.

‘I wanted to be here’ Tayla Kimball McNally is the fifth generation in her family to live in the Gyp Hills of Barber County, on land that her ancestor Jasper Kimball bought in 1904. She and her husband, Pake, are raising their 8-month-old son, Jasper, on this property. So, he is now the sixth generation.

Tayla attended Colby College and then lived and worked in South Carolina and Georgia. She returned home following her father’s death in 2005.

“I worried about what would happen to the family farm,” says Tayla, now 26. “I

Now that we have a son, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. He’ll get to go riding out on the pastures, just like I did growing up.”

–Tayla Kimball McNally

wanted to be here. I wanted to make sure the farm stayed as it was. I had big plans for it at the time. I still have big plans— training horses.”

For now, Tayla works two days a week at a local veterinary clinic and the rest of the time takes care of Jasper. She says rural Barber County is her ideal place to do this.

“Now that we have a son, I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” Tayla says.

“He’ll get to go riding out on the pastures, just like I did growing up.”

Pake has also found his niche in the country. A former wildland firefighter and blacksmith, the 33-year-old has created a line of customized workout equipment, particularly for firefighters, police officers and jujitsu enthusiasts. For him, Barber County is also home, and he is the third generation to live in the area that he says he wouldn’t trade for anything.

“We live on a dead-end road with a multimillion-dollar view,” says Pake.

“Living in a town would be handy at times, but you can’t beat the quiet and solitude out here.”

“The peace,” Tayla adds, “makes up for any inconvenience.”

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‘A connection and responsibility to it’ Jason Schmidt is a fifth-generation farmer on land that goes back to his Mennonite ancestors, Henry and Maria Schmidt, who emigrated from Russia and homesteaded the farm near Newton in the 1870s.

As a student, Jason spent time in South Africa in an exchange program and lived for a while in Colorado, where he learned organic farming and grass-fed grazing methods. He realized he wanted to try those on his own land one day.

“Initially, I said the way I want to farm is more important than where I want to farm. But then, more and more I realized that location might be just as important as how I want to farm. I felt a pull back to the landscapes and communities I grew up in,” he says. “I felt a conviction and responsibility to it.”

By the time he returned to his family’s land, it was with his wife, Carol Longenecker Schmidt, who both works remotely and commutes to her job as a state attorney in Topeka. Though she grew up in Virginia, she has been willing to give rural Kansas a try—for herself and for the couple’s two children, Greta and Ethan.

“I appreciate the quiet, living close to family and having space for the kids to explore outside,” Carol says.

Working each day on the farm, Jason has slowly made it his own. He switched the dairy herd from Holsteins to Jerseys, getting away from grain feeding and exploring the environmental benefits of managed grazing. He is trying direct marketing and—for the first time—making cheese in response to lower milk prices, but also because it has connections to his family’s past.

Grazing Plains Farm has hired a cheesemaker and is making cheese curds and Havarti cheese. Schmidt sells to a local grocery and coffee market in Newton, the Grace Hill Winery near Whitewater and to the Farmers Market in Wichita. He also plans to use an old Mennonite recipe from Prussia to create Tilsit, a pungent, semihard yellow cheese.

Jason has also adopted a family tradition of renaming the farm, as has each generation before him. His parents called it “Sweetwater Holstein Dairy Farm,” but Jason and Carol chose “Grazing Plains Farm.”

“I wanted to describe the location and farming practices,” says Jason, “its location and identity for how I want to farm.”

Singing a new tune Born in California, Rankin Fisher first came to St. John, Kansas, in 1974 when his dad chose the area for semi-retirement. Graduating from high school in 1984, Fisher returned to California to serve in the U.S. Navy, later became an ecumenical music coordinator for the naval base in San Diego and spent 30 years as a professional opera singer.

But in 2015, he found himself yearning for family and friends back in St. John.

“One of the reasons I came back was to have my own life to myself,” Rankin says. “It doesn’t mean becoming a hermit.

I wanted to come back and live simple, have fewer worries.”

He soon took a post as the night manager at White’s Foodliner, the local grocery store that community members had worked to keep open. Residents soon knew Rankin as the man in the store’s singing commercial videos that were posted online. He’s worn tuxedos, kilts and white suits while singing to announce store specials. Since the store opening in October, he’s produced a video for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s and Mother’s Day. “There are no small roles, just small actors,” Rankin says. “I am a big actor in St. John, and what matters to me and the Foodliner is trying to keep the town and area happy. The videos are always food for conversation.”

And for Rankin, the best place for that dialogue is the land he chose to stage his encore.

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wide open spaces

to the land

Cattle drives, harvest roundups and other authentic experiences of rural life bring visitors to the natural beauty of the state

Story by Susan Kraus | Photography by Dave Leiker

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Josh Hoy, and both aim to pass on some of the here are 14 of us standing next to a corral, spirit of commitment they share for their land. being matched with horses on an early “We hope each guest will develop a love for the Saturday morning. We are ages 9 to 69. We met last night around a campfire, and chatted Tallgrass Prairie and appreciate and value the Flint Hills like we do,” says Gwen. “The more over s’mores. We’re different in age, work, people that love the Flint Hills, the safer they are.” and maybe politics, but we share a love for And it is the land that makes any activity horses—and we’re up for a little adventure. at the Flying W unique, whether it’s a cattle This is the beginning of a morning cattle drive like this, a sunset trail ride or the monthly drive at the Flying W Ranch in Chase County.

The ranch is down a gravel road off Highway 50, guided moonlight rides (when riders experience the power of a full moon with no artificial light just west of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. for miles and miles). The open, rolling vistas of Ranch owner Gwen Hoy briefs us that we’ll the land, the purity of clouds and sky grab your be moving 737 Angus yearlings across many, heart. I’ve hiked trails before, but perspective many acres as part of the ranch’s protocols changes from the back of a horse, and more so of “holistically managed grazing.” The Flying when riding across open prairie.

W is a small ranch by some standards, but There is a difference between this 7,000 acres seems plenty big to me. And the type of agricultural tourism and the more ranch has the livestock to fill it. Flying W has entertainment-oriented dude ranches that 60 horses, a year-round herd of 450 hardy cater to vacationing tourists with trail rides Longhorn-Corriente cows (most of which have timed to the minute, swimming pools, movie calves each year) and a small herd of buffalo. nights, square dancing and four-course meals.

Flying W also hosts 2,000 Angus yearlings for In encounters such as the cattle drive at Flying three-month stints of grazing the rich grass of W, ranchers and farmers open the Flint Hills. barn and stable doors It’s hard to say exactly how Flying W Ranch their to share their work and lives. long the drive will take because Visitors experience or see the real this is real work on a real ranch Cedar Point (620) 340-2802 work of caring for livestock and … and cattle don’t stick to a flinthillsflyingw.com growing crops. schedule. It will be over when The Flying W Ranch has the job is done, which today welcomed visitors from all 50 states and 49 means when the last of the 737 yearlings have foreign countries. Some visitors don’t even ride; been rounded up from the far corners of the they walk the prairie, fish the local rivers and pasture, driven from multiple patches of scrub, lakes, rock on the porches, listen to the birds, brought together into one big herd and moved soak in the quiet, discover constellations in the to the next “rotation” to graze. The drive is also epic night sky. People come just to get off-grid. an opportunity for the ranchers to check out The lodge is big enough for family reunions their cattle and make sure that none needs and retreats. The smaller cabins are perfect for medical attention. solitude or prairie romance.

For us, the cattle drive is nothing like a But for me, participating in an authentic poky, nose-to-tail trail ride. We’re paying guests, technically tourists, but we’re also here to work. cattle drive was an unforgettable experience.

The better you can ride, the more you get to do. And my fellow novice ranch hands seemed to agree.

If you can trot and lope, you go after the strays “To be able to ride on the prairie, to see in the distance. If you’re less experienced, not how the riders, horses and dogs work together so much. But everyone is working in some way for a common goal, was amazing,” shares fellow and everyone contributes. rider Brandi Copeland, who came in from “It’s not a made-up activity for the Topeka. “We’ve been on many trail rides and guests,” Gwen explains. “We just take our guests along with us to accomplish the job we own horses, but this was a different world.”

A different world, indeed. And one that is need to get done that day.” in our own Kansas backyard.

Gwen co-owns the ranch with husband

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

“It’s not a made-up activity for the guests. We just take our guests along with us to accomplish the job we need to get done that day.”

– GWEN HOY

great

Agritourism Destinations

Story by Kalli Jo Smith Photography by Bill Stephens Kansans take pride in their land and in the hard work by generations of farmers to sustain it. Across the state, farms, wineries, ranches and agriculturaltype operations offer tours to educate and show off their livelihoods for visitors from around the world.

Sue Stringer, manager of Kansas Agritourism at the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, says both visitors and farmers benefit from these encounters. The farmers receive some additional income and appreciation while the visitors can learn where their food comes from while also relaxing in rural surroundings.

Stringer, a self-certified country girl and fifth-generation owner of her family’s Kansas farm, recommends tourists choose an area that most interests them (whether that is a vineyard, a lavender farm or livestock ranch) and then book a nearby bedand-breakfast to explore the surrounding community.

Here are eight possible locations to start planning your agritourism getaway. For more ideas, you can begin planning a trip with the travelks.com website’s comprehensive listing of the state’s certified agritourism businesses.

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KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Whispering Elm Farm Paola

It takes a team to run a farm, which is what makes agritourism businesses like the Whispering Elm Farm so special. Here, farmers Colin and Melissa, along with their two sons Connor and Parker, Melissa’s parents, and friends and mentors, are committed to growing a variety of culinary and medicinal herbs including organic elderflowers and elderberries. Visitors can also try the homemade elderberry syrup and elderflower syrup.

This farm is also known for its honey, chickens, duck eggs and fresh-cut flowers.

(913) 221-7299 whisperingelmfarm.com

The Lavender Patch Farm

Shiloh Vineyard & Winery WaKeeney

A long weekend getaway involving delicious wine seems ideal for most adults, and the Shiloh Vineyard offers exactly this, along with vineyard tours. Groups can reserve guest areas for weddings, receptions, reunions, showers or parties.

(785) 743-2152 shilohvineyard.com

Gieringers Family Orchard and Berry Farm Edgerton

If you’re a fan of the color purple or love the smell of lavender, then you might want to think about putting The Lavender Patch at the top of your must-visit list.

In operation since 2012, this farm offers festivals throughout the spring and summer where visitors can tour the beautiful blooming crops used for oils, crafts and food.

Frank and Melanie Gieringer opened their farm in 2001 and have since been joined by their son Brice to grow strawberries, blueberries, peaches, blackberries, tomatoes and sweet corn.

Visitors can buy fresh produce or pick some of their own to take home.

During the fall, the farm also offers a pumpkin patch, wagon rides and corn mazes.

(620) 223-1364 thelavenderpatchfarm.com

(913) 893-9626 gieringersorchard.com

Fort Scott

Beaver Creek Buffalo Goodland

The Beaver Creek Buffalo ranch offers hands-on experience in operating a bison and cattle ranch in northwest Kansas.

Rancher Ken Klemm and holistic management consultant and educator Kirk Gadzia offer two different ranching seminars September 24–28, where tourists receive a behind-thescenes look at the ranch’s grassland-grazed bison herd and operations.

(785) 899-9274 beavercreekbuffalo.com

Walters Farm and Pumpkin Patch Burns

Pumpkin patches are a perfect Halloween family destination, and visitors to Walters Farm and Pumpkin Patch can choose their own pumpkins from a 73-acre pumpkin patch, navigate a corn maze, explore the Haunted Cannery, play on the Mt. Boo Underground Slide and enjoy other familyfriendly attractions.

(316) 320-4150 thewaltersfarm.com

UPick Farms Various Locations

Kansas has an abundance of farms that open to visitors for seasonal harvests of everything from asparagus to strawberries such as Berry Hill UPick Farm in Berryton and Britt’s Farm in Manhattan.

These excursions are some of the most family-friendly outings, open to a wide range of ages and physical abilities.

Be sure to call ahead and verify with the growers that the crops are in season and consult with them on the best days to visit.

Berry Hill UPick Farm Berryton (785) 633-7374 Britt’s Farm Manhattan (785) 539-1901 brittsfarm.com

Elderslie Farm Kechi

Elderslie Farm offers seasonal farm-to-table dining at the Bramble Café, where visitors enjoy local produce from the farm for breakfast and lunch on a beautiful, scenic patio. Visitors can also pick blackberries, sample locally produced cheese from the Creamery, and view and buy handmade woodwork.

(316) 305-2984 eldersliefarm.com

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Having largely recovered from the devastating 2017 Starbuck Fire, communities in southwest Kansas emerge with gratitude and conviction

STORY BY Michael Pearce

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Aaron Patton and Justin Lister

I

n the southern reaches of Clark County, where the Cimarron River rises briefly into Kansas before returning to Oklahoma, Greg Gardiner drives amid pasture grass tall, green and hair-thick. Here, the cows are as black and shiny as Kansas crude, as plump as freshly nursed pups. Calves, his main money crop, never looked better.

But there are reminders of March 6, 2017, one of the Gardiner family’s worst days in ranching since they arrived by covered wagon in 1885. Amid the rolling grasslands, Gardiner sees dirt mounds that cover over a million-dollars worth of buried cattle. Charred chunks of wood are all that remain of some neighbors’ homes.

“The land’s “People around here have always mostly healed, been giving, but they are a lot more especially the grass, giving than they ever were before.” but we still see its – NEIL KAY scars,” says Gardiner, who ranches 48,000 acres with his brothers Mark and Garth. “I guess it will always be a part of who we are.”

“We” includes residents in parts of Meade and Comanche and almost everyone in Clark County, where an estimated 420,000 acres burned in the horrific fire that caused about $45 million in damage. Including calves, it killed nearly 10,000 cattle. Twenty-one inhabited homes, spread across a sparsely populated landscape, burned.

Survivors of the Starbuck Fire, named for the chief of a small Oklahoma fire department who spotted the flames, insist good came from the bad. That good, they say, will always continue.

“I know how it sounds, but I think I’ll look back and see all of this, from the fire, as one of the best things that ever happened to me,” says Bernie Smith, who lost cattle and ranching gear when his ranchlands burned in Kansas and Oklahoma. “It’s given me great faith in mankind. I’ve gotten to see how much good there is in the people of our country. ” Fire like no other Fire is rightfully revered yet feared by ranchers. It’s a valued tool for keeping grasslands free of brush and trees, yet few things can be as destructive. The

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BOTTOM Neil Kay, owner of Ashland Feed and Seed, helped coordinate relief efforts after the Starbuck Fire.

2016 Anderson Creek fire, for example, spread from Oklahoma into Barber and Comanche counties, where it burned an estimated 313,000 acres and inflicted $21 million in damage.

Residents figured they’d never again see a fire the size of the Anderson Creek fire, which was nearly 10 times larger and costlier than the previous worst wildfire in Kansas.

But 12 months later, they did.

The Starbuck fire began when a worn power line snapped in heavy wind and fell on grass grown tall by wet summers then dried by fall and winter. Firefighters never had a chance when the wind increased dramatically in the afternoon and changed directions.

Video from that day shows flames pacing a pickup driving at 70 m.p.h.

Ashland and Protection, in Comanche County, were told to evacuate, something never before done.

Neither village burned, but flames were close.

Once the fires had been extinguished, over 90-percent of Clark County had burned. Some ranchers lost entire herds, plus their homes, outbuildings and equipment.

Three young ranchers, known as the Giles sisters, lost the ranch homes they shared with their husbands and small children.

Together, they lost half of the 1,000 cattle on their ranch and 80 percent of their calf crop.

For days, rifle shots echoed across a The Starbuck fire began when a worn devastated landscape as power line snapped in heavy wind and people put burned cattle fell on grass grown tall by wet summers out of their misery. then dried by fall and winter.

There is no harder chore for a rancher to do.

“We could handle anything else.”

After the fire, Gardiner toured a blackened pasture that had held many of the 600 cows he lost in the fire.

He deemed it the worst natural disaster on a ranch that weathered the Great Dust Bowl, floods, blizzards, and hail storms. He mentally tallied the loss of cattle at more than $1 million. It would take about $2.7 million to replace 270 miles of fencing.

“Just like that, you’re looking at a loss of about $4 million,” he says.

There were also human losses. A truck driver traveling through the region died in the flames.

But amid the tears of sadness were tears of relief.

There were many “I thought this was it,” stories with happy endings. With flames licking their bumpers,

TOP The Giles sisters each lost a ranch home in the Starbuck Fire, but have since returned to ranching. Photograph by Alyssa Henry, courtesy Jenny Giles Betschart.

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fire fighters escaped to a green wheat field that didn’t catch fire. A rancher called his wife to say good bye, then an estranged brother drove through the flames to his rescue.

For his longest half-hour, Gardiner feared his brother Mark, and Mark’s wife, Eva, had perished behind a wall of smoke and fire.

“After hearing they survived, I just figured everything was going to be alright,” he said. “We could handle anything else.”

Help for the ranchers came quickly and far beyond what any expected.

Gardiner credited quick funding from the Kansas Livestock Association and other groups for getting his recovery started right away. Jenny Giles Betschart said insurance replaced her and her sisters’ homes.

Government programs paid for much of the $1 million in fencing the Giles sisters needed replaced.

Gifts more important than money The phones at the Ashland Veterinary Clinic were ringing before the fire had died. Veterinarian Randall Spare and his staff dispatched volunteers to help ranchers in need. Some volunteers called ahead. Some just walked in and asked, “Where can I go help?”

Groups of 4-H kids took in orphaned calves and bucket-fed them until the ranches could handle them again. Ranchers from other areas called and offered up lush pastures for as long as needed. Those grazing rights included transporting the livestock to their temporary homes—all for free.

Neil Kay, owner of Ashland Feed and Seed, says ranchers from as far away as both coasts helped amass around 800 semi-trailer loads of hay. That’s over 16,000 tons of feed for ranchers who had nothing for their stock. Some loads were deposited at Kay’s business.

Many were taken directly to ranchers whom the drivers or benefactors had never met.

A Missouri dairy farmer went on Facebook and announced he’d donate hundreds of bales, but he had no way to transport them. By the next morning, long lines of volunteers in trucks arrived to deliver the bales.

Ranchers found stacks of new bales in their ranch yard, with no clue who they were from.

One rickety old pickup towed three bales from southeast Kansas to donate to the cause. The driver probably spent as much on fuel as the hay was worth.

Many of the transports flew American flags along the way.

“I’ll tell you this,” Spare says of the immense generosity, “rural America reached out. The agricultural BOTTOM Veterinarian Randall Spare and his staff dispatched volunteers to help ranchers in need immediately after the fire.

Photograph courtesy Grant Company.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

sector from across America came to help us. Americans are good people.”

And it wasn’t just hay. Volunteers showed up to take out ruined fencing and help with general clean up.

Giles Betschart said people showed up at the Giles Ranch almost immediately, bringing food and much needed clothing for adults and children.

“Right after the fire, spring breaks started at schools,” she says. “We had families and school groups come from all over the Midwest to help us do anything they could.”

A church camp at the edge of town had to be opened to accommodate an army of volunteers. More volunteers brought donated food and helped cook and care for other volunteers.

“How much that help means” The donated resources of materials and labor inspired and energized exhausted area residents.

“All of those gifts, all of those people, created a feeling of accountability, an added desire to persevere, to work that much harder to figure things out,” said Spare.

“It couldn’t heal all of the losses, but it sure gave us a lot of encouragement to come out of this on the good side.”

Every local resident interviewed agreed the huge outpouring of supplies, labor and goodwill added incentive for them to someday help others.

Kay says every time there’s a new disaster in ranch country, locals in his area are quick to respond.

“People around here have always been giving, but they are a lot more giving than they ever were before,” he notes. “They really understand what it’s like to be down, totally, and need help getting back up, and just how much that help means to someone.”

The Gardiners have long been known for their generosity. Still, Greg Gardiner says seeing so much of the “goodness of mankind” has encouraged him and his brothers to take things like donating hay or cattle for a good cause even further.

“You do whatever you can do to help somebody who needs it,” he said. “It’s like agriculture is one big family.”

The grasslands hadn’t totally recovered that summer when Smith heard of fires in Montana. After regular chores, he and friends repaired trucks, loaded precious hay on trailers and shipped them to fireravaged ranches in Montana. Their “Ashes to Ashes” group has since sent hay to other ranchlands hit by natural disasters.

Every time they help others, thoughts will return to the horrible day in 2017. But that then leads to many great memories of Americans helping Americans.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Rancher Greg Gardiner says seeing so much of the “goodness of mankind” in response to the Starbuck Fire has encouraged him and his brothers to take things like donating hay or cattle for a good cause even further.

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gallery

STEPHEN OZGA | JOHNSON COUNTY

ROB GRAHAM | STAFFORD COUNTY

DAVID WELFELT | CLARK COUNTY

SCOTT BEAN | RILEY COUNTY

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JEFF MCPHEETERS | DOUGLAS COUNTY

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