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Food Systems Intern Shares What She Learned about North Central Kansas

by Emily Reno

Note: The following post is Emily Reno’s Letter to the Editor that appeared in the August 10, 2018 issue of the Beloit Call. Reno was a 2018 summer intern at the NCRPC. As a Food Systems Intern, she worked closely with the NCK Food Council helping with the community food survey and regional food assessment. Her position was made possible through the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and K-State Research and Extension Intern Program.

Dear Editor,

North Central Kansas is imperfect. It’s imperfect, but in the best kind of way. Ten weeks ago I could have told you a thousand reasons why living in rural Kansas is the worst idea anyone has ever had. I could not have come up with more than ten for why it is the best. Ten weeks later, and I feel obligated to write a letter of apology not only to the community of Beloit, for not having given it enough credit at the start, but to the entire region of North Central Kansas. Time and time again I have been welcomed with open arms, loaned various kitchen utensils, stopped for conversation, and given wide eyes but not shunned for being from—yes, that other University in Kansas. No, I’m not a Wildcat, but I am a Kansan. And I’ve never been proud of it until having spent time in a place that felt so far away from home you would have thought I left the country. As weird as it sounds, all the oversized Czech eggs, tractor parades, and toilets in the middle of a cornfield is what makes North Central Kansas a truly unique place. Enough for me to consider it as a place I could come back to and call my home. Gone are my assumptions that city life offers a way of living unparalleled in rural America. The two worlds are not better than one another. They are just different, and special in their own ways. My internship with the North Central Regional Planning Commission is hands down one of the best decisions I ever made, because I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on other, better opportunities by being here.

Planning Pays off in Cleanup Campaigns

More than 700 tires were removed during a community cleanup in Wilson this spring.

Although the traditional time for “spring cleaning” has passed, planning for a successful community cleanup campaign can happen anytime.

Improving the physical appearance of a community while helping to create a sense of pride among residents is one reason communities host cleanup campaigns, according to Nadine Sigle, Extension Associate for Community Vitality with K-State Research and Extension. Sigle is co-author of a publication that breaks down community cleanup campaigns into seven planning areas. The box contains a list of the key planning areas and a link to the full publication.

Connecting organizations and resources can increase cleanup impact. For instance, cities and counties may work together to waive landfill fees, local funding sources may provide financial support, or youth may get involved through service learning days.

A recent example of a community cleanup took place in Wilson April 23-May 12. The project was organized by Wilson Economic Development Corporation in conjunction with the City of Wilson. The city received a Community Clean-Up Grant through the Smoky Hills Charitable Foundation with funds from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Volunteers removed tree limbs, yard debris, construction waste, and trash at 28 city locations during the two week clean up—totaling approximately 140 man hours. Another 28 man hours were spent handling the paint, tires, and vehicles that were collected.

According to NCRPC Housing Director Carol Torkelson, community cleanup is an investment. “State or Federal funding programs typically are not willing to invest in communities that have not invested in themselves,” Torkelson said.

Keegan Bailey, NCRPC Housing Assistant, encourages taking before and after photos and dividing the cleanup into manageable pieces. “It’s important that communities see progress and feel good about the work they’ve done,” Bailey said.

This article appeared in the July 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Project Spotlight: Miltonvale Park

Tootleville Park is an important part of the City of Miltonvale.

A park is a vital part of many communities. Miltonvale, a town of just over 500 people located south of U.S. Hwy 24, has made many park improvements over the years. Those efforts received a boost when the community was awarded Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds under the 2015 Special Round category.

The $350,000 award, coupled with more than $35,500 in local contributions, allowed the city to complete a major park improvement project. This, however, was not the first time the community invested in its park. Approximately 10 years ago volunteers built the “Tootleville Playground” area with the help of more than $100,000 in donated funds. A disc golf course came later. It has become a top course in Kansas with an annual tournament. The city has also renovated a Works Progress Administration (WPA) fountain and added a RV Park using foundation and other local funding sources. The CDBG project helped the city replace band shell seating, construct accessible walkways, construct a veteran’s memorial, improve drainage, install fencing for an existing volleyball court, and construct a picnic shelter and a parking area.

According to NCRPC Assistant Director Emily Benedick, Miltonvale’s approach to solve a community need is still relevant even though the CDBG Special Round of funding no longer exists.

“They may be a small rural community, but they find ways to continuously make improvements throughout the city in order to ensure the best quality of life possible for their residents,” Benedick said. “When cities are able to prove that they can help themselves with or without grant funding, it only improves their chances of receiving grant funds.”

According to Miltonvale City Clerk Darla Bebber, the park is a hub of community activity. This summer it is the location of three free movies and a farmer’s market. It is also popular for weddings, photography, disc golf tournaments, festivals, and RV Park.

“The community is proud of the park and utilizes it extensively as well as out of town visitors,” Bebber said.

Miltonvale is home to a long list of WPA structures, many of which are located in the park. The city plans to continue its park improvements.

“On the horizon we hope to renovate the scout cabin and grill and clean up the creek wall area (all WPA structures). It’s all a part of our history and the hard working people that made this park come to life,” Bebber said. “We are also working on markers that will give the history of the park, Miltonvale and the WPA projects.”

There are many great things happening in North Central Kansas communities. Periodically we plan to feature projects from around the region to share ways communities have solved challenges. To view more Project Spotlights, visit https://www.ncrpc.org/tag/project-spotlight/.

This article appeared in the July 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Business Offers E-Waste, Information Technology Services

REV-E3, located in Jewell, KS, was created with the vision of reducing electronic waste (E-waste) in rural areas. It recently marked completion of its first year in business.

While E-waste continues to be a primary focus, the business has expanded its services to include broader information technology services—including data destruction, equipment sales, refurbishing, and repair. Lee McMillan and Tony Salcido are owners. The business has another full-time employee.

“We assist clients through the life of their electronics from helping to purchase new, to repairing as issues arise and finally to recycling end of life products,” McMillan said.

The business helps keep E-waste from households and businesses out of landfills and dispose of it safely. According to McMillan, REV-E3 refurbishes what it can before tearing items down for recycling—essentially extending the life of the electronics.

While many land REV-E3 Logo fills accept E-waste, some are limited on how much and what types they can accept. McMillan suggests checking with your local landfill on its E-waste policies.

The company has recently started an initiative to partner with cities and counties to offer community cleanup/E-waste drives. In the past year the business has also started to work with E-waste coalitions in which multiple counties participate.

“Working with the E-waste coalitions is great for us and it also saves them the expense of having to haul items away,” McMillan said.

REV-E3 was recently awarded funds through the Kansas Department of Health & Environment Solid Waste Grant Program to purchase trailers and equipment that will allow the business to double the amount of E-waste it can collect by having larger storage capacity. NCRPC Community Development Representative Nichole McDaniel assisted the business with the KDHE application.

“The grant award will allow us to expand our service area and better utilize our time, equipment and resources,” McMillan said.

This article appeared in the May 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Regional Food System Assessment Continues this Summer

The North Central Kansas Food Council (NCKFC) will continue the next phase of its regional food system assessment this summer. The emphasis will be community engagement through surveying, outreach, and focus groups.

The first phase of the regional food system assessment focused on quantitative data. This summer’s phase will engage local growers and producers, members of civic groups, government entities and others to ensure a comprehensive look at what is happening with local foods in the region and the current food system needs of each county. Ultimately the NCKFC plans to use the information from the summer’s outreach to help plan an implementation strategy for each county and the region.

According to NCRPC Assistant Director Emily Benedick, guidelines for selling produce commercially and the expense of licensing can be a challenge for small local producers growing specialty crops for a living.

“The NCKFC wants to help increase support for local growers,” Benedick said. “We hope that through the research conducted through the regional food assessment we will be able to collect the necessary data and trends of the region to help connect producers not only to each other to form local collaborations, but to also connect producers to interested consumers as a revenue stream.”

Local Foods The NCKFC will begin surveying in June. The survey will help determine local food trends in consumption and availability of health food choices. It will be available online and through paper copies in public offices around the region. Focus groups will begin this summer and continue through the fall.

Each county also has a County Advisory Council that will be instrumental in the regional food system assessment. County Advisory Councils are still being formed in some counties. If you are interested in getting involved, contact the NCRPC at 785-738-2218.

The NCKFC was developed in 2017 as an initiative of the NCRPC and Live Well Saline County and is assisted by Advancing Rural Prosperity, Inc. (ARPI) through its joint partnership with the NCRPC to advance food system development in North Central Kansas.

The council is once again collaborating with Leon Atwell of ARPI and consultant Kolia Souza, who is affiliated with the Center for Engagement at Kansas State University, to complete this phase of the regional food system assessment.

A new member to the NCKFC team this summer will be Emily Reno, who will join the NCRPC through the Dane G. Hansen Foundation & K-State Research and Extension Community Internship Program. Reno will assist with surveying and focus groups.

Watch for more information about the survey beginning in June. To learn more about the NCKFC, like them on Facebook or visit www.ncrpc.org/nckfoodcouncil.

This article appeared in the May 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Update on June 1, 2018: The survey is now available at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NCKFCSurvey.

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