2013 Annual Report for FNC13-897
Kansas Ranch and Range Management Internship Phase II
Summary
Producer/Project Leader
Calvin Adams
283 360th Road
Beloit, Kansas 67420
785-7982-6338
E-mail: calsue@twinvalley.net
Website: www.ksranchinstitute.org
WORK ACTIVITIES
This is a continuation of our previous grant (FN10-798):
1) We were able to successfully recruit and place two interns with highly qualified mentors. They were:
Ranch Mentors Interns
Z Bar Ranch – Lake City, KS Rachel Klein – Ft. Collins, CO
Keith & Eva Yearout Phone:(970) 631-2271
Cell: (620) 886-2110 Email: rachel.klein@us.army.mil
Office:(620) 247-6465
Email: zbr@sctelcom.net
Peterson Ranch – Newtown, MO William Poland – Ellis, KS
Doug Peterson Phone: (785) 656-2471
Home:(660) 824-4276 Email: wapoland2@mail.fhsu.edu
Cell: (660) 425-4894 williampoland15@hotmail.com
All interns were paid an hourly wage and provided housing on the ranch. The internships started in late May following the end of the spring semester and ended just prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
As with all previous years, all of the interns and mentors completed a learning contract form outlining their desired goals at the beginning, middle, and end of the internship (results are described later).
2) Enrichment Activities
Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition Range School
Only Rachel was able to attend the 3-day range school presented by the Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Will had school conflicts that precluded him from attending.
3) Recruitment Activities
We contacted Dr. Bill Walton, Biology Professor, at the Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. He has invited us to recruit interns from the college this spring.
4) Additional Activities
a) We extensively revised the webpage making it much more professional and informative.
b) We use the tri-fold, color pamphlet describing our program as a handout to interested students on our campus recruiting trips and presentation events.
c) We continue to recruit mentors within Kansas and have now developed a working relationship with the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition coordinator, Ron Bolze. Ron introduced our program to the NGLC Board of Directors and secured their support. To date we have recruited 1 new mentor from Nebraska. We will continue to develop this relationship and acquire new mentors.
d) We began a new mini-internship program for high school students. This program will offer shorter and more local internship opportunities with local ranchers. The length of internship will be 2-3 weeks and will allow the intern to stay close to home. Details are still being worked out.
RESULTS
We continue to build on the successful activities we developed over the last three years under our previous grant. Our mentor list continues to expand in number and region. We now have mentors in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. Our area of recruitment continues to grow with applications this year from Kansas, Texas, and Virginia.
WORK PLAN
- Emphasis will be on reaching underserved groups namely the Native American and Latino populations.
- We will continue to recruit and develop mentors, specifically, through our new contacts opportunities in Nebraska.
- Our mini-internship idea will be pursued with two or three local high schools through the Future Farmers of America advisors.
OUTREACH
Poster Presentations
Kansas Graziers Association Annual Meeting – January 25, Salina, Kansas
No-Till On the Plains Annual Meeting – January 25-27, Salina, Kansas
Kansas Natural Resources Conference – January 28-29, Wichita, Kansas
College Recruitment
Fort Hays State University – March 12, Hays, Kansas