HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It is becoming more and more of a task for the city parks department to find part-time summer help to deal with the usual maintenance needed during the warmer weather.

Justin Combs says the parks department is working to fill the 30 to 45 part-time positions needed each year. It’s getting harder to do. “Every year it seems like we struggle just to find folks willing to work,” Combs said. The jobs pay between $8 and $11 per hour. They include mowing, gardening and forestry, and marking and keeping care of ball diamonds.

Likewise, Hutch Rec is also looking for summer help, especially when it comes to the Salt City Splash. “As always, we’re always still looking for lifeguards,” Ted Nelson, superintendent of aquatics and wellness, said. “It’s a hard one to get. We’re not unlike other communities.” Nelson said that most teens do not want to go through the effort and expense of getting a lifeguard certification.

 

For those interested in becoming a lifeguard, Nelson says there are three classes being held this spring at the Hutchinson YMCA. Nelson says the time to apply at the Splash is now. Nelson says those registered for lifeguard classes can apply at the Splash before they receive their certification card.

Those interested in working the summer months should visit hutchgov.com or contact the parks department at 620-694-1900. For the Salt City Splash, visit hutchrec.com or call 620-663-6179.

HAVEN, Kan. — The Haven USD 312 School Board got an update on the Partridge Elementary School building during last night’s meeting.

According to Superintendent Clark Wedel, several offers have come in, but they have been rejected by the board or have not materialized for one reason or another. The board went over its options Monday night. The building could be placed up for auction. Wedel says there are still a few entities looking at purchasing the building. Wedel hopes the building will be purchased instead of auctioned.

Meanwhile, the school district is still paying expenses on the building. During the winter, Wedel says the district paid about $2,000 per month to heat the building. During the summer months, the bills will likely be less than $1,000, but that is still an expense.

Wedel says a decision by the board could come during the May meeting.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“How big is your farm?” “It’s about 4-by-8.” “Oh, 4-by-8 acres? “No, 4-by-8 feet.” That imaginary conversation sounds like an unlikely discussion between Kansas farmers, but it illustrates how one young couple got their start in urban farming. They started raising microgreens on a 4-by-8 sheet of plywood. Now this innovative young couple is expanding their operation to provide local food while serving their community.

Adam and Maggie Pounds are the founders of Simple Abundance Farm in South Hutchinson. Adam grew up at Hutchinson and went to Wichita State. Maggie went to high school at the nearby rural community of Buhler, population 1,289 people. Now, that’s rural. She went on to Bethel College.

Adam and Maggie met through friends and ultimately married. “We caught the travel bug,” Adam said. They worked a summer at Estes Park and then in Key West, Florida doing eco-tourism. Adam and Maggie are also talented musicians, playing guitar and multiple folk instruments. “Maggie sings like an angel,” Adam said.

The young couple traveled and played music. While visiting friends in the Pacific Northwest, they decided to focus on the principles which were important to them: Community, intentional living, healthy food, and an active lifestyle. They apprenticed at an organic farm in Washington state.

“As you’re traveling, you see life through a different lens,” Maggie said. Their passion for a healthy, local food system grew. They moved back to Kansas to put this into practice.

In winter 2014, they started growing microgreens in South Hutchinson. “Our whole farm consisted of a 4×8 sheet of plywood,” Adam said. Seeds were planted in compost on trays. Plants were harvested very young. “Microgreens are tender, nutty, and tasty,” Adam said. They now have a high tunnel for additional vegetable production.
They produce sunflowers, peas, radishes, arugula, spinach, salad greens, kale, and more. “We use natural and sustainable methods to produce high yields on a minimal amount of land while protecting the environment,” Adam said.

Back when they were still interns but wanting to start a farm of their own, Maggie and Adam were on a farm tour in the northwest. While in one grower’s home, they saw a cross-stitch design on the wall that said “Simply Abundant.” The term clicked for both of them. When they got back to Kansas, they named their place Simple Abundance Farm.

The “farm” is a specialty crop operation on less than an acre in the city of South Hutchinson. “We are urban, so we’re very convenient for our consumers,” Adam said. “The city has been really great to work with us.”

“They’ve been an amazing addition to our Reno County Farmers Market,” said Pam Paulsen, K-State Research and Extension – Reno County horticulture agent. “We are huge advocates of farmers markets,” Adam said. They have also opened what they call the Farm Stand, which is a self-service market for their farm crops and other local products year-round. “Our customers get a key code so they can pick up products at their convenience,” Adam said.

They are now building a commercial kitchen which will enable them to produce shelf-stable products such as sauerkraut and kimchi. They’re also joining the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s “From the Land of Kansas” program.

Meanwhile, they’re caring for their two-year old son Arlo. “We call him quality control, he’s out there in the dirt,” Adam said.

Maggie is president of the newly-formed Central Kansas Young Farmers Coalition. She also recently lobbied for the farm bill with the National Young Farmers Coalition in Washington, D.C.

“We need to support one another, whether a farmer or consumer, to forge a path for local food production,” Maggie said.

For more information, click HERE.

How big is your farm? This innovative young couple got a start on a 4-by-8 sheet of plywood. Now they are producing a wide variety of fresh and flavorful produce. We salute Maggie and Adam Pounds – and Arlo too – for making a difference with their approach to urban agriculture. Their farm ground may be small, but their vision is tremendous.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The search continues for a new executive director at the Hutchinson Fox Theatre. Josh Davies announced he is stepping down from that position as soon as a replacement can be found.

Davies will stay on as the technical director, a position he held for 15 years before assuming both roles.

Davies says the search committee has taken in a number of good applications. The committee hopes to have a replacement named soon. Davies says the board is stressing the need to hire someone with strong booking experience. A number of applications have come from out-of-state.

Davies has been with the Fox for more than 20 years. He has been the executive director for five years.