Energy, Water and Natural Resources/ Understanding Infrastructure
Day One
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Submitted by: Nathan Miller
Russell, KS–Location: Dole-Specter Conference Center
10:00am: Optional
– Many individuals got to tour some projects going on within Russell and the downtown area of Russell. A lot is going on in that sector and making great strides. I couldn’t make it to the tours, so any specific details, reminders, or questions please reach out to Andrea Krauss. She’s being a rock star for these projects and the city of Russell.
11:30am:
– We heard from the Russell City Manager John Jonquinday. He talked about the Pure Field Ingredient Plant. This plant consists of an ethanol, gluten processor, fish food, and power plant. It’s very efficient, recycles most of the water it uses, and is currently going through an expansion. They can utilize by products to create little waste. Russell purchased part of the R9 Ranch for their water needs. It sounded like a great plant and the expansion will be very beneficial.
12:00pm-1:00pm: TALK5KARL
– Luke Ahmend: “The world is ran by those who show up.” & “God can’t steer a parked car.” Showing up for the community/friendships and action is extremely important.
– Sara Arnberger: Made a great point how she didn’t come from an agriculture background and after KARL views her job differently. That many farmers and ag industries do not always seek out involvement, so she must go to them to get their input and involvement. It was encouraging to hear how she’s going to go find those agriculture connections.
– Ashley Beying: Revaluating community and economic development for her and her family’s community. Where do I want our community to be in 5 years? Will it be a place for my children to come back home to and stay?
– Jamie Boggs: Had a wonderful presentation, full of pictures and quotes. Discussed how she always had a reason to say NO to applying for KARL, but it’s never a “perfect” time so go for it. Be okay with failure and always invite people to the table. Don’t miss the good stuff (people)!
– Carl Claassen: Discussed how KARL brought people with different backgrounds together and experiences outside of agriculture. Also being able to discuss different ideas and ways of accomplishing goals.
– Andrea Dietel: Touched on a very important topic which was Ag suicide prevention and how it impacts communities. How she’d been to basically all the cities we visited, BUT now see’s areas through new eyes and different light. Redefine community!
– Greg Georing: KARL helped an introvert get out of his comfort zone and help become more extroverted. It was worth taking the time to show up even in the busyness of life.
– Ryan Engle: Networking with different backgrounds of people-jobs, BUT all going towards the same goal. Enjoyed seeing the diversity of Kansas industries and farming. Really appreciated seeing the quality of people throughout the entire state.
– Sarah Henry: You know you’ve made it when you get to work with your friends. Talked about enjoying relationship building, networking, and how these relationships have and will continue to expand in the future.
1:00pm: Mike Morley with Midwest Energy and John O. Farmer III with John O. Farmer, Inc.
– Mike and John talked a lot about the energy sector. The covered wind, solar, fossil fuels, and natural gas.
– They provided their backgrounds and how John O. Farmer Inc was started and their future. We were able to ask them both many questions and it was a very open dialogue.
– Discussed how many solar and wind farms are being funded by overseas companies and how much of the energy produced goes elsewhere.
– We also talked about renewable energies, compressed natural gas, batteries, and EV’s.
2:15pm: Warren Martin, Executive Director of Kansas Strong: The Ks Oil and Gas Resources Fund
– Warren did an entertaining presentation utilizing many different Valentine’s Day products. The overall message was how every product a part of his presentation had one thing in common: petroleum
– He informed us about A LOT of facts when it comes to the oil and gas industry.
o 40% of the barrel of oil goes to gasoline.
o 80% of producers produce 20% of the oil.
o 20% of producers are producing 80% of the oil.
o 2% of the energy is produced by wind and solar.
o 60% of the world population is energy deprived.
o 40% of the fuel price is about the cost of logistics.
o The number of jobs tied to oil and gas was staggering.
o Big void of workers in the age range of 35-55 in the oil industry
o 26% more energy will be needed by 2050.
§ How are we going to get there?
– Warren also discussed how he’s able to go speak at schools to shed some light into the oil and gas industry for students.
-3:00pm: Matt Drieling, Vice President/Geophysicist at John O. Farmer, Inc.
– He presented on how the oil and gas industry utilizes 3D seismic technique to help geologists and engineers to find out where possible hydrocarbon is thousands of feet below the earth surface.
– Matt talked about how the 3D seismic works, obtaining the data, and analyzing the data.
– One big thing that stood out was how improved and more accurate utilizing this technology had made the industry.
-3:30pm: Oil Lease and tank battery tour with John O. Farmer Inc.
– We were able to meet at and learn about the exploration of oil within Russell County and how an oil well works. We also got to visit a tank battery where the oil is delivered to and the logistics of it all.
– They helped break down how an oil well works, the drilling process, and finished product. They also discussed all the safety procedures they follow and constant monitoring as they drill a well.
– The type of wells used, oil production per day, and how you cap a well that is not producing anymore was also covered.
-4:30pm: Tour of the “Cathedral of the Plains” in Victoria, Ks.
-As we traveled from Russell to Hays who ever wanted to go to tour the Cathedral. It was very pretty.
-7:00pm: Burke Griggs, Professor of Law Washburn University
– Presentation on “Leadership in Water Law and Policy”
– Burke Griggs talked in great detail about the law and water.
– He talked about different water rights such as Senior, Junior, etc. type of water rights.
– A history of water rights and lawsuits were discussed. For example, Kansas going to court vs Colorado and Nebraska at different times about water rights.
– He answered many questions pertaining to water law.
– I feel he opened many eyes to how complicated and complex water law truly is.
Andrea Krauss did a fantastic job being chair that day. If there are any questions or you want more information pertaining to this day please reach out to Andrea Krauss.
Energy, Water and Natural Resources/ Understanding Infrastructure
Day Two
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Submitted by: Eli Svaty
Our first full day during the Hays Seminar included a short drive across town to the newly
renovated The Strand in downtown Hays. The venue was fabulous. Originally serving as a
theater and then a retail shop, the space included high ceilings, the original tin tiles, beautiful chandeliers, and ample space for presentations or festivities.
The agenda included a full lineup of speakers. We began with Dr. Grady Dixon from FHSU who
spoke to us about leadership. What kind of leaders do we want to be? Cheerleaders or
Changeleaders? According to Dixon, agriculture doesn’t need cheerleaders right now. Yes,
those roles are important, but agriculture right now needs changeleaders. We, as the KARL
Class XVI, can be those voices of innovation in agriculture that take this historically critical role
and modernize it with the rest of the world.
From Dixon, our conversation once again turned to water with a presentation by Dr. Charles
Rice of K-State. RIce’s presentation reviewed climate data for our region and the world and
showcased not only how much has changed over the last few decades but also how much is
projected to change in the coming years. His work on a long-term field study of tillage versus
no-till offered great insight into the importance of soil health and the role that producer choices
make in that.
The first panel of the day included Susan Metzger, Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, and Toby Dougherty.
This was moderated by KARL Board member Troy Dumler. Sometimes, panel discussions feel
like broken records with participants repeating what the previous speaker said. This was not the
case at all. While all three panelists care about water in Kansas and beyond, their experiences
with this resource and the impact it has on our communities and economies were all very
unique. This gave us the chance to see how the water issue is being addressed at the city level,
at the state level, and at the policy level.
We enjoyed a fabulous lunch catered by Gella’s and had some time afterwards to explore the
new shops in downtown Hays. Some of us were even able to take a quick driving tour of a local
feedlot that Ryan Engle, a class XVI fellow, had helped finance. It had been years since any of
us had crammed six grown men into a pickup truck, but we did it, and we had a great time
checking the pens. It appeared that the others enjoyed their time in downtown Hays, too, since
so many returned to The Strand with gifts and packages from local shops.
Jill Zimmerman was the queen of Kansas Trivia. All board members and those associated with
KARL should be proud of that fact. We have several proud and competitive Kansans in the
group–myself included–and there was no doubt that she answered more questions and faster
than anyone else. Kudos to her.
Perhaps the greatest takeaway of the afternoon presentation and maybe the whole session was
the question posed during the Kansas Sampler Foundation time. Are you owning your
community, or are you just renting your community? This forced us to think about the
relationship we have with the towns we call home. Do we invest our time, energy, and resources
into a place like we own it? Or do we use and abuse a town like a temporary resident? A gut
check for sure.
The afternoon also included the second wave of Talk 5 presentations. Today’s group continued
the trend of seriousness and emotional gratitude for the program and the friendships that it has
created.
Our evening festivities included a dinner at Thirsty’s followed by some billiards and refreshments
at The Golden Q. This was our last evening together as a class prior to the international tour, so
the group was limited to the class and our leaders. Despite the rust that many of us showed with
a pool cue in hand, the evening was a grand time, and one I’m sure we’ll all remember.
Energy, Water and Natural Resources/ Understanding Infrastructure
Day Three
Friday, February 16, 2024
Submitted by: Nick Peters
The final day of our Hays, Ks seminar took place in the hotel conference room. The speaker for the morning was Dr. Jill Arnsdorf. She is the Provost of Fort Hays State University and a Hill City, KS native. She challenged us on “What’s Next- Taking it back home.”
One main question/thought that was brought up was “As you think about your communities/organizations that you will go back to, what are your aspirations for that community/org?” The class was then split up in to groups to talk about this question and come up with ideas. Most of the answers consisted of the importance of being the person that is willing to take risks. As a group, we need to help provide the energy and ideas to make changes and improvements when we return home.
Another question she asked was “What is the current reality of your community/organization?” There was wide variety of answers ranging from communities that are very ‘forward thinking’ and progressive to those that tend to be stuck in old ways and habits. Dr. Arnsdorf then presented us with the term of Adaptive leadership Challenge, which is the gap between your current situation and your goals.
Some ways that we can help narrow this gap and help move the needle to a more positive outlook for change in our communities/organizations is to keep the stakeholders involved and informed. It’s important to keep ideas and thoughts going with conversations that contain multiple people in the community. Making connections inside and outside of the community is key! Talking with others that are dealing with the same issues and talking with those that have gone through similar issues is very important. One really good idea that was mentioned was to form peer groups within the community to build relationships make trusting each other easier.
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