KARL: Economic Development, Southwest Kansas

KARL Class XII at Royal Farms Dairy outside Garden City.
photo credit KARL Program, Inc.

I didn't realize I needed to "stay close to home" to get my eyes opened.

In early November (yes, I've been slacking on the updates) KARL Class XII headed to Garden City to get an inside look at the economic impact agriculture has on an area. We also talked about economic development, and how a town in the middle of nowhere is growing - and seeing some pretty exciting things happening. How does that work? It's a little thing called teamwork.

What was the biggest take home of the first day? When elected officials, city and county entities, and services for population all have a common goal big things happen. The folks in Southwest Kansas, Finney County, and Garden City have a lot going on and they have leadership to thank for that. They have a "try it" attitude that encourages growth by bringing things in, taking risks, and having a mentality that is all about improvement, and making the quality of life that much better.


A tour bus was our office for three days. It took us to Brookover Feedyards, Royal Farms Dairy, Conestoga Ethanol plant, Wind River Grain, and provided stunning views of two Kansas sunrises. Yes, that's right I witnessed the sun coming up - twice. It took us to Tyson, Sunflower Energy, and even showed us the site of the Clutter murders in Holcomb (a drive by).

I wanted to share two sessions that had the most impact on me, both professionally and personally.

The first was the Tyson tour. I should preface that very few people are allowed inside a packing plant. I was even nervous to disclose my employer for fear it would raise an eyebrow, so I put down our parent company as to not raise any flags. Most people won't argue about transparency being an issue in this specific industry, but our class was given a tour that gave us access that most don't get. It was fascinating. I will also admit I was slightly nervous about the kill floor. I thought all that blood would bother me, but it really didn't. It was eye-opening rather than gut churning.

I would have never guessed a packing plant would be one of the biggest sources of professional inspiration, but it was.

We had the opportunity to visit with the head of Human Resources. He was a Vietnamese refugee who started on the line with a knife. He worked his way to upper management over a 30 year career by taking advantage of opportunities. His story was phenomenal, and his management style and philosophies were inspiring. The plant is non-union, which means 3,300 employees trust the decisions he makes. He never referred to himself as I. It was always the team. He is privy to a colored helmet, but refuses to wear one because the white one he wears puts him on the same level as everyone on the floor. He knows what it's like to work the knife line, and he wants to be like everyone else. There was no entitlement there. It was a breath of fresh air, especially in upper management.

It was proof that one person can make a difference no matter what the company dynamic is. I want to strive to be that person. I want to earn that kind of respect.

Thursday we had an opportunity to hear Judge Tom Webb. If you've never heard of him go back and click that link or YouTube him. I'm not sure if I can even begin to do his message "you can make a difference" justice. He made some of the men in our class shed tears. He made me shed a few! His message was heart wrenching. Webb was a product of the Korean War, and spent his first six years of life on the streets of a small village not far from a U.S. Military base. He kept warm by huddling with other children in the streets of his village, and he told stories of life on the street, meeting American soldiers, and his courageous decision to leave home at age six because "there had to be something better."

After leaving the village he was in a train station and every day was a struggle to survive. The story is too much to write here, but to make a long story short he was stealing a meal, got caught, and was sent to an orphanage ran by an American man. He was then brought to the United States and adopted by a couple in Oklahoma. His mother was a teacher and he had several stories that hit pretty close to home for me. I'll admit he hit some nerves that made me think. How do we (I) treat others? How do we (I) let snap judgements dictate how we see other humans?

He talked about a woman who sat next to him on a bench at the train station where he had been caught. She put her arm around him, and offered him a piece of candy - without a second thought. That act changed his life forever. He asked us this question, "that child hadn't bathed in months, slept in garbage, was hungry, and had no social skills. Imagine what that child looked like, or smelled like. Would you hug them?"

Think about that.