AGING AND THRIVING ON THE PLAINS
March 25-26 in Wichita

This will be a great gathering with featured presentation, “Ending the Age of Depletion on the Plains”, by Wes Jackson of the Land Institute. Please check out the conference brochure for more information and registration!

Aging and Thriving on the Plains Conference Brochure

2010 Kansas Sampler

Did you know the Kansas Sampler Festival moves to its new home in Leavenworth County for the next two years? 

Marci Penner, Founder of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, has announced that the Kansas Sampler Festival will be held in Ray Miller Park, 4201 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kansas May 1 & 2, 2010 and May 7 & 8, 2011.

The deadline to register for the 2010 festival is January 31, 2010.  To register go to www.kansassamplerfestival.com.   Along with being able to register for the festival this website will give you more information about the Kansas Sampler, the history of the Sampler, links for information about Leavenworth, Entertainment, Exhibitor and Food Vendor information and Festival photos from the 2009 Kansas Sampler that was held in Concordia, Kansas the last two years.

Leavenworth recently learned that the Kansas Speedway has changed a race date to the same week-end of the festival in 2010.  Lodging reservations should be made as soon as possible! The Leavenworth lodging link (with contact information) is also listed on the Kansas Sampler website.

For more information about the Kansas Sampler (an actual living brochure of what there is to see and do in Kansas!) contact Keyta Kelly, festival director at 913.417.7575 or kssamplerfestlvco@sunflower.com.  

 Hope to see you at the

Kansas Sampler Festival

the first weekend in May!!!

Don’t miss Kansas MarketPlace November 9 & 10!

You have an incredible opportunity to learn new skills, network with successful entrepreneurs, and discover new ideas for small businesses and communities at the Kansas MarketPlace.

This new two-day event is coming to the Ramada Hays Convention Center in Hays, Kansas, on November 9 and 10, 2009. If you are interested in entrepreneurship, family farms and ranches, and rural communities, you’ll want to be there for sure.

Hurry! Register for the Kansas MarketPlace now, in time for Early Bird registration.

Six educational tracks will focus on the topics you need to know — financing, marketing, business development, community development, agriculture and technology. The program is filled with a variety of enticing sessions — see them all here.
 
Top-notch speakers will share the knowledge and enthusiasm entrepreneurs need for success. Andrew McCrea, an energetic farmer, rancher, and Oscar-winning radio broadcaster from northwest Missouri, will present at the Monday session. Don Landoll, an entrepreneur, businessman, and owner and founder of Landoll Corporation in Marysville, Kansas, will keynote Tuesday morning.

You’ll be able to network with others in the Exhibit Hall, with 37 booths filled with successful entrepreneurs, service providers and conference sponsors. You’ll be able to meet with these folks, ask questions, gather information and make connections all day long.

Register today and take advantage of Early Bird prices! Early Bird Registration expires on Oct. 28.
 
Kansas MarketPlace is presented by the Center for Rural Affairs and the Kansas Department of Commerce Rural Development Division. It is modeled after two similar highly successful events held annually in North Dakota and Nebraska and credited with bringing new jobs and employment there.

Help rural Kansas and build on your entrepreneurial dreams at the Kansas Marketplace in November!

ARRA-funded Initiatives at the State Energy Office

From Kansas Corporation Commission :

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the State Energy Office will receive approximately $52 million in additional funding from the Department of Energy (DOE). The funding comes through three different federal programs:

• $38,284,000 through the State Energy Program (SEP);
• $9,593,500 through Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block; and
• $2.6 million for a new Appliance Rebate Program.

Contact us if you’d like to receive email updates.

New Initiatives Using State Energy Program (SEP) Funds

The State Energy Office submitted its final application to DOE for the SEP funding on May 11, 2009, and received final approval on June 24, 2009, to establish the programs and initiatives listed below.

1. Efficiency Kansas Loan Program facilitates energy efficiency improvements in existing Kansas homes and small businesses.
2. Energy Auditor Training and Scholarships ($250,000): In order to meet the greater demand for energy auditors, the SEO will provide support to qualified energy auditor training institutions for initiatives to “Train the Trainers” and enhancements to facilities, such as expanded labs for furnace testing. SEO will also provide approximately 100 full scholarships to those attending the energy auditor training at one of the approved institutions. Click here for more information about applying for scholarships.
3. Equipment for New Energy Auditors ($250,000): In order to minimize the significant startup costs for energy auditors, particularly for those that may have been previously unemployed, SEO will make available energy auditor equipment packages. The Energy Office will purchase approximately 50 equipment packages (blower door, duct blaster, CO test/Combustion analyzer) and provide them to the approved training institutions. The training institutions will make these packages available to approved auditors (the training institutions may charge rent to cover administrative costs associated with keeping and maintaining the equipment).
4.  Rebates for Efficiency Kansas Energy Audits ($350,000): The State Energy Office will provide a $350 rebate to offset the costs of the energy audit for the first 1,000 participants who elect to implement projects approved through the Efficiency Kansas program. More information …
5. Rebates to Banks for Loan Fees: To offset the origination costs for Efficiency Kansas loans, the State Energy Office will provide $250 rebates to Partner Banks for each loan.
6. Utility Rate Design – Planning for Comprehensive Changes: The Kansas Corporation Commission will employ the services of a consultant to assist in developing and guiding a comprehensive, collaborative planning process to redesign utility rate structures to achieve new goals of energy efficiency and environmental protection.

Contact us if you’d like to receive email updates.

New Initiatives Using Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Funds ($9.5 million)

The State Energy Office submitted its application to DOE for the EECBG funding on June 23, 2009. These funds will be used for cities and counties that did not receive direct EECBG allocations from the federal government. Pending DOE approval, the State Energy Office proposes to use these funds as outlined below.

1. Renewable Energy Grants ($3.8 million): This program will provide grants to public entities—local units of government, including school districts, community colleges, vocational schools, universities—which did not receive direct block grant allocations. The grants will be for renewable electrical generation projects. Projects may include wind, solar, biomass, or fuel cells. Grants will be for 25% of approved project costs (up to $250,000).
2. Facility Conservation Improvement Program (FCIP) Rebates ($1 million): This rebate program will offset start-up costs for local units of government (excluding schools) that use FCIP to upgrade public buildings. For approved FCIP projects, the State Energy Office will issue rebates (up to a maximum of $40,000) to cover costs of investment grade audits performed by the energy service company or other start-up fees.
3. FCIP Energy Savings Project Grants ($2.2 million): This grant program has two parts.
   1. The first part will enhance the existing Facility Conservation Improvement Program (FCIP) by funding energy saving projects in public buildings (excluding schools) that don’t meet the statutory 30-year payback period but are still likely to have significant, long-term benefits. Individual grants would be capped at $150,000.
   2. The second part of this program will provide assistance to local units of governments (excluding schools) that propose projects that are considered too small by energy service companies (ESCO’s) and are thus not eligible for the current FCIP. Energy Office FCIP staff will provide assistance and oversight to ensure the success of these smaller projects. Individual grants would be capped at $150,000.
4. Energy Managers for Local Units of Government ($2.5 million): This program will provide a stipend to local units of government (cities, counties, or coalitions of the aforementioned entities) to enable them to hire energy managers for up to three years. Funding will be awarded through a competitive process. During the first year, the energy manager will be expected to develop a strategic plan that includes setting benchmarks to determine energy usage and developing a three-year and long-term energy savings strategies. Funding for the second and third years will be contingent on successful completion of the strategic plan and progress towards strategic reduction in energy consumption.

Contact us if you’d like to receive email updates.

Kansas ARRA Building Energy Standards Working Group

The State Energy Office has formed a new working group to facilitate greater adoption of energy efficiency building codes by local units of government. The Kansas ARRA Building Energy Standards Working Group, chaired by Tim Ryan, an Overland Park codes official, will develop a methodology to encourage Kansas jurisdictions to adopt appropriate building energy standards. An advisory group is being established and the first meeting of this group will be held in October.

Contact us if you’d like to receive email updates.

State Energy Office, Kansas Corporation Commission, 1300 SW Arrowhead Road, Topeka, KS 66604-4074, 785-271-3264
URL: http://kcc.ks.gov/energy/arra.htm
Revised Thursday, 17-Sep-2009 16:55:22 CDT

An Opportunity from Grassroots Art Center in Lucas

From the Grassroots Art Center:

“Face to Face, Meet the People” – Adolph Hannemann

September 5, 2009 – May 20, 2010

Exquisite wood, stone and bone carvings of self-taught artist, Adolph Hannemann formerly of Lincoln, KS, now residing at Salina will be exhibited at the Grassroots Art Center, 213 S. Main Street, Lucas, KS, beginning Labor Day weekend. 

Hannemann, an intuitive carver was actively creating from 1980 through the late 1990′s.  Nearly one hundred sculptures, primarily from native Kansas woods will be on exhibit.   Mr. Hannemann carved nearly a thousand portraits of people expressing a wide gamut of emotions, in addition a smaller number of animals. 

Hours open: Sept 10 AM -5 PM Monday-Saturday. Sunday 1-5 PM

October – April  Mon., Thurs-Sat. 10 AM -4 PM. Sunday 1-4 PM

May, 2010 – 10 AM -5 PM Monday-Saturday. Sunday 1-5 PM 

Admission is charged. More photographs of the exhibit can be seen at www.grassrootsart.net, upcoming events.   ”This program is presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.”

Contact information:

Grassroots Art Center

213 S. Main St.

Lucas, KS 67648

The 350 Project

An interesting perspective on the impact of local shopping behavior.

http://www.the350project.net/home.html