Dear Chamber Supporters,
Friday the 13th didn’t scare away any Prairie Paw Animal Shelter advocates as we gathered together at the Bottle House for their annual fundraiser (photos here). I should say their annual Ottawa fundraiser, as they are no longer just our local pound; they also manage pets in Manhattan and Emporia, Kansas (with a fourth location possibly on the way....). This recent growth has all happened within the last 12-14 months, putting a lot more responsibility on Executive Director Vanessa Cowie’s plate. With that responsibility comes the opportunity to strengthen our local shelter and provide a more robust support network for animal adoption, neutering, and microchipping across the state. We’re lucky to be home base for this operation and have a dedicated team caring for our furry friends.
From Tractors to Playgrounds
Last weekend, Ottawa had many visitors throughout the community as the Power of the Past put on another great edition of the Antique Engine and Tractor Show. Makayla and I spent time with a few special guests: my cousin, her husband, and baby Knox (pictures here). You can’t tell, but Knox celebrated his first birthday just months ago, and he is above average in about every growth metric. He is a big boy for his age! Having learned how to walk recently, he quickly transitioned into learning how to run. Given his above-average baby stride, he’s no slowpoke. As we moved through Forest Park, he was less interested in the tractors on display and was more interested in the playground equipment (pictures here), specifically finding out how many rocks he could fit in his hand at a time. I imagine one day he will appreciate this great annual event as much as the rest of us!
Chamber Coffee Welcomes Darron Story
Tuesday morning, Chamber members were provided a fantastic breakfast at Westminster Presbyterian Church off W 13th Street here in Ottawa (pictures here). This gathering wasn’t just for great food and fellowship; it was also to introduce their new head Pastor, Darron Story (pictures here). Darron is not entirely new to Ottawa or this church family; he has been their fill-in and bridge pastor for the past three years before becoming their full-time minister this past May. Darron has the kind of personality that gets you, and those around you, energized. He’s a great speaker, kind-hearted, and has an incredible backstory.
If you missed out on this Chamber Coffee, you have to take a chance to meet Darron and have him share his story with you. As he spoke about his journey up to this point in his life, I caught myself Googling as he went along as it seemed bigger than life. I’m not surprised that Pastor Darron was telling the truth, but when someone says that they were in a band that had a number-one hit back in the 90s, you look it up! As I mentioned, he’s a man of his word. Darron is a member of the band Lo-Key?, which had a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart for a week and was No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart back in the 90s. Following this musical journey, Darron still occasionally performs in a band, but more often behind the pulpit on Sunday mornings. Along with this, he shared that he is involved with the KC radio station 107.3, where he puts on their Sunday morning inspiration show. Darron has also agreed to be Ottawa University’s football announcer on game days here in town. As I said, he’s just a joy to have in our community, and I look forward to spending more time with him as Westminster Presbyterian Church and our community grows.
Connecting Crops, Commerce, and Classrooms
It was a busy day on Sylvester Ranch this week, as they were home to two Franklin County Farm Bureau events. On Wednesday, they hosted the Franklin County Legislative Dinner, inviting elected officials and their teams to spend some time in our community and learn about our agricultural partners. Yesterday, they hosted the Day on the Farm event with area school third graders. Which included over 300 kids and another hundred or so volunteers (pictures here).
Farm Bureau’s Legislative Dinner takes place at a different family farm each year, showing those in attendance their operation and how they support our agricultural ecosystem. The Sylvester family is a household name in our county. With multiple generations of farming and ranching, they continue to bless our community with their pursuit of excellence in the world of agribusiness. This location was home to Midland Genetics for over two decades. It had built a solid reputation in the agricultural industry, providing high-quality seed tailored to the specific needs of our region's farmers. Two years ago, they had the opportunity to merge their business with Mustang Seed. This well-established agricultural company, headquartered in South Dakota, also specializes in producing and distributing seeds for farmers. The opportunity to have access to enhanced seed genetics, better distribution networks, and more robust agronomic services was an easy decision for the Sylvesters. Now, the South Dakota location is considered Mustang Seed North, while the Sylvester Farm is referred to as Mustang Seed South.
Jake and Wes Sylvester work with their eleven employees to produce hundreds of thousands of units across Kansas and our four surrounding states. This transition to Mustang Seed has only sped up growth for their business as they rapidly expand in the markets they’re involved in. Jake stated that this growth is one of their biggest challenges, as they slowly creep toward running out of room on their family farm. This seems like a great problem to have for their family and employees. It’s also beneficial for our county as they continue to grow our area's reputation through their high-quality seed and support for the farming community in our region.
Following the discussion around their farm, we were treated to a tasty meal from Prairie Star Catering. We then had the chance to hear from elected officials and state Farm Bureau representatives about how this past legislative session affected farmers in Kansas (pictures here). As a transplant to Kansas and Franklin County, and as an individual who didn’t grow up around the ag community, I’m always so grateful for the Midwest hospitality that I receive from the many family farms in our area. Our county is full of some great folks with generations of history on their respective farms. The fact that 75-80% of our county's land is used for agriculture shows how woven it is in the fabric of our community. As Lisa Rivers and her Farm Bureau team often say, “If you ate today, thank a farmer!”
New Leadership and Lifelong Learning at Neosho County Community College
Neosho County Community College (NCCC) opened up its campus to Chamber members this morning to share how they are educating our community. If you’re unaware, NCCC offers a variety of academic and vocational programs. Our campus is one of two NCCC locations, with the other being in Chanute, Kansas. The Ottawa campus provides access to associate degrees, certifications, and transfer programs designed to prepare students for the workforce or further education at a four-year institution. Along with serving high school, post-secondary, and nontraditional students, they have also expanded their offerings to seniors (62 and older). This looks like lifetime learning classes that can be offered through federal awards, making it free to those who fit the guidelines and take advantage of it.
We also welcomed Clint Renfrow, the new Director of the Ottawa Campus (pictures here). Clint joins our community from western Kansas, where he taught middle school social studies and coached basketball. Prior to his time in education, he served in the United States Army in a litany of positions before attending Fort Hays State University for his undergrad and master’s in education. He shared that he was not particularly looking for a move across the state or a change in role last year, but it found him. After some pushing from his sister and support from his wife, he threw his name in the mix―the rest is history! He shared that having arrived in this role last December means that this week in September is his first time experiencing this week and all that it entails as their Director. He continues to learn about his role and the many functions of this institution. Even with the learning curve, he shared that he is enjoying his time so far at NCCC and looks forward to expanding the mission and vision of the organization to even more students, wherever they are in their educational journey. I think Clint has done a wonderful job on campus in his relatively short time. I am slightly biased, but I’m a big fan of his recent hiring's. Especially partial to their new Student Success Coordinator, who manages their Teaching Learning Center (she’s my wife). Whether it’s for a community meeting or for our Leadership Franklin County class, I always enjoy stopping by NCCC in Ottawa. They have a great team and truly care about the educational attainment in Franklin County. I look forward to seeing how this campus grows under Clint's leadership!
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That classic car smell is in the air today as antique vehicles make their way into Ottawa for the 37th annual Ol’ Marias River Run. The biggest event of the year is in town; check out the full schedule here. I’m no weatherman, but I have a feeling we should have the perfect next couple of days. Main Street will be packed, but I hope to see you around. Great chance to make an impression on our many visitors; I know we’ll step up to the challenge! Talk to you soon,
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
