Grainfield has recently worked on many ongoing projects such as beautification outside of the American Legion, helping support the local daycare, and getting a large picnic table for the use of the whole community. According to Bonnie Wood "We continue to provide plants and the care of plants in the planters on Main Street and in the landscaping in front of the American Legion. We are fully committed to support our daycare - we helped the daycare board with a yard sale/bake sale by donating items. We have members of our committee who also volunteer hours weekly to support the daycare. We have an ongoing project to obtain an extra-large covered picnic table for our community. This picnic table, when complete, will be moved around town for different events such as the 4-H Fair, Cruise Shoes and BBQ's, Softball and Baseball season, and to the school for football games. We also provided the elementary school students with a Gaga Ball Pit. They have enjoyed the ones we built for community events so much that we felt they should have one all year round."

McFarland came together to put up flags around the town. According to Sara Green "Team McFarland embarked on a remarkable community-driven initiative that left a lasting impact on our town. With the generous contributions from the citizens of McFarland, we purchased flags and brackets and successfully installed them on the lighted poles throughout our community. The goal was to enhance the town's appearance and create a sense of pride and unity. The project was a true testament to the power of community involvement. Residents from all walks of life came together to donate the necessary funds, covering all costs associated with acquiring and installing the flags. This collective effort truly demonstrated our shared commitment to making McFarland a more vibrant and patriotic place to live." 

Registration is now open for the newly launched Rural Grocery Transition Specialist Program! This online course trains resource providers to better support rural grocers through business transition.

• Who is it for? This course is designed for extension professionals, economic developers, and other resource providers who support rural communities.
• What will participants gain? Strategies for building relationships with grocery store owners and managers, understanding of transition planning and business valuation concepts, and tools to support grocery store transitions. In addition, participants will join a national network of professionals dedicated to supporting rural communities.
• What’s the format? The course contains seven self-paced, online modules. It also includes homework assessments, interactive discussion boards, and two Zoom meetings.
• Who are the instructors? Composed of 18 professionals from across the country, the teaching team has a wide a range of expertise related to business transition planning and rural grocery.

The spring course begins January 15, 2024, and ends April 14, 2024. Participants should expect to spend approximately 15-20 hours total to complete the course over the 13-week period.

Upon successful completion, participants will become Rural Grocery Transition Specialists, and earn a micro-credential badge through K-State Global Campus and receive a Certificate of Completion.

Register today! Early bird pricing ends November 17, 2023.

To stay up to date on registration information and future course offerings, join the Rural Grocery Transition Specialist email list. For more information, visit www.ruralgrocery.org/specialist or email rgi@ksu.edu.

If you're looking for project funding outside of the Kansas Community Empowerment program, here are some potential opportunities:

The Trek Foundation offers funding opportunities for projects that protect lands, invest in great places where people can ride bikes, and promoting a future with more bikes and access for every rider. Public use trail systems is the focus here. You can find out more on their website here: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/trek-foundation/

The Outride Fund partners with community nonprofits to promote cycling as a tool to improve social, emotional, and cognitive health. They have a focus on youth development and underrepresented demographic groups. Example programs that have been funded include educational programs, trail construction, infrastructure projects, and youth racing team support. Deadline is November 11th, and you can find more details here: https://outridebike.org/outridefund-2

Additional Funding Resources

Is your community looking for funding to help with certain projects? Let us know what the project is, how much you're seeking, and what your timeline looks like. We have access to multiple external grants databases and likely can give you some links to potential funding sources. Just email us at KSCE@ksu.edu with your request and project idea. If you've utilized Jan for grant searches - KCE/PRIDE community or otherwise - please report back to us on any successes you might have so we can determine effectiveness and continue to provide this service.

You can also reach out to your local Extension office which should have access to the database as well. - Jan Steen, Kansas Community Empowerment Program Co-Coordinator, jmsteen@ksu.edu

Events Calendar

Quarterly Report Due Dates:

• January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, October 15th



A reminder that you can get to the reporting database here: https://reports.kce.k-state.edu/

Awards Deadlines:

• May 1st, September 1st

Office Closed:

• November 10th - for Veterans Day