Uncovering Kansas

Kansas is home to a lot of fun museums, and it has been a while since we featured one on the podcast. So, today, we are going to learn about the Motorcycle Museum in St Francis.

For those of you with an Uncovering Kansas Travel Journal, you’ll find it on page 188. And you can follow along across Highway 36, documenting the things you see, people you meet, and places you love to eat and stay though page 194.

If you haven’t been to northwest Kansas, I encourage you to plan some time to go explore. As Scott says, each of the towns along highway 36 has something interesting to see.

I’ve got a favorite memory from our overnight stay in Oberlin Kansas. We got into town around dinnertime, and as is our MO, we asked the locals for recommendations of places to eat. Someone recommended the American Legion because they had a great happy hour special. Neither of us are veterans, so we assumed we couldn’t eat there. Turns out, you don’t have to be a veteran to partake. I’m not sure if this is true of all American Legions, or something the locals decide. Anyway, we walk in, and as you would expect in a small town, the moment we stepped inside, everyone knew we were strangers – or should I say visitors – to town. And, in case you are wondering – they did have great happy hour specials!

St. Francis Motorcycle Museum website

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

●     What is the St Francis Motorcycle Museum?

●     What is Biketember Fest?

●     How did the St Francis Motorcycle Museum get started?

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What would it be like to integrate the arts into a thriving and sustainable rural community? This is the question that drove my guest today to create the School for Rural Culture and Creativity in Mattfield Green.

I’m talking with Matthew Regier, an artist, homesteader, and co-founder of the School. Our conversation is wide ranging – talking art, religion, rural culture, homesteading, and how all of these things come together in rural communities.

The School for Rural Culture and Creativity

Matthew Regier – Matthew’s website

Land Institute

How to Support the Podcast:

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Kansas is full of very interesting people and my guest today is probably at the top of the list. I’m talking with Vincent Rodiguez, a coffee roaster, chocolate maker, and bicycle manufacture based in Lenexa. I’m taking you to coffee and chocolate school with Vincent. One of the things I took away from my conversation with Vincent is that when we are curious and want to learn about something, it can take us to interesting places. We shouldn’t worry about being the best at something – we should only worry about whether or not we are learning something. Vincent’s life philosophy is an inspiration to me, and I hope you feel the same. Show Notes: Maps Coffee and Chocolate website Maps Instagram Maps Facebook Kansas Breweries and Distilleries episode Kansas wineries episode Unbound Gravel episode What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• How to roast coffee
• How to make chocolate
• What is craft chocolate?
• What is production chocolate?
• How roasting coffee and chocolate are different
• The difference between chocolatiers and chocolate maker
• What is lecithin and how is it used in chocolate

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Today, I’m talking with Joseph Shephard from Lead for America, a national organization founded by a Kansan and headquartered in Wichita. Lead for America’s tag line is Start Where You Live – and of course I have to learn more about any organization that is trying to keep Kansans in Kansas.

I thought this episode was going to be about Lead for America, but it is just as much about highlighting a young Kansan who is out there every day doing work that makes a difference for Kansas and our nation.

Kansas is lucky to call my guest today a Kansan. Although he wasn’t born here, he has fully embraced us and is making a difference in our state. If you leave this episode without being inspired, I’ll be very surprised. Joseph’s story is one of overcoming challenges and odds, being supported by a community, and taking all of this and turning into the best possible version of himself.

Show Notes:

Lead for America website

Director of National Service – Scott McFarland

Director of Recruitment – Meghan Carver

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

●     What is digital equality and inclusion?

• What is the mission of Lead for America

How to Support the Podcast:

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You may have noticed that this month’s episode is a little shorter than normal. That’s because it didn’t start out as an episode. The Kansas Turnpike Authority contacted us about doing a public service announcement about a change they are making in July. They want to get the word out and thought our podcast would be a good avenue for that.

So, the plan was to record the PSA and then include it in the introduction of a couple of episodes. But, at the end of the conversation I had with Steve Hewitt, the CEO of the KTA, I thought it was such an interesting conversation that it should be its own episode. And, so here we are.

This month, you are going to learn about the upcoming change to our turnpike system – we are going cashless in Kansas – but you’ll also get a bit of the behind the scenes of how the turnpike system works.

Show Notes:

Kansas Turnpike website

Cashless Tolling website

 BoredRoom Blues (song by Geoff)

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

●     Kansas Turnpike is moving to cashless payments in July 2024

●     History of the Kansas Turnpike

●     Behind the scenes of the Kansas Turnpike

In today’s episode, I’m talking with Conner Hampton, Executive Director of Flagship Kansas Tech, an organization who’s mission is to propel the tech sector within the state through continuous efforts in awareness, education, and the workforce.  

Flagship Kansas website

Ad Astra Summit website

Episode: Goodland Tech

Dare to do Dirt - podcast with Rolf Potts and Marci Penner

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• About the mission of Flagship Kansas

• About the state of technology in the Kansas education system

• About the Ad Astra conference

How to Support the Podcast:

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In my day job, I’ve been working in the software industry for going on 10 years, and so when I hear business incubator, my mind immediately pictures a room full of developers in hoodies with headphones on typing away in the dark at a computer. 

But today, you and I are going to learn about a different type of business incubator in Kansas - a business incubator for wineries.

We also talk with a couple who have recently started their own vineyard and are working with the incubator to launch their first wines. 

You are going to learn a lot about the Kansas Wine industry in this episode!

Show Notes:

456 Winery

Valley Trails Winery Facebook Page

Highland Community College Viticulture and Enology program

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• About the emerging wine industry in Kansas

• About a business incubator that focuses on incubating wineries

• The types of grapes that grow well in Kansas

• The difference between viticulture and enology

How to Support the Podcast:

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We’ve interviewed several authors over the years on Uncovering Kansas. And, through that process I met my guests today, Tracy Million Simmons owner and publisher of Meadowlark books and Cheryl Unruh (un roo) a well known, prolific writer who is also the editor of the 105 Meadowlark Reader, a Kansas Journal of Creative Nonfiction.  

When I first heard about Meadowlark Books, I was excited to hear that we have a publisher in Kansas focused on Kansas authors. As you know, my goal is to help Kansans learn more about our state, a great way to do that is to read books published by Kansas authors. 

I’ve got to wrap up this introduction and get on with the show so that I can start working on my next submission for the 105 project…..

Find Links to the show notes at Uncovering Kansas

How to Support the Podcast:

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In this episode, I’m going to take you behind the scenes to see what it is like to be responsible for the travel and tourism bureau for a city in Kansas.  My guest is Julie Roller Weeks, the Director of  Abilene Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode

• A behind the scenes look at the role of a Director of Tourism and Vistors Bureau

• That the Eisenhower Library is one of 14 Presidential Libraries  National Archives and Records Administration

• Eisenhower is the 34th president from the 34th state

• How Abilene became the home of the world’s largest belt buckle

How to Support the Podcast:

Tell a friend about us

Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app

Follow us on Instagram or Facebook

Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 

Send us a recommendation for an episode