Farmer’s markets in Allen County will have sounder financing in 2018, thanks to a $31,405 grant from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
Kathy McEwan, Extension agent, and Debbie Bearden announced the grant during a chat Tuesday morning with Allen County commissioners.
The grant, acquired through the efforts of Thrive Allen County, means expansion of opportunities for Allen Countians to purchase and consume home-grown produce.
Representing the Allen County GROW Food and Farm Council, the women pointed out more garden vegetables, fruits and other locally generated food items were available this year because of the addition of a market in Humboldt and on North State Street in Iola.
Those two outlets joined the well-established Thursday evening bazaar in downtown Iola.
Plans are to continue to strengthen those markets and encourage more vendors to participate, with a focus on younger gardeners.
GROW also intends to increase access to healthy food choices throughout the county, including what McEwan called smaller, more isolated places.
That may be accomplished with a vehicle to carry produce from one place to another.
Turning to commercial outlets, GROW proponents are assisting local restaurants with nutritional analysis of popular menu items, McEwan said. “That has afforded five local business owners the ability to designate healthy choices on their menus,” Bearden added.
Yet another approach to healthy eating is to increase the volume of healthy vending choices, an outcome that “has been more challenging,” Bearden said. The change was accomplished by alerting business owners to the fact they had a say in what is placed in machines.
As for Stub’s Market in Moran and efforts to purchase and convert it to a food cooperative, Grow’s role mainly is one of vocal support, McEwan said. “We’re on the fringe of that project, although Yvonne Scott (Thrive specialist who is involved in the Moran effort) does come to our council meetings.”
McEwan said GROW appreciates Thrive’s support in attracting the $31,405 grant, and planned to ramp up efforts for its council members to take a more active role in application for additional grants.
COMMISSIONERS unanimously approved what County Counselor Alan Weber called a minor variance to its agreement with EDP Renewals to permit the wind farm company to do some dirt work before full engineering plans are completed.
The agreement states completion of engineering work is to precede construction.
Weber said only road work — on private property — and perhaps excavation for tower foundations would occur.
He pointed out EDP would do the preliminary work this month, and before Congress might alter tax credit support for wind energy companies. Further, he said, by so doing EDP may qualify for tax credits through the legal device of having its project grandfathered under current law.
Loss of federal tax credits could change EDP’s plans — in scope or total — for a wind farm in Allen County.
Jim Talkington was the only of the three commissioners to question the EDP request, asking whether it would be detrimental to Allen County. “I don’t know how,” Weber replied. “There won’t be any concrete trucks or those hauling tower parts on our roads until the engineering study is completed.”
COMMISSIONERS heard concerns from Dennis Lushbaugh, whose son, Dennis Jr., disappeared, in or near southern Allen County early in August.
A van was found along a rural road by the pilot of crop-dusting plane after Allen County officers asked for search assistance. The younger Lushbaugh was reported missing by his girlfriend on Aug. 3. No trace of him has been uncovered.
“I’m unhappy with the investigation and I’m concerned about the transfer of information,” Lushbaugh told commissioners. “We organized searches,” with dogs trained for such missions about a month ago.
“It’s perfectly normal for you to be upset,” said Commissioner Tom Williams, former Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent and Allen County sheriff. “I can’t imagine — I don’t want to — what it would be like,” to have a child disappear.
He assured Sheriff Bryan Murphy and his officers “are doing what needs to be done.”
Murphy, at the meeting, did not comment, though later told the Register his officers had spent untold hours in the area where the van was found and had followed all leads.
WHETHER employees will be given days off in recognition of longevity or receive a bonus will be up to them.
County policy for years has been for employees to receive a day of personal leave for each four years of service. That transitions to two days in year eight, three days in year 12, and so on.
The alternative will be a longevity bonus of $50 per year, starting after the first year.
