Cathy Ramirez has been hand crafting her knitted treasures nearly her entire life! She offers delicious baked goods and you can see her in action as she knits in all her spare time. Cathy has been part of the Fort Scott Farmers’ Market for many years and is always happy to share a smile!
Emma Stone Is the owner of Cutecrochtecritters and one of our new vendors this year! She hand crochets all her cute and cuddly stuffies and toys and has made several special order commission pieces for very satisfied customers. Emma is booked for the next year at local craft fairs as well as having a full time spot at the Fort Scott Farmers’ Market. Find her here on FB as well as Instagram and TickTock. Don’t forget to visit her online store on Etsy. This girl has it going on!
This is part of a series on young entrepreneurs in this community.
To nominate a young entrepreneur, send contact information to [email protected]
Chloe Couchman, 9, from Bronson, started her business after her grandma, Diana Cooper, visited her some months back, she said.
“She gave me a pot holder kit and taught me how to do it,” Chloe said.
Since then Chloe has been selling her product by word of mouth.
“She has been at Bronson Ruritan,” said her mother Melanie Couchman. “She and her brother goes with her dad (Tony Couchman) and I to the Ruritan Club. She passed out some free ones and let them know she was selling them.”
“She also let her Grandpa Couchman and her bus driver know,” Melanie said.
Chloe said she likes the creative side of “making her own patterns” of potholders.
In addition, her business booth contains chocolate no-bake cookies to sell, made by Chloe.
“They are my favorite kind,” she said.
Chloe said she had a good day at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on June 3, selling 10 potholders and 11 bags of cookies. Her Mom is pondering a booth herself to sell her baked goods that she creates, and if that happens, Chloe will be selling more of her creations there as well.
It is $5 to set up a booth at Fort Scott Farmers Market, which meets every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon and Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. at Skutbitz Plaza, in front of the Fort Scott National Historic Site.
For more information on the market:
https://www.facebook.com/fsfma
We’re excited to introduce Alanna Scott and her family! You can find the Scott family on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. There are lots of little hands to help out, and their baked goods are becoming very popular. Since they sell out almost every time, you’d better come early!
This is first in a series of young entrepreneurs in the community. The series aims to highlight youth who are venturing out in their own businesses.
Please submit names of other recommended young entrepreneurs to be featured to [email protected]
Camren Lamb, 9, heard about entrepreneurship in January 2022, at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Dare to Dream program, an adult entrepreneurship event.
Camren is the son of Melanie and Larry Lamb, rural Fort Scott.
Melanie attended the event and Camren came also.
“I asked if I could make a picture, so I sold my first art,” Camren said.
He sells artwork and plays a newly purchased guitar as part of his business.
Dacia Clark, with the Small Business Development Center, taught him and others in a April 2022 childrens workshop about developing a business plan, and other marketing basics, Rachel Carpenter with the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team said. The SBDC is housed in the HBCAT office at 104 N. National Avenue.
“Acton Children’s Business Fair provided the curriculum, and HBCAT helped coordinate the efforts,” Carpenter said.
In addition to selling his artwork, he plays music requests on his guitar for passersby.
“I played ukelele first, then guitar,” he said. The guitar was purchased from money he earned at the Children’s Business Fair in April 2022.
He doesn’t charge for for playing, he said.
“I use it to draw people (in to look at his artwork),” he said. “I take requests and tell them songs are free but I had a basket for artwork sales and people started putting money in for the music.”
He was selling at the Fort Scott Farmers Market for the first time on June 3. “This is my second time selling, the first time was at Buck Run Community Center at the Children’s Business Fair.”
Most recently he played guitar at the Shead Farm Festival, the Fort Scott Christian Heights Country Store and at the Friday Night Free Concert at the gazebo downtown.
He took ukelele lessons from Bob Solomonson and guitar lessons from Stephen Moses, he said.
Camren said this year his earnings will go to help the Show Me Christian Youth Home and he is also saving money for church camp.
TOPEKA, June 12, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Kansas State Director Christy Davis today announced a $49.9 million loan to connect thousands of rural Kansans to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. The project will improve service for 149 businesses, 821 farms and over 4,000 people in Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette and Neosho counties.
“High-speed internet is essential in today’s world of online business, learning and communication,” Davis said. “This investment will help ensure rural Kansas remains a place of opportunity to live, work, and raise a family.”
This is the fourth funding round of the USDA ReConnect Program. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested in 142 ReConnect projects that will bring high-speed internet access to 314,000 rural Americans.
Today’s announcement is part of a larger national announcement totaling $714 million in USDA investments in Kansas and 18 other states.
The Kansas details are:
Background: ReConnect Program
Applicants to ReConnect Program funding must serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload. Applicants must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service with speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in the proposed service area. Additionally, to ensure that rural households that need internet service can afford it, all awardees will be required to apply to participate in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP offers a discount of up to $30 per month towards internet service to qualifying low-income households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal Lands.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, visit www.rd.usda.gov or contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
Join Us at The Artificers ForPhillip OrtizOpening Reception and Master Class! |
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This Friday! June 9th 6PM |
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Artist Opening ReceptionMaster ArtistPhillip Ortiz, Mixed Media Artist |
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TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that for the third straight year, Kansas has won Area Development magazine’s coveted Gold Shovel Award. The back-to-back-to-back accolade has no precedent in state history and reflects three consecutive years of record-setting private-sector investment.
“Every day, my administration works to grow the economy so there are better opportunities for Kansans,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This award shows that our work is paying off, and as a result, more Kansans have good-paying jobs with which they can support their families and contribute to their communities.”
Kansas was recognized for its achievement in attracting high-value investment projects that will create a significant number of new jobs throughout the state. Five states were awarded the prestigious Gold Shovel in their respective population categories, with Kansas at the top of the list of states with fewer than 3 million residents.
Panasonic Energy’s $4 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in De Soto was the largest capital expenditure in 2022, but it wasn’t the only one. There were 272 projects across the state totaling almost $7.4 billion in private-sector investment and nearly 13,400 jobs created or retained.
“Governor Kelly’s commitment to bring prosperity to communities across the state is being fulfilled by home-grown businesses and companies from around the world,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “A third straight Gold Shovel confirms our strategic plan for economic development is working.”
That strategic plan, the Kansas Framework for Growth, was unveiled by Governor Kelly in early 2021. Through the work of thousands of Kansans from the public and private sectors, the plan emphasizes:
Almost 90% of the successes announced since the beginning of the Kelly administration came from one of the five target sectors. Over that time, Kansas has attracted more than $16.2 billion in private-sector investment and created or retained more than 57,000 jobs.
Area Development Magazine is a publication for economic development executives covering corporate site selection and relocation.
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The City of Uniontown received a $2,250 grant from the Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity to have a mural painted in the town.
The grant for the mural was initiated by Mary Pemberton, who with her husband owns Bandera Stone, a dimension stone business in town.
Recently, they renovated a brick building on the north side of Uniontown’s square, at 103 Third Street.
“I have been considering a mural since we started renovations on the building,” she said. “I always notice murals when I travel and I think this location by the park is a perfect place to bring a little art to Uniontown.”
The Bandera Stone building has a large exposed eastern side, which can be viewed from the city park, across the street.
Pemberton read about the grant opportunity from the Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity and at first she wasn’t interested.
“But the promotion they do for the winners would get Uniontown some attention, not only locally but state-wide, so I decided to apply,” Pemberton said.
Danyell Miles, Fort Scott, is the artist selected by Pemberton to design and paint the mural.
Pemberton said they are finalizing all the details on the design but that it includes Bourbon County and Kansas iconic images with a special feature that pays homage to local authors.
“I have always been an avid reader so wanted to do something to incorporate books into the mural,” she said. “You’ll have to wait until the mural is finished and come see it in person to find this special feature. The mural is designed with a lot of elements that require you to spend a few minutes and look closely to really understand the significance of the details. The mural is also designed with selfie (photo) lovers in mind and will have one 3D element for photo opportunities. Danyell deserves all the credit for taking my unorganized ideas and putting them together to design a very unique and interesting mural.”
“Painting should start in late June,” Pemberton said. “We expect to have it completed in time for a grand reveal during the final Music in the Park event at Uniontown city park on August 11th.”
To prepare for the mural, the Pemberton’s had the brick wall tucked pointed and cleaned, plus put lighting along that side of the building.
The Grant
“Awardees are in communities across the state with less than 15,000 population,” according to a press release from Kansas Governor Kelly’s office. “The murals will highlight community gathering spaces and tourist attractions – and provide a welcome message for visitors and residents alike. Each of the projects requires a 1:1 match from the community, with the smallest of communities being allowed to match the grant with in-kind donations. 75% of the grant funding will be gifted upfront as several of the city projects plan to start in the next few weeks.”
Uniontown, in the western part of Bourbon County, has a population of approximately 300 people.
Fort Scott also received a grant for a mural through this program.
That story will be featured in an upcoming feature on fortscott.biz.
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