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Thank you to our Chamber Champion members shown below… |
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Category Archives: Food
Tea Club Meets Oct. 16 at Papa Don’s
Mmm Flavor Shop’s Fall Tea Club will be Wednesday, October 16 at 6 pm. It will be held at Papa Don’s Pizza in Downtown Fort Scott.
The topic will be Herbal Teas.
Free Samples will include Chai Water, Homesteader’s Coffee (Dandelion Root and Chicory blend), Elderberry Water, and Tulsi (Holy Basil) Tea.
Come enjoy a cup and learn how herbal teas can help keep you healthier this coming winter season.
Annual Downtown Trick or Treat Parade Is Oct. 26
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Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Is October 3-6: A History of Rural American Culture
Pioneer Harvest Fiesta began from an interest in rural American cultural history and some early members’ interest in steam power which they had experienced in railroad employment and farm use, according to Davin Reichard, Vice President of the PHF board.
“The PHF is an organization interested in equipment, machinery, and other technology characteristic of rural American culture particularly during the first half of the twentieth century, and in sharing this with others,” Reichard said. “Typical exhibits include steam engines, tractors and stationary engines, quilts, threshing machines and other farm equipment, hand tools, and other items used in rural life in the early to mid-1900s.”
The PHF organization began in 1956 and their first show was in 1957.
Visitors will experience educational and historic exhibits, refreshments, and live musical entertainment all weekend, according to https://pioneerharvestfiesta.com/
All three days are alive with Steam Engines, Blacksmiths, Food and Flea Market Vendors, Drag Saw Demonstrations, Tractors & Gas Engines on Display, Baker Fan Demonstrations, Tractor Pull, and a Garden Tractor Pull. Quilt Show, Straw Bailing, Wheat Thrashing, Corn Husking/Shelling, Sorghum Making Demonstration, Rock Crushing, Saw Mill Operation, Car Show, and many more exciting events! It’s one great weekend to kick off Fall in the 4-state’s region! It’s the 68th annual Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds in Historic Fort Scott, Kansas.
New at the event this year is a demonstration of sorghum cane processing and cooking.
Sorghum is an ancient grain and pro-planet protein source packed with nutrients. Sorghum is a versatile crop that can be grown as a grain, forage, or sweet crop and is one of the top five cereal crops in the world, according to https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/sorghum-101/
This will be the second year of the car show at PHF.
The Bourbon County Fairgrounds are located at 2102 S Huntington Blvd., Fort Scott, KS 66701
The annual Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Parade is Thursday, October 3 at 6 p.m. in downtown Fort Scott on Main Street.
The main fairground event is Friday through Sunday, Oct. 4 -6, 2024.
Admission
This year’s full weekend admission is only $5 per person and includes a collector button and the Friday Bean Feed at 5 PM. For children under age 12, admission is FREE, but admission does not include a button. Prior year collector buttons are available for $1.
Officers
Current officers of the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Board are President Craig Shikles; Vice President Davin Reichard; Secretary Betsy Readinger; and Treasurer Delphine Parks.
Love Golf, Help The Needy: Elks Benefit Tournament September 28
The Elks Lodge 579 Benefit Golf Tournament is this Saturday, September 28 at Woodland Hills Golf Course, Fort Scott.
It is an annual fundraiser event to purchase items for Christmas baskets for limited-resource families in our community.
“We have been providing this service for some time and it is one of our major projects,” member Cathy Bishop said.
“The golf tournament is our primary fundraiser for the Christmas Food Baskets that will provide the makings of a great Christmas meal for over 90 families in our community!” said member Millie Lipscomb. “We thank the businesses and individuals who support our major project.”
The tournament is a four-person scramble, $65 per person, and a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Registration starts at 8 a.m.
Please sign up by noon on September 25.
For more information 620.223.5060 or 620.224.0326.
“Money raised for this event will provide a meal at Christmas to families that are provided to us through the Beacon,” member Cathy Bishop said. “It includes a ham or turkey with all the fixings/sides.”
About The Beacon
The Beacon Food Pantry is located at 525 E. 6th Street in Fort Scott, providing food and other resources to those in need. Call 620-223-6869 for more info. The Beacon provides food services and financial assistance, which could include assistance with prescriptions, travel to work or to a medical facility, rent, utilities, and more, according to the info on the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce website.
About The Elks
The Elks mission: Helping Elks Build Stronger Communities, according to elks.org
They help youth develop lifelong skills, send students to college, meet the needs of today’s veterans, support the charitable work of the state Elks associations, and fund projects that improve the quality of life in local Elks communities.
Opening Day of the Kitchen C & C
Snapshots of the first day open of The Kitchen C & C.
To learn more:
Outpost 13 West Opening on September 23
The Bowman family, Cindy and John and their son Alex and his wife Carissa, own both Brickstreet BBQ and across the street, the NuGrille Restaurant, at the corner of National Avenue and Oak.
In 2021 they purchased the property west of Brickstreet BBQ to save it, Cindy Bowman said.
On September 23, they will open Outpost 13 West, a Southwestern cuisine restaurant at 13 West Oak Street.
The Bowmans found after they purchased the it, that it is a 152-year-old historic building.
The oldest record found for the building was 1862, according to records found with help from personnel at the Old Fort Genealogical Society of Southeast Kansas Inc, located at 221 S. National.
The Oulds family built it as a livery stable that was used by the government military, at Fort Scott, and was the corral, used to contain the animals that the U.S. federal fort needed.
The 3,000 square feet building by 2021 was in “pretty bad shape,” said John Bowman.
The arches are a noticeable architectural feature in the renovation.
“The arches are original, but they were closed in and we reopened them,” Cindy said.
The venture will be a build-your-own Southwestern cuisine food line, “you pick it, we will build it,” Alex said.
Southwestern cuisine includes tacos, burritos, etc. with choices of meat and toppings.
In addition, there is a separate bar that serves ice cream, slushes, and desserts.
There will be 15 employees in the new business, with some being moved from Brickstreet BBQ to help.
September 23 will be the official opening of Outpost 13 West.
Hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To contact the restaurant: 620.224.2419. or [email protected]
About the original building owner
The Bowmans found that before S.A. Oulds came to Fort Scott in 1852, he went to South Australia to the gold mines and made $150,000 there. “He returned to his family in Ohio where he farmed, then traveled south and west to this location where in 1862 he started this livery stable in Fort Scott,” Carissa said.
Cindy said that concrete posts have been added to the front of the building, so vehicles can’t get too close, as a safety measure.
Chamber Coffee Hosted by Brickstreet BBQ on September 19
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The Kitchen Collective+Collaborative is September 19
Two of the storefronts that have been in a renovation period for a few years are about to open.
The facility is not a restaurant. The renovated space will be the first of its kind in Southeast Kansas.
12 S. Main will be a culinary business incubator, said Rachel French, co-owner and operations manager of The Kitchen Collective + Collaborative
An incubator firm is an organization engaged in the business of fostering early-stage companies through the different developmental phases, according to investopedia.com
French, along with co-owners Bailey Lyons and Angie Simon are local business owners who have a passion for cooking.
A few years ago they were involved with the Dare To Dream, a local women’s entrepreneurial event. They saw many women who had a dream of a culinary business.
“We hope with our business knowledge we can come alongside and help springboard new or existing culinary businesses,” French said.
To that end, the two side-by-side businesses in Fort Scott’s Historic Downtown District were created to develop food businesses.
12 S. Main: The Kitchen
At 12 S. Main, there are four incubator pods in The Kitchen Collective + Collaborative side. These are four sections in a kitchen, each all-inclusive in what a culinary entrepreneur would need to start their business.
“Our incubator kitchen allows food entrepreneurs, food growers, or producers to start or scale their business in a licensed commercial kitchen,” she said. “The cost of starting a business is astronomical. Our facility helps relieve that burden.”
“You must be licensed to launch your business from here, but we will help with that process.”
She said with a standard license, one can sell it directly to consumers, but can’t sell it to another business for that business to sell it, which requires a wholesale license.
Each food incubator pod has a stove, fridge, mixers, measuring utensils, and just about everything a culinary business needs, except the ingredients for the person’s cooking/baking.
“Our kitchens are available for rent to the general public. For instance, if you are hosting a large family dinner, but your kitchen is too small, you can rent one of our kitchen pods to prepare your meal,” she said.
“If renting to launch your business, in addition to the kitchen pod you would have access to special dry good storage and additional refrigerators and freezers. You could also sell approved products on-site in our market area, still retaining your business’s branding. “
Even though not a restaurant, their vision is to sell grab-and-go food items, and take-and-bake items for dinner.
“Our goal is bringing healthy, convenient food options to Fort Scott and Bourbon County,” French said. Meals will be sold in 2 servings or 6 servings sizes.
The Kitchen will also offer culinary classes to the community and if anyone is interested in teaching a class, they can complete a form on their website.
For example: Jake Gross is planning on teaching how to smoke and prepare meats, she said.
With the pods at the back, at the front of 12 S. Main is the retail food area which has glass-front refrigerators to keep the food products that will be for sale. There will eventually be curbside pickup in the back of the business.
Hours will be Monday through Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Fridays they will close at 5:30. Saturday hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contact French at 620.418.9284.
10 S. Main: The Parlor by Eighteen 65
At 10 S. Main, there is an event center, called The Parlor by Eighteen 65 for wedding receptions, birthday parties, etc.
Ribbon Cutting and Opening
The ribbon cutting for The Kitchen Collective and Collaborative is Thursday, September 19 at 4 p.m.
“On September 20, you can come in and get breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” French said. Opening day will be chicken/noodle with mashed potatoes and homemade snickerdoodle cookies by Jamie Beckham.”
Employees
All staff will be cooking, baking, catering, and also teaching classes at any one time in the facility.
Beckham was a restauranteur and baker in Fort Scott’s recent past.
Also hired by The Kitchen is Melissa Houston, a graduate of California Culinary Academy who has 30 years of experience and will be doing recipe development and cooking classes.
Madelyn Martin will be helping with catering and is locally known for her charcuterie boards.
Dawna Krebs will be taking care of the retail section and also baking, as will Grace French.
KDA Extends Summer Youth Food Program
DCF Announces Application Deadline Extension for Summer EBT Program
Application deadline is now 5 p.m. on October 15
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is extending the application deadline for the 2024 Summer EBT program, a new federal program designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer.
Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks in other states, is a partnership between DCF, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, and the Kansas Department of Education. The program provides families a one-time installment of $120 per each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries over the summer. Applications will be accepted through the DCF online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov, until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. Families will need to use their existing account through the DCF self-service portal or create an account to apply.
Since July 2024, about 117,200 students have received the one-time $120 Summer EBT benefit through an auto-issuance, and DCF has received more than 2,000 applications. For families with children receiving food assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and/or foster care benefits, the Summer EBT benefit was automatically added to existing households’ Kansas Benefits Cards (also known as an EBT card) or loaded onto a Kansas Benefits Card and mailed to the home. DCF estimates there could be more than 100,000 children who did not automatically receive the benefit but may be eligible.
Eligibility:
Children may be eligible for the program if:
- The child attended a Kansas school offering the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program, and the household income met the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals at any point during the 2023-24 school year.
Or
- the school-aged child (7-17 years old) received food assistance, TANF, and/or foster care benefits at any point during the 2023-24 school year. (Summer EBT benefits were auto-issued to these households in July 2024.)
“While Summer EBT is intended to help offset the cost of food during summer break when kids don’t have access to the free or reduced-price meals they get at school, even with children already back in class the program can still provide families with a little extra help in putting food on their tables,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “We hope that by extending the application deadline, more families with eligible children will have the opportunity to apply for this year’s Summer EBT benefit.”
Application:
Families with children who did not receive the Summer EBT benefit by the end of July 2024 should apply through the online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2024.
Learn more about the Summer EBT program at dcf.ks.gov.
Hydroponics At Uniontown Junior High: Learning and Growing Produce For The School
Students at the rural school in western Bourbon County now have the opportunity to gain knowledge in an up-and-coming farm business, hydroponics.
Alison Weston teaches botany/horticulture at Uniontown Junior High School this year, and as part of this class, hydroponics is being taught.
Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil, according to https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/hydroponics
“As a teacher, I love this unit because it is an awesome way to get kids involved and to grow a love for gardening and planting their own food,” she said. “I love gardening and this is a neat way to integrate that into the curriculum. I’d love to get a greenhouse going at some point.”
USD 235 was the recipient of a hydroponic shipping container farm through a grant awarded to the Kansas Division of Children and Families, USD 235 Superintendent Vance Eden said in a prior interview.
Hydrophonics is Coming to a Local School System
The Community Green Farms of Pittsburg, KS announced on September 11, 2023, that they would receive over $1,000,000 to bring seven southeast Kansas counties a vertical hydroponic container farm.
“The project is called a Leafy Greens Unit,” Weston said.
“The purpose is to help kids appreciate the food they eat and to help kids want to eat healthier by having the chance to grow their own food- there is a correlation between kids growing their own food and then wanting to try it,” Weston said.
Six botany students are involved in the production of greens, and eight students help in the Science Technology Engineering, and Math education class.
“The botany students are basically in charge. We are still coming up with a job schedule for them. Every day we take 10 gallons of Culligan Water into the reserve tank. Our city water has a pH that is inadequate, so this was the option chosen to get better quality water to the plants.”
“We have seedlings that are watered twice a week by bottom-watering, upfront in the unit. They are planted in compressed coconut husks in trays- all soilless. No soil is used. After they have matured, about 3 weeks, they are transplanted into the towers, which are the vertical hanging towers. There is wicking material that as the watering system from above drips down on the towers, the wicking material soaks it up and drains out of the bottom of the tower. There is a drainage system below the tower so as the whole unit is at a bit of a tilt, the water drains into the reservoir.”
Twice a month someone comes from Leafy Greens in Pittsburg to check on the fertilizers and pH solutions.
” They are diluted into the water and given to the plants throughout the day. The whole system is on an automated timer so it waters every couple of hours and the grow lights are turned on every couple of hours,” Weston said.
The students harvest twice a week and the two cafeterias serve them to the students at lunch.
They have been growing Monte Carlo Romaine and Swiss Chard for a few months.
“Mr. Eden, Officer Trim, and the custodians were taking care of the unit over the summer before I took it over with the botany/horticulture class. We also grow large-leaf basil, and oakleaf lettuce.”
“We are just now starting some experimental plants: eggplant, kale, marigolds, violas, onions, spinach, radishes, beets, and various lettuces.”
They are supplying to the school kitchen currently, but plan to branch out to other businesses soon.
Bourbon County Senior Citizens, Inc. receives $5,000 grant from Heartland
Bourbon County Senior Citizens, Inc., which helps facilitate the Meals on Wheels program in Fort Scott and surrounding areas, was awarded $5,000 for repairs to their distribution center in historic downtown Fort Scott.
The funds will go toward the cost of installing helical masonry ties to secure the building’s brick veneer to the structural frame, which had begun separating due to missing or deteriorated brick ties. With these repairs, the facility can continue to serve as a safe base of operations for the staff and volunteers that package and deliver hundreds of meals each month.
The project was among six selected for a total of $29,300 in funding by the Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative Board of Directors through the cooperative’s Concern for Community grant program.
“We had a great batch of proposals this year,” said Mark Scheibe, Heartland CEO. “We look forward to working with some outstanding partners to put these funds to work for the good of Heartland members and their communities.”
As a non-profit, member-owned cooperative, Heartland issues capital credits to members each year, but sometimes those capital credits go unclaimed. Because those monies were intended to be returned to the communities from which they came, Heartland’s Board of Directors decided to use those unclaimed funds for community grants and started the Concern for Community program in 2019.
The Concern for Community program provides grants of up to $5,000 for capital improvement projects throughout the Heartland service area, which covers parts of 12 counties in eastern Kansas. Capital improvement projects are those that involve investment in structures or equipment that will last for many years.
Applications were accepted from June 1–July 31 and selected by the Heartland Board of Directors at their August 23 meeting. Heartland plans to reopen applications in summer 2025 for the next round of funding.
This year, six applications out of 30 received were approved for funding by the Heartland board. The other projects selected are as follows:
- Cherokee County Kansas Fair Association, Inc. was awarded $5,000 to help purchase cooling fans for the show barns at the fairgrounds in Columbus.
- Dream Big Little One Association was awarded $4,300 for repairs and renovations at their distribution center in Columbus.
- Sugar Valley Lake Homes Association, Inc. was awarded $5,000 toward a playground project at the Sugar Valley/Hidden Valley clubhouse in Mound City.
- USD 362 Prairie View was awarded $5,000 toward a new childcare center in La Cygne.
- USD 413 Foundation was awarded $5,000 toward a new animal science learning center at Chanute High School.
About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. powers rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson.
Heartland REC traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives: Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association. Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company joined with Sugar Valley in 1975 to form United Electric Cooperative; United Electric Cooperative joined with Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in 1996 to form Heartland.