Ogallala Commons Newsletter: March 2011

Grazing Field Day Increases Knowledge and Tools

by Darryl Birkenfeld, OC Director

(Landowners along with agency personnel discuss grazing techniques at the Playa Classroom in Nazareth on March 24^th.)

On a blustery, chilly morning, 22 landowners and agency personnel (not to mention 43 cows) braved the elements to learn about benefits and challenges of prescribed grazing at a Playa Grazing Management Day conducted on March 24^th in Nazareth, TX. It was an opportunity to share knowledge between landowners, ag producers and educators who have years of experience and expertise. In addition to learning out on the land, presentations before and after the field tour provided on overview of playas on the Southern Great Plains, with a focus on how grazing, when properly applied, can help create healthy playa habitat.

The Management Day will began with an overview of playas and their ecological services, given by Dr. David Haukos, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Out at the field site, Julie Hodges, Ogallala Commons Education Coordinator, introduced attendees to the Playa Classroom. Next, Charles Coffman of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department led the group on a walking examination of grazing paddocks, while giving key pointers regarding prescribed or planned grazing in playas and their adjoining uplands. After about 90 minutes in the brisk outdoors, the group returned to the Home Mercantile building for a hot lunch, and some brief remarks on playa wildlife opportunities given by Ken Cearley and outdoorsman Jim Steiert. The event finished with a special presentation on saturated thickness and current depletion rates in the Southern High Plains region of the Ogallala Aquifer, given by Dr. Kevin Mulligan, Dept. of Geosciences at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX.

The workshop was conducted by Ogallala Commons, with its partners: the Dixon Water Foundation, the Xcel Energy Foundation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and Playa Lakes Joint Venture. In the coming months, Ogallala Commons will conduct Field Days on playa buffer establishment and playa plant identification.

Conservation Education Days Enliven Teachers and Landowners

By Julie Hodges, Prairie Workshop, LLC, OC Education Coordinator

On Tuesday, March 8, Ogallala Commons completed the last of a series of five Conservation Education Days for educators participating in Playa Festivals, regional agency personnel, landowners and community members.

Each of the Conservation Education days provided educators with basic information about playas and Playa Festivals, as well as opportunities for teachers to share tools and activities that enhance TEKS-based learning before and after the Festivals. In addition, landowners were invited to join the sessions to learn with educators. This interchange allowed landowners to see that there is interest in playa conservation at local schools, with a new generation of students, provided educators to meet landowners who might have an interest in playa conservation and/or schools visits to their playas and enabled teachers and landowners to learn some pertinent information about playas, conservation of the Ogallala Aquifer, and natural resources in general.

A total of 95 teachers, educators, landowners, agency personnel and community members attended Conservation Education Days in Brownfield, Friona, Portales, Clovis, and Amarillo.

Ogallala Commons was assisted by many of our partners at the trainings, including The Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, the Xcel Energy Foundation, Texas Tech University Professors, city officials and regional Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

OC Semester Intern Profile

By Jennifer Zavaleta

(Jennifer poses in her office with a program evaluation text she is studying to conduct surveys that will assist OC in its playa education work)

My name is Jennifer Zavaleta and I am a graduate student in the Natural Resource Management Department at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. For my thesis, I will be analyzing data about vegetation restoration in prairie chicken habitat. Prairie chickens’ habitat has changed dramatically with the suppression of fires and loss of playas. My research interests and personal interest in environmental education overlap nicely with the goals of Ogallala Commons.

For my semester-long internship, I am developing program evaluation tools, or surveys, to measure how effective Ogallala Common is at transferring information and changing attitudes about water conservation. Program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about a program’s effectiveness.

Since Ogallala Commons works with a variety of groups, I will have to make a few individualized instruments. Each of the instruments, however, will include information related to knowledge acquisition, change in attitude, and intentions to change behavior. The first evaluation will be for producers who will be attending a conference in Nazareth at the end of the month. Next, I will develop two instruments to evaluate how much students and teachers are impacted by playa festivals. Finally, I will develop a tool to evaluate the experience of people that visit the outdoor classroom.

This internship will help me develop skills in evaluation and provide some experience with consulting. After graduation, I hope to spend some time working abroad before coming back to continue my education. My future is uncertain, but luckily people are beginning to recognize the value of natural resources, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a worthwhile project!

Seeding the Spring: High Plains Food Coop Partners with GrowHaus

By Chris Sramek, OC Board President, Atwood, Kansas

(Participants check out tomato and chile seeds at the Seed Swap)

On March 5^th in Denver, Colorado, the GrowHaus (www.thegrowhaus.com) held its first annual Seed Swap and Planting Party, followed by a "Growing our Urban AgriCULTURE" potluck hosted by Grow Local Colorado. Over 400 gardeners stopped in over the course of the day to trade seeds kicking off this year’s growing season, and $1000 was raised for the community farm program!

The High Plains Food Co-op (www.highplainsfood.org) and The GrowHaus are partnering to bring Urban and Rural Agriculture TOGETHER and develop a local food system for the Elyria – Swansea, Five Points and Curtis Park neighborhoods located in the heart of Denver County. These communities are in a food desert with the closest grocery store, being Wal-Mart 3.5 miles away. The High Plains Food Co-op and The GrowHaus’s urban farm will work together to supply fresh and local food to a new farmers market, emerging corner stores and schools. They will use a combination of donations and a pay what you can model to ensure everyone has access to the food.

The Seed Swap was the first event the HPFC co-sponsored, and on April 1^st, folks from the GrowHaus will be in Atwood, KS at the Rawlins County Youth Entrepreneurship Fair speaking on Aquaponic Systems, Food Justice and Social Entrepreneurship. Plans for the two entities are to continue co-hosting educational events, have urban and rural youth exchanges, and be key players in the developing Denver local food system.



Ogallala Commons Newsletter: February 2011

Program Takes Stock of Future of Agriculture

by Tom Giessel, OC Board Member, Larned, Kansas

l-r: Derrick Schacher, William Nelson, and Tom Giessel brought represented multi-generation experience and thoughtful remarks to the Feb. 15^th evening program

On February 15^th, the Home Mercantile Building in Nazareth, Texas was the venue for a public program focused on “The Next Generation of Agriculture.” Following hors d’oeuvres and a celebration of music and poetry “Mirroring Agriculture on the Southern Plains”, by artist and OC Advisory Council member Andy Wilkinson, his daughter Emily Arellano, and Andy & Alissa Hedges, the gatherings’ attention focused on a panel presentation featuring William Nelson, President of CHS Foundation, Derrick Schacher, a young farmer from Nazareth, and your truly,Tom Giessel, a life-long farmer from Larned, Kansas.

Nelson provided a broad overview of today’s agriculture. His decades of experience and exposure to food and farming issues from the viewpoint of a regional cooperative provided a perspective which very few individuals have experienced. Growing up in rural Minnesota, his roots run deep in rural communities and the family farm. His career has exposed him to the full spectrum of agriculture. His message for the next generation in agriculture to “aim for the middle,” resonated with the audience and set the tone for the meeting.

Local farmer Derrick Schacher, provided a glimpse of what most young families experience as they begin their journey in a rural farming community. The difficulties in securing land and capital are the most common obstacles in getting “a foot in the furrow.” He spoke of doing custom farming, sharing of equipment and utilizing his skills of welding and repairing machinery. Derrick echoed the partnership of his wife and family in the decisions he makes, as well as the commitment to community. Woven throughout his comments was the strong determination to succeed.

As the final panelist, I suggested our efforts to maintain rural communities and family farms have another dimension, beyond the importance opportunity of beginning farmers. At 58 years old, I’m still a few years from retirement, but I suggest that we should take a second look at how “mature” operations ultimately exit farmland and communities. I believe we must re-think how to grow our farms and mold them to be “harvestable” by the next generation. I believe many of today’s farms are not transferable in the current structure and we must find ways to allow the next generation to build their own farms to meet the needs of communities and society.

The most important aspect of the meeting was audience participation, with question and comments. Kim Barker, Waynoka Oklahoma farmer, suggested the family farms of the future would succeed by growing inputs [instead of purchasing them] and re-discovering ways to farm without being a slave to intense capital needs. Other questions revolved around workable ideas on how to begin farming. As with virtually all local issues and problems, answers do not come from afar, but from within. The evening program provided a great opportunity in that regard. Ogallala Commons wishes to thank our sponsors, CHS, Inc.-Dimmitt, TX and Peoples Bank in Nazareth, TX for making our program possible.

Annual Southern Plains Conference Explores Community Health

by Darryl Birkenfeld, Director, Ogallala Commons

A diverse crowd from two dozen communities and 6 states listens to speaker J. Michael Harter at the morning session of the 22^nd Annual Southern Plains Conference

When counting up their blessings, most people will list “good health” as one of the gifts for which they are most grateful. Yet, how many realize that individual health depends not just on personal choices, but on the health and wellness of the communities that we live in?

On February 16, Ogallala Commons and its partners illustrated the commonwealth of health at the 22^nd Annual Southern Plains Conference…with its theme, “What Makes Communities Healthy? “ The event drew more than 110 people from scores of communities and six states to the Community Hall and Home Mercantile in Nazareth, Texas.

“Probably the most important realization that people took away from the conference is that community health is not some vague notion; rather, it is an every day, concrete experience, and in all its dimensions, it constitutes our economic, social, mental, physical, environmental, emotional, and spiritual wellness,” noted Darryl Birkenfeld, Director of Ogallala Commons. “Rather than being a realm only for experts and professionals, community health is exactly the place where the interest and activity of ordinary citizens can make a profound contribution.”

Among the many excellent speakers at the conference, Elaine Albracht Sullivan from Dallas, TX (a Nazareth native) gave a powerful keynote presentation that explored six dimensions of wellness (social, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, emotional, physical), and helped attendees look at wellness in their own lives and how it is linked to community wellness. Luckily, the weather was just perfect before lunch, when all the participants went on walking tours around Nazareth…participating in a Community Health Observation exercise, where teams of five worked together to make observations and learn about 20 different aspects of community health. After a delicious lunch, Fr. Ken Keller, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Nazareth, also spoke eloquently on “Dealing with Unhealth: the Flipside of Striving for Health”…compiling his list of “Six Illnesses” that our rural communities struggle with and need to overcome. Other conference speakers and exhibit booths also offered excellent resources and tools for improving community health…through entrepreneurship, community health assessments, and affordable housing. The conference closed with a panel entitled, “The Promise of Health: Action Steps” moderated by Tabitha King, a Texas Tech University student and a Rural & Community Health intern for Ogallala Commons.

Sponsors for the 22^nd Annual Southern Conference are Ogallala Commons, the F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Castro County HealthCare, Swisher Memorial Hospital, Moore Than Medicine, and Texas Farmers Union.

Faith Community Nursing: A Resource for Building Community Health

By Sharon Hinton

(Sharon was to be a presenter at our Southern Plains Conference, but was prevented from attending by frozen pipes thawing and water leaking in her building. The article below provides an overview of faith community nursing as a community health action tool)

A parish-faith community nurse (FCN) is not just a nurse in the church! Parish-faith community nurses are trusted healthcare experts who walk with one foot in the medical world and the other foot in the everyday life of the people they serve. Parish-faith community nursing is a specialty practice where registered nurses (RN) work in partnership with clergy in a church setting to serve a congregation and the surrounding community. Experienced RNs attend additional training to provide customized wholistic care of body, mind and spirit that is appropriate for the faith beliefs of a particular congregation. FCNs are found in all major Christian denominations and religions. A few of the many roles include health educator, health advocate, resource & referral for health services, coordinator of health advocate volunteers, health coach, and clergy health advisor. Examples of programs provided include support groups, health and wellness education, home/hospital visitation and coordination of care, parenting classes, how to age well programs, understanding diabetes, blood pressure checks, and flu shot clinics. FCNs work with a health committee to plan services for the congregation and community. Health ministry is a powerful tool for community outreach and youth involvement as volunteers. Your congregation has many valuable assets in the talents of its members! For more information contact Sharon T. Hinton (806)983-8096, sth.rnr@door.net or visit these websites: http://www.ruralnurseresource.com/, www.gbgm-umc.org/parishnursing, http://www.parishnurses.org/, http://www.hmassoc.org/ or contact the national office of your denomination.

Sharon T. Hinton (RN, MSN) has more than 20 years experience in nursing. She is the Executive Director and lead instructor for Rural Nurse Resource, Inc. Sharon and her family reside in Floydada, TX.

Reflections on the Conference: A Youth Perspective
by Savanna Bragg, 2010 OC Community Intern, Tulia, TX

The weather was so warm and pleasant at the Southern Plains (the exact opposite of the bitter cold one week earlier), that students attending from Tulia High School decided to take their lunches outdoors, to soak up good health and delicious nutrition after the Community Observation Team exercise (photo by Rebecca Cobb).

Since so many of the people who are reading this article are from small towns, he or she will understand how vitally important the health of a community is. Small towns are generally known to have a higher “death rate” in comparison to a bigger town, just because of less resources. The Southern Plains Conference hosted by Ogallala Commons displayed several ways to keep a community healthy, striving, and most importantly, alive. The conference was based off of the circle of interdependent dimensions that support communal wellness. Physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social, economic, and environmental are the seven key dimensions. Speakers from all over the Texas Panhandle, and even from out-of-state, attended the conference to speak about how their job position helps keep a community healthy. Mrs. Elaine Sullivan from Dallas, Texas presented the “Understanding and Appreciating the Development of Wellness.” In her presentation, she covered the six dimensions of wellness, and how each one influences both the community and the individual. Julie Hodges, OC Education Coordinator, guided everyone on a tour around Nazareth. The point of this exercise was to help everyone visually understand what parts of a town are assets to the health of a community. After everyone returned from the tour and finished their locally prepared lunch, representatives from three local towns, Tulia, Nazareth, and Hart, displayed their specific town's healthy community plan. Father Ken Keller from Nazareth presented “Dealing with Unhealthy… the Flipside of Striving for Health.” He explained the importance of having a recovery plan for a community in the event that an emergency were to happen. In mid-afternoon the conference to resources for building a healthy community, with presentations from Jeff Reid on entrepreneurship, Shannon Kirkland on Community Health Assessments, and Joe Franco on affordable housing.

Southern Plains Conference Follow-up Coming Soon to OgallalaCommons.org
By Julie Hodges, M.S.

Be sure and check out http://www.ogallalacommons.org/ for follow-up information to the 22^nd Annual Southern Plains Conference in the next week or so. We have been working hard to gather and digitize the Walking Activity Worksheets, PowerPoint Presentations and other items presented at the conference last week. We will send out an email to everyone when the page is up and running.

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: January 2011

High Plains Food Coop Builds Success for 2011
By Donn Teske, OC Advisory Council Member & President, Kansas Farmers Union

Back in 2005, the Kansas Farmers Union collaborated with Ogallala Commons to host a two-day training workshop in Lindsborg Kansas focused on direct-sales of agricultural production. The theme was “Regional Food Systems & Marketing Opportunities” and the workshop looked at the Oklahoma Food Co-op and their success up to that point. A farm couple attending the meeting who I had never met before was Chris & Sherri Schmidt from Oberlin, KS.

From that meeting, efforts were launched to form the High Plains Food Co-op, with the help of many but mostly the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Co-op & Economic Development Center and Ogallala Commons.

I’m proud to say that Kansas Farmers Union and Ogallala Commons are two of the charter members of High Plains Food Co-op (HPFC), which is a group of over 40 niche food producers in NW Kansas, NE Colorado, and SW Nebraska. Chris Schmidt is now the NW Kansas state director for KFU and he is the president of HPFC, and is doing a great job. Their customer base is the Denver, Colorado-Front Range area, and orders for their products are taken online and then delivered by volunteers on scheduled routes to designated delivery points where the customers come and pick up their products. I was shocked last year at the HPFC Annual Meeting when it was reported that their annual sales for 2009 exceeded $29,000! The co-op was hardly off the ground, just in existence since May of 08! I was REALLY shocked at this year’s Annual Meeting, when reported sales for 2010 exceeded $49,000! Trend lines are suggesting that they should double in size again by next year!

Kansas Farmers Union had a very, very small role in the development of this co-op with almost all credit due to the producers themselves (like Chris Schmidt) and organizers like Chris Sramek, and the technical support of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. So please take the opportunity to check out all the products and the ever-expanding producer list at the High Plains Food Coop website (www.highplainsfood.org). Where else would you have a chance to taste Yak meat?


Community Health Spotlight at Southern Plains Conference
By Darryl Birkenfeld, OC Executive Director

Living a healthy life doesn’t just depend on individual choices, but also on the health of the community where people live. On February 16, Ogallala Commons and its partners invite the general public to learn more at the 22nd Annual Southern Plains Conference, with its theme, “What Makes Communities Healthy? “ to be held at the Community Hall and Home Mercantile in Nazareth, Texas.

“Community health is multi-faceted…it involves economic, social, mental, physical, environmental, emotional, and spiritual wellness,” notes Darryl Birkenfeld, Director of Ogallala Commons. “Community health is exactly where involved citizens can have a great impact. Participants attending the conference will learn the basic indicators of community health, along with factors that indicate a lack of health. There will also be excellent resources and tools offered for improving community health.”

The conference begins at 8:15am with opening remarks, and historical presentation about health on the Southern Plains by Michael Harter entitled, “A Salubrious Country.” Elaine Sullivan, an educator and counselor from Dallas, TX will offer a keynote address entitled “Understanding and Appreciating the Development of Wellness.” At 9:15am, a 5-member panel will illustrate the basic aspects of community health in their presentation, “What Makes Communities Healthy?”

After a morning break for refreshment and viewing exhibit booths, conference participants will be assigned to teams of five members, and given a walking and interviewing task. The assignments will be conducted in the village of Nazareth, to help participants learn through making observations about community health and discussing assets and challenges in their own communities. After a delicious lunch, Fr. Ken Keller, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church, will speak on “Dealing with Unhealth: the Flipside of Striving for Health” In addition, there will be two presentation on resources for building healthy communities, and a closing presentation entitled, “The Promise of Health: Action Steps” moderated by Tabitha King, a Texas Tech University student and a Rural & Community Health intern for Ogallala Commons.

Those who wish to attend the Feb. 16th conference can register online or by mail (a $40 Early Bird Discount is available until Jan. 28th). It is also possible to register at the door for $50 per person. To see a complete brochure and to register online, visit: http://www.ogallalacommons.org/southernplainsconference.html

Sponsors for the 22nd Annual Southern Plains Conference are Ogallala Commons, the F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health at Texas Tech University, Castro County HealthCare, Swisher Memorial Hospital, and Texas Farmers Union. For more information, contact Darryl Birkenfeld, Director, Ogallala Commons, at 806-945-2255 (darrylb@amaonline.com)


OC Stewarding Natural Resources - Teaching about Playas
By Julie Hodges, MS

Playa Festivals and Conservation Education Days would not be possible without the amazing folks who give their time and energy to making memorable presentations during these events. Recently Ogallala Commons hosted a luncheon to thank these talented and dedicated folks for all that they do. Also, OC Intern Sarah Le has produced a video about Playa Festivals. It is available to watch on our Playa Festival Blog (http://playafestival.blogspot.com) or on You Tube!

Below is a brief description of all of the folks who help make Playa Festivals possible.

DAVID HAUKOS, Ph.D.
David Haukos, Ph.D is a professor at Texas Tech University and a biologist for US Fish & Wildlife. At each Playa Festival Dr. Haukos presents two learning modules. The first is "Playa Overview" where Festival participants learn what playas are, what they do, and why they are important from this leading expert. Dr. Haukos also teaches "Playa Plants," a natural fit for the co-author of "Common Flora of the Playa Lakes." Dave will be relocating to Manhattan, KS in February, but will continue to assist where possible in OC events.

GAIL BARNES & JASPER THE BARN OWL
Gail Barnes is the Educator for the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Nightwings, two nonprofits in Lubbock, Texas dedicated to rehabilitation of injured, orphaned, or ill wildlife. Gail is state and federally permitted to do programs with educational animals (wildlife that could not be released back into the wild). She is usually the highlight of Playa Festivals delighting the children with Jasper the Barn Owl, and several other raptors that travel with her.

JIM STEIERT
To delight Playa Festival participants with duck calls and pseudo thunderstorms is author and waterfowler, Jim Stiert. Jim's presentation, titled "Playa Buffers & Waterfowl" illustrates challenges faced by playa wetlands and the ducks and geese that depend on playas for habitat.

DARRYL BIRKENFELD, Ph.D
Not only is he Executive Director of Ogallala Commons! Darryl Birkenfeld teaches students about an array of subjects, including soils, macro invertebrates, and amphibians. His presentations are filled with stories about his personal experiences on playas. Dr. Birkenfeld also assists in leading the field trip to a playa on Day 1 of each Playa Festival.

JULIE HODGES, MS
Julie Hodges is the Education Coordinator for Ogallala Commons. She teaches Bird Identification and Nature Journaling at Playa Festivals, as well as serving as a guide at each Playa field trip.

USDA-NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE Personnel
At each Playa Festival a representative from the county NRCS office assists in teaching and scouting out field trip locations. This is an important and vital role for Playa Festivals.

From left to right, Jim Steiert, Darryl Birkenfeld, Gail Barnes, Julie Hodges, Dave Haukos

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: December 2010

Adventures in Community Leadership Training:
Early Efforts, New Initiatives

By Chris Sramek, OC Board Member, Atwood, Kansas

Back in 2006, Rawlins County, Kansas initiated a Community Leadership Training Program, through assistance and training from Ogallala Commons. Those efforts built a foundation for a stronger leadership training initiative in the fall 2008, with consultation Rawlins County leaders and our local HTC - KHP Leadership Team, The group began planning a Community Leadership Program which included content from S. Covey’s book, Speed ofTrust, and integrated portions of the adaptive leadership framework from the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC). The program’s design was to link community youth linked to adult members, to provide relationship building and mentoring opportunities between generations, and provide a more challenging extension of previous community leadership programs. The program would engage participation and cross generational dialog with others in the community through an interview process. The original goal was to start the new Leadership Program in the fall of 2009, with a $1,000 grant obtained from Atwood Second Century, but scheduling to the school calendar and planning challenges delayed the start until the fall of 2010.

Here are the main goals of our Speed of Trust Community Leadership Program:

• 1. Work on community trust building: Based on J. Williams’s surveys in 2007, trust was identified as a central issue in the community slowing development progress.
• 2. Connect older and younger community members: Based on the HTC - KHP youth assessment

  completed in 2008, youth engagement and involvement was identified to be a significant concern.

• 3. Build leadership capacity: Building stronger, more competent leaders is a key factor in being an even more successful community in the future.
• 4. Engage more leaders: Major community challenges require more ideas, input and assistance

  from a broader segment of our community than ever before.

Program invitations were mailed to 20 high school youth leaders and 40 adult community leaders with the intent of having an equal representation of youth and adults of varying ages in the program. The first Speed of Trust class had 16 enrolled in session 1 in September 2010 and 14 graduated in session 4 in November. The program consisted of (4) two hour working sessions held in the new RCHS band – concessions addition and homework assigned was to conduct 2 to 3 community interviews and various readings from S. Covey’s book and KLC curriculum.

In session 1, the class was paired into youth and adult partners based on outcomes of a Color’s personality mapping exercise, and then partners chose community members of various ages with whom to conduct an interview. Ten community assessment questions were assigned to be used in the interviews. In session 2, the class discussed and analyzed the responses from 36 interviews, and then prioritized the issues and outcomes to importance to them. In session 3, the class dug deeper into the core issues from the interviews using KLC technical vs. adaptive diagnoses and S Covey’s 13 Trust Competencies. Then they choose the key youth leadership issue of “Getting youth opinions and involvement in community decision making” and diagnosed it deeper. In session 4, class partners made interpretations and observations from another community stakeholder’s perspective on the youth leadership dilemma, using KLC technical vs. adaptive diagnoses and S Covey’s 13 Trust Competencies. The community stakeholders considered where government, school, business, health, families, youth, middle age, elders, ag community and rural County residents north and south. When diagnosis was completed the class discussed several experiments or interventions they could do as a class to fix the dilemma. They also discussed the choice to do nothing, because the issue was too big to make change. To conclude, the class evaluated likes, dislikes and the effectiveness of the program meeting original goals and had a graduation pizza party.

The course had three main outcomes:

• 1. The class wants to participate in two more sessions this spring to: 1. Work on including

  leadership curriculum in the class room and 2. Include more KLC and SOT content.

• 2. The program should be repeated next Fall and Spring with a more diverse group.
• 3. Individual interest in KLC training in Wichita and the Ogallala Commons Summer Internship program.

The Speed of Trust Leadership Class (Back Row left to right): Kurt Dillon, Heather Horinek, Heidi Foster, Keaton Argabright, Rachael Grafel, Delbert Schmidt, Cody Green (Front Row left to right) Chris Sramek, Jenni Sramek, Summer Castens, Abbey Wolters and Pattie Wolters. not pictured Sarah Green, Audrey Basgall and Julie Britton.

Regional Meetings Bolster Internships
By Darryl Birkenfeld

Ogallala Commons recently conducted three regional meetings with partners in our Community Internship Program. On Nov. 16^th, Darryl Birkenfeld traveled to Atwood, KS to meet with partners from Western Kansas and Nebraska. Similar meetings were conducted by OC Education Coordinator Julie Hodges and Darryl at Clarendon Community College in Clarendon, TX on Nov. 28^th and at Abernathy City Hall in Abernathy, TX on Dec. 2^nd. Those who attended these meetings included: County Judges, business owners, high school teachers, Community College faculty, community leaders, and personnel from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

A key outcome of the morning meetings was to obtain feedback from partners regarding the benefits of Community Internships, and the challenges that need to be dealt with and improved upon to build successful internships. Another main outcome was to provide information and new tools to partners, in order to help them recruit capable candidates and build realistic work plans to engage the interns. After a lunch break, the afternoon session was spent reviewing the OC Community Internship Guidebook, so that partners would have a more comprehensive understanding of the main elements of the program.

In the aftermath of these meetings, OC received helpful comments and some new pathways for recruiting new partners to support Community Internships. Besides giving information, the meetings allowed partners to meet and interact with one another, re-igniting the enthusiasm it takes to build and sustain internships. Above all, the gatherings were about making sure that our partners are equipped to work with us to support the 40 Community Internships that we expect in 2011!

Community Internship Partners from Texas share ideas at the meeting in Abernathy (l to r): Morgan Dezendorf, High Plains Food Bank, Amarillo; Clay Wimmer, 2010 Community Intern from Abernathy; David Graf, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent from Tulia; Lydia Villanueva, Director of CASA del Llano in Hereford; Mark Castillo, Spanish Teacher from Hart High School; and Fr. Ken Keller, pastor of Holy Family Church in Nazareth.

2010—Ogallala Commons Best Year Ever!
By Darryl Birkenfeld

Starting a nonprofit with a mission targeting parts of 8 states is an ambitious undertaking. Can it truly be done? In the years 2003-2008, Ogallala Commons had to work through building an identity and overcoming limitations. Now we are finding our niche, and 2010 can be remembered as the pivotal year when OC really turned a corner. Here is a list of several highlights of our banner year:

First, OC was greatly aided and dramatically improved by the work of Julie Hodges. During her 6 month internship from January to July, Julie designed a new OC website, helped conduct 5 Conservation Education Days, while working on the Southern Plains Conference and 2 Local Food Field Days. Julie also completed the materials and interpretative panel for the opening of the Playa Classroom. Just as important, Julie created our Community Interns Blog, a year-round, real-time resource for our interns spread across five states. During her succeeding 6 months as OC Education Coordinator, she coordinated 14 Playa Festivals in Texas and New Mexico (check out the Playa Festival blog:http://playafestival.blogspot.com/ ), in addition to designing guidebooks, brochures, and flyers.

Second, OC established a significant education outreach in 2010. After years with only a few annual events, OC now offers monthly education events that included Youth Engagement Days, teacher trainings, youth entrepreneur fairs, conservation education for landowners, intern orientations, tours, and Playa Festivals at school sites—all told, 30 educational events that instructed over 2,500 attendees in one year, the most ever!

Third, OC grew another vital part of its mission: fostering a sense of place. Our commemoration of the 75^th Anniversary of Black Sunday and the Dust Bowl at the Southern Plains Conference was certainly a highlight for the 150 who attended. Our illustration of 12 Key Assets of Commonwealth of Ogallala Commons resonated with hundreds of people who viewed it on our website or saw it as part of our “Treatise on the Commons” that was published on the website: On The Commons (to read the treatise, link on this link:http://www.onthecommons.org/content.php?id=2749). A growing number of communities are learning about the commonwealth embedded in the unique landscapes, cultures, and stories that form their sense of place.

Fourth, through our evolving Community Internship Program, OC is actually building resilient communities. In 2010, OC and its community and institution partners created 33 internships in Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. These interns added tremendous value to their communities and institutions, while developing their skills and gaining work experience. These interns also learned much more about their hometowns, and were able to explore career options that can bring them back in the future. In 2010 alone, OC interns earned $65,000 in stipends from their work experiences, contributed 330 hours of community service, earned 27 hours of college and graduate credit, and submitted over 200 blog entries and 600 photos through the OC Community Intern Blog (www.ogallalaintern.blogspot.com). By year’s end, OC community building work of engaging youth and creating community internships was recognized in the December newsletter of the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship.

Thanks to all our partners for making the vision of reinvigorating the commonwealth grow into reality. Finally, OC would not have had a banner year without the committed work and insights of our Board of Directors and Advisory Council. With your continued involvement and support, we look forward to 2011!

Teri Reed from Friona, TX, a 2nd place winner at OC's Regional Youth Entrepreneur Fair on Nov. 9th, receives her $1,000 prize check from the two donor partners: Cargill Feeders, Inc. (represented by Bil Anderson of Lockney, TX), and John Bertsch, a Certified Financial Planner based in Plainview, TX. (Photo taken by Thomas Reed)

My First Official Year with Ogallala Commons
By Julie Hodges

When it came time for me to find a place to do my internship, Ogallala Commons seemed a natural fit. First of all, it operates in my home - a place with landscapes, history, culture and other “heritagey” things that I am passionate about preserving. Second, the people associated with OC are interesting, talented and inspiring. And to top things off, it was a place where I could use my skill, training and talents to do something good and not be trapped in a windowless basement in the process!!

I was honored and excited in June when Darryl asked me to stay on with Ogallala Commons not as an intern, but as the Education Coordinator.

Throughout my internship and as OC’s Education Coordinator, I have worked harder, more passionately, with earlier and later hours, and on the most diverse set of projects than I have ever encountered at any other job in my life. I have done much of this from my home office. However, I have also traveled a total of 7,683 miles to 19 communities in 4 states, given my “how to id birds” talk over 50 times, introduced 1,500 students to the idea of nature journaling, read over, reviewed, graded or logged in over 3500 assessments, surveys, evaluations and questionnaires, given 5 big presentations (“big” means presentations to large groups of grownups at meetings where jeans were not appropriate), helped to coordinate 31 community internships in 6 states, managed 3 blogs, overhauled one website, completed an outdoor classroom, written one grant and a couple of grant reports, attended countless meetings, upgraded my cell phone to the “unlimited plan”, etc.

In my “spare time” I was a mom, a grad student, a volunteer at the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, added a bedroom onto my house and in November my boyfriend and I eloped in New Mexico and then came home and began a consulting firm called Prairie Workshop, LLC. I am now Julie Hodges and I have gained two new sweet daughters (to go along with my daughter Rhiley) as well. I look forward to another busy year at home and with OC.

Julie Hodges and Jason Hodges in Taos, NM after the wedding!

Stewarding Natural Resources,
A letter from the Education Coordinator…

2010 was an exceptional year for Playa Festivals and other Ogallala Commons (OC) environmental education efforts. Here are a few highlights:

We conducted a total of 5 Conservation Education Days throughout the panhandle of Texas during the early spring of 2010. These events were similar to past events where we train teachers and educators before they host a Playa Festival. The 2010 twist was to invite landowners to learn alongside and network with educators over a meal. We offered a delicious lunch, intriguing presentations on playas, the Ogallala Aquifer and federal programs for playa conservation as well as a unique opportunity to mingle. Through all 5 of these Conservation Education Days, Ogallala Commons educated a total of 68 teachers and landowners. The events were a great success, reaching a new group and continuing to energize area educators.

On June 8^th of this year, OC opened the world’s first Playa Classroom, an outdoor education center with interpretive panels, classroom space, rainwater harvesting, a xeric garden--- all set along the edge of a 20-acre playa in Nazareth, Texas. Dubbed as “A place to see, touch and experience a prairie wetland,” the Playa Classroom was visited by an estimated 400 people of all ages.

The Playa Classroom was the site for Ogallala Commons’ first-ever Playa Management Field Day on August 20^th. The Field Day was attended by 45 people—NRCS staff, OC interns, and 17 landowners! Of those 17 landowners, 14 reported one or more playas on their properties, and based on the acreage estimate that they wrote down in the surveys, our Field Day education presentations can potentially impact the management of 445 acres of playa basins.

September and October 2010 were busy months for Ogallala Commons and the wonderful folks that help us put on Playa Festivals. This past fall we bravely dove head first into 7 weeks of full calendars, logging hundreds of miles on pavement and dirt roads, criss-crossing the Southern High Plains with binoculars and journals in hand. All in all, over 1,500 5^th graders, their teachers and communities were engaged in hands-on learning through 14 Festivals. We also created the Playa Festival Blog – check it out - http://playafestival.blogspot.com/ and a Playa Festival Web Page!! – check it out too! - http://www.ogallalacommons.org/playafestival.html

Coming in 2011…

We have a few things up our sleeves for 2011 including:

• 1. A Playa Trunk full of resources for educators
• 2. A Video about Playa Festivals that will make you smile
• 3. Even more Playa Festivals than last year!!!!!
• 4. Playa Classroom expansion and additions

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: November 2010

Forming Observations

By Tabitha King

Internships are funny things. There is always the chance that being an intern means becoming the office’s official new “coffee getter.” Lucky for me, my Rural and Community Health internship has been anything but mundane. I am not stuck in an office, and have the opportunity to visit rural communities such as Dimmit, Olton and Tulia that I may otherwise never see. The internship has many aims including the aforementioned site visits, volunteering, setting up a panel discussion and creating a community observation tool. The observation tool is arguably the most challenging part. It will be used by attendees during a breakout session at the 22^nd annual Southern Plains Conference.

The idea is for attendees to walk around Nazareth, Texas and answer questions about how they view health in the community. The hope is after the conference they can use this same tool in their own town. Questions range from the environmental to the physical health of the community and its members. The main challenge for me has been forming a cohesive and complete observation tool on one front and back piece of paper. The idea of rural healthcare is extensive and each time I visit a new hospital or interview someone actively involved in rural healthcare I learn one more piece of the puzzle. The conference, in February, which seemed so far away in August, is quickly approaching. It will be the culmination of my work, and where I finally get to see what the impact of my observation tool will actually be.

Tabitha King is from McKinney, Texas. She is a senior at Texas Tech University majoring in Natural Histroy and Humanites with an emphasis in Pre-Medicine. She is also a Community Health Intern for Ogallala Commons.

Intern Video Created in Hopes of Creating Even More Excitement

By Alexis Schwarz, OC Intern

As many of you know, I’m the PR and Multimedia intern for OC this fall. One of my main jobs these past few months was to make a movie that would be presented at conferences, meetings, and trainings in hopes to create buzz and excitement for the many internship opportunities that OC offers.

This short video is informative…but it’s also something that most are not, shown through the eyes of the interns. Who better to give input and insight into the internships than the interns that have already completed them first-hand?

The five minute video highlights accomplishments by individual interns, the overall goal of OC itself, and rules and lessons learned throughout your experience with OC. The presentation is complete with pictures, quotes, articles, and hopefully recorded interviews with several interns a little later on…and of course the perks, including free college credit-what can beat that?

Hopefully with the addition of this new intern video, it not only provides interested individuals with information on the OC internships, but gives it a personal spin into what it really means to be a part of Ogallala Commons.

Youth Entrepreneur Fair
By Darryl Birkenfeld

Aspiring teenage entrepreneurs demonstrated exciting business ideas at 4th Annual Ogallala Commons Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Fair, held on Nov. 9th at the Plainview Civic Center in Plainview, TX. During the public viewing session from 12noon to 1:15pm, a large crowd examined the exhibit booths of the 34 contestants in the E-Fair from Castro, Swisher, Parmer, and Hale Counties. The three top finishers in two categories received cash prizes and abundant encouragement, which was the main objective of the Fair.

The following prizes were awarded to four students and their business ideas in the “Ready-to-Go” Business Category: 1st place ($1,200) Savanna Bragg, Tulia, Savanna B Photography; 2nd Place ($1,000) Teri Reed, Friona, Teri’s Online Treasures; 3rd Place ($750) Shyann Rainey and Haley Beasley, Lazbuddie, TekNoob. The three judges for this category were: Matty McLain, Entrepreneur Alliance, Amarillo, TX; Deana Sageser, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Plainview, TX; and Donald Schenkel, , Lubbock SCORE, Lubbock, TX.

In the “Still-in-the-Future” Business Category, the following prizes were awarded to four students and their business ideas: 1st place ($1,200) Lane Birkenfeld, Nazareth, High Plains Wind Power; 2nd Place ($1,000) Phylissa Kinser, Dimmitt, Kinser’s Equine Therapy; and 3rd Place ($750) Keeley Burris and Kaileigh Edwards, Lazbuddie, K& K Wind Farming. The three judges for this category were Debbie Gonzales, Assistant Vice President, First Financial Bank, Hereford, TX; Heath Acker, Business Lending Officer, Amarillo National Bank, Amarillo, TX; and Andy Hart, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Plainview, TX.

Savanna Bragg, an OC Community Intern for Swisher County, TX in 2010,  displays her exhibit booth for her business: Savanna B Photography at  the Nov. 9th Youth E-Fair.  Savanna received good information and  resources for launching her business website at the OC Youth  Entrepreneur Camp back on July 7th.

Consolation prizes were also awarded to these five students and their business ideas: ($300) Cale Wilhelm and Carl Huseman, Nazareth, C&C’s Custom Landscaping and Mowing Service and ($300) Johnny Padilla, Alex Duarte, and Jonathan Diaz, Tulia, P & Double D Cinemax.

In addition their interview with the judges and displaying their business ideas, contestants were treated to a bus tour of programs at South Plains College-Plainview Campus, and Wayland Baptist University. Paul Henderson, Workforce Solutions Director at South Plains College-Plainview, also shared stories and insights with the youth entrepreneurs. Texas Department of Agriculture and S.I.F.E. (Students Involved in Free Enterprise) set up displays with pertinent information to further aid the entrepreneurs.

Ogallala Commons wishes to thank the following companies for their donations of cash prizes for the winning projects: CHS Foundation and Tulia EDC ($1,000 each)as well as Holy Family Church-Nazareth, Peoples Bank-Nazareth, Entrepreneur Alliance, Amarillo National Bank, Happy State Bank , Cargill Feeders, and John Bertsch, CFP, Plainview, TX ($500 each). Donations of $250 were also contributed by First Bank Muleshoe-Dimmitt, Swisher Electric Cooperative, and the Swisher County Industrial Foundation, and $200 from Tulia Rotary Club.

Winners of the OC Regional Youth E-Fair held in Plainview, TX (l-r): 
Savanna Bragg, Tulia; Lane Birkenfeld, Nazareth, Teri Reed, Friona; 
Shyann Rainey, Lazbuddie, Haley Beasley, Lazbuddie; Keeley Burris, 
Lazbuddie; and Phylissa Kinser, Dimmitt.

The Regional Youth Entrepreneur Fair is a project of Ogallala Commons, a nonprofit community development network offering leadership, education, and technical assistance to rural communities. Additional Youth E-Fairs are held in Atwood, Kansas and Springfield, Colorado in spring 2011. The top three winners in each division from the regional Youth E-Fairs will be invited to complete in a multi-state Champions E-Fair in Amarillo, Texas on July 25, 2011. For more information, please contact Darryl Birkenfeld, Director of Ogallala Commons (806-945-2255).

Campo Youth Engagement Day is Exactly That
By Megan England

On Wednesday, November 17^th, 2010, the Campo Junior/Senior High School was filled with the sounds of over one hundred students from all five schools in Baca County attending the very first Campo Youth Engagement Day.

A Youth Engagement Day is just that—a day to engage the youth and get them involved in their communities and excited about their future. In its most basic form, the Youth Engagement Day was a leadership conference encouraging today’s young people not to wait to “grow up” to do exciting and challenging things in preparation for their future.

Sponsored by the non-profit organization, Ogallala Commons, and hosted by the Campo School District, the day consisted of a keynote speech by Ogallala Commons’ executive director, Dr. Darryl Birkenfeld, and eleven different breakout sessions. However, what made this ‘leadership conference’ unique was the fact that it was planned and organized by students, for students—specifically the Campo Youth Advisory Council (YAC). The YAC is a group of students in leadership of a program at Campo School called Service-Learning who believe that it is very important for youth to have a voice in their communities. As a result of that belief, and with priceless help from the Superintendent Nikki Johnson, the Campo School staff and students, and UCCS Leadership student, Lani Finck, the YAC planned and organized everything from the food and door prizes, to the day’s schedule.

During the keynote speech that began the day, Dr. Birkenfeld informed the students about Ogallala Commons, and more specifically, the internships the organization offers that “provide experiences that illustrate both the key assets and the serious challenges present in rural areas.” Dr. Birkenfeld also encouraged students to think about returning home after getting their education and making a life in the rural communities that make the area so unique. “These internships enable rural communities to constructively utilize the skills of their youth and adults, and to inspire home-grown talent to return in the future--to live, work, play and raise their families.”*

After Dr. Birkenfeld’s presentation, students were given the opportunity to choose three interactive breakout sessions that applied to their interests. The sessions throughout the remainder of the day were presented by representatives from Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU), Lamar Community College (LCC), University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS), Otero Junior College (OJC), and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Other presenters included the Campo YAC, the Baca County CSU Extension agent, and the coordinating team for Campo School’s ‘Healthy Schools’ grant. Topics ranged from college rodeo to a career in nursing, from the danger of digital footprints to living the American Dream from rural areas, and that’s just listing a few.

The Campo YAC extends their sincere thanks to Ogallala Commons and director Darryl Birkenfeld, area school administrators, especially their own Mrs. Johnson, the attending students, the Campo School Staff, and the rest of the day’s leadership, organization, and planning team. The event was very well-received, and upon reviewing students’ evaluations of the day, the YAC got a lot of positive feedback and great suggestions on how to improve on future Youth Engagement Days.