January 23, 2025

By Paige Harding
At the heart of Kansas agriculture lies a region that exemplifies innovation, diversity and scale: southwest Kansas. In November, 30 Class XVII associates learned how Garden City and the surrounding area overcomes challenges and grasps opportunities while feeding and fueling the nation.
Upon arrival, the class heard from Garden City manager Matt Allen, who painted a picture of a community that has evolved from its frontier roots into a multicultural hub where 25-40 languages echo through school hallways. This diversity is the backbone of the region's agricultural success, as highlighted by a panel of immigrants and employers who shared their experiences navigating the complex government employment programs and difficult path to citizenship.
The scale of agricultural operations in southwest Kansas left class members in awe. At Brookover Feedyard, the class witnessed how cattle move from pen to plate. During the tour, the class discussed a variety of challenges that cattle feeders face. Some of the discussions involved electronic ID tags, packer concentration, high input costs, employment, maintaining accurate records, environmental issues, low supply of calves and the rising average age of cattle feeders.
At Tyson, we learned how a dedicated workforce, mainly made up of immigrant labor, transforms cattle into consumer products using “everything but the moo” and the spinal cord. The class took a tour of the processing facility and spoke with employees in their teaching center, a collaboration with Garden City Community College providing opportunities for employees to continue their education. Employee retention is probably the most impressive piece of Tyson. About 3,500 employees are celebrating 40 years of service this year. The average years of service for a Tyson employee is about 20.

BEEF: KARL Class XVII associates learned a lot about the challenges and opportunities of agriculture in southwest Kansas. The region, known for its beef feedlots, continues to be the heart of the state’s ag industry.
We visited Conestoga, an ethanol plant that has been running for 17 years and only shuts down two days a year for preventive maintenance, and High Plains Dairy, which currently milks 16,000 cows but is expanding to milk 40,000 cows for the new Hilmar cheese plant in Dodge City. At WindRiver Grain, we witnessed impressive agricultural logistics, where 62,000 bushels are processed daily to feed the region's network of ethanol plants, feed mills and feedlots. In summer 2024, the facility hit a peak of 1.4 million bushels in a single week.
At VFF, Brian and Miles Vulgamore discussed how traditional family farming evolved through technology and strategic growth. Their farm embraced technology and team building and has been able to expand across southwest Kansas and into Texas. We concluded at the Spencer Flight Center with a glimpse into agriculture's future at Nu Life Foods, where sorghum flour production achieves a negative carbon footprint — proof that southwest Kansas continues to pioneer sustainable agricultural innovation.
From the deeply rooted agricultural spirit to the diverse workforce and innovative water conservation practices, southwest Kansas demonstrated to Class XVII why it remains an agricultural powerhouse. Perhaps most impressive was the adaptability of the local producers, who consistently transform challenges into opportunities. This resilience is a testament to the agriculture industry as a whole.
Harding is a Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Class XVII associate and an attorney with Kennedy Berkley. She lives in Dodge City, Kan.
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