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January 15, 2026
The Kansas Sampler Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit located near Inman.
Our mission is to preserve and sustain rural culture. We do this by educating Kansans about Kansas and networking and support rural communities.
Follow us on Facebook.
Share with this link: https://conta.cc/4jPHurO
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Tips for PowerUp Engagement
The power of a cup of coffee: With January days and a new year to contemplate, I'd like to imagine us sitting together with warm mugs of coffee. We could chat about the weather, the kids, the new piece of art downtown, the burger we ate at the new place. While a real conversation like this is not a revolutionary act, the fact remains that taking the time to do this with any sort of regularity is foundational in creating communities of the future. Connecting with each other and sharing about ourselves is a simple way to start creating the kind of community you want to live in. One cup of coffee at a time. Let's keep it simple.
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Save the Date for the We Kan Conference! Thursday, April 2 - Meridian Center, Newton. The theme is Creating the Choir. Join as we explore ways to create "the choir" in our communities - singing the praises of what is good where we live. Learn about how we can invite future community members to be rural by choice, and expand the ways we invest in the places we love.
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Recognizing Programs That Build Kansas: Have you received a grant from a state agency like the Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity or the Kansas Arts Commission? We encourage you to take a few minutes to write a note, letter, or email to your state legislators sharing how these agencies and grant programs make a real difference in your community. Find your legislators here. | | |
Rural Grocery peer groups: RGI will be facilitating Rural Grocery Peer Groups. By providing space for mutual support and knowledge exchange, these groups will help foster a stronger, more connected rural grocery community. Learn more here.
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Kansas Local Food Town Hall:
Quarterly local food town halls are held virtually on Zoom and are open to anyone across the state of Kansas that is interested in learning more about local food projects, organizations, and opportunities across the state.
Get involved here.
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Preserving Sacred Places: The National Fund for Sacred Places helps congregations with historic houses of worship preserve and revitalize their buildings through matching capital grants, planning support, training, and technical assistance so these community-serving places stay vital for future generations. Grant info can be found here.
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Rural Champions: The Rural Champions program supports grassroots leaders with training, compensation, and resources to respond quickly to community needs. Application open until February 20, 2026, 5:00 pm. Learn more here.
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Kansas Museum Association: Supports museums across Kansas by connecting people, sharing resources, and providing training, advocacy, and professional development to help museums care for their collections and tell their communities’ stories well. Become a member or learn about them here.
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Congrats to Kansas National Civics Bee Winner, Tanya Ramesh! A Wichita eighth grader won the Kansas finals of the National Civics Bee with a project on rural health care access, and she emphasized that understanding why issues matter is key to strengthening civic engagement and community connections. Read more here.
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T-Mobile Hometown Grants: Offers up to $50,000 for shovel ready projects in small towns to improve public spaces and strengthen community connections. Learn more here.
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The Quilt Capital of Kansas: Baldwin City has been named the Quilt Capital of Kansas. Check it out here.
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Local food producer workshops: Registration is now open for the 2026 Local Food Producer Workshops. These workshops, held at seven locations across the state, provide information and resources for small food and farm businesses that plan to sell their products at farmers markets or through other direct-to-consumer marketing methods. Each workshop includes free scale certification and lunch. Cost $25. Learn more and register.
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Patterson Grants Open for Letters of Intent: Registration for Patterson Family Foundation grants is open now, with awards made in two rounds. The foundation is currently accepting letters of intent for projects focused on economic opportunity, education, healthcare, and community engagement. Learn more here.
Patterson Fellows: Patterson Fellows program is a proposed cohort-based initiative launching in 2026 to support 5–10 rural-focused entrepreneurs with three years of funding, mentorship, and resources to help them build scalable, self-sustaining businesses that address systemic rural challenges. Learn more here.
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Food and Farming Conference: The Kansas Rural Center Food and Farm Conference on February 14, 2026 in Lawrence is a one-day gathering for farmers, community members, and advocates focused on building resilient, equitable food and farm systems, with breakout sessions on topics like conservation practices, energy efficiency, local food purchasing, ag tech, infrastructure planning, and youth engagement. Register here.
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Sunflower Trails Grant: The Sunflower Foundation has launched Sunflower Trails: Paving the Way – From Blazing Trails to Building Community, a new funding initiative that helps Kansas communities turn paths into places, creating trail systems that elevate health, connection, and quality of life. Explore the RFP from Sunflower Foundation to see if this is a good fit for your community.
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Farm Beginnings Course: An 8-week, farmer-led training program that helps new and aspiring farmers and ranchers build sustainable, profitable farm businesses by guiding them step-by-step through whole-farm business planning and management with peer learning and expert support. More info here.
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SIGNS Grant: From the Kansas Department of Commerce Quality Places Division provides matching funds to help communities improve downtown commercial districts by designing, purchasing, lighting, and installing high-quality storefront signs that increase visibility, attract customers, and boost local economic activity. Eligible municipal and community organizations can receive up to $25,000 per application to support coordinated signage projects for multiple retail and restaurant businesses. More info here.
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Kansas Housing Conference: The state’s annual gathering of housing professionals and stakeholders to network, share best practices, and explore the latest trends, innovations, and solutions in affordable housing and community development across Kansas and the region. Conference details are here.
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Travel Guides: Recycle your 2025 Kansas Travel Guides and order the new 2026 Kansas Travel Guide. If you have places to distribute, contact Kelli Orender (Kelli.Orender@ks.gov) at state tourism to learn how to get an account so that you can order boxes through the Extranet.
Or order one just for you!
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Big Kansas Road Trip Pop Up: Join members of the Kansas Explorers Club as we head to Humboldt for on May 2 for the Big Kansas Road Trip Pop Up. See Kansas heritage, conservation, and global wildlife come together at the Whitetails & Wildlife Museum, visit BaseCamp Humboldt, or stroll through downtown Humboldt for local shopping and eateries. Don't miss any details - follow Big Kansas Road Trip on Facebook!
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Are you a KSF Supporter? Join these individuals and organizations as KSF Supporters before the end of the year with a donation to support our work.
Your contribution is helping us start the new year strong, ensuring our mission can continue supporting rural communities in 2026 and beyond. Here's the link to give. If your name is on the list, thank you.
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New addresses:
The general Kansas Sampler Foundation address remains the same: 978 Arapaho Road, Inman, KS 67546 but if you want to send something directly to incoming executive director Simone Elder, send to 2504 Road Q, Tribune, KS 67879. Her phone is 785.626.0666.
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| See previous Tidbits: The December We Kan! Tidbits was full of excellent information. | | |
Sign up for We Kan! Tidbits: If this Tidbits is forwarded to you, sign up here for this monthly blast. Find the KSF Facebook page here.
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Kansas Sampler Foundation Board of Directors: Lea Ann Seiler, Hanston, president; Stacy Barnes, Greensburg; Luke Mahin, Courtland; Dave Procter, Manhattan; and Lissa Sexson, Weskan.
Staff: Simone Elder, Leoti; Marci Penner and WenDee Rowe, Inman; Amy Sallee, Hutchinson; Karly Frederick, Lyons; and Monica Frye, McPherson.
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