04/21/2026
WOW. What a week! 🌱✨
This last week was a powerful reminder of what happens when people come together around a shared purpose. 🤝
On Wednesday the 15th, we welcomed partners from Kansas State University, including Susan Yelich Biniecki, Farhan Sadique, and Maryjan Fiala. They joined Becky Reid with K-State Extension, and Amy Jo McWhirt with RISE Cowley.
Together, we hosted a hands-on garden class focused on vermicomposting 🪱🌿. Participants learned how soil health, food production, and sustainability all connect, and they even sampled produce grown on-site and preserved through the Cowley County Incubator Kitchen. 🍓🥕
But the most meaningful part of the day came after the class.
The residents led the instruction. 🗣️
They guided our guests through the garden, sharing what the program means to them, how it has shaped their growth, and how they see it continuing to expand. We also celebrated creativity and learning as participants presented their soybean projects for the “Willie and the Beanstalk” contest. 🌱🏆
On Thursday the 16th, the conversation expanded beyond the garden.
At the Cowley County Courthouse, we were joined by Ally Henley from the City-County Health Department and Robin Henderson with Eagle Nest Inc. Together with our Kansas State University partners, the focus shifted to adult learning and how we better support it across our community.
We talked about what resources already exist, what data we should be capturing, and how we can work more intentionally together, especially with the K-State Extension Master Gardener program and other adult learners.
A big part of the conversation centered on micro-credential opportunities and how these can create real pathways into higher education for a broader segment of our population. This is about job skills, yes, but also about access, confidence, and creating stepping stones for people who may not see traditional education as an option.
It is about creating accessible learning opportunities that can open doors across many fields.
Friday the 17th will continue that momentum with a Zoom conversation to bring in even more voices.
This work is not happening in isolation. It is the result of ongoing collaboration between partners like RISE Cowley, K-State Extension, their Master Gardener program, the GROW WCF Garden Program, and Hunger Free Kansas. 🤝
What stands out most is this: when people are given the opportunity to learn, contribute, and lead, they do more than grow food.
They grow confidence, connection, and possibility. 🌱✨
There is still work ahead, but the momentum is real, and it is being built together.
