Cami Koons

Stories by Cami Koons

A group of people stand next to a sign with a buffalo that reads "Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity"

Better Together: Kansas Workshop Connects Agencies to Rural Communities 

Local agencies have teamed up for the Kansas Rural Health and Prosperity Grants workshop, an effort to connect rural communities with government assistance.  

A woman with red hair and a scarf smiles and gestures with her hands. Behind her are rows of tall sorghum plants and a woman with a maroon tshirt.

Harvesting Change | A Perennial Future 

The Land Institute is playing the long game to develop perennial grain crops that reduce farmer inputs and promote healthy soils. 

Rows of solar energy panels atop a white, flat roof of a small building.

Energy Efficiency Program Helps Rural Businesses Keep the Lights On 

The Rural Energy for America Program is providing crucial funding for rural development projects looking to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability.

A man in a camouflage coat and a brown hat stands in front of a red barn in a blizzard.

Harvesting Change | Advocating for Family Farms

Patchwork Family Farms provides vital links in the local food chain, relieving farmers from the stress of processing, packaging and marketing to customers.

A man in a gray hoodie and a hat stands in front of a herd of grass-fed cattle. He pets the back of a cow to his right.

What’s the Deal with Grass-Fed Food? 

Grass-fed evokes livestock on an open pasture and a farmer who is improving the sustainability of their land.  But is that what's behind most of the labeling?

Man holding knife bends over a table cuts into slab of raw meat. People in a classroom crowd around to watch.

Deer Hunt and Workshop Bring New Skills to Native Tribal Members

Indigenous tribal members in Kansas learn how to hunt, harvest, butcher and cook deer in a new program from the Department of Wildlife and Parks.

black cow in a feed lot

Harvesting Change | Making a Local Meat Market

Cattle rancher Mike Callicrate is rethinking the food chain. He embraces a sustainable approach to raising, processing and selling meat directly to consumers.

Root vegetables bundled and laid out on a table at a farmers market.

New Funding Bolsters Food Chain for Local Producers 

Kansas and Missouri are distributing more than $13 million to strengthen local food systems through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program.

Students hold up a poster with a star in the middle and notes written all around it.

Help With Navigating a Complex Media Landscape

As the U.S. enters another election year awash with information, how can folks improve their media literacy to help decide what is true and who to follow?

An older man in a blue shirt puts his arm around a middle aged man as they pose for a photo. They stand in front of a banner that reads "Kennedy 24 Declare Your Independence"

Fed Up With Democrats and Republicans? How About an Independent for President?  

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s third party candidacy for president threatens to split votes and alter the outcome of the 2024 election.