Ranching operations in the Kansas Flint Hills work differently than ranches anyplace else. The first European settlers to the region recognized the unique Flint Hills geography and the unequaled qualities of the native prairie grasses. While the prairie was being plowed under throughout America’s heartland, ranchers in the Flint Hills learned a better way to operate by working with the prairie and using the native grasses to their advantage in cattle grazing.
The Flint Hills Tourism Coalition recently added a “heritage” page to its Web site, KansasFlintHills.travel. Among the many features on this heritage page, the coalition has included some of the results of a ranching impact oral history project directed by Dr. Bill Smith of Emporia State University. At this site, visitors can download audio files of portions of interviews with ranchers from the region or entire transcripts of the interviews. These resources are a great way for those unfamiliar with Flint Hills ranching practices to get a glimpse into the industry.
Among the audio files are portions of interviews with Jane Koger as she discusses her experiments with patch burning and John Vanier as he compares grazing in the Flint Hills to grazing in the short grass prairie to the west. In all, seven audio files are currently available for download as well as 10 complete transcripts of ranching interviews.
Part of the funding for this oral history project came from a grant from the Kansas Humanities Council. This ongoing project was started through the efforts of the Flint Hills Heritage Task Force, which is part of the Flint Hills Tourism Coalition.
The heritage page also includes information on past and future Flint Hills Heritage Conferences and electronic copies of the Flint Hills Heritage Newsletter available for download. In all, this new heritage page is a good way to learn more about the history and culture of the Kansas Flint Hills.
