Friends of the Kaw/U.S. Agriculture Queen/4-H

Organizations continued from page 26

A huge “Thank You” to the Rotary Club of De Soto and the De Soto Boy Scout Troop 54 for volunteering for the De Soto native Plant Restoration Project Workday that was held on Monday, July 19. The volunteers removed plant debris and installed tarps over much of the area. The tarps will be left in place over the summer to kill the invasive and non-native plants underneath. Native plant species will be replanted in the fall. This project is part of The Rain Garden Project that will help slow and filter stormwater runoff from the boat ramp parking lot and Riverfest Park areas. Grant funding was received from the City of De Soto

Friends of the Kaw 30-Year Anniversary

Friends of the Kaw (FOK) celebrates its 30-year anniversary with an accomplished legacy that continues to grow each day. The organization strives to educate the public about the importance of protecting the Kansas River, as well as create a connection to the river. “We believe that when people get connected to the river by immersing themselves in it, that they’ll want to help protect it and keep it clean,” Kansas Riverkeeper and Executive Director Dawn Buehler described. Advocacy and education remain important aspects for Friends of the Kaw. It also works to further develop the Kansas River Water Trail. Friends of the Kaw was started 30 years ago by a group of people that lived in North Lawrence concerned about drudging on the Kansas River and how it would impact the river itself. De Soto is unique, as it has access to two boat ramps (Riverfest Park and Cedar Creek) along the Kaw that are five miles apart, unlike most ramps at 10 miles apart. Through the years, FOK has worked closely with the City of De Soto, USD 232 School District, Great American Bank and the De Soto Rotary Club. Resources are provided to residents about safety and precautions while on the river and FOK hosts various educational events to local schools and the community. To learn more about Friends of the Kaw, upcoming events and educational resources, visit www.kansasriver.org

30th Anniversary Sandblast September 18

See “Fall Events” on pages 22 & 23 for locally held events. –Katherine Diaz, Contributing Writer

De Soto Resident Randi Cole Crowned 2021 National Elite Ms. United States Agriculture Queen

Randi Cole of De Soto, Kansas was awarded the title of Elite Ms. United States Agriculture on Saturday, June 19, 2021. Contestants traveled from all over the United States to Orlando, Florida the weekend of June 18, 2021 to compete for the honor to reign as a National Miss United States Agriculture Queen. The contestants competed in Interview, On-Stage Introduction, Evening Wear, OnStage Question, State Fun Fashion and Photogenic. National Director Ciera Ingram, says “The idea behind the Miss United States Agriculture Pageant Program celebrates the agriculture industry and our local farmers, while promoting self-esteem, building strong leaders and awarding scholarships to encourage a continuous pursuit of education. Throughout the program, we incorporate our motto: “Teach. Inspire. Advocate.” For Randi, this is the first time she has won at the national level during her pageant career. Starting at the county level, which began in 2019 for Johnson County, she later won the state title as Mrs. Kansas United States. At the end of her reign in 2020, Randi wanted to continue to advocate her platform and work with Hearing Charities of America, based in Kansas City, Missouri. “I was trying to find a way to keep promoting this work,” Randi said. “So I started brainstorming.” Her love for agriculture and her experience growing up on a chicken farm in Southern Iowa set Randi on a new path of discovery in the pageant world. “I just happened to do a Google search and there was a Mrs. United States Agriculture pageant,” Randi shared. “I began talking with the director of that system and decided to give it a go, and it has worked out very well!” For the continuation of her work, Randi is targeting farmers and helping raise awareness about hearing loss and how to protect their hearing. Continuing work with the Hearing Aid Project, youth hearing aids are refurbished and given to individuals in need. “I’m able to reach the people that basically raised me, so that means a lot to me,” Randi said. Another objective is recruiting more participants from the midwest. “The cool thing about this pageant is the focus is on agriculture,” Randi stated.

–Katherine Diaz, Contributing Writer

Celebrations& Congratulations

Pioneer 4-H remains active during a challenging year!

Pioneer 4-H club had one of the most memorable years in its more than 60-year history. Although this past year was not ideal, due to the Covid restrictions, members adapted and learned the all-important life lesson of resilience. Many of them persevered to begin and often complete projects on their own, with little inperson help. While participation declined some when the club switched to all virtual meetings, those that attended stepped up and contributed to interesting and informative meetings. An Olathe fire captain and Johnson County MedAct emergency medical technician were invited to speak via zoom. De Soto resident and 4-H volunteer Randi Cole shared her experience in the Mrs. Johnson County Pageant as a special speaker as well as led our club in a blood drive. Being a community service club, members creatively thought of ways to contribute to the community virtually and in-person when allowed. The club made valentines for the residents of Hillside and helped Happy Valley Farm for the Kaw Valley Farm Tour. Last autumn they organized and helped distribute over 100 Thanksgiving meals to De Soto residents through the De Soto Food Pantry. In May they partnered with the De Soto Rotary Club and The Friends of the Kaw to help clean up the riverboat ramps. Pioneer also graduated several seniors who will be greatly missed. After many years of meeting on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m., at the United Methodist Church in De Soto, Pioneer moved meeting locations to The Barn at Kill Creek Farm so that we could meet in the open air. UMC has graciously hosted Pioneer and we thank them for their many years of generosity. Pioneer is geared up for the Johnson County fair the last week in July. Members showed livestock, entered art, woodworking and food projects, and participated in the fashion judging. Pioneer ran the 4-H food stand on Saturday afternoon, July 31, and helped clean the fairgrounds both before and after the fair. It was a hot, but rewarding fair.

–Rebekah Wheeler, Pioneer Club Reporter

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