KARL PROGRAM

10/20/2026

🎉We’re introducing our newest class of KARL Associates 🎉
Welcome to Class XVIII, Annelle Chestnut! Annelle is the owner and operator of Chestnut Farms, Inc and lives in Clay Center. We’re very excited to take this legendary leadership journey with Annelle!

10/13/2026

🎉We’re introducing our newest class of KARL Associates 🎉
Welcome to Class XVIII, Andy Buessing! Andy is the President of Hutton Design + Build and lives in Wichita. We’re very excited to take this legendary leadership journey with Andy!

10/09/2026

Current and former KARL Program board members meeting and celebrating in McPherson today.

10/06/2026

🎉We’re introducing our newest class of KARL Associates 🎉
Welcome to Class XVIII, Ann Brackenridge! Ann is the Global Animal Protein and Packaging Food Innovation Research and Development, Sr. Director with Cargill, Inc. and lives in Benton, KS. We’re very excited to take this legendary leadership journey with Ann!

10/02/2026

You’re Invited! KARL Class XVIII is heading to Southwest Kansas, and we’d love for you to join us in Garden City!

As part of our Southwest Kansas Seminar, we’re bringing together KARL Fellows, supporters, partners, and friends for an evening of connection, conversation, and learning with the newest class of KARL Associates.

Join us Wednesday, Nov. 4, in Garden City for an evening featuring Dr. Dan Thomson, who will share insights on the beef industry and the challenges and opportunities shaping its future.

Come reconnect with area KARL supporters and Fellows, meet Class XVIII, and be part of the network that makes the KARL experience so valuable—because a strong network grows when people show up, share experiences, make introductions, and invest in one another.

📍 Garden City, KS
📅 Wednesday, Nov. 4

To Register: https://bit.ly/GardenCity2026.

09/29/2026

🎉We’re introducing our newest class of KARL Associates 🎉
Welcome to Class XVIII, Matt Bacon! Matt is the Director of Public Works & Utilities for the City of Pittsburg and a part-time ag producer with 727 Farm, LLC. We’re very excited to take this legendary leadership journey with Matt!

09/22/2026

🎉We’re introducing our newest class of KARL Associates 🎉
Welcome to Class XVIII, Ryan Ausmus! Ryan is the Executive Director for the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas and lives in Dodge City. We’re very excited to take this legendary leadership journey with Ryan!

09/18/2026

🎉We’re introducing our newest class of KARL Associates 🎉
Welcome to Class XVIII, Johanna Anderes! Johanna is the Development Coordinator for the Kansas FFA Foundation and lives in Elmo. We’re very excited to take this legendary leadership journey with Johanna!

09/17/2026

You are the most important machine on the farm. KARL Class XVII Fellow Ryan Boggs reflects on a lesson from his KARL experience for Kansas Farmer that has stuck with him: just as we maintain the equipment we depend on, we have to make time to maintain ourselves.

🔗 Read it here:

Legendary KARL Leadership: Don’t wait for your personal check engine light to check your health.

09/13/2026

🌎 Our most recent column through our partnership with Kansas Farmer highlights the international travel seminar - an important part of the KARL curriculum that challenges participants to broaden their perspective on agriculture, leadership and rural communities.

Read Class XVII Fellow Lucas Simmer’s reflection on his experience in Brazil:

Legendary KARL Leadership: KARL Class XVII returned international study tour in Brazil with a new view on the importance of investing in infrastructure.