Stafford County Economic Development

Stafford County Economic Development Stafford County Economic Development was established through the leadership of the Stafford County Commission for the purpose of promoting economic growth.

Stafford County EcoDevo was established in 2011 through the leadership of the Stafford County Commission for the purpose of promoting economic and population growth throughout the county. In 2013, EcoDevo became a 501c3 non-profit organization. Promoting entrepreneurship is an area of emphasis. Nearly 99% of American job creation comes from existing businesses growing, or new business start-ups, a

nd just 1% comes from business relocation. It just makes sense to focus on expanding what’s already here.

Joined the Main Street Quarterly Training the past couple days. Excited for things to come in the downtowns of St. John ...
06/04/2026

Joined the Main Street Quarterly Training the past couple days. Excited for things to come in the downtowns of St. John and Stafford.

City of Stafford, KS City of St. John Kansas Kansas Main Street Kansas Department of Commerce

🏛️ Help Shape the Future of Our Downtowns! 🏛️Stafford County Economic Development and our downtown planning consultants ...
06/04/2026

🏛️ Help Shape the Future of Our Downtowns! 🏛️

Stafford County Economic Development and our downtown planning consultants are entering Round 2 of the Downtown Master Planning Process, and we need your input.

Over the past several months, we've gathered community feedback, identified opportunities, and explored ideas for strengthening our downtown districts. Now it's time to share draft recommendations and hear what you think before the plans are finalized.

Join us for one of our upcoming public workshops:

📍 Stafford Downtown Draft Recommendations Workshop
🗓 June 24, 2026
⏰ 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📌 Stafford County Museum Library, 100 N Main St

📍 St. John Downtown Draft Recommendations Workshop
🗓 June 25, 2026
⏰ 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📌 Gray Photo Studio, 106 W 2nd Avenue

During these workshops, our consultants will present preliminary concepts and project ideas for each downtown. This is your opportunity to review the recommendations, provide feedback, and help prioritize the improvements that matter most to our communities.

Whether you're a business owner, property owner, resident, community volunteer, or simply someone who cares about the future of Stafford County, your voice is important.

✅ Open to the public
✅ Children welcome
✅ Interactive discussion and feedback opportunities

A strong downtown doesn't happen by accident, it happens when a community comes together with a shared vision. We hope you'll join us and help shape the next chapter for Stafford and St. John.

City of Stafford, KS City of St. John Kansas Kansas Main Street Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Rural Prosperity

🛒 COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETING – MACKSVILLE 🛒What would it look like to have 24-hour access to groceries and essential it...
06/04/2026

🛒 COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETING – MACKSVILLE 🛒

What would it look like to have 24-hour access to groceries and essential items right here in Macksville?

Stafford County Economic Development and Rural Grocery Solutions invite you to join us for a community conversation about a potential new grocery model designed to improve access to food and household essentials in rural communities.

📅 Tuesday, June 16
⏰ 6:30 PM
📍 Macksville City Library

During this meeting, we'll discuss:

✅ What a 24-hour grocery store is
✅ How the model works
✅ Security and customer safety
✅ Membership and access options
✅ Benefits for residents and the local economy
✅ Your questions, ideas, and concerns

This is an opportunity for residents, business owners, community leaders, and families to learn more and help shape the future of grocery access in Macksville.

Your input is important. No decisions have been made—we want to hear from you!

Please share this event with your friends, neighbors, and anyone interested in the future of our community.

Macksville, Kansas Rural Grocery Initiative Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Rural Prosperity

What are those nasty, nasty bugs called that are the reason parents warn children not to roll around in the grass?Chigge...
06/03/2026

What are those nasty, nasty bugs called that are the reason parents warn children not to roll around in the grass?
Chiggers, of course! These insects become the scrooge of any Kansas kid with a yen to play outside.
Their bite will cause one to lie awake at night, fighting the urge to scratch for seconds -- no, minutes -- on end.
Anywhere on the body is fair game for these awful critters -- where socks go, underwear, armpits and other sweaty places where their bites burn and itch.
Nowadays, there are precautions to take in avoiding these nasty bugs.
In the past, one was instructed not to roll around in the backyard grass. Provided these instructions were not followed, you could apply pink liquid goop that dried like paste; fingernail polish that only made the bite marks more angry or bathe in baking soda baths.

On Jan. 19, 1911, The St. John Weekly News told the story of a pretty excited dad."Sam Currie was up town early Saturday...
05/27/2026

On Jan. 19, 1911, The St. John Weekly News told the story of a pretty excited dad.
"Sam Currie was up town early Saturday morning passing around the news that a boy arrived at his home Friday night. Sam decided at first that the young man was a "Progressive Republican," but later decided that he was a Democrat and proved that his later decision was the correct one by stating that the youngster took to drinking from a bottle "like a duck does to water."
More than a century has passed since that article made The News -- and, it seems, politics is still on our minds!

Jubilee happening right now in St. John. Come down to the square and enjoy the festivities.
05/23/2026

Jubilee happening right now in St. John. Come down to the square and enjoy the festivities.

The birthplace of the nation's Farm Credit Bank began on April 10, 1917, when A.I. Stockwell, a farmer from Larned, put ...
05/20/2026

The birthplace of the nation's Farm Credit Bank began on April 10, 1917, when A.I. Stockwell, a farmer from Larned, put up 280 acres of his farm to use as collateral on a loan.
In 1916, Congress had just passed the Federal Farm Loan Act, and it was then signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. The purpose of the Federal Land Bank was to make long-term rural estate loans to ranchers and farmers.
Wichita was granted the first charter in what would be 12 charters nationwide. Its district would include not only Kansas, but Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico. The first association to be granted a charter went to the Pawnee County National Farm Loan Association in Larned.
A.I. Stockwell was the first farmer to qualify for a loan.
The Kansas State Historical Society marker telling the story of the birthplace of farm credit is located on U.S. 56, southwest of Larned.

We did a logo competition and invited students from Stafford County Schools to submit a Stafford County Main Street Logo...
05/15/2026

We did a logo competition and invited students from Stafford County Schools to submit a Stafford County Main Street Logo. This is the winner. KP from Stafford USD 349 is the winner! He won $100 for his design. We will be using this design for our Main Street program. Thanks KP!

City of Stafford, KS City of St. John Kansas Kansas Department of Commerce Kansas Main Street

New location, new look, more Second Chances. Go Check their grand re-opening May 23rd during the Jubilee.
05/15/2026

New location, new look, more Second Chances. Go Check their grand re-opening May 23rd during the Jubilee.

Check out Britt and Ryan on May 15th and 29th on As Astra Radio. City of Stafford, KS City of St. John Kansas Get Hudson...
05/13/2026

Check out Britt and Ryan on May 15th and 29th on As Astra Radio.

City of Stafford, KS City of St. John Kansas Get Hudson Kansas City of Macksville, Kansas

Address

311 N Broadway
Saint John, KS
67576

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm
Friday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 5pm

Telephone

(620) 549-3527

Website

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