Ever wonder what keeps a small town alive when the world seems to be pulling people toward the cities? Simone Elder grew up on a family farm in Atwood, started doing economic development work in high school, and now leads an organization devoted to making sure rural Kansas doesn’t just survive — it thrives. 

As the new executive director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, she stepped into the role once held by the legendary Marci Penner and is bringing her own western Kansas perspective, entrepreneurial background, and a whole lot of what she calls “Kansas rizz” to the job. We talk about the Power Up movement — a network of 21-to-39-year-olds choosing rural by choice — what communities need to keep young families around (it turns out sidewalks and salads matter a lot), the eight rural cultural elements that help towns see themselves differently, and why Simone believes the best thing you can do when the doom and gloom gets heavy is walk out your front door and get involved in the community right there around you. Plus, Sydney’s Halloween costume saga and a new dart throw that lands us in Rooks County.

Highlights

• Sydney’s mom made every Halloween costume growing up — including a monster suit built from dyed green mop heads — and Sydney is keeping the tradition alive with an increasingly specific vampire bat queen costume for daughter Madeline
• Thrift stores in McPherson delivered $35 worth of Gothic vampire jewelry that would have cost $75 on Amazon
• Simone got her start in economic development through a youth board program called YCIP (Youth Community Improvement Program) in Rawlins County, which invited high schoolers to answer “What do you want to see in our community?”
• The Power Up and Go report surveyed nearly 500 Kansans aged 21–39 and found they want basics: fresh food, sidewalks to push strollers on, and a place at the table where their ideas aren’t dismissed with “we tried that before”
• Simone’s mailbox initiative in Wichita County gave graduating seniors a literal mailbox with their name on it as an invitation to come home — and some of them did, starting businesses in Leoti
• The eight rural cultural elements — art, architecture, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people — give communities a framework to see what they already have
• Kansas has 625 incorporated cities, and about 75% of them have populations of 1,500 or less
• Elkhart, Kansas (Morton County) is closer to three other state capitals than it is to Topeka
• A young man in LeRoy, Kansas bought an old downtown building, repointed the brickwork himself, turned it into an Airbnb, and has a vision for a walking trail tied to local history
• Simone’s car wouldn’t restart at Point of Rocks in the Cimarron National Grassland — no cell service, just her and the pioneer spirit
• A new term for the movement: “Rural Curious” — urban dwellers who show up to rural programming because they want to understand and connect
• Dartography lands in Rooks County for next time — home of Stockton and some of Gus and his wife’s favorite people

Chapters

0:00 — Homemade Halloween Roots

1:59 — Thrifting Gothic Jewelry

3:54 — Guest Intro

5:02 — Simone’s Career Path

7:45 — Why Western Kansas Matters

10:36 — Choosing Rural Power Ups

16:05 — Taking Over After Marci

20:08 — Bridging Statewide Networks

22:19 — Gumption and Cultural Elements

24:23 — Programs Kansas Sampler Offers

27:20 — Power Ups Future

28:31 — Team On The Road

29:52 — Message To Rural Expatriates

31:46 — Rural Curious And Coming Home

32:58 — LeRoy Main Street Revival

34:34 — Point Of Rocks Adventure

36:12 — Support Kansas Sampler

37:13 — Host Reflections And Hope

38:54 — Dartography

43:16 — New Dart Throw: Rooks County

44:18 — Stories From A Hat

49:10 — Wrap Up And Credits

Resources Mentioned

• Kansas Sampler Foundation 
• Kansas Guidebook 
• Network Kansas
• Fili Creative 
• Forge Podcast

Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com!

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net