Engaged Kansas Encourages Public Service Leadership

Prompted by concerns about dwindling interest in running for local office, Kansas Farm Bureau launched Engaged Kansas in February 2023. This nonpartisan and non-policy-specific initiative brings together leading Kansas nonprofits and other organizations to encourage and support civic-minded individuals to consider public service.

Local leaders are incredibly influential in rural communities in Kansas because they make key decisions about many of the things that impact a rural community’s ability to thrive and provide necessary off-farm employment for farmers and ranchers. According to USDA, more than 50% of farmers’ household incomes come from off-farm employment, which provides income to keep farms in business and often provides health insurance.

Despite the importance of these local elected positions, there often aren’t enough thoughtful, intentional people willing to step into them.

Overcoming Barriers to Entry

When asking Kansas Farm Bureau members and community leaders if they would consider running for public office, the two most common responses were related to:

• not understanding the roles and responsibilities of public offices; and
• not knowing how to run a successful campaign.

Kansas Farm Bureau then launched an educational campaign to increase the understanding of roles, responsibilities and expectations of public office, as well as to provide neutral and independent resources to improve the campaign and leadership skillsets of Kansans interested in elected office.

Expanding With Partners

Once Kansas Farm Bureau finalized its goals, they invited other organizations with a vested interest in helping Kansas communities thrive by finding the right people for leadership positions to support Engaged Kansas. That support comes in the form of publicly available resources, educational opportunities and using their respective networks to promote Engaged Kansas.

Partners include Kansas Association of Counties, Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Bankers Association, Kansas Medical Society and Kansas Association of Realtors, among others.

Getting the Word Out

Along with sharing Engaged Kansas’ resources through their partners’ networks, Engaged Kansas has a website and utilizes Facebook, X and LinkedIn. Kansas Farm Bureau shared the initiatives and resources with their members via their newsletter for voting members, e-newsletter and their social media platforms.

Engaged Kansas also targets communications to all state legislators, political party leaders, community Chamber directors, commodity group leaders and candidates for elected office

Strong Interest

Kansas Farm Bureau staff has delivered Engaged Kansas presentations to more than 3,000 people in more than 75 Farm Bureau, commodity and community organizations — and the requests continue to come in.

Back to School – Campaign School

One of Engaged Kansas’ offerings is a two-day Campaign School, using the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Campaign School curriculum. The AFBF Campaign School’s proven and empowering tactics have been a vital asset to the coalition, gaining broad acceptance and continued growth, both inside and outside of typical Kansas Farm Bureau networks.

When a shorter campaign school program was requested, AFBF and Kansas Farm Bureau built a four-hour mini session, which Kansas Farm Bureau staff deliver. The mini session provides a brief but thorough resource to those interested in seeking elected office and offers a preview of the two-day campaign school.

Kansas Farm Bureau staff has delivered mini sessions to more than 175 Kansans interested in a wide range of offices.

A Collegiate Campaign workshop on the Kansas State University campus was developed and presented as well for on- and off-campus organization leaders. Others continue to be planned, offering encouragement and support to young potential elected leaders.

State Awards of Excellence

Engaged Kansas earned Kansas Farm Bureau a 2026 Award of Excellence in the Coalitions & Partnerships category. The award was presented at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention in January in Anaheim.