New Dairy and Cheese Plant to Break Ground in Hugoton, Kan. Kansas Dairy Ingredients today announced its plans to build a dairy ingredient and cheese plant in Hugoton, Kansas. The company will start construction on the facility next month and begin phase I operation at the middle of the fourth quarter in 2012. The facility will be positioned to expand in 2013 to add cheese production. Kansas Dairy Ingredients will invest $20 mill...

UNIVERSITY INITIATIVE USING FUNDING TO HELP REOPEN GROCERY STORES, INCREASE BENEFITS TO TOWNS COMMUNITIES: Posted on Apr. 11th, 2012 Greg Tammen K-State MANHATTAN -- A Kansas State University initiative is helping rural communities across the nation restock their town with a disappearing business: grocery stores.   Since 2007, members of the university's Rural Grocery Initiative have studied the struggles of grocery stores in rural communities and have wo...

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Support for a Kansas Biofuel Production Facility Release No. 0119.12 Contact: Office of Communications (202) 720-4623   Local Biogas Project Will Create Jobs, Expand the Use of Alternative Energy   OAKLEY, Kansas, April 9, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA approval of a $5 million payment to Western Plains Energy, LLC to support the construction of a biogas anaerobic digester in...

Housing Discussion Draws Large Crowd in Hays There were few empty seats at the Hays Welcome Center meeting room Thursday afternoon as representatives of Overland Property Group met with area professionals highlighting a newly formulated plan to develop housing in western Kansas.   As developer of Hays Stonepost Apartments, OPG has more than 18 housing developments, totaling more than 1,500 units and $120 mill...

Incentives are Luring College Students to Rural Kansas PRATT, Kansas -- When college graduates go job hunting, many assume the best opportunities are in the big cities, but a state campaign is urging them to take another look at rural Kansas.    Financial incentives are convincing more young professionals, like Dr. Aaron Zook, to head for the country.