Kelly Tastove is the Operations and Donor Relations Manager with Symphony in the Flint Hills, a non-profit organization that heightens appreciation and knowledge of the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie.
Each June, the Symphony brings more than 5000 people into a pasture in Kansas and provides one of the most picturesque settings for a symphony that you'll ever witness.
www.symphonyintheflinthills.org
Kelly Tastove is the Operations and Donor Relations Manager with Symphony in the Flint Hills, a non-profit organization that heightens appreciation and knowledge of the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie.
Each June, the Symphony brings more than 5000 people into a pasture in Kansas and provides one of the most picturesque settings for a symphony that you'll ever witness.
www.symphonyintheflinthills.org
Hello everyone. And welcome to episode 39 of practically ranching. I'm your host, Matt Perrier, as always. This podcast is brought to you by Dale banks, Angus, the home of practical, profitable genetics for the industry focused cow calf producer. As the name implies this podcast. Generally stays pretty focused on issues that directly affect you as a beef producer.
So it might be a little bit of a stretch to convince you that, uh, subjects like symphonic music. Uh, juried art auction and even an event that largely caters to thousands of suburbanites each June is worthy of inclusion. On a show called practically ranching. But. What if I told you this event happens in the heart of cattle country in the Kansas Flint Hills each summer. And that, uh, working Cowboys, landowners, beef producers, all help steward these folks as they traipse across miles and miles of may the drain native range land. Um, What if I told you these attendees show up hours before the actual symphony, just to hear from folks like ranchers and conservationists. About how and why we as beef producers are quite often the best caretakers of our pastures and native range land. With this perspective. I hope you'll agree with me that this week's conversation with Kelly tasks. Of of symphony in the Flint Hills has relevance for all of us, as we do the best that we can to inform the public. About beef production and about ranching and the way that we care for the land and the livestock. You know, we've talked a bunch about the disconnect between rural and urban populace today. And I believe the symphony in the Flint Hills is a perfect example. Have a way that we can help connect these quite often, disparate groups of folks. Um, and do a better job of telling that story and sharing our experiences. Now full disclosure. I did serve on the Symphony's board of directors for a few years, and it was a really valuable experience. I'm not on there anymore, but a one. While I was there, it broadened my perspective. It helped me see our industry through non beef producers perspectives and through their eyes. Um, I still Amy and I try to attend this, uh, this event each summer. And every time we go. We get numerous opportunities to share our stories of hard work and dedication to the land and the livestock, just like you all do every day. But, you know, what is even better. We get to see the excitement and the energy. That folks have about our land and our landscape. You know, we, we see these views that are often just taken for granted and we just see them as a place to do our work. But they take a little bit brighter hue when we notice them. From someone else's eyes and see that they see it as God's canvas. Uh, and a beautiful one at that. So I hope you'll enjoy today's discussion with Kelly task stove of the symphony in the Flint Hills. Better yet, come out and see it for yourself. Uh, this June 10th or any time in the future, they have it every June here throughout the Flint Hills. And like many times it may be a departure from our comfort zone or from our norm, but I'm pretty sure that you'll be glad that you did it.
Track 1:Well, welcome Kelly. Thank you for joining us on hopefully up your way. A little drizzly, rainy day, um, that you can't be outside doing something, I guess for the signature event.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:It's very true. Drive to town today, and you just see pastures getting greener and greener all the time.
Track 1:Well, that's, that's what it should be doing. That's what it should have been doing a month ago. And so we're, we're glad it's finally happening. Kelly, why don't you introduce yourself and, a little bit of what you do, and then we'll get deeper into the, the history and the goings on the symphony in the Flint Hills.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Sure. I am, uh, Kelly Tato, and I am the operations and donor relations manager here at Symphony in the Flint Hills. I've been here for, I think, 17 years now. Um, and we're revving up to do an event here in ES Ridge near in Wacy County on uh, June 10th. So we're getting excited about getting things ready to go for that.
Track 1:Do you start the countdown for the next one, the day after The one prior, or, or when do you start? Uh, Start counting the days.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:I have, I think this year, in the next two years, countdown on my phone. And I'm, I am a, such a nerd when it comes to countdowns. So they're both on my phone and we've, um, this last couple weeks we've actually have had meetings about those future ones and, and, uh, the planning's always going on well ahead of time. Sometimes we don't feel that way, but, but, but it is,
Track 1:well, it's a constant time. You're working with grass mother nature, and especially, uh, the host rancher, um, you've, you've gotta, you've gotta be looking way ahead of times. And then the irony is you've gotta be ready for up to the minute changes, um, once the event gets here and, and even planning. I know, and, we'll, I know we'll get into some of those times when you've had to do that, but tell us, there's a lot of folks on, they're listening here, they've probably never. Heard of the symphony in the Flint Hills, uh, we kind of cover the nation with, with listeners. And so give us the entire history, if you would, and, and kind of hit the high points, but tell us what it is today and where it came from however many years ago. And then we'll get into some stories along the way.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Sure. Our, our mission is to heighten appreciation and knowledge of the Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie. Um, that started in 2006 with our first signature event that was held here in Chase County at the Tallgrass. Uh, National Park in, uh, just north of Strong City, and we've had one every year. We, what our, our main event every year is to go out into a middle of a pasture and we say we invite 7,000 of our closest friends and family that purchase a ticket and spend the day with us. We invite the Kansas City Symphony to come out and they put on a world class concert for everyone. It's, it's a day like no other. they come out, they play, they introduce people that maybe don't have an opportunity to enjoy symphonic music to, to that kind of a culture. But along with that, we have presentations going on all afternoon, um, in our tents. Our gates open at one o'clock. We have a different theme every year, and this year it's transportation in the Flint Hills, so the presentations will focus on that and as well as where we're at. And like I said, this year we're in, well, Bruney County, near Es Ridge, uh, Wade Pasture is the name of the pasture and it's, I often hear people tell me that it's a bucket list item for'em. Um, we sell 5,000 general admission tickets and with, once you have the general admission, and we have patrons and sponsors, we also have anywhere from 400 to about 550 volunteers depending on the year that help us pull this off. We have about 25 different volunteer teams that people help us with. Um, the ticket gate, the. Food service, busing tables, selling cookies, G and water selling, um, merchandise in our retail tent, uh, trash and recycle, which, uh, we try to do the best that we can there. Um, it's, it's a huge undertaking when you think about getting all these people out there in the middle of the pasture, um, and getting all the infrastructure that's necessary to make that pull that day off. I just can't emphasize how, um, many little things are happening to make that, that work for the day. The question we get a lot is why, why do we limit ticket sales? Well, what we've learned over the, because you know, you're out in the middle of nowhere. You've got this wide open space, you know, why do you limit'em? Well, what we've learned over the year is that's the number that we can get the infrastructure for. We can get porta-potties out there to service everyone. We can get the food service out there to feed everybody out, out in the middle of nowhere, and there's, there's a limit to how much supplies we can get out there. Make it as comfortable of a day for everybody as possible, and, make everybody, you know, have what they need while they're out there that day.
Track 1:So when you say the middle of nowhere, I want to give folks a feel for just exactly what you mean. First of all, I'm gonna make sure cuz you won't touch this, cuz you're from the area and you and I are accustomed to this. But once they get off of whatever state or US highway is coming close to the site, at that place, when they finally leave the blacktop, they're somewhere around 10 to 30 miles away from a town of 2500, 1500, however many strong city or Cottonwood Falls or Es Ridge or any of these major metropolitan areas in the Flin Hills of Kansas might be, but. We're two and a half to three hours from Kansas City. We're two hours-ish from Wichita. Folks have made a commitment, and then that's where a lot of the people that are coming into this event are from, is a major metropolitan area or have flown into a major metropolitan area. So they drive two and a half plus hours to get to the turnoff. Then what, and I know every place is different, but how much gravel are these 4,000 cars or however many it takes to get six or 8,000 people there? How far are they driving? Just on dusty gravel to get to the parking lot.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:The, this is one of this year's, one of the more remote sites, which it's about six miles of gravel. Um, we've had'em up to eight to nine miles of gravel. And you're, you're, you're out there, you're out potentially in open range. Um, so a lot of times I get the, I get a phone call here in the office and, and people wanna know, well, is this something I should drive my SUV to as opposed to my, my car that I drive around town? And yes, drive your suv That's, that's the one you want, and
Track 1:But I've never seen so many Mercedes and BMWs parked in tall grass pastures in my life. So there are a few that still bring the, the, the Roadster.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:that there are. And um, you, you know, we've never had, we've always gotten everybody out of the parking lot, Um, there's been a few years it's been a little wet and we've had to help him out a little bit. That doesn't happen very often, but it's, uh, it's remote. I can't stress that enough. You're parking in a pasture. Um, you're parking, I mean, this pasture pretty much every year has cattle in it. So we, we do, uh, put a hot wire fence so the cattle will stay away. We turn it off the day of the event, so nobody gets hurt. But, um, it's, you're out an open range potentially. It's. Pasture. There's, there's people that, this is their livelihood, so we have to be respectful of that. But you're out there, that's, you're parked on pasture, you're walking on, Flint Hills pasture land to get to the site, to get through the ticket gate, up to where the Kansas State Symphony is. there, there will be cowboys on horseback out there as well. I, I just, I'm trying to think about, and I'm jumping all over the place. I know.
Track 1:Well, you, I'll tell you why you're doing this. And in my opinion, it's because it's indescribable. I had heard about it for years. I live 30 to 90 miles away from where it was usually held, and until the year before I joined your board, which I'm no longer on, uh, full disclosure, but I couldn't, I had heard about it from tons of folks who had been, said how cool it was and tried to describe it. And when I got there, I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. This, I, thought it was gonna be impressive, but. this is on the verge of impossibility. What, what it is that we do. And you know, it's described in so many ways by so many different people in so many different perspectives, which is something that I want to touch on is those perspectives. But it truly is it, it's hard to even imagine that many cars, that many people descending upon a couple sections of grass that can't be seen from anywhere where those people would've been normally. And once you get to that location, you know, most of these spots, you can't see a cell phone tower, you can't see a building, you can't see a tree for. 10 or 15 or 20 miles in any direction. And, and I know site selection is always a challenge and we wanna talk about that, but yeah, it, it's something that most people, sometimes people that live within a couple hours of the site and, and have grown up in the Flint Hills, most folks don't even know exists. And then you somehow get 6,000, 8,000 people in there to experience what, uh, you mentioned. And I chuckled for folks who don't normally experience symphonic music. That was me. Um, I, I, I, you know, I, I'm far from being cultured, but my folks always, as we grew up, tried to take us on a little getaway to Colorado and expose us to something different than Greenwood County, Kansas. But even I had never heard the music that I got to hear the first time I went to the symphony in the Flint Hills. Um, It's just, it's, it's indescribable. It truly is. And you can go to the website and you can go to, I think you've got some social media, and we'll give that the end, but you can get a feel of it. But until you actually go and experience it, yeah, it, it's nearly impossible to describe. And every person who goes there is going to describe it differently to them. I know, I know what it was, what impresses me the most, but when I talk to my aunt and uncle from Johnson County, Kansas, who haven't missed one, I don't think ever, um, they have even a different perspective than I do, which is my favorite part of the entire organization and event. But, uh, yeah, it's, it's pretty impressive. So, uh, since 2006 you said.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:That the first event was in 2006. Yeah. June of six. So this year's our 18th. I get people, so every year we, um, you know, we always have people out there that it's their first year out there and they've purchased their tickets and we get their phone calls here at the office and they wanna know, you know, what, what the day's gonna amount to, what do they need to do to prepare? And I talk about it and I tell'em everything that's gonna happen that day. And I described the, the. Describe it as well as I can, and I always end that conversation with, I can tell you all about it, but you don't get it until you experience it. It's one of those things in life where I can describe it and describe it and describe it, but you just don't understand it until you're out there and you've experienced the day. And, yeah. And then after people go, the, the conversation will happen again with these same people and they're like, you're right. And now I know I can't even go tell people about it. You know, they understand why, why they can't, uh, put it into words, just what the day's going to amount to. Um, it's just one of those things in life you have to experience it to be able to, to get it.
Track 1:And um, just in case somebody is wanting to find out right now, how do I go? Um, we are going to put a link in the show notes to your website where they can buy tickets and get all the info that they need to know so they too can fumble and bumble trying to describe this, this, uh, transcendent experience as I've heard it called that so many have gotten to see. Um, and it is coming up here and just, uh, Week or two by the
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Uh, three weeks from tomorrow,
Track 1:Yep. Yep. So, um, it's, it's coming up fast. Do you do still, I should have asked before. Are you sold out yet or do you still have some GA tickets?
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:we, still have general mission tickets. It's, uh, symphony in the flint hills.org. You can go there and then get the tickets online. Um, we also have patron packages, which are v i p tickets. And so if anybody's interested in those, um, then go to their website, get our phone number, and call me here at the office and I'll help you out with that as well.
Track 1:So let's talk, because most of the folks who are listening to this podcast usually are rancher types, are somehow involved in the beef industry. And we all, and we talk about it on here a lot, we all are trying to find ways that we cannot only sustain our businesses into. The next generation and the generations following, but also sustain our communities. And, and that's, that's a challenge as you drive through. I don't care if it's downtown strong city, matfield Green, um, Eureka, any of these places, main Street doesn't look like it did 50 years ago and it sure doesn't look like it did a hundred years ago. We're trying to find ways to add some economic development and add some prosperity and some tax base. tell me, and I'm gonna ask the opposite of this right after you get done telling me the first one, but tell me the advantage to, let's just say since you're located right there in Chase County, tell me the advantage that Symphony and the Flint Hills has for the local economy and the local communities and and things like that. And then we're gonna switch to the other side too, cuz it is all about all perspectives, I guess.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Well here in our, the, the administrative office for Symphony in the Flint Hills is located here in Cottonwood Falls and Chase County. So the obvious is that, you know, here locally we provide, uh, right now we have two full-time employees, a part-time employee, and then we have several that we use for, for contract labor that help us pull the event off every year. the other part of that is, is our tickets, So every year after we do have the event, I go through and I look at where we've sold tickets at and how far reaching that has gone. Um, the year that it was the biggest, uh, geographical reach, I, off top of my head, I believe we sold tickets in 46 different states and seven different countries. And that was just in one year. That was by far the biggest. I mean, we still hit, um, 40 plus states every year. so that's, I think personally, I think that's pretty impressive numbers. Um, and then when we have these, we move these site every year and we're within the Flint Hills. And part of the purpose of that is to try to help the economics of the, the smaller communities here in the Flint Hills. Cause we don't have. The bigger, the bigger cities and very many of them anyway. And so we're trying to help, um, those, those smaller areas and we try to purchase as much of our supplies in those local areas as well as we can. Um, we also tell the communities that we, we bring the audience there for a day and it's up to the communities to do what they can to give them, uh, a reason to come back and visit again in the future. So that's a,
Track 1:that's,
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:that's I hold that one pretty close as far as I wanna, I wanna be able to promote those areas. I want it to be a positive, as a positive experience as it possibly can for everybody and for everybody to get benefit off of it.
Track 1:Yeah. And that's, I think any time that we see that, um, getting'em there to rural America is one thing. giving them a reason to come back again is another. And, and this is may segue into what's the challenge, but, and making sure they understand that while this is a beautiful event, while this is a beautiful day or weekend that they have spent with us here in the Flint Hills, be careful before you buy your 80 acres of grass, put a house right in the middle of the pasture. and attempt to live here with all the accoutrement that you've had in Chicago or New York City or even Kansas City. Uh, because sometimes people make that move and maybe stuff goes downhill. So what have you heard or even witnessed as maybe some downsides when someone, when a community, let's say a person's listening to this podcast and goes, that's what I need to do. What do they need to be cautious of when they bring that many people into an area that really don't know the inner workings and day to days of, of rural America
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Well, first of all, you're gonna get behind a tractor or a combine on a highway. So slow down, going to happen. Be mindful of it cuz they're out there working hard, doing what they can do to, to make everything that, uh,
Track 1:to to feed you?
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:yeah. Yeah, it's definitely gonna happen. Oh gosh, Matt, that's a hard one for me. Really,
Track 1:Well, let's, put it in.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:so normal that I don't necessarily see it as challenges. It's just, and you know, I, I grew up in Bazaar, Kansas. I still live in Bazaar, Kansas, and that's that I can't imagine going anywhere else. But you know, that, you know, the nearest hospital is a minimum of 30 minutes away, um, likely longer than that. And you just, you know that to be prepared. You know, that, like I said, those grocery stores, the hardware stores, all that stuff, you're gonna have to travel to get that stuff. So it's not, it's not hop in the car and, and. Run, you know, five or 10 minutes. It's more like 30 minutes is your closest opportunities.
Track 1:yeah. Current population of Bazaar is
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Oh, I think it's 24, 27, something like that.
Track 1:thousand hundred.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:24 or 27
Track 1:Okay. I just, I just wanted people to understand what we were, give some, give some perspective. So you live in a town of 25 people, uh, current, roughly current population of the entire county. Chase County.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Um, I think it's about 3000 people.
Track 1:in the whole county, and so you're bringing folks, and I don't know if you know demographics on your quote unquote average or the majority of people who come to the symphony, but would you say that if we're using the 80 20 rule, Pareto principle, 80% of your attendees are probably from a major metropolitan area, at least the size of suburban Kansas City, if not bigger.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:I would definitely say that. Yeah,
Track 1:So they're going from being accustomed to more people per square mile than what you have in all of Chase County. So I think that presents some challenges for them and understanding why it is that we don't have, whether they're just there for a day or whether they decide to move here, heaven forbid. Um,
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:careful.
Track 1:that's a challenge. That's Well, yes and no. That's a, I see that as a challenge as a person who makes a business in rural America. I heard one of your neighbors, and I won't name him, but I heard one of your neighbors say one time, if you want to come to the symphony, great. If you want to come back again sometime this year, great. Just don't buy land next to me. And, and that sounds hateful. But there's a reason that folks say that because when it ti comes time to do our business, whether that be burning that section of grass that they just bought a 40 acre plot right in the middle of, and now they don't want smoke coming through their windows or they don't want, um, to have, to help backfire or anything else. And by the way, we can't burn that as hot as we need to to actually keep that section of grass. Grass, which we've talked about on this podcast a few months ago with, uh, with Doug Spencer. there are so many things that as we travel to new areas from rural America to rural America, that will change significantly if. A bunch of new folks move to that area and try to adopt a new culture. Um, I see that as a challenge and I see something, I mean, it's an opportunity as well, but it is something that I think we all, as we, as we look at what this type of, let's call it agritourism or whatever it might be, there are some challenges it presents long term when the, the locals, um, don't appreciate the fact that after doing something for a couple hundred years, um, they're told that they're not able to continue to do that because they've got a new neighbor and, and he or she doesn't see it that way.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Yeah, I think that there's challenges in, in having, um, you know, I wanna say like different cultures clash and I'm not exactly sure that's quite the right way to say it, but, the Flint Hills farmers and ranchers, they've been taking care of this land and they have been generations like Leaf of the family taking care of this land. They, they know what they're doing. and we need to allow them to continue that. Um, I don't think anybody ever wants to, to necessarily say anything different than that, but somebody can potentially come in and have new ideas, new ways of doing things, and that's not a bad thing. But there's also something to be said for how, how this has been happening for, you know, like I said, generations and these families tend to, they've been doing it, they've been doing it well. We need to let'em continue doing that. That doesn't mean that everybody's open to learning new and better ways. And I don't think anybody's opposed to that, but we need to understand that what's been happening has been. Serving its purpose. Well, and we need to allow that to continue to happen. Um, when, that's why I'm talking about burning and grazing. Um, you, you guys, you guys meaning you, Matt, your family, you know what you're doing. Um, and we need to allow that to continue happen, not have people come in and think that they have a, a new better way. And I don't say that meaning that we're not open-minded to learning things because absolutely, I think everybody is. But the way it's been happening
Track 1:Happening
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:has proven to be successful.
Track 1:Right. And, and I think history is usually a pretty good teacher. Always is a pretty good teacher. And that's why, I mean, years after decades, centuries in the making, that's why some of these practices have, have worked so well and have been, been maintained. I like to put it in the terms that the folks that might be from urban and suburban America coming will understand. And, and that is, I, listen, I'm, I'm the guy who doesn't experience symphonic music except once a year. Uh, and, and that's only because of the symphony in the Flint Hills.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Hey,
Track 1:So we
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:turn that my life would take.
Track 1:There you go. There you go. You're very cultured now, see, um, but I sit here and listen to these stringed instruments, play this beautiful music, and to me that's a new experience. I may listen to that and say, you know what? They had a hook, they had a hook, an amplifier, or they ought to add a drum set to that orchestra that would make things a whole lot better. And, and that's what I'm accustomed to because I grew up with AC d c and Van Halen, and that's what they need to do. would completely change the culture of symphonic music to that person from New York City who is coming, and they would be appalled at the fact that I wanted to completely blow up. Their form of their favorite form of music by adding a drum set and a bunch of amps to the symphony. Well, guess what? From their perspective, they see my life one day a year and they go, you know what you really need? You need a Starbucks the corner of H Road and hundred 85th, and by gosh, we're gonna put it there. Or you need, you know, this God awful structure, whatever the case may be. So that's where I think that on two sides of the coin, from one standpoint, it's really cool to see these cultures collide once or twice a year and learn and gain perspective. But the challenge is when either of those cultures, and I don't see very many of my, uh, Flint Hills ranching brethren going to tell the Kansas City Symphony they need to change the way they do business. But the other way happens quite a bit. And um, that's when it gets a little challenging. So we don't, we don't have to belabor that, but I think that is something that I've noticed if, if there is a challenge, but again, the opportunity is we better understand the people that we sell beef to, the people that want to know more about what it is we're doing for the environment or for sustainability, whatever else. And it opens the door for both of us to have a communication and have a conversation. And, um, to me there is immense value. And, and that's when I was on the Symphony board, I think people thought I was, well, I think people thought I was crazy on the symphony board for a lot of reasons. But, um, that was what. the symphony and the Flint Hills meant to me. It meant that I got an opportunity to tell why and how Flint Hills ranchers managed the grass, care for the livestock and provide food for the world. And that was it. Now, the guy or gal who sat to my right or left around the board table and had been on there since 2006 and had seasoned tickets to the Kansas City Symphony and, and heard that music there, the symphony was something totally different for them. Uh, the artist who, you know, either exhibited or manned the art auction or the art tent, it was something totally different to them. Um, everybody had a different perspective and that was the cool thing about that boardroom. It wasn't always easy, uh, to come at decisions when you've got that much diversity in perspectives, but it was. Proof that, uh, you can still gather people that see the world from a lot different ways and actually eventually get things done.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:You know, you talked about, uh, world's colliding. And that immediately made me think, um, I put myself at the event and, uh, watching the Kansas City Symphony perform. And then in the background you got the Cowboys and the out riders doing a cattle drive, um, in the background of that Kansas City Symphony performance. And I, to me, that is those two worlds colliding in the most beautiful way possible. Um,
Track 1:I'm gonna describe this for folks who haven't seen it before, and I don't, when was the first time that that happened? Do you remember?
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:yes, and it was, gimme just a second here. First event was in oh six. was in, it was the first time we were at Council Grove, which I think was oh seven.
Track 1:Okay. I didn't, I didn't know it went that far
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:No, it was late It was 2008. We were at Council Grove and um, the executive director at that time, we had the outriders in place. We had them, um, already saddled and there were cattle in the pasture. And on a whim she just asked the outriders, Hey, you guys think that you could, you know, herd the cattle along the background of the bandshell? And they said, sure. And it worked kind of and um, so that started the cattle drive every year.
Track 1:every year. So here's again, I'm gonna, I'm gonna translate or try to, try to fill in the blanks. Um, the logistics of this place, everybody drives however many miles, four to nine miles off the blacktop. They park in a pasture that's roped off, they walk, or if they aren't able to walk, they are carted on either. Wagons or UTVs or whatever gets them to the quote unquote site. What, another mile or so usually from the parking area,
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:From the parking up to the main site, we say it's about a mile because you park and then you get, there's a distance from parking to the ticket gate. Cuz we're parking about 3000 cars out in the middle of this pasture. So everybody wants to know, well how far away from the ticket gate? Well it all depends on what time of day you get there and where they park you out in the parking lot cuz it's a big area.
Track 1:area
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:And then once,
Track 1:a, hike
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:yeah, once you get
Track 1:and it's uphill.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:yeah, it can be, um, you, there's a, it's another good distance from the ticket gate up to the main site, which we have you, there's a walking path, but there's also hay wagons that will help you get on up to that main site. And it can be Yeah, absolutely. All of a mile to get from your car up to that main site. Definitely.
Track 1:And so the main part, and we'll get to the tertiary things, but the main part of the main site is of course this stage that you're calling a shell or a clam shell. I would describe it as a portable, um, cuz all of this is portable, obviously. Um, and I, this is terrible. Again, I'm not cultured enough. Sydney Australia has the big concert venue that maybe that's called a clamshell. that thing that sits on the coastline in Sydney
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:house.
Track 1:the Sydney Opera House, is what this shell reminds me of. Um, and so it's sitting here kind of on the side hill and from it, the seating. Goes up the hill and when I say seating, there are chairs for the patrons and sponsors down near the front. Everything else is grass and you bring your own blanket or you bring your own bag chair or you bring your own whatever to watch symphony. But you're in this created by God amphitheater that has the perfect slope so that the back is just like you would be in an actual opera house, is higher than the front. You're looking down on this, on this clams show, on this stage to see and hear the opera music they've got beside the stage. These huge speakers held up on cranes, so that you can hear all this music coming up. And then we finally get to what you were talking about, the cattle drive. And generally what happens is you're on a place that is grazing yearling steers and you know, there'll be several hundred, in this group. How many do you think are gonna be in this year?
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:well this year there's gonna be about 180 head.
Track 1:Oh, it's a smaller group.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:smaller. The biggest we've ever had is, is about five to 600.
Track 1:So this is one group of yearlings that have been watching all of this stuff progress as they built the tent city in, in their pasture, um, for however long, several weeks that takes you to put everything up.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:We go out there about two weeks prior, and that's when everything really starts happening on a daily basis all day long. Um, p prior to that, it's just hit and miss. We'll, we'll meet with some of the vendors out there so they get a taste of what, what the, what it looks like.
Track 1:And then on the day of, people start streaming in as far as attendees late morning and all afternoon. And they're going to educational events around the these site. Um, these cattle are watching these folks from a half mile to a mile and a half away, all of a sudden after, as Kelly called them, the outriders, the folks that are there to help with parking, to help people along the trail as they're walking up to the site. I mean, they're just there. Um, I won't say just kind of. to look cool, but it really does look cool. Even somebody that gets to see this and do this every day. these guys are in full regalia. They've, you know, they're, they're wearing what they would normally wear except probably the nicest pair of jeans and the nicest shirt that they own. but they're horseback and they're there to help with whatever they need up to the start of the symphony. Then about halfway through it, They start drifting this group of yearlings from one side behind. The orchestra behind the clamshell to the other, and quite often there's going to be, because the orchestras at the bottom of the hill are near the bottom, there's gonna be a draw below it or a pond to go around and, and all of us understand how topography works, but they're gonna have to cross these cattle across through and back up down a hill and back up a hill quite often for everybody to see. That's not an easy gig when nobody's around. It's an even tougher one when, as soon as the first person, cuz now everybody is accustomed, they know it's gonna happen. As soon as the first person in that concert sees the horses starting to drift cattle, they jump from their seats in the middle of the symphony. As these people are playing this unbelievable music, they jump from their seats, forget that the. Orchestra is even down there below and they rush to one side or the other and they all stare at these cattle. That's when stuff gets pretty interesting. I, I have seen those cattle, I mean, guys have got these cattle and I'm, I'm big on stockmanship and, and cattle handling and horsemanship and, and I know what one set or a hundred sets of eyes will do to cattle that aren't accustomed to people. You put 6,000 sets of eyes, 12,000 eyes, looking at them, staring at them even from a quarter mile away. Those cattle get goofy and almost every year they'll break and horses will be at a long trot or dead on lo trying to get'em shut down and the people absolutely. Love it. They'll cheer, they'll oo and awe. I, I feel bad for the, for the artists, for the performers down on stage because they could quit playing, I think, and no one would notice because they're so enamored with this. But it really is, it's the perfect, it's the perfect setting. Um, to see the beauty of Mother Nature, it's always about sunset. You, you have it timed right, just about the time the sun's going down. It is a picturesque moment. got the best background music that you could possibly have. It's like you're right there in the middle of a Western and didn't have to do anything but buy a ticket and drive a few miles of gravel road to see it. It, it, it really is. Cool. And hear us cattle folks are going. What's the big deal? All they did was move these cattle from one corner of a pasture across a draw to another, and people are just amazed at it. So anyways
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:probably one of my favorite parts. And you know, this is, this is the lifestyle that I was raised in and I still, that's still probably one of my favorite part. Oh, well it is. But the other part of it is, is that, that you didn't mention Matt, is when the cattle, the, the other challenge for the outriders is when the cattle hear the music and that spooks them also, uh, can spook them. We've seen it happen. Um, that's, that's, that's typically a challenge You guys on a daily basis don't have to deal with.
Track 1:Well, we like to play symphonic music for our cattle whenever we're gathering'em, but you know, most people don't. No, that's not something that they ever hear. And, and you can almost tell when they get an earshot because they'll be walking along and all of a sudden one will lift their head and look, and then another, and that's usually about the time that everybody jumps up and runs to one side of the, this mammoth hillside, this mammoth area that, uh, that where people were seated and now they're crammed all along one side of it to watch. And that's when, that's when things get western.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:That's the part. Once the cattle driver is over with for the day, because I'm the one that works with the outriders and I, I put that group help to put that group together and try to give them as organized as I can. That's when I can breathe is after that cattle drives over with
Track 1:How many do you usually have? How many out riders?
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:This year we have 15. Um, it depends on the length of the walking trail. It depends on how many head of cattle we have in the pasture. So 15 is,
Track 1:is
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:uh, that's a, that's a pretty good number on most years. Last year we had, I think 19, but we had an extra walking trail last year where people could hike up to, to Goat Hills, what we called it. And, um, they could see an amazing view and that particular site allowed for that last year. So that was kind of an extra thing. We got to, we got to share with people.
Track 1:And these out riders are not just folks that are, um, you know, getting on the horse for the first time in a a year. They're, these guys are hands, I mean, you walk down and you're like, Hey, you know, that was the W R C A Ranch Rodeo. Top hand of the year. That was, they, they won the W R C A rodeo two years ago. I mean, the, these are folks from the Flint Hills that do this every day. Train horses take in yearlings. I mean, they're, they're good. And most times with how those cattle act and react to their element, that's you better have. I mean, they're, they're, they're hands.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:I think that there was one year and it was at Rosalia and it was one of the bigger herds, um, probably one of the 500 head herds that they didn't get the cattle to go the direction that they wanted him to. And there's a lot of years, um, we left the, whoever owns the cattle or whoever's watching out for them, they have the opportunity to absolutely be out there on horseback along with them. We want them to be comfortable with what's going on with their herd. And that one year at roia, we had to, we, we had the guy out there and he called it, I mean, it got to the point where we were running the cattle too much and it was just becoming too much and we just. had to it. It was what it was. We didn't get him to go the direction that we wanted to, but it was still a heck of a show. And the, the people enjoyed it quite a lot.
Track 1:well, well, nobody else, and that's the one that has been closest to our place from Gotcha's Place where we were there at Rosalia to the backside of ours is about. Eight miles. And so we've got very similar country, um, in that part of our place. And when I saw where those cattle were gathered and where they were gonna have to get, I'd only been to one symphony before that. And I I remember telling Amy, these guys get that done, and I'm going to be impressed because it was down a rocky hillside, which is hard to drive cattle down a hillside. Anyways, again, through, uh, right past that ponder lake that was at the bottom. And then it opened up the wrong way. And I could tell they were gonna try to drive them the tough way up toward the crowd with all these people staring at'em. Um, and yeah, it, it didn't, didn't work perfectly, but most people that were watching had no idea. So, hey, they got to see cowboys, they got to see horses, they got to see cattle that didn't, you know, didn't look like they had any training at all. And so it was perfect.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Yeah.
Track 1:So what about, what about site selection? How do you, how do you choose a site in, you know, 2, 3, 5 years in advance? What goes into
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Well, it's a challenge as far as we have people that. Approach us and they, they wanna host it, they wanna have it on their land, which is great, but they may not have a piece of pastureland that will work. Um, you've gotta have an area that will, that is flat enough, level enough to be able to park 3000 plus vehicles. And then within a mile, mile and a half of that, you have to have the area that we can have all the tents, that we can have the, the amphitheater that's got the right slope for that. And, but then has the, the high spot where, high level spot where we can have the food tent, the, the presentation tents, patron tent, all that it, and it's not an easy find. Um, then the other hand of that is that you might have the perfect site, but that landowner just isn't interested in having it on their property, which is fine. And. We totally understand that. So it's a, it's kind of a delicate challenge, um, that we are always on the lookout for I don't know if too many people like this. My husband thinks I've lost my mind when we're out in the, uh, just driving, uh, out in the country and I, drive by a passion and I'm just like, oh my gosh, that would make a great parking area, You know, I don't think people probably look at their pastures and think about the, uh, ability to park 3000 cars, but that's what I see when I'm driving by. So,
Track 1:After seeing the site following an event, especially if there's been any rain before and mud and things like that. I can't believe that anyone would call and ask to have the Symphony of the Flint Hills at their place now, if you can get'em talked into it. Um, I think it's a, it's a wonderful donation and a wonderful service, but, at the same time I've talked with folks who've hosted it and said, how long did it take to get that thing back right? And depending on the depth of ruts and the compaction and things like that, you know, it's, it's not decades, but it's sure gonna be a few years before you kind of see that return to normal. Now, if it was dry, probably a totally different story, but, uh, but yeah, it's, it's not an easy, uh, it's not something that most ranchers would say. Yeah, by all means, when can you be here,
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:We've had some pretty good luck and, you know, people are pretty apprehensive. But the other side of that is that people are really invested. We have a lot of really good people that are invested in this organization and, like I said, to spread our mission, which is, you know, heightened appreciation and knowledge of the Flint Hills, Tallgrass Prairie. And they're, it's amazing to me how many people are outside the organization, are just as dedicated to that mission as we are here. Um, so we've got, we've worked with some really great people that wanna share that. And yeah, the years that are a little wet is challenging. We work with, with professionals that will go out there and they're, they'll, they check it out, they check out the ruts, um, advise us and advise the landowner on what the best course of action is. And, you know, we've got that support that we, we, we, we listen to them and we follow their lead,
Track 1:Yep. Yeah. And, and it's, I mean, again, it's just like anything else we do, there's gonna, there's going to be consequences to anything we do to the land. It's just weighing those risks and finding ways that we mitigate or at least minimize the, the negative impacts. And, and I think, I mean, you all, and the, the host ranches have, have done a good job of that. And we've even, you've even started going back to some of the same sites, um, years down the road and, and yeah, I mean, they're back in shape. And, and the nice thing about it is, you know, a little something about'em and know the good and the bad and the ugly and, and, uh, probably can do a, a better job the second time. There's one site that I know that you would go back in a heartbeat, but I think most of your folks, um, might. Tell Mr. Stout, Mike Stout, that is that, uh, thanks for your two years, but, um, maybe not. Again, tell, tell us in a brief minute, cuz I don't want to, I don't want to talk about the challenging years, but tell us about the two times that you went, uh, there West of Bazaar
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:So it was Irma's pasture, right? Right. Atar and. In 2019, we were set up ready to go. Tents were up. It was Friday night before the event started Saturday and everything was great. And I live as the crow flies, maybe two miles from this site. And we knew there was weather coming in that Friday night. And I can remember hearing the hail in the middle of the night, I don't know, maybe like two o'clock in the middle of the night. And it didn't last long at all. And it didn't mount too much either. But at that site, two miles away, cuz I was also thinking, great, we've made it through, it's all good. We are good to go. Tomorrow's gonna be great. But at that site, a microburst hit and it took out the majority of the big tents. Um, it just destroyed all the most of the tents and. It, it was, it was a mess to where we had to call the event off. This is the first time we've ever had to cancel. So that happened. And then two, so we didn't have an event in 2019 because of that. In 2020 was the pandemic. So we had to cancel the event for 20, and then we were back in 21. We had a great event up at Council Grove, um, focused on the Santa Fe trail. It was wonderful. And then last year in 2022, we went back to Irma's Pasture where that Microburst had hit. And it was a beautiful day. Our theme was Weather in the Flint Hills. Matt Perry me at the ticket gate and said, I can't believe you're doing this theme. But we did. It was the day was going wonderful. We always have. The National Weather Service on site. They are there every year, um, keeping an eye on things and advising us of anything we need to know. And they came to us. We knew there were storms up in Manhattan, Topeka area, um, but they were, they were traveling to the east and they weren't ever gonna come this far south except that one little cell broke off and it headed south and it headed to our site. We had to rearrange a few things and we, um, the Kansas City Symphony rearranged some of the music to where we played the song where the cattle drive was supposed to happen. So we moved that all up to the first half and went to intermission of the concert and we had to call it an intermission and get everybody safely to their vehicles. Um, because, uh, a storm went through with straight line winds and. Did a quite a bit of, everybody did make it to their vehicle safely. There were no injuries whatsoever except for the tents that were up on the main site. They, they, they, they took in quite a bit of damage.
Track 1:bit Well you said there was almost more damage last year to the tents than there was in 2019. Right.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:was Yeah.
Track 1:that's what blew, blew me away. Well, I blame, I blame meteorologist Gary Leek from Kansas City and Jason Sieber, the symphony director, because both of those guys, uh, before, well, Gary Leek in the educational tents, which you have for four hours before the symphony, um, Stated that weather is clear, we will, everything will stay north of us. No problem here. So that was jinx number one. Jason Siber, as he was introducing the symphony and the starting, kicking off the show said basically the same thing. And, um, yeah, then, then I, I knew I, since something was up and of course you don't have phone service and, and which is actually a good thing. But, I, since something was up when you had the cattle drive before intermission and then I knew something was up when I saw Governor Laura Kelly
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Yep.
Track 1:get escorted away by her entourage and whisked up the hill during the last, uh, performance before intermission. And I told Amy, I can't see it, but. We, there must be something that's brewing up. And we started to the vehicles and we had a group of six, um, in our group and we, we got everybody to the cars. I may have stolen a, a a gator, and a trailer to start coat carting people down, cuz I could tell you probably didn't have enough drivers and made a few rounds of that. We got in the car about the time the hail started and waited it out. Uh, cuz you couldn't get out. I mean, you, again, you've got one thoroughfare for 3000 cars, 6,000 people. And, um, you don't just shuttle them out in just 20 minutes. Um, and I think as I recall, we even had to pull a guy or two out in a two-wheel drive vehicle, um, with our SUV v uh, because it got so slimy and so, so muddy. But yeah, it, that's, again, that's one more cool thing about. Something that exposes all of us to a new perspective. I mean, there's a lot of folks who have never seen lightning in clouds. Like they get to, if you look at it like that, get to see, um, from the side of the Flint Hills, we see it every day. We go out on the porch and watch it coming because of the buildings and the lights and the trees and everything else. They've never seen anything like it, they've never seen clouds form like that. And, um, so again, it, it, I think goes to that, uh, giving folks perspective.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:People got some amazing photographs of that
Track 1:Oh yeah.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Oh my gosh.
Track 1:And it was a wild one. It was a wild one, and the skies turned green. And I mean, you knew we were in for it. but, uh, it, it kind of came outta nowhere. So, why, this would be my last question. Why was the symphony in the Flint Hills created
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Well, you know, I just, I keep going back to that, uh, mission statement, the heightened appreciation. Um, there were people from Greenwood, chase, Morris and Butler counties that got together. And we always say that, well, let me go back to Jane Coger. Jane Coger did this, um, for her, I think it was her 40th birthday. She decided that she was gonna throw herself a birthday party and invited an all female orchestra out to her ranch, invited the whole county to come join us, join her. I think she had about. 3000 people there or so, and she just did this on her own. And it, it, so the idea of Symphony in the Flint Hills stemmed from Jane's idea, um, to have her party like that,
Track 1:what year was Jane's party?
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:I knew you were gonna ask me that. I think it was 1994
Track 1:Okay.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:when hers was, and ours was, our first event was in 2006. So it stemmed from that. It's, it's, it's heightening that appreciation of this area, this land. but I also wanted to talk about that every year along with our event and with our theme. I said this year's was transportation. We also do a field journal that covers all the topics. Um, we have a lot of talented, knowledgeable authors that help us with those stories that are in there. Um, if, if you've not. our field journal. Read our field journal. It's, it's something worth, worth checking out. The other thing Matt, I wanted was hoping that we get a chance to talk about is the Juried Art show. And every single year we say it and we are so sincere about it, that this is the best ever. And I truly believe this one is the best ever. We've got 66 pieces of art in our gallery that are in a, currently in an online auction that you can bid on them. They're, I I, I do, I do mean I really think it's the best ever. They are just gorgeous. So if you're in Cottonwood Falls from now through, I believe it's June 13th, the Tuesday after the event is how long the online auction goes and our galleries open every day from now until then. From 10 to three if you wanna check that art out. Cause it's, it's worth the time. It's worth the drive.
Track 1:And if you're ever on Kansas, 1 77 through the heart of the Flint Hills in Chase County and and other surrounding counties, um, make sure and jump a couple blocks west to Main Street, Cottonwood Falls and um, and go down to that gallery because it is an impressive building. That whole, that whole street, um, is that Cottonwood Street
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:At That's Broadway.
Track 1:Broadway Street in Cottonwood Falls is unbelievable. I mean, it is picture as you've seen, I guarantee you've seen a picture of it because it's got the limestone. Three story, four story courthouse with the red roof. I mean, it's, it's a beautiful place. But stop in and, and look at that, um, at that art gallery that they have beside their offices. So if though you can't get to 1 77 or can't get to Kansas before June the 13th, art sale or that art auction is available online right Symphony in the flint hills.org. Okay. And tickets for the signature event. You still do have some left? They are. How much and where do we go for those?
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:they are$95 adult tickets. Uh, kids 12 and under are$50. There are taxes and fees on top of that. Um, you can go to Symphony in the flint hills.org and there's a banner at the top of the page. Click on that banner. It takes you right to the ticket sales. And or if you have any issues, you call the office here and I can help you out and we'll, we'll get you set up and we'll meet you out on the Prairie here in three weeks from tomorrow.
Track 1:Well, and Kelly called it a bucket list event, and I've heard it said time and time again and if there ever was one, this is one, regardless of where you're from, regardless of, um, what you do or don't know about ranching or about symphonic music or about art or any of the other things that we talk about, um, during that day of educational tent. Talks and, and the, the concert that evening, it truly is a can't miss event and, and, um, a, a wonderful opportunity.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:I always say it's everybody should go. Once I, I don't care what kind of music you're into, I don't care if you know you, you, you've lived out in the prairie. If you live in the city, it doesn't matter. Everybody should check this out once.
Track 1:yep. It it's just the, the grouping of that type of folks and, and I'll again, I'll take the two extremes. You've got the folks who have seasoned tickets to the symphony, and when they come and hear the symphony, they go, well, this music isn't nearly as good as they can actually do in the orchestra hall. I, I go, exactly. I go and I listen to that and I say, this is the absolute best acoustics and symphonic music that I've ever heard. Well, it's the only symphonic music maybe that I've ever heard, but I look at the guy's horseback and the cattle that they're doing, and I'm going, you know, that's not as good as they really could have done if we weren't all standing there putting pressure on'em. So both, both extremes are sitting there at the same point and think the other side is as good as it can possibly get. Hey, how much better can it get in today's polarized society? How much better can it get than that?
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Yeah, it's. It's just a, it's an amazing day. And the feeling of, the feeling of camaraderie from everybody there. Everybody there is friends. You've never met these people, but they're your friends cuz it's just a feeling of camaraderie. That's the best way I can put it.
Track 1:When we pulled that little Mercedes or whatever it was outta the mud last year during the rainstorm, the look on that guy's face was like, what just happened? How did, how did anybody know to do this And I mean, it, that's a, that's a Thursday. Well, it used to be a Thursday when it rained in the Flint Hills, but that's a Thursday for us, you know? And, and uh, he thought that was the wildest deal in the world. So, anyways. Well, I appreciate you being on here, Kelly. Um, again, we'll put links to the website and, um, don't wait folks. Cuz a lot of times this, uh, this opportunity will sell out, uh, coming up June the 10th, right? 2023, Saturday the 10th. And, um, hope to see everybody there.
squadcaster-jj86_2_05-19-2023_080729:Yep. We'll see you there.
Thanks again for joining us this week, we've added a bunch of new listeners the last few weeks. So if you enjoy the podcast, please follow or subscribe on your favorite platform and leave your comments any time to let us know what you think of practically ranching. Thanks and god bless you all