This year, as I’ve traveled across Kansas, logging miles between coffee shops, farm offices and community halls, one truth has come into sharp focus: Our communities are facing tighter budgets and more uncertainty than ever. Local, state and federal funding sources are stretched thin, and the needs around us are growing.
In times like these, it’s easy to look at someone else to solve the problem. But legendary leadership doesn’t wait. Legendary leadership steps in.
The Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program has always been about equipping leaders to strengthen agriculture and rural Kansas. That means developing the mindset that each of us has something valuable to give — whether that’s time, talent or resources. And in moments like this, those gifts are not just helpful, they’re also essential.
Across the state, I’ve seen how Kansans are already rising to meet the moment. Volunteers serve meals at churches so no neighbors go hungry. Farmers donate produce and beef to schools. Parents pitch in to coach youth sports or organize fundraisers to keep teams possible. Alumni lend their expertise to boards and civic projects. Communities rally to create affordable housing, ensuring families can stay and thrive where they’ve planted roots.
These aren’t just acts of kindness. They’re investments in our future. When budgets tighten, the gaps in our schools, local events, civic groups and infrastructure can widen quickly. But when we give — when we decide to be part of the solution — we close those gaps. We make sure our communities don’t just get by, but that they also move forward.
That’s the power of KARL leadership — harnessing our collective good. It’s the understanding that leadership is more than a title, it’s action. It’s a belief that the best way to preserve the places we love is to roll up our sleeves, open our wallets, share our expertise and care for one another.
Yes, we face challenges. But in my conversations this year, I’ve been reminded that our greatest asset isn’t a line item in a budget, it’s our people. We have leaders who can inspire action, connect resources and model what it means to invest in the common good.
As we look ahead, I challenge each of us — KARL fellows, friends of agriculture and rural champions alike — to find ways to give. Give an afternoon to help at the school carnival. Give your skills to a nonprofit that needs them. Give a donation that keeps a local tradition alive. Because when we all pitch in, we don’t just weather uncertainty, we build the kind of communities that future generations will be proud to call home.
That’s how we lead. That’s how we leave a legacy. And that’s how we turn challenges into opportunities to show what Kansas leadership is made of.
Zimmerman is president of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program. Legendary KARL Leadership is written by current class associates and staff, sharing lessons from their seminars. For more information about the KARL Program, visit karlprogram.com.