Ryan Goertzen-Regier joined the Kansas Rural Center staff in July as our new Program and Administrative Manager. Ryan grew up on a row crop and animal farm in Marion County and continues to work with his family there part time. He gained a B.S. in Social Work and a certificate in Conflict Management from Bethel College, then spent several years working with refugee resettlement in South Dakota before returning to Kansas. Ryan is a beekeeper and owns Sugargrove Apiaries, LLC with a friend and hopes to produce additional agricultural products in the future. Currently serving as the Vice President of the Kansas Farmers Union, Ryan is also the Treasurer of the Central Kansas Young Farmers Coalition and holds a seat on the Harvey County Food and Farm council. Ryan and his wife Miriam recently completed the National Farmers Union’s Beginning Farmer Institute, and they reside in the Newton area where Miriam is a farmer and cheesemaker. His work at KRC involves many administrative functions, grant research and writing, and program management in KRC’s Integrated Voter Engagement program as well as a grant KRC received for promoting soil health policy in Kansas.