MANHATTAN, Kan. – Thirty-five farmers, ranchers and other agribusiness professionals have completed Kansas State University’s 2008-09 Management, Analysis and Strategic Thinking (MAST) program.
MAST -- which combines new information and decision-making tools with online distance learning -- is designed to help agricultural producers enhance their management skills, said Alicia Goheen, program coordinator in K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics. The annual program runs from every November to the February of the following year.
Following are the 2008-09 graduates (in alphabetical order by last name) and their hometowns.
The Kansans included: Coy Allen (Wichita), Glen Brockmeier (Hope), Jason Burns (Pittsburg), Gary Cramer (Wichita), Galen Deutsch (Chase), Donnie Frownfelter (Manter), Matt Hartwell (Brewster), Alan Haverkamp (Bern), Darl Henson (Ulysses), Judy Jamison (Perry), Sean Kats (Lyons), Dale Ladd (McPherson), Naci Littlejohn (Cimarron), Bret Mathes (Harper), Jance McKee (Goodland), Jon McKee (Brewster), Matt Miller (Quinter), Lynn Moore (Pittsburg), Rebecca Newell (Pittsburg), Jason Schielke (Colby), Robert Seger (Johnson), Nicole Small (Neodesha), Mike Thompson (Onaga), Bruce Trapp (Haven), Susan Whipple (Topeka), Mike Whitehair (Abilene), and LaVell Winsor (Grantville).
The MAST graduates from states other than Kansas included: Kane Adams (Higginsville, Mo.), Delane Atcitty (Kingsville, Texas), Jay Hofland (Sanborn, Iowa), Col. Joe Schwarz (Burke, Va.), Wayne Stoll (Corder, Mo.), Darrin Stowell (Oronogo, Mo.), Doug Wilmeth (Kingsville, Texas.), and Conner Wilson (Kingsville, Texas).
To kick off the four-month training, MAST participants attend an on-campus session at K-State in the fall. Once they return home, class members work through online modules presented by K-State agricultural economics faculty. Some of the topics include land ownership and leasing, machinery ownership and leasing, financial analysis, human resources, tax management and policy, risk management, and marketing.
Throughout the distance portion of the program, faculty members are available to answer questions or help those enrolled to explore different areas that might help the participant’s business succeed, Goheen said. Technical support for computer-related questions is also available.
Each four-month program ends with a second session on campus. Participants once again meet with faculty and administrators and are recognized for completing the program.
More information about the MAST program is available online at http://www.agmanager.info/MAST/. Interested persons may also contact Goheen at 785-532-4434 or agoheen@agecon.ksu.edu.