{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Ask A Kansan","title":"Reimagining Rural with Kansas Sampler Foundation’s Simone Elder | Choosing Rural Kansas","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3075,"description":"Ever wonder what keeps a small town alive when the world seems to be pulling people toward the cities? Simone Elder grew up on a family farm in Atwood, started doing economic development work in high school, and now leads an organization devoted to making sure rural Kansas doesn't just survive — it thrives. \n\nAs the new executive director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, she stepped into the role once held by the legendary Marci Penner and is bringing her own western Kansas perspective, entrepreneurial background, and a whole lot of what she calls \"Kansas rizz\" to the job. We talk about the Power Up movement — a network of 21-to-39-year-olds choosing rural by choice — what communities need to keep young families around (it turns out sidewalks and salads matter a lot), the eight rural cultural elements that help towns see themselves differently, and why Simone believes the best thing you can do when the doom and gloom gets heavy is walk out your front door and get involved in the community right there around you. Plus, Sydney's Halloween costume saga and a new dart throw that lands us in Rooks County.\n\nHighlights\n\nSydney's mom made every Halloween costume growing up — including a monster suit built from dyed green mop heads — and Sydney is keeping the tradition alive with an increasingly specific vampire bat queen costume for daughter Madeline\nThrift stores in McPherson delivered $35 worth of Gothic vampire jewelry that would have cost $75 on Amazon\nSimone got her start in economic development through a youth board program called YCIP (Youth Community Improvement Program) in Rawlins County, which invited high schoolers to answer \"What do you want to see in our community?\"\nThe Power Up and Go report surveyed nearly 500 Kansans aged 21–39 and found they want basics: fresh food, sidewalks to push strollers on, and a place at the table where their ideas aren't dismissed with \"we tried that before\"\nSimone's mailbox initiative in Wichita County gave graduating seniors...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/31uDhQmE-73zaqpWjXtwnyYffNMsUnDPiL6GtjTddEQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mNzBm/YzFkNDBkODVjNGM2/MzMwMGViYjhmZTY4/Nzc0Mi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}