Released: February 16, 2005

Burlingame Couple Named Master Farmer, Farm Homemaker

BURLINGAME, Kan. – Ken and Corinne Dubois may be farming the family’s original farmstead that dates back to the 1860s, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the way they run their business.

“I’m the fourth generation to be farming that land and my son Chris would be the fifth generation,” said Ken, of the 3,248 acres they farm near Burlingame in northeast Kansas.

For their leadership in agriculture, environmental stewardship and service to their community, Ken and Corinne have been named a 2004 Kansas Master Farmer and Master Farm Homemaker by Kansas State University Research and Extension.

The award program dates to 1927 and is sponsored by K-State Research and Extension and Kansas Farmer Magazine. The Dubois’ and five other couples will be honored at a 6 p.m. banquet March 11 at the Holiday Inn in Manhattan. Friends can make reservations by calling 785-532-5820 by Feb. 25. Tickets, including dinner, cost $20 for adults and $10 for children under age 12.

“We’re honored and surprised -- very humbled to receive this,” Ken said.

Ken grew up on his family’s Osage County farm and went to Burlingame schools. After attending Emporia State Teachers College for two years, he completed a bachelor’s degree in agriculture at K-State in 1966.

After graduation he spent two years working for Gulf Oil Corp. in Minnesota and Iowa in its agriculture chemicals division, selling directly to farmers. Back then, the use of herbicides and pesticides was not widespread, and Minnesota was in the forefront of using such chemicals, Ken said.

“I learned a lot about using them properly, so I brought that knowledge back to the farm with me. I was right out of college and still eager to learn, so it was a wonderful experience -- I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” he said.

Ken and Corinne, who met at a local restaurant where Corinne was working, credit their parents’ support and generosity with much of their success.

“1969 was our first crop year,” Ken said. “My parents were very generous with the land division so that I would have my own crops and rented the machinery as I bought into the line. We would discuss many of the things I wanted to change and reach a compromise, which was usually successful.”

His parents, Robert and Sue Dubois, have since passed away, as has Corinne’s mother, Ruby Christesen. Her father Harold Christesen, of Osage City, is still going strong at 91.

“He rode a motorcycle for his 91st birthday,” Corinne said.

The Dubois family grow wheat, corn, soybeans and, to a limited extent, grain sorghum on their land, 1,560 acres of which they own and the other 1,690 of which is leased.

Ken said he believes in continuing education and has attended workshops and seminars to keep abreast of changes in agriculture. The self-described “detail-oriented” farmer keeps his own records and is a long-time member of the Kansas Farm Management Association, a part of K-State Research and Extension.

He cited the move to 12-row machinery and the use of minimum tillage as two significant changes in the way the farm has operated over the years. Those changes made for more efficient work days and allowed the family to take on more land with less labor.

The couple typically has one fulltime employee and occasional seasonal help and have been “blessed with exceptionally good hired help,” Ken said.

The Dubois’, who will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary May 29, raised four boys.

“I was outnumbered,” laughed Corinne, of the years all four boys lived at home.

“But she still had the deciding vote,” Ken said.

Their sons attended Burlingame schools and were active in Boy Scouts, sports and band.

The oldest son, Craig and his wife, Kristen, live in Olathe, Kan. with their three children, Courtney, Kara and Zachary. Craig graduated from K-State in 1989 with a degree in business. He manages a branch of Liberty Tax in Olathe and Kristen is director of First Steps in the northwest Missouri district.

Another son, Chris, graduated from Wichita Automotive Technical School. He is an aircraft mechanic for the Kansas Air National Guard, but also helps on the farm. He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Burlingame. They have four children – Ryan, Trey, Skyler and Tori. Chris is also a reservist with the 190th Air Refueling Division of the Air National Guard.

The couple’s son, Brent and his wife, Heidi, became first-time parents last fall with the birth of Willow. The couple lives in Wellsville, Kan. Brent graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2000 with a degree in wood technology. He works in commercial construction as a drywall specialist. Heidi is a school psychologist in the Gardner school district.

Ken and Corinne’s youngest son, Kyle, graduated from Pittsburg State in 1996 with a degree in business. He and his wife, Nikki, recently moved to Olathe. Kyle works for Sprint as an account service representative and Nikki is employed at Data Center, Inc.

“We never pushed them to farm, we just wanted them to be happy,” said Corinne of their sons. “We returned to the farm because we wanted to. We would have loved for them to come back, but mostly we wanted them to be happy. But we know if we ever need them, they’ll be right here.”

Ken is a 35-year member of the Lions Club, and served as its charter president in 1969. “We raise money for particular causes,” Ken said of the club. “We cleaned up the cemetery after storms, we built bleachers for the baseball fields - anything that needs to be done in the community, we’re the first to be there.”

He also served on the Osage County Fair Board, the Osage County Zoning Appeals Board and was the chairman of the board for Soyking, a value-added company. He is a 50-year member of the Kansas Farm Bureau and has served on the Burlingame Coop board.

In addition to her contributions on the farm, Corinne’s service has taken her in a different direction than Ken’s. She has worked part-time for 25 years helping arrange visitations for the Carey Funeral Home and also buys and sells antiques and collectibles. She has been a baseball coach and while she helped with Boy Scouts, she was more involved in Girl Scouts.

Corinne was also a 25-year member of the Osage County Home Demonstration Unit and belongs to the Eagles Auxiliary and the American Legion Auxiliary.

“It’s nice to be given an award for something we’ve enjoyed doing all our lives,” Corinne said of the Master Farmer-Master Farm Homemaker award.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Mary Lou Peter
mlpeter@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News