WOYM 336 - From Classroom to Capitol: Flinchbaugh’s Legacy Lives On
The Official Podcast for Kansas Wheat
Hosted by Aaron Harries
Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh taught generations of farmers, students and elected officials how to think about
“alternatives and consequences” in agricultural policy—and he did it with a cigar, a squeaky voice and a room full of laughter.
In this episode, host Aaron Harries visits with Jay Armstrong of Armstrong Farms and Dana Woodbury, executive director of the Barry Flinchbaugh Center for Ag and Food Policy, about the man behind the legend and the new center created to carry his work into the future.
Jay shares road‑trip stories from his days as Flinchbaugh’s first teaching assistant and explains how their research and statewide meetings helped Kansas voters pass the constitutional change that moved farmland to use‑value appraisal, protecting farmers on the urban fringe.
Dana walks through the mission of the Flinchbaugh Center: engaging students, convening stakeholders, and bringing policymakers the straight facts on complex issues like property taxes, ag labor and water.
You’ll hear how the inaugural Flinchbaugh Forum packed a room with more than 200 people hungry for honest conversation, how a new grant is helping involve western Kansas high school students in Ogallala aquifer discussions, and how the Flinchbaugh Fellows program is building a pipeline of Kansas‑trained policy staff for both Topeka and Washington, D.C.
The episode closes with a look at the Center’s growing partnership with Kansas State University and how grassroots support can help keep Barry’s purple‑bleeding legacy alive for the next generation of rural leaders.