How an FHSU graduate student helped a Kansas business find a fresh start through the Kansas Micro-Internship Program.
Matt Gerritzen has spent more than 20 years in production agriculture. In 2022, the Fort Hays State University Agriculture alum started Sundown AgriSupply to give farmers something different from the typical big-box ag retailer: independent advice, a wide range of products, and a direct personal line to the owner.
Running a small business means doing a lot with a little, and that includes the website. Matt had tried twice to get a good one built. Both times, he says, the results fell short of what he was looking for. The sites weren't appealing, they were simple in function, and he had little input in the design. He had already spent money and still didn't have the online presence his business deserved.
This past summer Matt reached out to FHSU and reached me, Ben Schears, FHSU's Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development, looking for support with marketing and a website revamp. Helping small businesses in our region survive and thrive is what we’re here to do. FHSU is a regional university and a steward of place, and that means showing up for the businesses and communities when they need us.
Introducing the Kansas Micro-Internship program
We started by connecting Matt with the Kansas Micro-Internship (KMI) program, where FHSU is a regional partner for this area of the state. KMI pairs Kansas businesses and organizations with students from Kansas public colleges and universities for short, project-based work, typically around 20 hours. Thanks to funding from the Patterson Family Foundation, Strada, and the Kansas Department of Commerce, a Kansas business's first three projects are at no cost. Each project pays the students $500 and they can pursue as many projects as they desire, so it’s a win/win for all parties involved.
Through a faculty referral, we then connected Matt with Jade Dofat, one of our graduate online students in Informatics specializing in web and app development.
A project that worked for everyone
Jade took on the whole thing and overhauled Matt's website. She also gave his logo a fresh new look. She had never worked in agriculture before, so she had to dig in to learn about the industry and the needs of local farmers. Along the way, she found problems left behind by earlier web designers on the old site and fixed them so the site worked the way it should.
"She knocked it out of the park," Matt said. He also credits the collaborative work with her as well: he could give input at every stage, and Jade worked with him to bring his vision to life. Jade says the same about Matt. He was patient, quick to respond, and always ready with thoughts when she needed them. "It was rewarding," she said, "to see the website evolve into something that better represents the company, and the work Matt does."
Matt sees the value for both sides. Small businesses are always watching the bottom line, and KMI gives them access to up-and-coming professionals without incurring significant cost. For students, it means real-world experience, with a real customer and real problems, that you can't get in a classroom. He's already looking forward to his next KMI project.
Take a look
The new site is live, and we hope you'll visit it at sundownagrisupply.com. If you farm in Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, or Colorado, Sundown AgriSupply offers seed, fertilizer, crop protection, and specialty products like biologicals and seed treatments. It also provides agronomy support, custom fertilizer blends, and on-farm delivery. Matt works with trusted brands as well as small independent vendors you won't find everywhere. And having worked closely with Matt for the last 5 months, the best thing you get is direct access to Matt, who is always just a quick phone call or text away.
To see more of Jade's work, visit her portfolio at jadedofat.my.canva.site. If you have a web, design, or digital project of your own, she'd love to hear from you. She comes highly recommended and I can’t tell you how impressed we were with her client relations and technical skills!
What's next, and how you can be part of it
We're not done. We'll soon connect Matt with an FHSU marketing student to build a brand-new strategy to expand his reach across the regional market.
Matt's story could be yours. Whether you need a website refresh, social media content, marketing materials, help finding and applying for grants, and a whole host of other projects there may be a KMI project that fits. If you run a business or nonprofit in our region, I'd love to help you get started.
Ben Schears
Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development - Fort Hays State University
bdschears@fhsu.edu - 785.628.4675 (office) - 620.660.5035 (cell)
Learn more about the KMI program at info.parkerdewey.com/kansasemployers.
