Our Purpose
The Save Our Soils Kaw Valley Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that envisions a future where our communities value farming as the best use of fertile farmland, and we protect the farms that sustain our economy, environment, and quality of life.
The Kaw River Valley in Eastern Kansas is a unique region that has played a vital role in the lives of the people who live there, for the state of Kansas, and for our nation. Situated in the heart of our country with fertile glacial soils, a steady water supply, and temperate climate, it has long been recognized for its natural beauty and prized for the crops it produces that have fed our families for over 150 years. It is especially prized by the people who live and make their living there, in many cases, for several generations.
There is now increasing pressure to utilize this unique agricultural treasure for other purposes, particularly near cities and towns. These flat expanses near populated areas make them inviting areas for development of commercial and industrial projects. Many of those involved in these projects have limited knowledge of the real value of the land in this region, thinking all farmland is equal, in great abundance, and expendable.
The Save Our Soil Kaw Valley Foundation was formed to increase awareness of the importance of this resource to our future. Once this land is lost to industrial development, it will be lost for generations, and the families who built their lives here will be gone. Gone, too, will be the agricultural products and the economic benefits this land has provided for over a century.
The Foundation was Formed to:
Educate the public on the value of the unique qualities of this region and its importance to our past heritage and our future agricultural production through meetings and regional events, like our pumpkin picking and farm tours.
Work with farmers to ensure their farmland remains farmland, capable of feeding and clothing our population, forever.
Work with local governments on farmland protection policies and to publicly defend and advocate for this unique land on behalf of the people who live in the region and beyond.
Seek the help of community members willing to share their time, their stories, their knowledge, and their funds to preserve this important natural, cultural, and economic resource for our communities and the generations to come.
Our Origin Story
Our original group, “SOS Kaw Valley,” was formed to challenge plans to build an 1100-acre utility-scale solar project on prime farmland in the Kaw River valley in Douglas County. We planned our opposition to this project on several fronts. We extensively researched the plans presented for this project. We spoke with landowners and growers in the region to inform them of the magnitude of the plans for this project and the impact to our community. We conducted public seminars to explain the plans for the project and the impact on our community. We met with public officials to discuss our concerns. Our group and many others spoke at public meetings when plans were being presented for approval, voicing our opposition. Our research led us to question many of the plans’ assumptions (groundwater effects, storm water runoff, feasibility of agrivoltaic plans, etc.) that resulted in the initial approval of these plans. Open records requests into how these plans gained approval despite clashing with long range planning documents for the area were especially eye opening in their content. This led to a lawsuit challenging the process, funded by our group against Douglas County. We have been successful in court in obtaining a restraining order that has put a hold on the project pending further litigation. The trial is scheduled for April 2026.
Along the way, our group recognized that whether we win or lose in court on this single project other challenges to preserve the prime agricultural land in the Kaw Valley will inevitably follow.. As these challenges will grow and continue in the future, we knew we had to plan to grow and evolve as well. The Save Our Soil Kaw Valley Foundation, with a now broader scope and vision, is the next step in this evolution.
Our board of directors will meet regularly to discuss our plans and strategies to further our mission as we move forward. You don’t need to join or pay membership dues to be a part of our efforts. We welcome the input of knowledge, time, experiences, and financial contributions from all who share our vision and wish to join us in our efforts.