Kansas Stockman: History, Kansas Livestock Association Profile, Content and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Kansas Stockman magazine has been the Kansas Livestock Association's printed link to its members since 1916. KLA itself dates to 1894, when Flint Hills ranchers gathered in Emporia, and today it represents cow-calf producers, stockers, cattle feeders and dairies across one of the nation's great beef states.
| Serving members since | 1916 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) |
| Association founded | 1894, Emporia, Kansas |
| Headquarters | 6031 SW 37th Street, Topeka |
| Frequency | 10 issues a year |
| Readership | More than 5,600 KLA members |
| Official website | KLA.org: Kansas Stockman |
History of Kansas Stockman
The Kansas Livestock Association began in 1894, when more than 100 Flint Hills ranchers met in Emporia to deal with two threats to their business: cattle theft and railroad freight rates. From those roots KLA grew into a broad trade group for every segment of the Kansas cattle business, from tallgrass pasture operators to the large feedyards of southwest Kansas.
According to KLA, members have relied on the Stockman since 1916, both for information and as a marketplace for cattle, bulls and services. Over the following century the magazine tracked the shift of Kansas from range cattle to a state where cattle feeding and beef packing became major industries.
KLA leaders also shaped the national industry. The association helped recommend and carry out the 1995 merger of the National Cattlemen's Association and the National Livestock and Meat Board that created the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Kansas Stockman Today
The Kansas Stockman is published 10 times a year and is available in print and as a digital edition on the KLA website, alongside a sale calendar. KLA's stated mission is to advance members' common business interests and enhance their ability to meet consumer demand, and the magazine reports on that work along with markets and management.
The association runs a wider media operation as well, including KLA Radio, the KLA News and Market Report, a daily News of the Day service and Member Moments features.
What Kansas Stockman Is Publishing Now
Special issues
The calendar is built around the cattle year: Bull Buyers in January, Beef Month in May/June, Cattle Feeders in July, Calf Marketing in August, Ranch Horse in September and the Convention issue in November/December.
Policy and markets
Coverage of legislative and regulatory issues in Topeka and Washington, trade, animal health and market analysis for producers and feeders.
Members and marketplace
Member profiles, affiliate news, sale reports and advertising that make the Stockman a cattle marketplace as well as a news source.
Kansas Stockman Editors and Staff
KLA's Kansas Stockman page lists these staff:
- Scarlett Madinger - Editor, Kansas Stockman
- Rachel Waggie - Manager of Communications and Advertising
- Stephen Russell - Director of Marketing and Promotions
Who Reads Kansas Stockman
Readers are KLA's roughly 5,600 members: ranchers, stocker operators, feedyard managers, dairy producers and allied businesses. Kansas is one of the country's leading cattle states, with major feeding and beef-processing capacity on top of a large grass-based cow-calf sector in the Flint Hills and western rangelands. USDA NASS inventory and Census of Agriculture data, and USDA ERS figures showing cattle as the single largest source of U.S. animal receipts, frame the business the Stockman covers.
Kansas cattlemen have been swapping stories since that 1894 meeting in Emporia, and a Flint Hills pasture burn or a long day at the feedyard produces plenty of material. farm.FM collects that spirit as farm satire, farm humor and ranch humor for prairie readers. Its farm jokes travel well between the bull sale and the convention hall.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
Kansas Stockman Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- KLA: Kansas Stockman - the magazine, special issues and staff.
- Kansas Livestock Association: About KLA - the 1894 founding and mission.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Kansas cattle inventory and cattle on feed data.
- USDA ERS: Cattle and calf receipts - cattle's share of animal receipts.
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - farm and ranch structure data for Kansas.
Kansas Stockman FAQ
Who publishes Kansas Stockman magazine?
The Kansas Livestock Association, headquartered in Topeka.
How often is the Kansas Stockman published?
Ten times a year, in print and digital editions.
Who edits the Kansas Stockman?
Scarlett Madinger is listed as editor on KLA's website.
When was the Kansas Livestock Association founded?
In 1894, when Flint Hills ranchers met in Emporia over cattle theft and freight rates.
More than a century after members first opened it, Kansas Stockman magazine remains KLA's newsroom and marketplace for the Kansas cattle business.