Emil Redmon's Cow: Wisdom Keepers
2024-04-28 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
Join us at Pioneer Bluffs on April 28th to hear more stories from Emil Redmon’s Cow!
Mark Feiden – photographer, videographer, and creator of Emil Redmon’s Cow – returns to share his latest round of interviews funded in large part by a generous grant from the Trusler Foundation of Emporia, in collaboration with Pioneer Bluffs Center for Flint Hills Ranching Heritage, and the Wabaunsee County Historical Society and Museum.
This ongoing project seeks to preserve great stories from Flint Hills farm and ranch folk, focusing not on the stories of people’s lives so much as it is the “tales that people tell—folklore.”
To date, more than 250 thoroughly entertaining stories have been archived at www.RedmonsCow.org
As has been the case in years past, you are sure to recognize any number of familiar faces!
The presentation will begin at 2 pm in our historic 1915 Barn, followed by an informal reception for our VIP guests – the storytellers themselves! Cookies and water will be provided. Come early to tour our grounds and see updated displays in our historic 1908 ranch house. RSVP appreciated, but not required.

Barn Dance at Pioneer Bluffs
2024-05-04 18:00 - 21:00 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
It will be a classic, old-time Barn Dance in the loft of our 1915 barn, considered by some to be the best dance floor in the Flint Hills.
Pioneer Bluff historic ranch is located just north of Matfield Green on the beautiful Flint Hills Scenic Byway.
Dances will begin at 6:30 and alternate between couple’s dances (two-step and waltz) and caller-led, group or “contra” dances (in lines, circles and squares). Beginners are invited to come at 6:00 p.m. for caller-led-dance instruction.
New to the event this year, Lisa Harris is featured as caller for the group dances. She specializes in calling for all levels of dancers, including beginners.
Music will be provided by top notch musicians from across Kansas – in the seven-person Land Band. Specializing in traditional music – fiddle, accordion, etc. – songs will include old-time fiddle tunes as well as classic and vintage country music.
For more info: contact Annie – five_oaks_ranch@yahoo.com

Prairie Talk: The Crocker Ranch
2024-06-29 14:00 - 15:30 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
At 2:00 p.m. Saturday, June 29, the story of the Crocker family will be shared by Matt Methvin in a Prairie Talk at Pioneer Bluffs.
The Crocker Ranch, with extensive cattle and farming operations, was begun in 1866 by Captain Erastus Bryant Crocker, a Civil War veteran. The Captain’s sons, Edward and Author Crocker, expanded and by 1918 had a 10,000 acre ranch, one of the most extensive in the area.
Today, the Crocker Ranch is an excellent example of an early 20th century working cattle ranch complex and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Homemade cookies and water will be served at the Prairie Talk. RSVPs are appreciated, but not required, and can be made to 620-753-3484, info@pioneerbluffs.org, or on the Pioneer Bluffs Facebook event page. Donations will support future program events.

The Journey to Kyrgyzstan
2024-07-06 14:00 - 15:30 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
What did Josh and Jim Hoy see and learn in the high Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan? The story will be told in a Prairie Talk at a historic ranch near Matfield Green at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 6.
In 2017, the Hoys toured the country extensively, riding hundreds of miles of mountains with nomadic herdsmen, traveling with a warlord through his vast holdings, and hunting with eagles. In the Prairie Talk, the Hoys will speak of the nomadic culture, horsemanship, and stockmanship of the Kyrgyz people, and the flora and fauna of the high steppe. They will contrast the culture to what they have seen in the Argentina gaucho, Australian outback stockmen, American cowboy and buckaroo, and Mexican vaquero.
Josh Hoy plans to bring a horse to demonstrate with gear and artifacts from Kyrgyzstan.
Homemade cookies and water will be served at the Prairie Talk. RSVPs are appreciated, but not required, and can be made to 620-753-3484, info@pioneerbluffs.org, or on the Pioneer Bluffs Facebook event page. Donations will support future program events.

Prairie Talk: Frederic Remington
2024-07-13 14:00 - 15:30 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
Join us at 2:00 Saturday, July 13 for a Prairie Talk Featuring Frederic Remington and presented by Doug Claassen.
Frederic Remington (1861 – 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U.S. Cavalry.
Claassen grew up in the Plum Grove community in northwest Butler County and is still involved with the family livestock and crop farm. His interest in Remington began at an early age with the stories told by his grandfather about Frederic Remington. Claassen and his brothers purchased the Remington sheep ranch in 1983, which further sparked his interest to learn more about Remington’s.
Homemade cookies and water will be served at the Prairie Talk. RSVPs are appreciated, but not required, and can be made to 620-753-3484, info@pioneerbluffs.org, or on the Pioneer Bluffs Facebook event page. Donations will support future program events.

National Day of the Cowboy
2024-07-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
Relax in the shade, cool off with ice cream, and sing along – or just sit back and listen – as Jeff Davidson and Annie Wilson play classic cowboy songs of the trail. Out on the lawn next to our beautiful 1915 barn. We will have chairs available, but feel free to bring your own as well. Music indoors in case of rain.

Tallgrass Express 20th Anniversary Celebration & Concert: a Pioneer Bluffs Fundraiser
2024-09-08 17:30 - 20:30 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
For our Pioneer Bluffs fundraiser this year, everyone is invited to join Tallgrass Express members – past and present – for a celebration of the band’s 20th year of making music in the Flint Hills (including at Pioneer Bluffs!).
NOTE: This activity is taking place on a Sunday.

5:30 BBQ Dinner provided by Owen Reed – Smokin’ O’s Custom Catering – RSVP for meal by Mon Sep 2 via text, phone or email; Ph: 620-753-3484 EM: info@pioneerbluffs.org (seats limited – may want to reserve early)
6:30 Doors Open – for those not attending Dinner; Walk-ins are welcome (no RSVP needed): cake, visiting with band members, and short jam session of Band alumni
7:30 Concert – Featuring current members: rancher-songwriter Annie Wilson on guitar and vocals – named the “Flint Hills Balladeer” by the Kansas Governor in 2013; Carl Reed on vocals, bass and harmonica; and Derrick Doty on fiddle and mandolin.

Suggested Donations:

Dinner $15+
Concert $10+
Both $25+

Note: This event is sponsored in part with a grant from the International Western Music Association, Kansas Chapter. And, thanks to other anonymous sponsors, ALL donations go directly to Pioneer Bluffs.
All Albums Available: All six of the band’s albums will be available at special concert prices, including their new 2024 double CD: “Out on the Tallgrass Prairie.”
For more info about Tallgrass Express, visit www.tallgrassexpress.com .

Pioneer Bluffs Fall Roundup
2024-10-12 14:00 - 16:30 | Pioneer Bluffs: Flint Hills Ranching Heritage Center, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, KS, 66862, United States
How can today’s Flint Hills ranchers and residents find guidance for the future from cultures who have lived here for millennia? Pioneer Bluffs will focus on Native Heritage in the Flint Hills in their annual Fall Roundup on Saturday, October 12 , from 2:00 to 4:30 in the historic 1915 barn.
2:00 Welcome and the Year in Review
The afternoon will begin with a welcome and brief presentation reviewing the past year of Prairie Talks and activities.
2:10 Prairie Talk – “Native Heritage and Place in the Flint Hills”
Presented by celebrated Native American speaker and songwriter Elexa Dawson, this talk will explore themes of Native traditional knowledge, and philosophy of kinship with the land. Dawson will discuss how Indigenous ways of viewing the land – the plants, creatures and bounty of the Earth – can lead us forward. She will share about her work in community gardening with the Goodway Gardens program in Emporia. A member of the Citizen Band Potawatomi Nation, Dawson will explain the origins and culture of the Potawatomi, and how today they are a vibrant and living people with sovereign nations and current relevance in modern society.
3:00 Break
Refreshments will be provided downstairs.
3:20 Concert by Weda Skirts
The Weda Skirts are one of the Flint Hills’ most successful bands, headlining on the main stage at the national Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield again this year. This special concert will focus on Elexa Dawson’s original Native-themed songs. Deeply connected to land, her lyrics speak of the earth, community, and celebrating all relationships – with family, friends, children and nature.
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Visitors are invited to come early to tour the grounds and see updated displays in the historic 1908 ranch house at Pioneer Bluffs. A National Register Historic District, Pioneer Bluffs is located fourteen miles south of Cottonwood Falls or one mile north of Matfield Green on Flint Hills National Scenic Byway K-177 – 695 Kansas Highway 177.

Prairie Talk: Ranchland Trust of Kansas Grassland Conservation Series
2025-03-23 15:00 - 16:30 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
This prairie talk will be Sunday, March 23rd at 3:00pm.

Pioneer Bluffs will host a unique Prairie Talk along with Ranchland Trust of Kansas.

This Prairie Talk will feature a panel of families that were part of RTK’s Grassland Conservation Series. Last spring, RTK teamed up with Emil Redmon’s Cow to produce a series of interviews focused on the topics of grassland conservation and stewardship. Included were Bill Sproul, Matt and Tom Perrier, Heather Fuesz and Irlene Huntington, and Glenn Walker.

Pioneer Bluffs Flint Hills Ranching Heritage Center is a long-time supporter of Mark Feiden’s Emil Redmon’s Cow project. Together, we will host an open panel discussion with the interviewees.

Attendees are asked to watch the interviews (at the link provided) in advance and be prepared to ask questions. http://www.redmonscow.org/grassland.htm

This promises to be an enlightening conversation on a subject of increasing importance as threats to our prairie ecosystems increase. Reservations are appreciated to SammyJo at 620-753-3484. Refreshments will be served.

110th Barn Birthday and Annual Barn Dance
2025-05-03 16:00 - 19:00 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
On Saturday, May 3rd Pioneer Bluffs will celebrate its historic barn’s 110th birthday and 10th anniversary of restoration with presentations and reception, followed by the Annual Old-Time Barn Dance featuring the Land Band. The schedule for the afternoon is as follows:
4:00pm: Welcome
4:10pm – 4:45pm: Barn Talk featuring barn architect Ben Moore and contractor Rick Mitchell
4:45pm – 5:15pm: Barn Restoration Video Premiere
5:15pm – 6:30pm: Guided barn and house tours
5:15pm – 6:30pm: Reception with heavy snacks and barn birthday cake

Old-Time Barn Dance
6:00pm Beginner Instruction
6:30pm Barn Dance
RSVPs are appreciated, but not required. They can be made to 620-753-3484 or info@pioneerbluffs.org.

Prairie Talk: Ranching and Conservation in Namibia
2025-06-07 13:00 - 14:30 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
Namibia, in southern Africa, is one of the least densely populated countries in the world, with vast rangelands, cattle ranches, and diverse wildlife. Like Kansas, much of its land is privately owned ranchland. Ryan and Ron Klataske will explore the similarities and differences between Namibia’s ranching heritage and conservation culture with the Flint Hills. Drawing on their travels together and Ryan’s immersive anthropological research, they will share striking photography and stories of how Namibian ranchers have developed innovative conservation partnerships—revealing unexpected connections between ranching in southern Africa and Kansas.
Homemade cookies and refreshments will be served. RSVPs are appreciated, but not required. They can be made to 620-753-3484 or info@pioneerbluffs.org.

Two Prairie Talks: Five Oaks Ranch and Miles McKee
2025-06-21 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
12:00 Barbecue Meal – compliments of Five Oaks Ranch
For meal, please RSVP by June 16 to 620-753-3484 or info@pioneerbluffs.org. [No RSVP needed for talks]
1:00 Story of Five Oaks Ranch
Talk will include stories and historic photos of this ranch west of Elmdale on its 100th birthday: including early German and French homesteaders, colorful era of the Wiley draft horse ranch, the Middle Creek Fair and rodeo, and beginning in 1925, the Kansas City Stockyards-based Browning Ranch, grazing Texas cattle on Flint Hills grass, operated by the McKee, Cauthorn, Burnett, Wilson and Hancock families. Presented by John & Annie Wilson, Katie Wilson Hancock, and Jane Cauthorn.
2:00 Break and Ranch 100th Birthday Cake
2:30 Legacy of Miles McKee
Miles McKee, Professor of Animal Science at K-State from 1959-2005, grew up on this same ranch west of Elmdale. He went on to become a beloved and much-celebrated teacher and advisor, having an enormous impact on his students as well as the Kansas beef industry. The McKee family will tell about his legacy in this Prairie Talk, with time at the end for his former students to share their favorite stories and recollections.

Day of the Cowboy
2025-07-26 18:30 - 20:15 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
Day of the Cowboy
Come and join us as Pioneer Bluffs celebrates National Day of the Cowboy!
We will start with an Ice Cream Social, followed by program featuring Bruce Brock, our own local, multi-talented Flint Hills cowboy.
Described as a “Renaissance Man,” Bruce enjoys sharing his ranching and cowboy experiences through his acrylic-based paintings, sketches, poetry, and written stories. He is also known for his leather work, which includes boot and saddle repair. Bruce has written three books containing poems and stories about himself and other cowboy friends in the Flint Hills.
Bruce will share his art, poems and stories with us, and he may even have a few rope tricks up his sleeve!
On this day of celebrating “cowboy life,” we will also remember the lives of Jim and Josh Hoy, honoring them with a special tribute.

Fall Roundup 2025
2025-10-11 14:00 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
TWO fun and special programs are in store for our annual Fall Roundup – with special appeal for folks who love animals, ranching, and music.
2:00 Welcome, Year-in-Review, and Vet Panel
3:30 Concert – Jennylou & the Buckaroos
This is also our fundraiser for Pioneer Bluffs. One hundred percent of the proceeds that day will fund the barn repair and repainting. Come show your support for preserving and celebrating Flint Hills Ranching Heritage! Please consider a donation of $25 or more.
We’ll begin at 2:00 with a Welcome and quick year-in-review of Pioneer Bluffs.
Vet Panel – Best Ranch Stories
Then we’ll turn it over to our panel of experienced veterinarians for “Flint Hills Vets tell their Best Ranch Stories.” These ranch docs will share memorable experiences – funny, wild, sweet – working with horses, cattle, dogs and people on ranches across the Flint Hills.
The panel will include (from left to right in photo) Drs.:

Bill Brethour of Wamego,
Jessica Gernhard of Marion,
Tom Jernigan of Council Grove,
Duane Henrikson of Emporia, and
Audra Blasi of Council Grove.

Concert – Jennylou & the Buckaroos
For the finale, starting at 3:30, the award-winning band “Jennylou and the Buckaroos” will perform, with hilarious front man Ranger Stan Greer who is guaranteed to keep you grinning between songs.
You won’t want to miss this performance as three state champion instrumentalists join America’s sweethearts, Jennylou and Josh Melcher.
Homemade cookies and refreshments will be served.

Barn Dance
2026-05-02 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
Further details coming soon!

Radius at the Ranch
2026-06-27 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
This fundraising event will feature great food from Radius Brewing. Further details coming soon!

Day of the Cowboy
2026-07-25 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States

Fall Roundup
2026-10-10 | Pioneer Bluffs Ranch Main Barn, 695 Kansas Highway 177, Matfield Green, KS, 66862, United States
