Herding critters or tending to crops aren’t on Matt Thompson’s resume and seed caps aren’t yet part of his wardrobe, but the Kansas Wesleyan University president knows a thing or two about education and filling community needs.

With the help of an esteemed Coyote graduate and a generous gift from a Salina donor, the self-proclaimed “city boy” is taking KW’s newest curriculum to the country.

The Community Resilience Hub team and the first cohort of six Kansas Wesleyan students — three from California, one each from Arizona, Texas and Kansas — are debuting Heartland RIFT on 42 acres in eastern Saline County — 30 acres of KW alumnus and former professor Wes Jackson’s land, and 12 acres from Jason and Lisa Ingermanson’s Quail Creek Family Farms, roughly three miles north.

RIFT stands for Rodale Institute Farmers Training, a program in regenerative agriculture

“Wes was always an influence and a voice with President Thompson. They had discussions about the vulnerability of the food system,” said Sabrina Rosario, director of KW’s Community Resilience Hub.

The four-year liberal arts college opened Heartland RIFT March 17, helped by a $1.5 million grant from the Hale family, in memory of their late father, Joe Hale.

Students will work through the growing season — until roughly Oct.10 —  on the farm lands, where there are sheep and dogs to herd them; cattle, chickens and crops.

The 12-credit-hour undergraduate certificate program that’s in session through this growing season, is modeled after the Kutztown, PA-based Rodale Institute.

Jackson was among the first KWU alums to meet Thompson, a PhD in Higher Education Administration, beginning his presidency some 12 years ago.

He was inspired by Jackson’s concerns for the planet, his plan to mimic the prairie and feed people by growing grains in perennial polycultures, rather than annuals that must be replanted more often.

“Wes spent hours telling me about his career and The Land Institute. We became working collaborators, and everything came together,” Thompson said. “It became an issue about how we feed our students, and we decided to launch the Community Resilience Hub.”

A native of Jacksonville, FL, he has yet to shop for work gloves.

“I’m a city boy. I don’t have much to commit (to farming) other than to contribute this work,” Thompson said. “We believe the issues in front of us will not be solved purely with technology.”

Humanities and liberal arts, English, history, sociology, art and culture are necessary “to humanize the issues that exist and move communities forward,” he said.

While not opposed to getting dirty in the country, Thompson said the RIFT is providing a hands-on experience for students who may come from non-traditional demographics, while over time possibly luring younger, more traditional students as well.

“We can talk about solutions in a 30-mile radius, move to another 30-mile radius, ripple across the state and go global, but we believe some of the answers have to be localized,” he said. “I’m going to make sure those opportunities are available.”

Jackson is eager to continue his mission through the relationship with Thompson and Kansas Wesleyan.

“Matt has a good sense of the future,” Jackson said. “The students are a rather interesting group of serious people. I find them to be extraordinary.”