Just like the threshing bees that brought people together to complete the harvest so long ago and led to the community that formed everything that is now Powerland Heritage Park, the web team initiative that recently launched Powerland’s new website required a lot of people working hard at different roles as we adapted to the situation at hand. Our project started back in December when we could actually sit around the same table and discuss how to proceed with the new site. We launched the site to a different world on April 1 after conducting our final meetings online - social distancing from home in our own living rooms and spare bedrooms. Despite it all, the new site has the ability to keep us connected.

The web technology challenged us along the way. The Corona virus complicated, and maybe for minute or two, threatened our ability to finish, but we figured it out even while learning to adjust to being apart. The Powerland web team showed real commitment to a very unfamiliar project for most of its members. The resourcefulness and amazing attitude of each team member to pitch in and help wherever they could resulted in a cohesive group that refused to be stopped and operated in a lot of different ways:

• Mark Bennett became our story teller. His deep connection and commitment to the people and Powerland campus combined with his ability to tell a tale allowed us to create and build out the Wisdom section of the site which honors the people and work of our community and family of organizations. We hope to see a lot more in the Wisdom section soon with your help.

• Tim Dezotell joined the team a little late, but positioned the team’s work neatly into the context of the Powerland environment. Tim also made the Adopt-A-Tractor program official through the website. If you haven’t explored it yet, you should.

• Michelle Duchateau made every important executive decision along the way. Her knowledge guided us when a compromise was necessary. Her experience showed us how to prioritize many of the challenges we confronted along the way, too. Not to mention, this whole initiative was her idea.

• Mark Moore bridged the span between old and new sites by connecting us not just to important content, but also to the history and logic that evolved the Powerland web presence to its present state. His social media work will play an increasing role as we build on the capabilities of the new site.

• Lena Prine managed the team. She sensed when we needed to pick up the pace, make a key decision, and made things happen when we needed to knock out some portion of the site. She kept us in line all while managing Powerland marketing efforts outside of the website, too.

• Kathie Rosenquist established herself as the owner of quality control over our work and continues to explore the potential of the new site as it relates to different business components of APMA. Her attention to detail is absolutely necessary to keep a website maintained.

While we are not separating seed from chaff, the product of the web team’s effort will hopefully continue to nourish the community it serves. I hope everyone can enjoy the new site and use it to stay informed. Please thank the team members above for their work if you get the opportunity.

Time and technology eliminated the need for us all to gather around steam-powered equipment in a field and a virus is now preventing us from attending organization meetings in the same room, but we can and should stay connected through Powerland’s online channels.

• Inform yourself with the News. Things are still happening around the Powerland community. Leave a comment on any of the articles.

• Learn something in the Wisdom section. Comments are appreciated there, too.

• Socialize with us on Facebook.

• Reminisce and entertain yourself at our Youtube channel.

• See the latest images at Instagram, too.

• Update your membership.

• Make a donation.

• Plan for the day when we can enjoy ourselves on the Powerland campus again in our Events and Museums sections.

We can still be a community and support each other. It is once again a different world. But we’ve always been resilient and now we have more ways to interact than ever before. So stay at home for now, but don’t be alone. We’re all still here, online, ready to do the work that has always brought us together.