Sloping across eastern Kansas and Oklahoma, the Flint Hills stretch like a canvas brushed by God’s hand. But these rolling green pastures are more than just the perfect frame for a summer sunset; they are a living testament to natural and cultural history. 

In fact, this region is home to the densest remaining tallgrass prairie ecosystem in North America. 

“The main reason that it’s still there is not because we were such brilliant conservationists 150 years ago, but it’s because the soil is only a few inches deep,” explains Matt Perrier, Kansas native and owner of Dalebanks Angus. “Even though the federal government told us through the Homestead Act of the mid-1800s that we had to plow this ground up in order to make it productive, the limestone rock that was right below the soil surface wouldn’t allow it.”

The Perriers have been raising livestock on the Flint Hills for generations. He says his ancestors started Dalebanks as a sheep farm when they immigrated from England to the United States in the 1860s, settling on the same ground he raises his family on today. In 1904 the first Angus cattle were purchased, and a legacy was started.

Perrier says his family chose Angus cattle because they were unique, black and polled. As for why they chose the Flint Hills region, he’s not entirely sure.

“We ask ourselves that a lot,” he admits. “I think probably the biggest thing was it felt like home to them, because a decade or so before they had moved away from someplace in England that looked very similar to this.”

A unique celebration

Perrier is just one of many who are passionate about the region they call home. That’s why 20 years ago, a group of leaders in the Flint Hills collaborated to host an annual event honoring the area: the Symphony in the Flint Hills. 

The Symphony’s goal is to heighten appreciation and knowledge of the area, and it seeks to accomplish that in a unique way, featuring a blend of music, art and education to draw people from all walks of life. 

Each year, for one day in June, a pasture in the middle of the Flint Hills is transformed into a lively event space. Giant white tents are erected, grass is mowed to create walking paths and thousands of people flock to attend. 

The event starts with a series of educational talks and presentations, featuring speakers discussing history, conservation, ranching and more. Guided prairie walks, an instrument petting zoo and an art gallery are also offered throughout the day. In the evening, the Kansas City Symphony performs a sunset concert while cowboys on horseback drive a group of cattle across the hills. 

John McCurry of McCurry Angus attended the Symphony for the first time in 2024, and he says it was unlike anything he’d ever seen.

McCurry attended the event for a special reason — it was his cattle being used in the cattle drive. He says it was a special experience to sit alongside thousands of people and watch cattle from his ranch be driven through the pasture, serenaded by the symphony playing John Williams’ “The Cowboys.”

He says for the people who live here, every decision they make is in the interest of protecting the tallgrass prairie. Perrier says at Dalebanks, they’ve seen how the native grass is important not just for natural sustainability, but for the sustainability of ranches and communities.

McCurry says his ranch home base is located in the Sandhills area about an hour west of the Flint Hills, but he’s still passionate about protecting the prairie some of his cattle graze on.

“As land becomes more valuable and less accessible, we’re trying to make more out of every acre,” he explains. “So how do you do that? Soil health, plant health, rotational grazing. You’ve got to control brush and all those invasive species, and that’s what we try to do.”

McCurry says he’s sad to see the annual symphony event end, but he’s not worried about the future of the grasslands. 

“There is an incredible young population over there that I think has taken sustainability and grass management to the next level,” he says. “I’ll support however I can.”