Better Kansas - Ideas for Living, Growing and Succeeding

Better Kansas – March 18, 2021

Posted on March 18, 2021March 17, 2021 by Mary Lou Peter

Welcome to Better Kansas where this week we share information on readily accessible education for managing Type 2 diabetes, handling conflict, raised beds in gardens, maps showing crops in every Kansas county and tons of information for livestock producers. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

IMAGINE A GATHERING OF 10 OF YOUR CLOSEST FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Now imagine learning that one of you has a disease that may lead to heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and limb amputations. And it’s the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. That’s the reality of Type 2 diabetes, and nearly one in 10 Kansans has it. But proper nutrition and exercise go a long way toward managing it and to that end, the popular Kansas Dining with Diabetes program is now available as a self-paced educational resource online. Don’t be dissuaded by the fact upcoming programs are hosted by a particular county. That’s the beauty of virtual learning. You can be anywhere and participate. Questions? Check with your local K-State Research and Extension office.

FOR MANY OF US, IT’S A LIFELONG STRUGGLE … figuring out ways to deal with conflict. The article Mindful Conflict Resilience, Not Reactivity resonated with me. The first suggestion, “Always pause” seems so obvious but in reality isn’t always my first response. Some people have learned to go to their workshop and build something. Others go shopping. For me, I’ve found that taking a walk helps. Unfortunately, and with apologies to my children with whom I didn’t have near enough patience when they were teenagers, I’m better at this as I’ve ummm … matured. For more suggestions, take a look.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

I’VE NOTICED MORE AND MORE PEOPLE USING RAISED BEDS IN THEIR GARDENS IN RECENT YEARS and understandably so. Soil raised above ground level warms more quickly in the spring so gardeners can plant earlier, plus the beds are often filled with higher quality soil than found in many yards. I personally like the idea of being able to reach all the plants! The fact sheet Raised Bed Gardening offers information on construction, size, location, plant selection, soil mix, planting dates, fertilization and more.

I’VE WRITTEN A LOT ABOUT AGRICULTURE IN THIS SPACE AND find these maps showing what crops are grown across every county in Kansas interesting. You all in Russell County have a lot of grass/pasture and wheat, plus a whole lot of other crops! And Woodson County, you rock with grass/pasture and soybeans and more. Even Sedgwick County, home to Wichita, has a lot of pasture, winter wheat, soybeans and other. The County Cropland Data Layer Maps, produced by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and brought to us by K-State’s Agmanager.info also show land in deciduous forest, developed land, open water and wetlands. This would be a great resource for teachers to begin a conversation to show students what crops are grown right around them.

EVEN WITH THE PANDEMIC AND ALL ITS IMPLICATIONS, LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS are still tending their animals: cattle are calving, sows are farrowing and chicks are hatching and extension agents, specialists and researchers are still working to support them. A recent News from KSU Animal Sciences is full of short items about K-State student activities, educational opportunities for producers, management tips, and research findings, plus get to know a couple of faculty members via short profiles. As usual, the Management Minute section which highlights how failure can be an excellent teacher applies to pretty much all of us, no matter what we do for a living. And don’t miss “What (beef) producers should be thinking about in May.”

For more resources and activities, contact the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/

Better Kansas – March 11, 2021

Posted on March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 by Mary Lou Peter

This week in Better Kansas we highlight the Walk Kansas program, financial planning ahead of weddings, and that February frigid weather and if it will affect our insect population, landscape plants and wheat. That’s a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

DON’T FORGET, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME STARTS THIS WEEKEND!

IF EVER there was a time to get outdoors and burn off pent up energy, this is it! After a year of COVID-19, a tumultuous election and last month’s brutal cold snap, the timing for the 2021 Walk Kansas program couldn’t be better. The eight-week program starts March 28, and this year focuses on how physical activity and healthy eating can help us prevent and manage chronic health challenges. They include mental health problems, heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and brain health, obesity, arthritis, diabetes and cancer. Activities besides walking count, too. To learn more or register, contact your local K-State Research and Extension office or go to the program website and click on the picture of shoes. Email me at mlpeter@ksu.edu and let me know how it goes if this is your first year to participate.

COVID UPSET PLENTY LAST YEAR, INCLUDING SOME COUPLES’ WEDDING PLANS. Maybe we’ll have a big surge in the number of weddings this year? Those planning to take that big step may want to read With This Ring, We Plan. It reminds us that there are way bigger financial considerations than wedding cakes and reception venues, plus gives tips on strategies to save money on the big day. It offers suggestions about those sometimes difficult, but important conversations that couples should have before tying the knot, including financial goals, creating spending plans and credit card debt – yours? mine? ours? Take a look.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

NO, IT WASN’T JUST OUR IMAGINATION! Last month we shivered our way through the 5th coldest February on record, according to the Kansas Weather Data Library, the keeper of all such records. The statewide average temperature was 22.9 degrees F. That’s 11 degrees below normal! In addition to cold, February was also a dry month, which extended drought conditions in the western part of the state. For more detail, take a look at the Kansas Ag Climate Update for February 2021. Also, the USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service rated that all-important Kansas topsoil moisture as 4% surplus, 49% adequate, 33% short and 14% very short as of the week ended March 7. Subsoil moisture was 1% surplus, 51% adequate, 32% short and 16% very short.

DID LAST MONTH’S EXTREME COLD SPELL result in something good – like fewer bugs? Take a look at Will Brutal Cold Mean Fewer Insects? to get the answer. I would be happy if those wasps who’ve been hanging around my front porch the last couple of summers crossed over to the “other side” or wherever insects go when they die. I’m not heartless. They are also welcome to move a couple of miles away. That brings up another question. What effect did the brutal cold have on the plants in our landscapes? Read Did the Polar Vortex Result in Dead Plants? to learn more on that topic.

AND WHAT DID THOSE LOW TEMPERATURES DO TO KANSAS WHEAT? They certainly upped the possibility of winterkill, but that depends on several factors, including how cold hardened the crop was, plants’ root system development and its condition as related to pests. In addition, snow cover, soil moisture content, and of course, air temperature and soil temperature all play a role. Check Potential for winterkill to the Kansas wheat crop in a recent Agronomy eUpdate newsletter to learn more. BTW, Kansas winter wheat was rated 3% excellent, 33% good, 37% fair, 19% poor and 8% very poor for the week ended March 7, according to the USDA Kansas Crop Progress report.

See you next week!

Mary Lou

mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Kansas – March 4, 2021

Posted on March 4, 2021March 3, 2021 by Mary Lou Peter

Better Kansas – March 4, 2021

In this week’s Better Kansas, I cover spring cleaning and organizing our homes as well as our financial records, environmental education and help for small businesses, government agencies and teachers, gardening know-how, helping students by taking an herbicide use survey and imminent crop insurance decisions. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

MARCH CAME IN LIKE A LAMB RATHER THAN A LION THIS YEAR, which expedited my good intentions to do a thorough spring cleaning. I find Cut the Clutter and Get Organized helpful in times like this, partly for the good tips and partly because it gives me comfort that there are enough people like me that there’s a publication to encourage us to do something about those stacks of stuff. I especially like the reminder to start with a good attitude! Now, about those good intentions ….

WHILE WE’RE ORGANIZING OUR HOMES AND OFFICES, this is a good time to get our financial records in order, too. Our Valuable Records is a free downloadable and printable resource that provides spaces for important contacts, insurance policy information, bank and retirement accounts … all that information you wish your parents had left or your kids would appreciate if you’re incapacitated or worse.

MOST OF US KNOW WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE TO CONSERVE ENERGY, but there’s actually help for businesses, teachers and government agencies in determining ways to do that. The Kansas Energy Program provides education, grant information and technical assistance to small businesses, K-12 educators and government entities. Its goal is to encourage the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy. To learn more, take a look.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

GARDENERS, I KNOW YOU’RE ITCHING TO GET OUT THERE! If visions of sugarplums and reindeer have been replaced by flowers and veggies in your head, we know it’s almost spring! There’s no better time to look at the Kansas Garden Guide. It’s a wealth of information about growing everything from carrots and radishes to herbs and watermelon. And it’s written specifically for our conditions in Kansas – a lot different than say, Alabama or Nevada. It also covers the basics of soils, composting, container gardening and much more. There’s a reason why this publication generally tops the list of most popular K-State Research and Extension publications.

HELP US HELP OUR STUDENTS! Weed science graduate students (you know … those scientists, educators and producers in the making) are investigating how herbicide application practices such as sprayer speed and spray volume influence weed control and whole-farm efficiency. They’ve devised a short survey on herbicide application practices and would appreciate your participation. For more information and a link to the survey, take a look.

MARCH 15 IS FAST APPROACHING. DO YOU KNOW YOUR ARC FROM YOUR PLC? HAVE YOU CHOSEN YOUR CROP INSURANCE PROGRAM? If not, resources developed by K-State agricultural economists will be helpful. The article, Decision Time: ARC or PLC 2021-2022 includes a link to the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC)/Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Tradeoff Spreadsheet and an associated discussion, plus updated estimated crop prices for the 2021/2022 marketing year. The acronyms are alphabet soup, I know, but critically important stuff for crop producers.

Better Kansas – Feb. 25, 2021

Posted on February 25, 2021February 26, 2021 by Mary Lou Peter

Better Kansas – Feb. 25, 2021

In this week’s Better Kansas I highlight sunshine and Vitamin D, George Crum and other food topics, tractor safety education for teens, grain marketing and Cattlemen’s Day. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share by email and on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

SUNSHINE IS STILL IN SHORT SUPPLY THIS MONTH but get out there and get some when you can. It’s good for your bones! Vitamin D is unique among vitamins because it’s made in the human body when skin is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light in the sun’s rays. Plus, very few foods contain Vitamin D, although some such as milk, yogurt and orange juice are fortified with it by food processors. Research has shown that more than three out of four Americans have inadequate Vitamin D levels. Check out Vitamin D: From Sunshine to Supplements to learn more. Can’t help it … the whole time I’ve been writing this I’ve been thinking of John Denver’s Sunshine on my Shoulders. What a song.

THANK YOU, GEORGE CRUM! Who is George Crum you might ask? We have Mr. Crum to thank for potato chips, one of my weaknesses. Read about how he and his sister, Kate Crum, invented potato chips in the March 2021 You Asked It newsletter. Plus, there is good information about food safety when it comes to home delivery, food preservation, runny jams or jellies, preparing for Walk Kansas and more. I typically write about more healthy foods in this space, but it’s hard to resist those kettle cooked chips…. or any chips for that matter. Wish I could have frequented Crum’s House restaurant back in the day.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

IT’S ALMOST SPRING and that means there’s a new crop of teens helping out on farms and ranches – a wonderful earning and learning opportunity for them and a huge help for producers. But teaching them safety is imperative. That’s where the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program (NSTMOP) comes in. Through the program, teens learn how to operate equipment safely and much more. And keep in mind, the USDA says that a “farm” can be anywhere from 10 acres to 10,000 acres, so whether you grow lettuce on a few acres or wheat on thousands, this program is for you. Take a look at this website for more information or check with your local K-State Research and Extension office to see if there’s a training in your area. The program was developed by Penn State University, one of our many land grant university partners that shares resources. I might have come up with a different name and catchier acronym, but hey, they didn’t ask me! Seriously, it’s a really good, important program.

THIS PANDEMIC WREAKED HAVOC FOR SO MANY, but we’ve become pretty good at compensating in some ways. Check out the virtual Managing Risk & Marketing Grain webinars on March 3 & 5. They’re free but participants still need to register. K-State specialists will cover crop insurance, cost of production estimates for 2021, a price protection net for Kansas crops, plus using options and futures to manage risk in grain marketing.

THE 2021 CATTLEMEN’S DAY IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR AS IT’S ALL ONLINE MARCH 5, but there’s no shortage of good information for participants. Featured speakers include Jayson Lusk, distinguished professor and ag economics department head at Purdue University, addressing the pandemic’s effects on the U.S. beef industry. Jason Rumley and Robert Norris, both of Radian Group, will provide insights on beef processing, retail and foodservice in light of COVID-19. K-State specialists will give updates on research projects across the spectrum. We’ll miss seeing everyone in and around Weber and Call halls, not to mention that heavenly barbecue, but we’ll be back in person when it’s much safer.

K-State Research and Extension