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Better Kansas – Ideas for Living, Growing and Succeeding

Month: March 2021

Better Kansas – March 25, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

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In this week’s Better Kansas, I delve into gardening with children, preparing for emergencies, metals in soils, calf health and a follow up on spring wheat in northwest Kansas. 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

IF YOU KNOW KIDS, CHANCES ARE YOU KNOW A PICKY EATER. I’ve often heard that if children help grow their own food, they’re more likely to at least try those brussels sprouts and broccoli. That’s just one of the potential benefits to including children in the process, from planning the garden design, to helping pick what fruit and vegetables to grow, to watering, pulling weeds and more. And hey, it gets them outdoors and away from electronics. Take a look at Gardening 9-1-1: Kids in the Garden for more information.

 

I ONCE WROTE “LIVING IN THE HEARTLAND IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.” We here in Kansas are reminded of that over and over, especially this time of year. Severe thunderstorms, strong winds, flooding and tornadoes are nothing new to us and always something to be mindful of and prepared for. The Prepare Kansas blog is an easy and visually interesting way to help all Kansans be better prepared for whatever might come our way. I realized how accustomed I’d grown to our natural disasters when someone reminded me that college students coming to Kansas from other states or countries may be completely unfamiliar with tornadoes and the siren systems in many communities. Before we know it, we’ll be talking about ice and snow. We ARE a hardy bunch!

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

THE EXPRESSION “HEAVY METAL” might conjure thoughts of Radiohead or Metallica, unless of course you’re growing plants. In that case, heavy metal is more likely to mean metals found in garden soil. It’s not common and usually not an issue but metals including lead, cadmium, arsenic and others can be found in some soils. Read Heavy Metals in the Soil and Garden for more information. The best way to learn about your soil, including more common tests for pH, phosphorus, potassium and nitrate which can be performed by the K-State Soil Testing Lab. Samples can be submitted through the extension office in your area. Read about the lab’s services online for more information.

 

ONE OF THE JOYS OF DRIVING ACROSS KANSAS IN SPRING IS SEEING COWS AND THEIR NEW CALVES dot the landscape. But young calves, particularly, are susceptible to scours (what we non-bovines call diarrhea) in those early days of life. The condition can cause metabolic acidosis and can be fatal if not promptly treated. A recent Cattle Chat article and podcast by veterinarians at the Beef Cattle Institute cover the topic with tips to help keep your calves safe.

 

A FEW WEEKS AGO I WROTE ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF GROWING SPRING WHEAT in northwest Kansas. Since then, I came across this article by one of our agriculture and natural resources agents in the Twin Creeks Extension District, which includes four counties, two of which border Husker country. It gets into some of the details that we know so far about this potential alternative crop for farmers, including that seeding rates need to be higher, compared with the winter wheat varieties we traditionally grow, and that heat stress would be more detrimental to spring wheat than winter wheat.

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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 18, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

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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.”

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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 by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

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

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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 4, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

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.

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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/