Better Kansas - Ideas for Living, Growing and Succeeding

Better Kansas – Oct. 10, 2019

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Mary Lou Peter

Welcome to Better Kansas, where every Thursday we shed light on events, resources and other information designed to make your life, businesses, communities and state better. Share on social media and don’t forget to subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR ONE-YEAR-OLD, you see a future Supreme Court Justice or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, right? Surely, he’s more verbal than most. And she started walking earlier than your friend’s child! Truthfully, we mostly want to know our children are developing at a rate typical for their age (or maybe a bit faster 😊). It’s hard not to compare our kids to our cousin’s or neighbor’s … or even to their own siblings. For an objective look at typical milestones, check Developmental Milestones: The First Year. And please take what that friend of a friend of a friend says about your kiddo with a big grain of salt! True confessions, I was so concerned with how late one of my children started walking, we asked our pediatrician for a referral to the medical center at, you know, that other university … just to double check. That kiddo turned out to be an athlete. You never know!

I WAS IN WALMART LAST WEEK AND THE GARDEN CENTER ALREADY HAD CHRISTMAS TREES FOR SALE …. not real ones, but still! That means the end of the year is fast approaching, making this a good time to do a comprehensive financial checkup. You know, before you start holiday shopping and such. A great way to start is with How Are You Doing? A Financial Checkup. It’s like an interview with yourself, raising topics like “I keep financial records organized and can find important documents easily” and “I avoid impulse purchases and don’t use shopping as a form of recreation.” WHAT?! There’s something wrong with that?! Take a look. Very good info.

AS TIME GOES ON, I INCREASINGLY KNOW PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DEMENTIA. I’ll bet you do, too – a friend, relative, colleague or maybe a caregiver. Whether you’re a concerned neighbor, friend or just curious about dementia and therapies using music, art and humor, attend the free Personhood and Dementia Workshop 2019 in Manhattan on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Bluemont Hotel. The day features Linda Zimmer, who developed therapeutic strategies when her own mother developed dementia. Zimmer has a background in creative arts and as a puppeteer on Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. The morning session runs 9-11 a.m.; the afternoon 1-3 p.m. There is no registration and you’re welcome to come to either or both!

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

IT’S COOLER AND DAYLIGHT IS GETTING SHORTER, so it’s hard to think ahead about next year’s garden, but fall is a very good time to test your soil. Testing labs are generally less busy and soils don’t tend to be waterlogged like they are in the spring. Soil testing can reveal fertility, pest problems and more, and you’ll have more time to correct them before the planting bug (yes, I did say that!) hits in the spring. That and several other topics are covered in the Oct. 8 Horticulture Newsletter. There’s even a how-to video for those of us who learn better by watching than reading :).

COMMUNICATION IS NOT EVERYONE’S STRONG SUIT, BUT IT’S KEY IN RELATIONSHIPS OF ALL KINDS and no more so than when transitioning the family farm … or really any business … from one generation to the next. A parent may not be quite ready to let go of the decision-making. A son may have a different vision of where the business should go. And then there’s the niece who has the skills and interest to build on what you’ve been growing for years. If you’re even close to going down this path, Transition Planning: 12 Steps to Keep the Family Farming provides tips to consider. Your local K-State Research and Extension office can also guide you to even more resources.

AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, COW-CALF PRODUCERS ARE VIGILANT about doing what they can to make sure their herds go into the harsher winter months as healthy as possible. A recent Beef Cattle Institute podcast on Agriculture Today delves into providing proper trace mineral supplementation and vaccinations this fall to give animals the best chance of getting through the winter healthy. Other podcast topics are a livestock market update, information on National 4-H Week and more. Listen in.

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 – Oct. 3, 2019

Posted on October 3, 2019October 8, 2019 by Mary Lou Peter

Better Living, Better Communities

BUSINESSES LARGE AND SMALL KEEP THE STATE’S ECONOMY HUMMING, but sometimes even the best of them can benefit from assistance. The Pollution Prevention Institute at K-State works with companies, institutions and communities across the state in their efforts to prevent pollution. PPI is also home to the Kansas Small Business Environmental Assistance Program which works with small companies (100 employees or less) on education and compliance with environmental regulations. Its work was recently honored with the 2019 Small Business Environmental Assistance Program Award for Excellence by the National Steering Committee of SBEAPs and Small Business Ombudsmen. By the way, PPI is celebrating 30 years of providing pollution prevention and compliance assistance at an open house on Thursday, Oct. 10, 4-6 p.m., 2323 Anderson Ave., Suite 300 in Manhattan. Come by, celebrate and learn more!

IT’S NOT A SEXY TOPIC, but insects are an important part of our world and, thankfully for us, are here to stay. We are constantly figuring out the best ways to live with them (OK, in some instances control them), just like they are always figuring out a way to live with us. A new way of teaching Integrated Pest Management in Kansas was unveiled this year with the introduction of decks of traditional playing cards with a twist. They’re IPM cards, and they’re used to teach everyone from school children to farmers to homeowners about responsible ways to manage those creepy crawlies. Think flash cards for bugs. There really are advantages to sharing our world with these critters, I promise. More on that in upcoming blog posts 😊.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

THEY’VE BEEN BASKING OUTSIDE IN THE WARM SUMMER WEATHER FOR MONTHS, but with the arrival of fall, it’s time to bring those lovely houseplants indoors. Many of them, including begonia, coleus and bougainvillea, are tropical and once temperatures dip below 65 degrees, they start struggling. I can identify! I once moved from northern California to northern Illinois… . a shock to the system!!! The plants may show signs of stress during the transition, but once they acclimate to being back indoors, they’ll likely do fine. Take a look at Bring Tropical and House Plants in Before Fall for more information.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ON SWINE NUTRITION RESEARCH, African Swine Fever prevention and more at the 2019 KSU Swine Day on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the K-State Alumni Center in Manhattan. The day features updates on swine nutrition research by K-State faculty, plus presentations by Dr. Josh Flohr, technical and production support manager at Seaboard Foods, speaking about implementing a nutritional program in an integrated system, and Dr. Egan Brockhoff, president of Prairie Swine Health Services and a practicing veterinarian, addressing what the Canadian swine industry is doing to prevent ASFV.

KANSAS PRODUCES NEARLY ONE-FIFTH OF ALL WHEAT GROWN IN THE U.S., but winter wheat planting this year is running somewhat behind, with 30% planted as of Sept. 29 compared with 38% a year ago and 31% for a five-year average, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. A recent Agronomy eUpdate takes a closer look at weather and soil conditions, plus challenges that farmers in some parts of the state may be facing.

Better Kansas – Sept. 26, 2019

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Mary Lou Peter

Welcome to Better Kansas. Where every Thursday we shed light on events, resources and other information designed to make your life, businesses, communities and state better. Don’t forget to hit subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

SOME TIME AGO, A FRIEND TOLD ME THAT GUILT I WAS FEELING about something stemmed from my German-Lutheran-Midwestern roots. What?! He was teasing … I think … but I’m pretty sure none of that has anything to do with feeling guilty about the food I waste. You know how it is, those blueberries that were on special just jumped into your cart and now they’re dry as dog food, or the pork chops that sounded so good when you bought them – the ones that have been buried in the freezer for years(!). And how about confusion over “use by” or “sell by” dates on labels? Whether you’re feeling guilty like me or just need to make room for a pot of fall chili, you might want to take a look at What’s in Your Refrigerator? for more on food waste.

AND WHILE WE’RE IN THE KITCHEN, a subject near and dear to my heart is sitting down together for family meals. Imagine being on an island with your family, even if it’s just for 30 minutes. You’re away from the distractions: work, school, sports, band, ballet, social media … video games! Whether a single parent with one child or a boisterous, bickering group of eight, studies show that parents can lead by example by eating nutritious foods (WITH the kids), support communication skills and boost self-esteem during discussion around the table. For more on building traditions and strengthening family ties, read Family Meals … Worth Making a Priority or listen to a short radio segment on the topic. Remember to turn off the TV.

EVERYONE IS VULNERABLE TO SCAMS in one way or another. If you watch enough daytime talk shows, you’ve seen victims of dating, home-repair, and credit-card scams. Really, can we trust anyone? Seniors (age 65+) are particularly vulnerable and targeted. Think about it … they often have more robust financial resources and grew up in a world where politeness and trust were more typical. If you are a senior or have loved ones who are, take a look at Protecting Yourself from Senior Scams.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

DON’T BE DECEIVED BY THE PRETTY WHITE FLOWERS! Those vines winding their way around your crops or garden plants could be field bindweed, a perennial and incredibly invasive weed that creeps its way through farm fields and home landscapes alike. It’s so damaging it’s on the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s top 12 list of noxious weeds. On agricultural land, it can cut crop yields and in home gardens it can smother shrubs and flowers. Now that fall has arrived, but before the first killing frost, is a good time to manage it in farm fields. Take a look at Fall Control of Bindweed for information. And for more on bindweed in home landscapes, check Bindweed: A noxious weed. This stuff has deep roots and has wound its way through the spirea shrubs in my suburban back yard more years than not. Managing it has been a constant struggle.

I’VE SAID IT BEFORE AND IT’S WORTH SAYING AGAIN, KANSAS IS THE NO. 1 SORGHUM-PRODUCING STATE BY FAR. It’s used primarily as livestock feed and in ethanol production, but increasingly as an ingredient in food products, partly because it’s gluten-free. Even this drought-tolerant, important grain can be improved, however, and that’s the goal of a big new public-private partnership using genome-to-phenome (G2P) plant breeding. The effort is supported by Kansas sorghum growers and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Learn more in Unique public-private research maps the future for dryland crops.

IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON AND ALL, but Kansas State, Nebraska, Colorado State and Oklahoma State have set all of that aside 🙂 long enough to collaborate on four upcoming 2019 Crop Insurance Workshops. Topics include preparing and responding to a natural disaster; farm policy; market outlook; trade education; using crop insurance and hedging; and hemp policy and risk management. Apparently, lots of questions on that last topic! The workshops are planned for Brush, Colorado, on Oct. 29; Grand Island, Nebraska, on Oct. 30; Salina, Kansas, on Oct. 31 and Enid, Oklahoma, on Nov. 1.

Better Kansas – Sept. 19, 2019

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Mary Lou Peter

Welcome to Better Kansas. Where every Thursday we shed light on events, resources and other information designed to make your life, businesses, communities and state better. Share on social media and don’t forget to hit subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

FALL IS MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR for a variety of reasons and one of them is the abundance of all things apple at the grocery store, farmer’s markets and roadside stands. Apple pie, applesauce, or a fresh apple on its own, it’s all good. Whether you prefer the sweetness of Braeburns or the tartness of Granny Smiths, many varieties can be stored successfully for months under the right conditions. A recent Horticulture Newsletter provides a guide to how long different varieties hold up well under the proper conditions. Just don’t make my mistake and forget that they’re in that bottom drawer behind other things! If you don’t want to store them fresh and whole, you can always freeze or can them or make apple butter or jelly. Take a look at Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe: Apples for how-to steps and recipes. Now if only we could do something about the shortening daylight that comes this time of year ☹.

WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT OF FALL, it’s about this time of year that we sometimes have outbreaks of oak leaf itch mites (known to the scientists as pyemotes herfsi). Once you’ve been bitten, you won’t forget them. They aren’t a problem every year, but in years and locations when they are, the bites, which are usually found on your upper body, are itchy and sometimes painful. And they can last a surprisingly long time! A maddening thing about these tiny creatures which are nearly invisible to the naked eye, is that you typically don’t know that you’ve been bitten until hours later or the next day. Take a look at the updated Oak Leaf Itch Mite fact sheet for pictures and more information, including where they live and why it’s so difficult to avoid them. An internet search just led me to a Wall Street Journal article “The Invisible Itch Mite Will Make You Nostalgic for Mosquitoes.” Do tell!

EVER HAD THAT EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU’RE STARTING A NEW JOB and had to pick a health insurance plan? So many big decisions in such a short amount of time! Or maybe you realized you don’t know what your plan covers … and what it doesn’t. Life is so complicated! Check out Health Insurance Smarts – Health Insurance 102 for information about choosing a plan, what terms such as coinsurance and deductibles mean, and things to consider when thinking about insurance costs.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

KANSAS EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS DONATED NEARLY 106,000 POUNDS (53 tons) of fresh fruits and vegetables to food pantries last year to help feed their communities, and are well on their way to an equally generous season this year! That’s one of the ways extension works: university scientists conduct research, in this case on fresh produce. Those specialists share that research-based information with volunteers in the Kansas Extension Master Gardener program who in turn, educate the public by speaking to community groups, participating in garden shows, or growing and maintaining demonstration gardens. Those gardens give people like you and me a chance to see what we can grow at our own homes. From Wyandotte to Ellis and Sedgwick to Harvey counties, Kansas EMGs are busy across the state sharing their knowledge of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Interested? Check with your county or district extension office to learn about the opportunities.

IT’S TRUE, THERE’S A DIFFERENT SCENT IN THE AIR at a few K-State research centers around the state where studies of industrial hemp are in their first year. The 2018 Farm Bill cleared a path for farmers to explore the possibility of growing industrial hemp, which can be used in everything from CBD oil to paper products and rope, plus more. Though still in the beginning stages, the possibilities couldn’t come at a more welcome time with the prices of some crops traditionally grown in Kansas depressed for several years. Part of K-State’s role in industrial hemp research is to help determine which varieties grow best in different parts of the state and how irrigated versus non-irrigated plots perform. If found to be a good option for farmers, industrial hemp will likely be an alternative crop to be used in a rotation with more traditional crops such as corn or wheat. Check out a video.

IF YOU’RE IN THE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION BUSINESS and want to know about upcoming events, research results and more, take a look at the monthly News from KSU Animal Sciences newsletter. The September 2019 edition has information about educational events for beef and swine producers, meat processors and a program specifically for youth. It also includes management tips for running your business, safety tips for those harvesting silage, research results and other topics.

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K-State Research and Extension