K-State Research and Extension

search

Better Kansas – Ideas for Living, Growing and Succeeding

Tag: Better Kansas

Better Kansas – May 13, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

To our readers: It’s with mixed feelings that I share that this is my last Better Kansas blog post. After 22 years (two years writing the blog), I’m retiring from Kansas State University. I’ve had wonderful experiences and met so many terrific people on this journey and for that, I’m forever grateful. It’s been a privilege and great fun to share with you some of the resources K-State Research and Extension offers. I’ll say it one more time, if you’re not familiar with your local extension office’s programs and services, check them out.  I’m told that my KSU email will remain active, so I’d be honored to hear from you.

— Thank you all, Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

This week in Better Kansas, we touch on communicating with children, including teenagers, using available technology to prepare for emergencies, butterfly gardens and other plant topics, generic drugs in livestock, and a full slate of wheat variety plot tours. This is just a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension has to offer. Check with your local office to find out what programs and services are available in your area.

Better Living, Better Communities

EVER NEED SUGGESTIONS ABOUT TALKING WITH TEENAGERS? OR REALLY, CHILDREN OF ANY AGE? Maybe it’s just me but parenting isn’t always sweetness and light. It’s downright difficult at times. K-State’s Wildcat Extension District has assembled wonderful resources to help parents at all stages. Some originated with specialists at other land grant universities, such as the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University and Purdue, but as mentioned before, that’s the beauty of the Cooperative Extension System – we all share! Take a look.

I’M PRETTY SURE IT WAS THE CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE my children and I experienced in 1989. Remember that? During the Bay Bridge World Series? Ever since, I’ve been interested in emergency preparedness education. And does life ever bring us our share of emergencies, from power outages to flooded basements to storms that affect whole communities. One of my colleagues recently shared tips that can help mitigate the difficulties after disasters. Take a look at Simple steps now can make recovering from emergencies easier to learn more. And check out the Prepare Kansas blog for even more information to help keep you and yours (plus your data) safe.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

EVERY YEAR I INTEND TO DO MORE TO SUPPORT BUTTERFLIES, those fragile gorgeous creatures that flit from one plant to another in my dab of a backyard. For simple suggestions to get started, watch the video on Butterfly Gardens, one of the many resources shared in the weekly Horticulture Newsletter. If you enjoy your garden and the creatures that come visit, consider subscribing. It’s free and full of great information shared by really smart people who study these topics for a living.

 

AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, FOR US OR OUR ANIMALS, we’re faced with choosing between a brand name drug or a generic. Not a topic I see written about or discussed often, so I found this article about creating generic drugs for use in food animals interesting. It was produced as part of Cattle Chat, a weekly podcast and news article featuring veterinarians at K-State’s Beef Cattle Institute.

 

WHETHER A VETERAN WHEAT GROWER OR EARLY CAREER FARMER, you’ll no doubt find something to like (and maybe learn) at one of the many wheat variety plot tours planned in locations all over the state from now into June. And we’re more than a bit excited that we can see you in person! Don’t get me wrong, Zoom and other virtual ways to learn are terrific, but we’re happy to see you and converse in a safe way. Take a look at the schedule and don’t delay: They’ve already started.

Again, many thanks for sharing a few moments with me every week.

_

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 – April 29, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

In this week’s Better Kansas, we take a look at how trails can lead to economic development, foods that fight inflammation, sweet potato bread, the surprising benefits of a healthy lawn, soybean planting considerations and a handy way to track precipitation across the state. 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

ONE THING THIS PANDEMIC SPARKED IS THAT MORE PEOPLE SEEM TO BE OUT WALKING, jogging, and bicycling than ever before. My neighborhood is pleasant but walking the same streets for so many years gets a little repetitious, so it’s nice to explore different trails in the area. Communities across the country are using peoples’ interest in exploring trails to help fuel economic activity as well as community pride and mental and physical health. An example of how that’s working in Ottawa, Kansas was featured in a recent First Friday e-Call on the role of trails in community development and in an article posted online. Exploring a new trail followed by a little shopping and pleasant dinner in a new community sounds good to me!

INFLAMMATION HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR BODIES as it often signals that we’re fighting the effects of arthritis, an injury or infection. But when inflammation becomes chronic, it’s literally a pain and can take such a toll on our daily lives. What we eat can help mitigate inflammation, however. Take a look at Top 10 foods that fight inflammation. I KNEW there was a reason I like almonds and dark chocolate … especially together! That whole portion control thing is another topic.

SWEET POTATOES IN BREAD? MAYBE A WIN-WIN! Mostly in Better Kansas, I feature the work of K-State researchers and educators. Occasionally, however, the work of other universities catches my eye and that’s what happened when I read about work done at South Dakota State University, another land grant school doing great work, this time incorporating sweet potato puree into bread. It adds Vitamin A and changes the starch composition by increasing the fiber content. Read about how that might be beneficial for those dealing with diabetes. I’ve become a big fan of sweet potatoes in pretty much every form, so this just reinforces my interest.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

WHAT HELPS KEEP US COOLER IN SUMMER, FILTERS CONTAMINANTS AND REDUCES NOISE? The answer is surprisingly simple: a healthy lawn. Plus, it looks beautiful, feels great and smells good, especially right after mowing. Take a look at Benefits of Healthy Turfgrass to learn more surprising positives about something that many of us take for granted. I once lived in northern California, where water is often scarce. Some of my neighbors had resorted to a front yard full of rocks and a back yard of concrete or artificial turfgrass. It was understandable but for this native Midwesterner, it reinforced a feeling of being a stranger in a strange land. More information about planting and maintaining healthy lawns is also available on the Turfgrass and landscape blog.

 

LUCKILY FOR SOYBEAN GROWERS, THOSE BEANS CAN BE PLANTED OVER A WIDE RANGE OF DATES, but they’re a little finicky about soil temperatures. Kansas growers are tending to plant slightly earlier than they used to. A recent Agronomy eUpdate article covers K-State recommendations for soybean planting dates and maturity groups and offers visually descriptive maps. As of the week ending April 25, Kansas producers had planted 2% of the soybean crop which was equal to last year and near the 1% average, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Soil moisture, another critical component of a successful crop, was generally rated adequate to surplus. Topsoil was rated 5% surplus, 76% adequate, 13% short and 6% very short. Subsoil moisture was rated 5% surplus, 73% adequate, 14% short and 8% very short.

 

KANSAS MESONET NOW HAS A NEW TOOL THAT TRACKS THE NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS we’ve had across the state without precipitation. That’s helpful for farmers, gardeners, homeowners and other weather watchers. The Consecutive Days without Precip page takes the guesswork out of trying to remember if that quarter inch shower was two weeks ago Friday … or was it the previous Tuesday? A recent Kansas Farmer magazine article highlighted the new feature.

_

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 – April 22, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

Today, in Better Kansas we touch on personal financial information, cooking with kids, red mulch and tomatoes, Kansas farmland values and stripe rust in wheat. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Please share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

WE’RE STILL DEALING WITH A PANDEMIC and it’s still wreaking havoc on many Kansans’ financial situations. Some have lost jobs or closed businesses. Even if they have found other work, they may have had to cobble two part-time positions together to come close to what they were making before. Others are still looking. For good times and bad, the Financially Speaking web page has resources focused on supporting the financial health and wellness of Kansans and their communities. Topics of written articles and videos include credit reports, the pandemic and student loans, coronavirus scams, shopping on a budget and much more. Take a look.

 

WHETHER IT’S PLAYING WITH THE MEASURING CUPS OR MIXING UP COOKIE DOUGH, KIDS LOVE TO BE IN THE KITCHEN. It seems like many children who learn to cook with a parent or grandparent go on to enjoy cooking and baking through adulthood. If you’re looking for ways to engage children in the kitchen, including simple recipes to make together plus nutrition and food safety information, take a look at the Kids a Cookin’ website. It includes videos, plus recipe cards, cooking terminology, money saving tips, how to use appliances safely and more. I mentioned a few weeks ago that children who help grow their own food are more likely to at least try tasting those foods. I think the same principle applies here.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

ONE OF THE MORE FASCINATING THINGS I’VE LEARNED about gardening in recent years, is that using red plastic mulch around tomato plants increases production of marketable fruit, compared with rolling out the black plastic mulch. That increase can average 12%! For a detailed look at how home gardeners can install it, see the April 20 Horticulture Newsletter. It includes brief entries on other topics also such as sharpening mower blades, pesky orchardgrass in tall fescue lawns, fertilizing strawberries, and more. It even explains and shows the difference between an ant and a termite.

DO YOU WONDER WHAT FARMLAND IN YOUR AREA IS SELLING FOR? OR WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR COUSIN’S IRRIGATED LAND IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS? There’s plenty of variability in land values, based on region, productivity level, and local demand, so it’s hard to interpret an average for the value of farmland across our state. But we know that the price of non-irrigated farmland (most of Kansas) was $2,032 per acre in 2020, up slightly from 2019 but down 3.9% from the five-year average. The average price for irrigated cropland was $3,247 per acre, up from 2019 and 1.5% above the five-year average. Take a look at Kansas Agriculture and Land Values for 2020 for a summary of agriculture last year and a detailed look at farmland values right down to the regional and county level.

STRIPE RUST, A COMMON FOE OF WHEAT is beginning to show up in southeast Kansas wheat fields. Though observance of the disease is low right now, stripe rust, which can easily cut yields by 40% and even destroy an entire crop, is expected to expand. That’s according to a recent Agronomy eUpdate article. Take a look for great pictures of what to look for, and even where to look, depending on your crop’s stage of development. If you find it in your crop, send an email to extension plant pathologist Kelsey Andersen Onofre at andersenk@ksu.edu, who’s tracking the disease.

_

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 – April 15, 2021

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

In this week’s Better Kansas, we touch on the resumption of 4-H summer camps, the food trend known as charcuterie, vegetable gardening, March update on climate and its effects on Kansas crops, and a webinar on USDA efforts to aid agricultural producers affected by COVID-19. 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

AFTER THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN LAST YEAR, ROCK SPRINGS 4-H CAMP will open its doors this summer. That means hundreds of Kansas kids can disconnect from technology and experience the great outdoors through canoeing, horseback riding, fishing, and other activities. Take a look at the article, Kansas 4-H prepares to bring back summer camp for more information, including a radio interview on the topic. More information about 4-H in general is available on the Kansas 4-H website or by contacting your local extension office.

 

I’VE SEEN REFERENCES and a lot of photos in magazines of charcuterie boards – a collection of cold cooked meats and sometimes cheeses, nuts and other foods assembled together on a cutting board or serving platter. So, it was nice to find several videos devoted to charcuterie (and how to build your own) on the Wild West Extension District nutrition web page. Helpful for those of us who weren’t even sure how to pronounce this food and entertaining trend. Makes me want to have a little party! By the way, the Wild West Extension District is composed of Seward, Stevens and Haskell counties.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

CARROT, CUCUMBER AND PEPPER LOVERS LISTEN UP, now (or soon) is the time to get those plants growing in your garden. Whether you’re new to vegetable gardening or have successfully grown at least some of your own produce, there’s good information in the Vegetable Garden Planting Guide. It includes a concise calendar that indicates when vegetables should be planted in Kansas. Whether it’s asparagus or zucchini or pretty much anything in between, the guide provides handy information about the type of planting, average days to germination and first harvest, recommended number of plants or seeds in a 10-foot row, planting depth and more.

LAST MONTH WAS THE 5TH WETTEST MARCH SINCE 1895 IN KANSAS – especially good news for parts of the state that were in drought conditions. Northwest Kansas received 262% of the amount it normally does in March, according to the Kansas Ag-Climate Update for March 2021. The state was also warmer than normal, overall averaging 3.7 degrees warmer than usual. The conditions boosted the spring development of the winter wheat crop. The monthly Kansas Ag-Climate Update is a collaborative effort of K-State’s climate and extension specialists.

K-STATE HOSTED A WEBINAR NOT LONG AGO ON RECENT USDA NEWS related to pandemic assistance for agricultural producers. The USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers webinar presented a recap of the steps USDA took last year to aid farmers and ranchers negatively impacted by COVID-19, plus provided information from K-State and Kansas Farm Service Agency representatives about more recent USDA announcements. More information can also be found in a USDA announcement.

_

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/