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Better Kansas – Ideas for Living, Growing and Succeeding

Tag: emergency preparedness

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 – April 16, 2020

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

 

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This week in Better Kansas, we shed a little light on the current situation in K-State Research and Extension offices around the state, preparing for potential severe weather, being mindful of others in these unusual circumstances, planting a garden, soybean research and the CARES Act and how it affects agricultural 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

K-STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION HAS AN OFFICE IN EACH OF KANSAS’ 105 COUNTIES, but like so many, most of our staff are currently working from home. You may have taken part in many extension classes, field days and other programs or maybe you’re just discovering us! We’re still here and still in the education business but the ways we convey the information will continue to look a little different than our typical in-person events, at least through July 4. Read more about it. And check with your local extension office to see what’s being offered and what’s coming up.

 

THE RECENT DEADLY STORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST U.S. ARE just the latest reminder that we’ve entered the time of year when severe weather is more likely. And this year, in the midst of the pandemic, we have even more to consider. If you haven’t done it yet, or are not sure where it is, put together an emergency kit AND make a plan with your family. I’m always reminded how once in a meeting with all age groups represented, in case of an emergency, the older participants said they’d take photo albums and the younger ones said they’d grab their computers. I think we’d all be grabbing our cell phones, but let’s have our emergency kits ready, too! Good resources include Severe weather preparedness during COVID-19; the Prepare Kansas blog; Ready.gov; and Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

 

EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE BETTER LIVING, BETTER COMMUNITIES SECTION, I’m including a link to something I read this week in the Animal Sciences and Industry newsletter that I thought we could all use a reminder about. It’s the message in “Management Minute: Circumstances and Assumptions” at the top of the third page that resonated with me. It has to do with how, like we ourselves are dealing with a weird reality right now, sometimes fraught with stress and anxiety, so is almost everyone around us. So, when we’re frazzled because of our own situation, try to remember that almost everyone you’re interacting with probably is, too. This came home to me this week when I was on the phone with someone from my cable company, trying to get my ever-climbing monthly bill reduced. The woman on the other end sounded less than professional and like she was, ummmmm working from home, which I realized she probably was! Hang in there everyone.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

ALL OF THIS TIME AT HOME IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED OF CIRCUMSTANCES HAS MANY OF US EAGER TO GET OUT THERE AND PLANT A GARDEN. Check out this video for basic tips, including not going overboard on the number of plants (guilty) and planting the garden where it gets enough sun. Plus, don’t forget to check the ever-popular Kansas Garden Guide for information on growing all kinds of fruits and vegetables, including the occasional  challenge like pest control. There’s even a section on alternatives to chemicals. It also covers fertilizing, tips on efficient water use and a chart showing what zone you’re in. Pretty sure some people think I’m in the twilight zone, but that’s a topic for another day. These zones have to do with average frost-free days when it’s safest to plant. I’m reminded again just how big our state is.

 

SOYBEANS ARE: A) OFTEN FOUND IN LIVESTOCK RATIONS; B) A COMMON INGREDIENT IN AMERICAN’S COOKING OIL; OR C) A SNACK CALLED EDAMAME. ANSWER: ALL OF THE ABOVE! They’re even grown to be used in biodiesel fuels. A K-State researcher is leading a team of scientists from several states looking for ways to improve the quality of soybean seeds so that the crop maintains high protein levels even as yields per acre increase. A short online article hits the highlights. TOFU ANYONE?

 

WHAT IS ‘CARES’ AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE? Because in one way or another, we’ve all been affected by COVID-19. Just last weekend I learned that the father of a high school classmate died of the virus. And we all know people who are at least temporarily out of work or whose business is suffering or worse. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act or CARES Act was signed into law March 27 with bipartisan support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The more than $2 trillion relief package has financial provisions to help many Americans, including agricultural producers. Of the total, $9.5 billion will go for direct relief to livestock, dairy and specialty crop producers. For much more on how the CARES Act will work for farmers, ranchers and agricultural cooperatives, take a look at Government Stimulus Programs for Ag Producers and Coops which includes a link to a fact sheet and recently recorded webinar on the topic.

Kansas Corn hosted a webinar that may be helpful as well.

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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 19, 2020

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

 

 

 

 

In this week’s Better Kansas, we touch on where to go for official COVID19 information, suggestions for cooking with confidence, recommendations for refrigerating and freezing foods, cutting back ornamental grasses, an anaplasmosis vaccine in development and a farmland lease survey. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share with others on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

IT’S IN TIMES LIKE THIS, WHEN WE’RE BOMBARDED WITH INFORMATION about COVID19 aka novel Coronavirus 2019, that it’s sometimes hard to determine what’s credible and what’s not. Like many of you, I marveled … and was somewhat perplexed, that not only were the toilet tissue shelves cleared out at my local store a few days ago, but so were the bread, pasta and peanut butter sections. Keep an eye on the Prepare Kansas blog, where we point to sources of official science-based information on topics that affect all of us. It won’t help you find supplies, but it will cut right to the latest official word. If there’s one thing I’m thankful for right now, it’s that the days are getting longer and the weather warmer. Take care and look out for one another.

 

SOME OF US MAY BE COOKING AT HOME MORE THAN USUAL OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. The Cooking with Confidence web page provides a wealth of information to everyone from novices to experienced cooks, with links to resources from K-State and other land grant universities around the country. Topics such as Eating Well Made Easy, Cooking Veggies, Healthy Cooking and Recipes and many more are included. Take a look!

 

HAVE YOU EVER PLANNED TO USE THAT PREVIOUSLY OPENED PACKAGE OF CREAM CHEESE IN YOUR EVENING SUPPER, only to find there was a nice layer of mold growing on the surface? Not a welcome sight. A handy guide to Safe Food Storage for the refrigerator and freezer lists all kinds of foods and the recommended maximum amount of time they can be stored there (or if they can be stored there at all). I didn’t know until recently that you can refrigerate or freeze bananas. This confirms it!

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

MARCH IS A GOOD TIME TO CUT BACK THOSE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTAL GRASSES now that winter has mostly slipped away and new growth is starting. Whether you need pruning shears or a chainsaw depends on the type of grass … and your enthusiasm and energy level! The March 10 Horticulture newsletter includes a segment on the topic, plus several others, including fertilizing the garden, cole crops (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.), rhubarb, planting potatoes, vegetable spacing and more. I’m by no means an experienced gardener. I’ve grown a few vegetables, including broccoli, but wasn’t familiar with the expressions “bolting” and “buttoning” in cole crop plants. Take a look.

 

GOOD NEWS FOR THE BEEF INDUSTRY: Veterinary researchers at KSU have teamed with Iowa State University to develop a new vaccine platform to produce long-lasting protection against anaplasmosis infection. Bovine anaplasmosis, caused by the blood-borne parasite Anaplasma Marginale, is the most prevalent tick-transmitted disease of cattle worldwide and causes significant disease loss to beef producers in the United States. It can result in aborted calves, lost milk production in dairy cattle, death loss and more. Read an article or listen to the Agriculture Today radio interview on the topic.

 

DO YOU WISH YOU KNEW MORE ABOUT WHAT OTHERS IN KANSAS WERE LEASING FARMLAND FOR? It’s especially helpful if you’re thinking of leasing out your own land to your neighbor, Abby down the road or if you hope to lease your cousin Bill’s fields to expand your crop production. To help yourself and others’ understanding of current lease rates, K-State agricultural economists ask that you participate in a Kansas non-irrigated farm lease survey. The survey is voluntary and confidential, and will be open until the end of April. Results will be compiled and available on www.agmanager.info. Questions? Contact the Land Use Survey Center at tsoodle@ksu.edu or 785-532-1517. For a look at how the data will be used, check out the 2016 report.

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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 – Nov. 7, 2019

Posted on 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 subscribe and get acquainted with your local extension office! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu

Better Living, Better Communities

FOR MANY OF US, THE HOLIDAYS MEAN TRAVEL … DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT DOING THIS ONE THING! Whether you’re driving to your in-laws, home from college, or just a quick jaunt down the road for groceries, download the winter survival kit app, compliments of the enterprising folks at North Dakota State University Extension. It’s available free for Android or iPhone and does cool things in case of an emergency, such as determine your geographic location, call 911, contact friends or family, store insurance policy and auto club information, and more. NDSU, like land-grant universities across the country, is one of our partners in the cooperative extension system. Thanks for sharing, NDSU! We all benefit.

I’VE HEARD THAT BLUEBERRIES ARE A ROCK STAR when it comes to healthy eating, but what other foods help lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes?

  • Strawberries
  • Avocados
  • Carrots
  • Bananas
  • Raisins
  • Apricots
  • Sweet potatoes

They’re all on the list. So are a lot more. Take a look at Choose Foods that Lower Your Risk of Cancer for a more complete list and health benefits they provide. It turns out that making a colorful plate isn’t just about being visually pleasing!

IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, but sometimes good, sound sleep is elusive. I know, when I don’t get enough zzz’s, every little ache is magnified, it’s harder to focus and more difficult to make decisions. The fact sheet Sleep: Want It, Need It, Get It sheds light on numerous sleep-related topics, including suggestions for dealing with sleeplessness. I was not familiar with the term “parasomnias” but now I am!

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

REMEMBER THE PHRASE, “WHERE’S THE BEEF?” made famous by actress Clara Peller in a Wendy’s commercial. Yes, it was a long time ago 😊, but this went viral before social media even existed! For those who are curious about meat demand through the years, including demand in this country, as well as exports of beef, pork and chicken, it’s all on the Meat Demand page on AgManager.info. I still enjoy watching Clara and the commercial.

LATE OCTOBER BROUGHT A SHARP DROP IN TEMPERATURES and we’re not the only ones shivering. The newly planted winter wheat crop in some areas may have been affected, depending on soil temperatures, moisture and other factors. Read about it and take a look at some interesting photos and graphics in this Agronomy eUpdate article. As of Nov. 3, 94% of the Kansas crop had been planted, ahead of 81% last year and 91% (five-year) average, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

KANSAS HAS LONG BEEN A LEADER IN BEEF PRODUCTION, with cattle and calves generating $8.27 billion in cash receipts in 2017 alone. That accounted for more than 50% of overall agricultural receipts that year, which included some of our other well-known agricultural claims to fame such as wheat and grain sorghum. To support beef cattle producers and provide the latest research and management information, seven Calving Schools are planned around the state from November-January.

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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/