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Better Kansas – Ideas for Living, Growing and Succeeding

Tag: human nutrition

Better Kansas – Oct. 29, 2020

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

In today’s Better Kansas, we feature nutrition information in the Season of Eating, protecting from elder abuse, unintended visitors on firewood, the new Ag Report, Rural Health Day photo contest and pesticide applicator training. 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

HALLOWEEN MARKS WHAT SOME CONSIDER THE HOLIDAY SEASON, but I think of it as The Season of Eating. We’ll start with the trick-or-treat candy and move our way into pumpkin bread, cookies, turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, pecan pie …. you know. Comfort food never sounded so good as during a relentless pandemic. To help keep us on a healthy track, take a look at Kansas SNAP-Ed and Nutrition Topics. I heartily agree with one tip that says if you wish you were a better cook, make something delicious and you’ll be inspired to cook again, soon. The search is always on for that recipe that’s delicious but also nutritious and reasonably low in calories and fat. And just fyi, Kansas SNAP-Ed has a Facebook page that has a constant flow of resources and tips for healthy living.

 

PROTECTING OURSELVES, PROTECTING OUR LOVED ONES is the sentiment behind a fact sheet about elder abuse. When we think of this we might think of physical abuse, but emotional and financial abuse – including telephone and mail scams – also occur and may not be as obvious. The top form of elder abuse in Kansas is financial, which is often perpetrated through scams, including Medicare and IRS scams, but also sweepstakes, investment and home repair scams. Speaking of sweepstakes scams, one of my close family members who had a long, respected, successful career, became increasingly vulnerable to this kind of scam as he grew older. This can happen to anyone, in any family. Read more.

 

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A ROARING FIRE WHEN IT’S COLD OUTSIDE, but something to consider before you bring firewood indoors is who might be hitching a ride on it. Termites, carpenter ants and woodborers are just some of the pests that can make their way into our homes on firewood, so the experts say to store it outside, bringing in only what we’ll use within a few hours. Take a look at Pests associated with firewood to learn more. And while we’re on the topic, read about how not all firewood is created equal. Some types … think Osage Orange and Post Oak … burn hotter than others!

 Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

THIS WEEK I’M HAPPY TO SHARE A GLIMPSE OF PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH IN K-STATE’S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE via the latest Ag Report. This issue (be sure to scroll down) highlights some of the faculty and infrastructure critical for supporting student learning plus research that benefits farmers, ranchers and ultimately consumers. Featured facilities include the new Agronomy Education Center, the John C. Pair Horticulture Center, Purebred Beef Unit, Beef Stocker Unit and the Sheep and Meat Goat Center. Plus, read about how internationally renowned researcher and University Distinguished Professor Barbara Valent has been named to the National Academy of Sciences. Her primary work is in wheat blast disease, which can decimate wheat fields in countries where it’s present. Thankfully, to date it’s not made its way to the United States. Valent and her team are working to keep it that way.

 

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS: NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH DAY IS NOV. 19 this year. To mark the occasion and to honor the community-minded spirit prevalent in our rural communities, the Kansas Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, part of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, is hosting the “Power of Rural” Photo Contest. Submissions will be accepted until NaNov. 13, so take a look at the website, scroll down to the photo contest section for details, then get out there and start snapping away. You can submit your three best photos, just be sure to follow the rules. The contest is open to all ages.

K-STATE IS SUPPORTING INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITIES IN GENERAL by offering Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training on Zoom, Tuesday-Wednesday, Nov. 17-18 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day. All lawn, landscape and pest control companies who commercially apply pesticides are required by the Kansas Department of Agriculture to be certified. By educating, training and testing people who apply pesticides, consumers can be assured that the person applying pesticides to their lawn, home and workplace is  knowledgeable and can safely do so. That would be unlike me, who freaked out and sprayed half a can of wasp killer on the nest over my front door – a big waste of pesticide and not environmentally friendly! Read about the training and register online.

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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 26, 2020

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

Header image for the Better Kansas Blog

 

In this week’s Better Kansas we offer resources to help keep us healthy and nourished during this unprecedented time in our country and our world, including information about extension offices across the state, shopping efficiently when you DO venture out, free online gatherings for farmers and ranchers dealing with current markets, possible freeze injury to wheat and honoring some of the state’s best. 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 compiled numerous publications and other information to help people take care of themselves and others during times of crisis. See the complete list of resources online.

Local K-State Research and Extension agents are still on the job during this time of closures and confinement. They, too, are practicing social distancing. Email is the best way to reach them, but call forwarding and voicemail allow for closed local offices to be reached by phone as well (some responses could be delayed). To find out how to reach your local agents, visit the K-State Research and Extension county and district directory.

THE PANDEMIC THAT’S SWEEPING THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD, COVID-19 aka coronavirus, has many of us thinking, feeling, reading about and DOING many things we’ve not considered before. Just yesterday a friend sent a message saying how hard it is to be so isolated. I, myself was pretty confident that I had enough food and supplies to get me through a couple of weeks or longer, but now I’m questioning that and if I don’t, will there be any on store shelves when I need them? K-State Research and Extension has assembled a range of resources in one place with tips from how to talk to your children during disasters to emotional eating to understanding stress and depression and much more. We’ll be adding resources to the COVID-19 Extension Resource page as we can, so check back. And remember, we Kansans are hardy and resilient people.

 

Last week, something went awry when I tried to highlight this resource, so I’m repeating it because it’s worth repeating:

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!

 

ARE YOU A LIST MAKER OR A RANDOM SHOPPER? In these strange and unusual days, we’re encouraged to limit our trips to the super market, so it’s especially wise to be intentional about what you want before you walk through those doors. Check out this article and radio interview for tips on making those trips as efficient as possible. Making a list and checking it twice isn’t only for Christmas!

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

LIKE ALL ASPECTS OF THE U.S. AND GLOBAL ECONOMY, COVID-19 IS AFFECTING AGRICULTURE. Check out this series of online gatherings on Thursday evenings at no cost, hosted by K-State Research and Extension ag economics specialists. Join your fellow ag producers and agribusiness owners via Zoom to discuss the challenges this unprecedented event is presenting to us. Dates and topics include:

  • Thursday, March 26 – 7 p.m. – Further Updates on the Macroeconomy
  • Thursday, April 2 – 7 p.m. – Grain Markets and Planting Intentions
  • Thursday, April 9 – 7 p.m. – Ongoing Effects on Livestock Markets
  • Thursday, April 16 – 7 p.m. – Effects on Land Values

In addition to the primary topics, specialists will be available to help answer questions and to discuss other topics. Each online gathering will include a short presentation and the opportunity for participants to discuss and ask questions. Feel free to register for one or all gatherings. Registration is required and limited to the first 300 people.

 

WE’RE AT A TIME OF YEAR WHEN IT’S BALMY SPRING ONE DAY AND TEMPS PLUMMET BELOW FREEZING THE NEXT. Take a look at an article about spring freeze injury to wheat in the Agronomy eUpdate, complete with weather maps showing air and soil temperatures and what to look for in your crop if you’re concerned about freeze damage. Whether it’s vulnerable depends on factors such as the stage of development, tillage practice (linked to soil temperature), when the wheat was planted and when it emerged.

 

KANSAS IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS AGRICULTURE, and no one exemplifies or represents the state’s farmers better than Kansas Master Farmers and Master Farm Homemakers. Six couples were recently honored for their leadership in agriculture, environmental stewardship and service to their communities. Read more and listen about:

  • Grant and Gayla Corley – Anderson County
  • Mark and Eva Gardiner – Clark County
  • Doug and Saundra McGraw – Finney County
  • David and Janet Olson – Brown County
  • Richard and Denise Swenson – Cloud County
  • Richard and Karen Works – Allen County

The Kansas Master Farmer and Master Farm Homemaker Program is co-sponsored by K-State Research and Extension and Kansas Farmer magazine.

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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 12, 2020

Posted on by Mary Lou Peter

This week in Better Kansas, we share a unique learning event focused on food and healthy eating, information on spices, growing blueberries, agricultural law and help with farming activities via Kansas AgrAbility to help make your life, businesses, communities and state better. 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

WE ALL EAT! and that’s the idea behind a free hands-on learning event planned in Sedgwick County Thursday, March 28 aimed at demonstrating ways to keep our tummies happy while eating foods that are good for us. WE ALL EAT! will happen 2:30-6:30 p.m. at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center, 7001 W. 21st Street in Wichita. Cooking demonstrations and activities are planned for all ages so bring the kids to visit more than 50 organizations and booths. Some lucky attendees will win door prizes and other giveaways. Hmmmm… wonder if one of them is a personal chef who comes in and whips up a wonderful, healthy dinner for me every night. We’ll call him Andre´ 😊. Just kidding! WE ALL EAT is a collaboration of K-State Research and Extension, Dillons Food Stores and organizations that make up the Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita. The event is free but also FEEL free to bring peanut butter and canned fruit in juice for donation to the Kansas Food Bank.

Don’t live near Sedgwick County? K-State Research and Extension locations around the state offer all kinds of nutrition information and education. Check with yours to see what’s coming up.

WHILE WE’RE ON THE TOPIC OF FOOD, I’ll just say that it’s really helpful that some stores sell spices in much smaller quantities than they used to. Remember buying that huge jar of chopped chives or marjoram for just a teaspoon or two in one recipe….. ummm 10 years ago? And the rest is still taking up space in the spice cabinet? I guess it’s time to let it go! Okay, just a little humor to spice up this post. Check out Spice It Up, for good useful information on herbs and spices.

 

LET’S KEEP THE FOOD THEME GOING on a topic that’s controversial in some circles and enlightening and welcome in others. Alternative Protein Sources is a short new fact sheet that addresses the difference between meat as a protein source and plant-based protein sources, including nutritional considerations, plus how each is regulated by the government. My immediate work group includes omnivores, vegans and vegetarians. Planning our frequent potluck lunches is always an interesting exercise as we want to make sure everyone has plenty of the type of food they can or are willing to eat.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

I NEVER REALLY HAD A FULL APPRECIATION FOR BLUEBERRIES until recent years, but now I’m hooked. Oh, yes … there were always those delectable blueberry muffins, but they’re also so good in yogurt, on cereal, in

Highbush blueberries

pancakes and by themselves! They’re a good source of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K, and represent minimal calories (85 calories in 1 cup). Plus, the antioxidants in blueberries offer inflammation-fighting and cell-protecting properties. And you can freeze them and they don’t turn mushy like some other fruits! One health website calls them a nutritional powerhouse. This super fruit is not native to Kansas and not always easy to grow, but it can be done, particularly on the eastern side of the state. The March 3, 2020 Horticulture Newsletter provides a video with tips for growing blueberries, plus two written segments, including one on growing them in containers. The newsletter edition also includes several articles on turfgrass. Take a look.

MANY LAWS ARE ON THE BOOKS – SOME NEWER AND SOME FOR A LONG TIME – that affect agriculture, farmland ownership and more. Periodic updates by a Washburn University professor of agricultural law are available via Agriculture Today podcasts. Check out a couple of recent podcasts that include a ruling on the interest rate to be applied in a farm bankruptcy reorganization and the tax code provision called the Qualified Income Business Deduction, and questions he routinely receives from farmers and other landowners about it.

MAKING A CAREER IN AGRICULTURE CAN BE TOUGH UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, but even harder if a farmer or rancher has been injured, has a health condition or a disability. Kansas AgrAbility is available to directly assist the state’s farmers and ranchers as they navigate barriers to continue making their living helping grow our food supply. Kansas AgrAbility specialists combine their knowledge of agriculture with assistive device expertise to give farmers, ranchers and workers with health conditions or disabilities the specialized services they need to safely accommodate activities in everyday operations. Take a look at this fact page or call 1-800-KAN DO IT (1-800-526-3648). The program is part of a national network funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA).

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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/