K-State Research and Extension

In today’s Better Kansas, we shine a light on new virtual sessions aimed at helping those in our pandemic pods make the most of being together, reaching out to elderly friends and relatives, the new Seek research magazine, birdwatching and feeding, the outlook for the spring wildfire season, facial recognition technology for cattle and the 2021 Swine Profitability Conference. 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’RE ALL DOING OUR BEST TO STAY POSITIVE DURING THIS PANDEMIC, RIGHT? Sometimes out of bad things come good things. For some, it’s a lot of together time with family and others in our pods. But even for the closest friends and family, it’s a lot of togetherness. To help make this time … or any time … better, a new program, Living Well Together is launching this week and will continue at least into March. The one-hour online sessions (45 minutes with 15 minutes for Q&A) will cover topics ranging from the benefits of playing board games, the Mediterranean eating style, exercise as medicine, diabetes prevention, checking your credit, family mealtime fun and more. The sessions are free and will be recorded, but do require registration. Check it out.

ON THE OTHER HAND, MANY OF US HAVE ELDERLY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES who we’ve not been able to visit in months because of COVID-19. It’s especially difficult during this holiday season. If I feel that it’s hard to differentiate one day from another because I’m working from home, I can’t imagine what it must be like to be confined to my room or apartment, day in and day out with little social interaction for months on end. For ideas on how to reach out to loved ones during this most challenging of times, take a look or listen in to Apart but connected: Stay in Touch with older adults. My sister has come up with a way for our extended family to add a little cheer to a relative who’s in assisted living. Different parts of our family will soon gather outside her building and though separated as families, will sing Christmas carols to our much-loved relative. We’re hoping to add a little cheer to her neighbors as well.

A NEW EDITION OF THE AWARD-WINNING SEEK RESEARCH MAGAZINE IS OUT with well written features and great photography of K-State’s work in affordable, sustainable housing, industrial hemp, and COVID-19. Another feature takes a look at the university’s notable research milestones over the past 10 years and short entries shine a brief spotlight on other activities. For a glimpse of what your land grant university is doing, take a look.

Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening

I’VE WRITTEN BEFORE ABOUT THE SIMPLE JOY OF BIRDWATCHING, and of course it helps to feed the particular birds you’d like to watch. It’s fun to watch the pecking order of birds landing at the feeder. It’s not just chickens that have a hierarchy! BUT I haven’t filled my birdfeeders in weeks because every time I do, lately, the squirrels seem to invite their siblings, friends and distant relatives to my back yard for dinner. Apparently, they didn’t get the word about social distancing. A friend loaned a (humane) trap so I could catch and relocate but they’ve been too smart to enter, no matter what treats I’ve tempted them with. I may buy squirrel baffles – you know those big plastic domes – but in the meantime, I’m going to try sprinkling a particular spice in with the bird seed. Take a look at Problems at the Bird Feeder, one of several Backyard Birding Guides.

MENTION WILDFIRE SEASON and the average person may think of California and Oregon … maybe Colorado. But Kansas is developing a wildfire reputation of its own. Two of the state’s largest wildfires in recorded history occurred in the past five years. Many of us remember the Anderson Creek fire that burned nearly 400,000 acres in Oklahoma and Kansas, and the Starbuck fire that burned 660,000 acres – both of which cost millions in property damage, the huge loss of livestock and the death of a truck driver. That means many a property owner is keeping an even closer eye on conditions that would be conducive to these destructive fires. Take a look at the 2021 Spring Wildfire Outlook for Kansas to get an idea how things are shaping up for the coming year. Lest we think that no one pays attention to Kansas, I found that The New Yorker Magazine and CNN, plus numerous newspapers, radio and television stations across the state did an incredible job of bringing information to the attention of many of us who don’t live in the affected areas.

ALL CATTLE LOOK THE SAME, RIGHT? NOT EXACTLY. Just ask their mamas! Take a look at a video about new facial recognition technology research for cattle that could aid the industry in various ways. That includes biosecurity such as protection against the spread of a foreign animal disease and could be beneficial to a national animal disease traceability system. For a written article and radio interview on this smartphone app, take a look at K-State team eyes facial recognition technology for cattle.

THE 2021 K-STATE SWINE PROFITABILITY CONFERENCE, which annually showcases the status of the U.S. and global swine industry and updates producers on developments affecting their profitability, has been postponed to Feb. 1, 2022 because of … you know … COVID-19. For a look at the last conference held earlier this year and to get a flavor of the types of presentations attendees hear, take a look at the Swine Profitability Conference page. The last conference drew more than 150 participants.

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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/