From the Desk of the Director | | |
Marlin Bates, County Extension Director
Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter – I’m sure you’ll find something here that catches your interest. From healthy eating and the benefits of physical activity to growing a better garden and knowing who to ask when you’re stumped, we’ve got the homescape covered. You’ll also get a glimpse of the breadth of our 4-H Youth Development and Agriculture programs. We’ve welcomed new faces onto our team, and we’re excited to introduce them to you.
At the heart of it all, you’ll find a sense of community. Regardless of how you choose to engage with your local Extension Office, you’ll gain exposure to neighbors with similar interests who are trying to address the same issues you face. While increasing access to research-based information is our century-old mission, connecting people has always been a critical part of that recipe. After all, these human connections make for a rich experience and create effective learning environments.
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Increasing your civic engagement doesn’t just benefit you – it translates into a more robust, democratic society. Currently, we are in the middle of a four-part series aimed at board leadership. Thirty of your neighbors are gathering weekly throughout this program to become better board members for community organizations. Some of the participants have long been engaged in this capacity across the county while others are just getting started. Their conversations are leading to the sort of knowledge gain that will surely improve the organizations they are serving or will serve in the future. I want to thank the members of the Douglas County Extension Council (past and present) who are helping deliver this program. This is the sort of community we’re working toward.
We invite you to step out of your comfort zone to participate with us in this community. From our volunteer programs to our efforts to develop and shepherd the community health plan, you’ll find ways to engage with your peers beyond attending a traditional Extension class.
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NUTRITION, HEALTH, & SAFETY | |
Community Health & Wellness Corner | |
Kaitlyn Piene, Community Health & Wellness Agent
The new year has brought a season of opportunity and growth for the community health and wellness program at K-State Research and Extension Douglas County. Our team added two new staff in January. We welcomed our new SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator, Hilary Kass and our community health and wellness intern, Chassidy Weathers. Hilary brings an impressive background in nutrition education and community connections to our team. Chassidy is a public health student from Baker University who will be with us through the spring semester.
We have an exciting line up of programming opportunities for the spring. In this section of the newsletter you will find several options to explore health and wellness topics.
Research shows us habits are formed by creating small incremental changes. The warmer spring temperatures give us the chance to enjoy the outdoors while getting in our steps. If you are looking to improve your physical activity, be sure to check out the details for Walk Kansas.
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Are you looking for new recipes and tips on how to improve your nutrition? Our Med Instead of Meds two-class series is the class for you. More information including dates and a link for registration can be found at: Med Instead of Meds. Speaking of eating healthy, be sure to check out Enrique’s article on MyPlate to learn about incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins in your diet....
Interested in learning more about our awesome programs? Click below for the full article!
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Walk Kansas 2023
Chassidy Weathers,
Community Health & Wellness Intern
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Walk Kansas is a program that is team-based with the intent to help individuals take on a healthier lifestyle. This could mean being more physically active with family and friends, eating a more nutritious diet, and to “walk” away your stresses in life. The teams involved could be made up of family, friends, coworkers, community members, neighbors, etc. Individual options are also available.
A total of six members make up a team with one individual taking on the role of captain. The great thing about the team members is that they do not have to live in the same town, county, state, or even country as everyone.
Since as early as 2001, K-State Research and Extension has been promoting and encouraging this wonderful and free health treatment - walking - through the Walk Kansas program.
Benefits of being physically active improve your overall health and well-being, no matter the type, shape, size, or ability. Being physically active can aid in helping the body ultimately feel better. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity be completed weekly.
READ MORE
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Med Instead of Meds Chassidy Weathers,
Community Health & Wellness Intern
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Med instead of Meds was envisioned by a group of nutrition and health professionals inside of North Carolina State University and North Carolina Division of Public Health. Focusing on eating the Mediterranean Way is proving to protect the body from chronic illness. For some cases, eating the Med Way can aid in reducing the amount of medication taken for hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Following along with this process will help individuals obtain the tools and information needed in order to eat a healthy diet for themselves, friends, and family.
Implementing this lifestyle can decrease the risk for some forms of cancer, is more effective than your regular low-fat diets, protects the small blood vessels in the brain to prevent cognitive deficits, improve eye health, decrease the risk for type 2 diabetes, manage blood pressure, and decrease the risk of cardiovascular degeneration.
For the Mediterranean Way, there are seven steps to follow.
READ MORE
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Click the Icon Below for More Nutrition Health & Safety Information: | |
Enrique Ortiz,
SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator
The benefits of healthy eating add up over time on each bite. Small changes matter. Start simple with MyPlate. A healthy eating routine is important at every stage of life. It can have positive effects that add up over time. It’s important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. When deciding what to eat or drink, choose options that are full of nutrients.
Many people are familiar with the food pyramid, but in 2010 the United States Department of Agriculture updated the food patterns for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and along came My Plate. My Plate is designed to give Americans a better visual on how to construct their plate for healthy eating. My Plate consists of five food groups: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy. I will go through each food group to review what is included in each food group and how much people should be consuming on a daily basis.
To read more about the 5 aspects of MyPlate, click below!
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Meet Hilary!
Hilary Kass,
SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator
Hello. I am your new SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator, and I am very happy to be here. I come to this position after many years in wellness education, cooking instruction, nutrition education, and most recently, food innovation and manufacturing.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provides nutrition benefits to low-income individuals and families that are used at stores to purchase food. SNAP-Ed is the largest, most diverse public health nutrition program in the country, is administered by the Department of Children and Families and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and implemented by Douglas County Research and Extension. Together, these services ensure access to nutritious foods while helping to pave a pathway to long term success of all people.
SNAP-Ed consists of two main strategies: 1. Direct nutrition, cooking and physical activity education and, 2. Policy, Systems and Environment activities to influence community change. Together these offer a full circle of support to good health for all people.
For more about Hilary and what she has to offer through SNAP-Ed click the link below!
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Click the Icon Below for More SNAP-Ed Nutrition Information: | |
Horticulture Hotline Opens in April | |
Sharon Ashworth, Horticulture and Natural Resources Agent
One can find all sorts of interesting gardening information online. Interesting yes, but reliable? Maybe. Take for instance the recipe for a homemade, organic weed killer: Epsom salts, vinegar, and dish soap. Mix these together and spray on your weeds to forever solve your weed problems without “chemicals”!
If you do mix up these ingredients, which are also chemicals by the way, and spray it on your dandelions, the plants will look dead. However, the mixture will only kill the aboveground part of the plant; the roots will live to produce a flower another day. While horticultural vinegar (20% acetic acid) can be effective on small weeds with multiple applications, the vinegar bought at the grocery store is much less effective (5% acetic acid). The salt can easily leach through the soil to kill desirable plants, microbes, and insects and destroy soil structure.
The soap is there as a surfactant, a substance to help the mixture spread and wet the leaves of the target plant. Dish soap alone is sometimes recommended - on the internet - for pest control, but it will harm plant tissues. Only use insecticidal soaps labeled for use on plants to control insects. If you want better options for organic weed control, ask a Master Gardener...
What else can our Extension Master Gardeners help with? Click below to read the full article to find out!
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Spring Extension Master Gardener Programs! | |
Niki Kenniff,
Ag. & Hort. Program Assistant
Spring is coming and the Extension Master Gardener Program is ready!
It may still be cold outside, but the Extension Master Gardeners are busy planning multiple big events for the spring! The first weekend in June, the 3rd-4th, will bring the always fun Garden Tour, a fantastic selection of native plants at the Native Plant Sale and finally the amazing offerings from the Garden Art Group.
The 2023 Garden Tour will feature six gardens throughout Lawrence and the surrounding area. This is a wonderful opportunity to get out and walk through gorgeous gardens and talk with knowledgeable Extension Master Gardeners at each location. Whether you are interested in water features or making the most of a smaller space-The Garden Tour has it all and never disappoints! Details will be available soon on our website at https://www.douglas.k-state.edu/lawn-garden/index.html. Tour is open Saturday 6/3 and Sunday 6/4.
The 2023 Extension Master Gardener Native Plant will take place in the Open Pavilion at the Douglas County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 3rd. The sale will offer both single plants and a variety of bloom boxes-which are an assortment for a specific type/area or bloom time. Please check our website for details in the coming weeks at https://www.douglas.k-state.edu/lawn-garden/index.html.
Want to read more about the awesome upcoming programs? Click below for the full article!
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Click the Icon Below for more Horticulture Information: | |
The 4-H County Club Day Experience | |
A Continuing Thread: 4-H Intertwined Throughout a Life | |
Click the Icon Below for more Douglas County 4-H Information: | |
Turning Waste into Black Gold | |
Margit Kaltenekker, Agriculture Agent
Inflated fertilizer prices and supply issues don’t have to be the end game for adding fertility to the fields around your farm. Composting manure, and/or livestock mortalities, and offal, is a reliable way to recycle nutrients on your farm, turning waste products into a valuable source of decomposed organic matter, rich in microbial life and concentrated nutrients. Some refer to Compost as ‘Black Gold’ because it is so highly valuable as a soil amendment.
Many agricultural operations already have all the necessary elements to begin composting, just by the nature of what they do: surplus plant material (bedding, spoiled hay or straw, green chop ), and/or animal waste, access to land and a level area necessary to make compost, as well as equipment on site (a tractor or skid steer with a bucket, and spreader)….making compost a feasible, beneficial and economically attractive solution to address soil and crop fertility.
But why bother composting compared to just spreading manure out of the dry lot? Sure, manure applications can be effective where a quick release of nutrients are desired, but risk losing nutrients to volatilization or runoff. Composting is a controlled decomposition process transforming biological wastes into a biologically stable humic substance, increasing fertility and structure of soils. Some of the advantages of composting include:...
Click the link below to find out some advantages of composting!
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Click the Icon Below for more Agriculture Information: | |
UPDATES & IMPORTANT EVENTS | |
Save the Date! Field to Fork! | |
Stay up to date with all our programs! Follow us online! | |
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Kansas State University is committed to making its services, activities, and programs accessible to all participants. If you have special requirements due to a physical, vision, or hearing disability, contact K-State Research and Extension Douglas County, 785-843-7058. Notify staff of accommodation needs as early as possible. Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. | | | | | |