K-State Research and Extension specialists are subject matter experts in numerous aspects of life that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They provide unbiased, fact-based help in these subjects free of charge for the benefit of everyone in Kansas and the rest of the world.
As our society faces the challenges of maintaining health-oriented practices, social isolation, school closures, financial pressures and more, the following resources can help as you navigate through this challenging situation.
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).
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Our garden hotline is still here to serve you when you have gardening questions! Just email us at
sgemghotline@gmail.com
and one of our Master Gardeners will help you with your question or gardening challenge. For guidance on how to submit plant samples and soil tests
click here
.
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Did you just buy seeds or other gardening items for the first time, hoping to grow some of your food or have something to do as a family? You don't have to go it alone! We have publications and videos to help you get started through our
Horticulture Information Center.
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A list of
COVID-19 Resources
can be found on our website with topics ranging from agriculture, family activities, health and wellness, Medicare, small business resources, utility assistance information and more.
We encourage people to get information from official sources.
K-State Research and Extension is a statewide network of educators sharing unbiased, research-based information and expertise on issues important to Kansas. As in any disaster or emergency, it is important to get information from official sources.
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Distance Education Resources
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Keep Teaching, Keep Learning: K-State creates resources for distance education
by Jennifer Tidball
To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, all K-State classes transitioned to online and other forms of distance learning beginning March 23. That transition led to the creation of valuable resources and partnerships:
Keep Teaching
and
Keep Learning
websites; the
Keep Teaching: Resources for Higher Ed
online community; and partnerships with rural internet providers.
One impressive achievement: The free online community
Keep Teaching: Resources for Higher Ed
that K-State Global Campus created has more than 1,500 people involved from across the U.S. and from more than 15 countries. The online community is among the first of its kind in the U.S. and provides a place for higher education peers to share knowledge and resources to support academic continuity.
"Through these new initiatives, K-State has truly established itself as a cyber land-grant university leader," said Charles Taber, K-State provost and executive vice president. "I have been impressed with how quickly and efficiently units across the university have collaborated and created ways to transition to virtual instruction. We have learned so much about what a cyber land-grant university is and will be."
On
March 6,
Taber established a working group of collaborators to develop a COVID-19 continuity plan. Within 10 days, the group had developed an array of valuable resources for faculty, staff and students.
The efforts have involved more than 30 K-State collaborators from K-State Global Campus, the Office of the Provost, the Teaching and Learning Center, Information Technology Services, K-State Libraries, the Student Access Center, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the College of Education and the College of Agriculture.
"K-State is truly following the principle of generosity in these challenging times," said Katie Linder, executive director for program development with K-State Global Campus. "We're not trying to hoard information and resources. We're opening the conversation and saying, 'We can solve these problems together.' That openness to listening to others and sharing information is a true example of being a leader in the cyber land-grant space."
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We all learn by teaching each other
Sedgwick County 4-H Agent Michelle Simmons is helping others beat cabin fever by coming up with creative ideas to keep youth active and involved by hosting virtual field trips and other virtual activities. You can follow what Michelle is doing next on the
Sedgwick County Extension's Facebook
page.
Learn more about 4-H
here.
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Medicare Options Class Virtual Meeting
If you are approaching age 65 or considering going on to Medicare, you need to understand your choices. The decisions you make now could impact your health and finances later. The Medicare maze is complicated. K-State Research and Extension-Sedgwick County Extension offers Medicare Options classes throughout the year.
Our next class is scheduled for April 8th at 11:30 a.m. via Zoom online meeting platform. Attendees will learn the basics of Medicare, understand why you might need a Medicare supplement, a Medicare prescription drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. There is no cost for the class, however, you must register to receive the online link for the class. No hardcopy of materials will be provided.
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COVID-19 and Agriculture
Join your fellow ag producers and agribusiness owners via Zoom Thursday evenings in
a series of online gatherings.
This no cost virtual gathering is hosted by K-State Research and Extension ag economics specialists. Join to discuss the challenges this unprecedented event is presenting to us. Dates and topics include:
- 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
Each online gathering will include a short presentation and the opportunity for participants to discuss and ask questions, with s
pecialists available to help answer questions and to discuss other topics.
Register
for single or multiple gatherings.
Registration is required and limited to the first 300 people.
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Help for families during the COVID-19 pandemic
by Elizabeth Brunscheen-Cartagena
COVID-19 news is in the media from the moment we get up until we go to bed, and can feel overwhelming to most adults. During this unprecedented time, it is essential to remember that children seek guidance from adults on how to react to stressful events. When parents are excessively worried, children can absorb their anxiety. We have to communicate with our children that the health authorities are working hard to ensure that everyone remains healthy. Providing children with clear and age-appropriate information about the virus and how to prevent its spread will help their anxiety.
- When sharing information, do it calmly, and at a level they understand.
- Give children a sense of security that you are there to help them. Let them know it's okay if they feel upset.
- Share ways to deal with stress: go for a walk, listen to music, read a book, make jokes, take a deep breath.
- Limit children's exposure to coverage in the media. They can be frightened by something they don't understand. Instead, let's use our electronics to connect more with our family members.
- Help them practice basic hygiene habits and a healthy lifestyle as a form of protection, which helps give them a greater sense of control over the spread of the virus and helps them reduce their level of anxiety.
- Teach them fun and creative ways to do routines. For example, when teaching them effective hand washing, have them sing the Happy Birthday song twice, ensuring they are washing their hands for at least 20 seconds.
- Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze with either a napkin or the bend of your elbow.
- Stress the importance of not sharing food or drinks.
- Eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly. This will help you develop a strong immune system to fight disease.
- Keep a routine. No one likes uncertainty. Continuing with a routine will be very helpful at this time. Let's take care of the basics, just as we would during the summer or winter holidays. Program days with regular times to eat and sleep so children can be physically and emotionally healthy.
Parents know their children best. Be on the lookout for behaviors that indicate our children wanting to talk. For example, if they start roaming around us while we are doing the dishes or other activities, this may mean they are seeking an invitation to talk.
It is common for younger children to ask questions, go back to playing with their toys, and then come back to ask more questions. Use their questions to guide you on how much information you should provide. Practice patience; our children, like us, are experiencing a sudden change in their lives.
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Federal Disaster Declaration for Kansas Approved. SBA Assistance Available!
The Kansas Emergency Declaration for the COVID-19 crisis was approved by the federal government. Business owners can now apply for a SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan online in the Disaster Loan Application Portal at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
We encourage all businesses to review the following application filing requirements in order to expedite the loan application process.
FOR ALL APPLICATIONS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED:
- Loan application (SBA Form 5), completed and signed - this is electronic/online in the portal.
- Tax Information Authorization (IRS Form 4506-T), completed and signed by each applicant, each principal owning 20 percent or more of the applicant business, each general partner or managing member; and, for any owner who has more than 50 percent ownership in an affiliate business.
- Complete copies, including all schedules, of the most recently filed Federal income tax returns for the applicant business; an explanation if not available.
- Personal Financial Statement (SBA Form 413) completed, signed, and dated by the applicant, each principal owning 20 percent or more of the applicant business, and each general partner or managing member.
- Schedule of Liabilities listing all fixed debts (SBA Form 2202 may be used).
- If the most recent Federal income tax return has not been filed, a year-end profit-and-loss statement and balance sheet for that tax year.
- A current year-to-date profit–and-loss statement.
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Move More, Sit Less: Tips for staying active while at home
by Pat Melgares
Health officials across the country are urging Americans to stay home while they deal with the emerging threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19). But that advice doesn’t include a mandate to become sedentary. A publication from K-State Research and Extension, titled
Move More, Sit Less
,
outlines activities that can be done at home, including:
- Ditch the remote. Get up to change the channel on the television.
- During commercials, get up and walk around. Or, do stretches or lift hand weights.
- Stand while folding clothes, washing the dog or talking on the phone. Hand wash dishes instead of using the dishwasher.
- Watch one less TV program a week and do something active instead. Read more
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Ways to source local food during COVID-19
by Rebecca McMahon
Even as many of our lives have faced upheaval in the past days and weeks, some things don’t change. One of those things is that we still all eat, and the farmers growing and raising our food don’t stop what they are doing. Now more than ever it is important to support our local farms and businesses. Farmers’ markets and food businesses are designated as essential businesses during the stay at home order, and one of the benefits of shopping locally is that there are many fewer people involved in the food chain before the food enters your home! We have also included resources if you want to try out growing your own.
Read more
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Growing Growers ICT
Growing Growers ICT, an innovative farmer education program based at K-State Research and Extension – Sedgwick County, is entering its second year of providing new and experienced fruit and vegetable growers with fresh energy and new ideas.
The program is open to all types of people interested in starting their own fruit and vegetable farms and accepts all kinds of growing styles and approaches.
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Gardening and Landscaping
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Purple flowers & April showers means weeds are on their way
by Matthew McKernan
With warmer temperatures, recent rains, and plants beginning to green up, it feels more and more like spring every day. While most of us welcome the green growth and beautiful flowers. Not everything we see greening up may be desirable in our lawns and gardens, especially the weeds! Weeds are also taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather, but if we take action now, we can help eliminate many lawn and garden weeds before they become an issue.
The most common weed we see in lawns and flowerbeds over the summer months is crabgrass, a grassy weed that thrives in hot, dry, open areas. Like most summer annual weeds, crabgrass germinates in the spring and dies in the fall, but can often take over the lawn in the summer months if not controlled in early spring with a pre-emergent product.
Because no spring is the same, we look to the purple flowers of the Eastern Redbud to tell us when to apply our weed control pre-emergent. With the redbud trees in our area preparing for full bloom in the next week or two, it is time to act by applying a crabgrass preventer.
There are countless options for crabgrass pre-emergents, but not all of them work the same. Most pre-emergent products will need reapplied every 8 weeks, unless you look for chemicals with season-long control, such as:
Dimension (active ingredient = dithiopyr)
Barricade (active ingredient = prodiamine)
Each of these chemicals will provide summer-long weed protection with just one application. If you are not able to put out a pre-emergent in the next few weeks, consider a product with the active ingredient quinclorac, which can still kill young crabgrass without damaging your lawn. Remember pre-emergent products stop all seeds from growing, not just weed seeds, so always read and follow the label instructions when applying.
Find specific information below for control of our other most common spring weeds:
For other weekly reminders of timely gardening activities, visit our
Horticulture Newsletter
with new gardening suggestions each week!
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Mamas' Pizza Boats! Easy Alternative to Sliced Bread
Bread is flying off the shelves amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are alternatives to sliced bread. This is an easy recipe, that you can get your kids to help make. Add some veggies such as diced peppers, onions, and mushrooms for a delicious treat! Thanks to our friends in Johnson County for sharing!
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We are working to make sure Sedgwick County residents receive up-to-date information, many classes and workshops are now offered online. Additional events may be added for the month of April. We encourage you to look at all of our events online. If you have questions please email or leave a message on our voicemail.
April 6, 2020 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m
. -
Online
Growing Growers ICT - Building and Managing Healthy Soils Workshop
Join us online as we 'dig' into healthy soils at the 2nd Growing Growers workshop of the season. Learn about soil structure, nutrient availability, organic matter, cover cropping, and more. Registration is $5.
April 8, 2020 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - Online
Get ready to embark into the world of Medicare. Plan to attend several months before you become Medicare eligible. The class will be provided via Zoom.
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Join us for a series of online classes that will answer your questions about how to get started with your pandemic Victory Garden! Attend one class or all of them. Classes can be viewed live via Zoom or a link of the recordings will be available to registered attendees. Registration is free. All class handouts and materials will be provided via email.
April 7, 2020 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Online
Choosing the right spot for your garden and preparing the soil will get your garden off to a great start! Learn tips for starting from scratch with your garden and how to be sure your plants get the food they need to grow.
April 14, 2020 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Online
Are your eyes bigger than your garden space? Learn when to plant, how much space it takes, and how to get the most out of your garden space.
April 14, 2020 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Online
Basic leafy greens and root veggies can be some of the most rewarding (and quick!) things to grow. Get some ideas for how to tuck your salads into your garden space.
April 28, 2020 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Online
Everyone wants a bountiful tomato crop, but they can be a real challenge in Kansas gardens. Learn the basi
c tips for success.
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Although our physical location is temporarily closed, we are still taking reservations for future meetings and events. Plan your event space and meeting rooms now to make your future event a success.
The Sedgwick County Extension Education Center is the home for Extension educational programs for the citizens of Sedgwick County. When 4-H Hall and meeting rooms are not being used for Extension programs and activities, they are available for rent
.
See rates here
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Follow us on social media
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This monthly e-newsletter is intended to inform citizens of events, activities and research-based information from the K-State Research and Extension Center - Sedgwick County, 7001 W. 21st St. N., Wichita, KS. 67205
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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