June 2020

"Knowledge for Life"

Shirley Lewis, SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator, is retiring on June 3rd, 2020. This is a bittersweet event. While we will all miss Shirley and her positivity, we are excited for her to start this well-deserved chapter of her life. Thank you, Shirley, for the positive impact you've made in the community over the years.

Our 2020 Garden Tour is going virtual! Join us on Friday June 5th to watch our virtual garden tour. There are two ways to enjoy a video tour of the four amazing local gardens featured in this year's virtual garden tour. 1) Watch the tour live on June 5th at 3:00 p.m. via Facebook 2) Register here to sign up to receive a link to the video once it has been posted online. (Non-Facebook option) The planned schedule virtual tour live via Facebook: Friday, June 5, 2020 • 3:00 pm - Garden of Love & Legacy • 3:30 pm - Gardening by Design • 4:00 pm - Lush Suburban Forest • 4:30 pm - Layers of Texture Videos will premier on Facebook Live, into the Virtual Garden Tour event on the KSRE-Sedgwick County Facebook Page. Staff and some homeowners will be available for questions and discussion.

4-H and Youth

While we can’t be together in person, we can stand by each other virtually. Please listen to Georgia 4-H’s Clovers and Co. inspire a sense of hope, positivity, and unity with a performance of “Stand By Me.”

K- State

K-State infectious disease expert offers road map for future COVID-19 research by Jennifer Tidball There are many unanswered questions about COVID-19. A Kansas State University infectious disease scientist and collaborators are offering a possible research road map to find the answers.     Jürgen A. Richt, the Regents distinguished professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, has co-authored a critical needs assessment for coronavirus-related research in companion animals and livestock.  "We need to address these challenges in a scientific manner — in a proactive manner, not in a reactive manner," said Richt, also the director of the university's Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases, known as CEEZAD. "With COVID, every day something is new — what was correct yesterday, could be wrong today." Because of the rapid change of knowledge related to coronavirus, Richt and his collaborators wrote the article to stress importance of studying the ways that COVID-19 could spread between humans and animals. Richt's recent research has shown that pigs do not seem to be susceptible to coronavirus, but little is known if the virus affects cattle, sheep, chickens or wildlife. He is further studying if other livestock, such as cattle or sheep, may be susceptible to coronavirus.  The K-State Biosecurity Research Institute, or BRI, at Pat Roberts Hall provides the high-security laboratories needed for Richt and other scientists to study SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus responsible for COVID-19. The BRI is a biosafety level-3 facility that houses important multidisciplinary research, training and educational programs on pathogens that affect animals, plants and insects as well as food safety and security. Learn more about important coronavirus-related research at the Biosecurity Research Institute.

Aging and Medicare

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. 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. Medicare Options - June 10, 2020 - Zoom  11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Agriculture

2020 Wheat Plots  Due to the current pandemic, we will not be having an in-person wheat plot tour. You are welcome to visit the wheat plots and view the varieties on your own. The plot map and locations are below. We hope to record a Sedgwick County Specific Variety Discussion with K-State Specialists to provide you with information on wheat varieties in the plots. Information will be posted on our website when it is available. https://www.sedgwick.k-state.edu/agriculture/index.html Plot Maps Andale Plot Between Goddard and Garden Plain. 1/10 of a mile east of the intersection of 247th St W and 6th St S. Plot is on the north side of the road. GPS: 37.678530, -97.622670 Clearwater Plot Between Clearwater and Viola. 3/10 of a mile south of the intersection of 215th St W and 111th St S. Plot is on the east side of the road GPS:37.485064, -97.587442

Children and Families

Creating tranquility in uncertain times by Elizabeth Brunscheen-Cartagena   When so many things are unknown during a crisis, creating a routine can help in several ways. During COVID-19 maintaining a daily routine helps provide structure and predictability. How can we establish a routine during COVID-19? Create a simple schedule. Start small and add as you see it working. Check it from time to time to make necessary adjustments.  Use a visual format for the little ones in the family so they can follow along. For example, use a blackboard to draw daily activities, or use pictures of planned activities and stick them on a paper with the time.  Encourage everyone to change their pajamas every morning and to participate in regular grooming and hygiene activities, such as brushing teeth, washing their faces, and showering every day.  Schedule a time for meals and snacks which would normally happen during a typical school day. With distance learning, reserve a quiet workspace for your child to complete school work. Get in the habit of having your child complete their daily schoolwork every day.  Schedule and complete difficult tasks, such as classwork, early in the day when your child is more rested. Save more manageable tasks for later in the day. Allow free time throughout the day. This time can be spent relaxing, listening to music, reading for fun, participating in a hobby, participating in outdoor activities, while maintaining good social distancing practices.  Allow opportunities for everyone to help around the house and do simple tasks. This can be as simple as setting the table, folding clothes, or walking the family dog. Believe it or not, this helps develop a sense of empowerment and return to normalcy.  Allow screen time as needed. It is inevitable to want to connect with friends and family online or spend some time in front of a screen. Screen time is a great way to reward yourself for completing housework and schoolwork.  Structure promotes tranquility and a sense of security as well as positive physical and mental health. By nature, we resort to structure and routine to reassure ourselves in times of uncertainty and maintain balance and normalcy. The more we anticipate what is coming, the better prepared we are to face obstacles. Don't be your own tyrant. Let's find a way to help ourselves at this time.

Community Vitality

Learn about tips, tools and platforms for online sales During this pandemic, we are learning to do things that we needed to learn all along, but now feel the urgency to do. Small businesses are learning, too. On the June 5th First Friday e-Call at 9:30 am, Dr. Cheryl Boyer will share tips, tools, and platforms for setting up a quality online sales presence in a hurry. Online selling with touch-less transactions sounds complicated, but in today’s world of easy-to-use platforms it’s simpler than ever to accomplish your goals with a minimum of stress. Thinking through your products, customer needs, and team resources will help you devise a strategy for success. Dr. Cheryl Boyer has worked through the Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement to help small- and medium-sized, often rural, agricultural businesses like nurseries and garden centers set up digital media, measure its effectiveness, and make data-driven decisions for future efforts. This session will guide you to resources for moving forward with your online presence, whether due to a disturbance or business growth. When: Jun 5, 2020 9:30 a.m. Central Time (US and Canada). Click here to register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Federal Food Programs

EFNEP offers a series of interactive, practical lessons in basic nutrition, food preparation, food budget management, and food safety in settings convenient for you. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program is sponsored by the USDA and implemented by K-State Research & Extension. Kansas SNAP-Ed , formerly known as the Family Nutrition Program, is a nutrition education program provided at no cost to Kansas families with limited resources. Our goal is to provide nutrition education to individuals and families who receive food assistance or who are eligible to receive food assistance.

Health and Nutrition

Master Food Volunteers needed Looking for new and exciting ways to give back to give back to your community? Do you love to cook and have an interest in health and wellness? If so, this might be the opportunity for you! K-State Research and Extension Sedgwick County is looking for volunteers that are interested in teaching or assisting with basic healthy cooking classes, helping “behind the scenes” with food preparation before classes, judging at the county fair and much more! To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years of age, live in Sedgwick County, have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, attend/participate in 40 hours of training classes in-person and virtually in the fall, and give 40 hours of volunteer service within the first year as a Master Food Volunteer. To learn more, please visit www.sedgwick.k-state.edu/health, call Sara Sawer at 660-0118 or email sarasawer@ksu.edu. Applications are due by July 31, 2020.

Local Food

Demo garden: Purple Sprouting Broccoli by Rebecca McMahon  Broccoli is one of those vegetables that can be a little bit “hit or miss” in Kansas, especially in the spring. The cool parts of the growing season, spring and fall both, can sometimes be too short and too erratic to have great broccoli. Over the years we have tried several kinds of broccoli, some that performed well and others not so much. This year, we chose to plant ‘Burgundy,’ a variety of purple sprouting broccoli. Sprouting broccoli is selected for high quality, uniform, and prolific side shoots. Many older “heading type” broccoli varieties would produce some side shoots, newer varieties not as much. Sprouting broccoli is designed to have the center “head” shoot pinched out at a small size to encourage more side shoots . Read more

Growing Growers ICT Do you want to grow food for market, but your business skills aren't quite sufficient for you to sell it effectively? Come hear from local food and business leaders on what it takes to sell, market, and grow profitably in our local food economy. You won't want to miss this one!" Join us on Monday, June 22 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Zoom for Growing Growers workshop #5: Starting a farm and farm business management workshop. Register here .

Gardening and Landscaping

Battle of the Bagworms by Matt McKernan Bagworms are tiny caterpillars that feed on a wide range of shrubs and trees but are most often seen on evergreen shrubs and trees. They get their name from the silken bags they spin around themselves, which often includes tiny leaf fragments used for camouflage. Bagworms are a reoccurring problem in Kansas and typically hatch throughout May. Bagworms feed on plants all summer long, but the damage is often most obvious in August as bagworms reach maturity, and control is ineffective. Mid to late-June is the ideal time to take action to protect your plants this summer. Bagworms continue to hatch mid-May to mid-June and are sure to be plentiful this year. Bagworms can be controlled by handpicking, but chemical control is often necessary for large trees and shrubs. Mid-June is an especially important time to consider chemical control, as the majority of bagworms have hatched (after June 15th) and are still small, so control is most effective. Insecticides commonly used for controlling bagworms include spinosad (an organic pesticide), acephate, cyfluthrin, and permethrin. The most important part of chemical control is thorough spay coverage of the entire plant. For more recommendations, and information on bagworms, please click here.

Have a gardening question? Click here to ask a Master Gardener

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 .

Healthy Recipe

For more Kids a Cookin' recipes click here

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. Click here for a comprehensive list of Extension COVID-19 Resources.

Event Calendar

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 June. We encourage you to look at all of our events online. If you have questions please call or email.

Join us for a new gardening series called “K-State Garden Hour.” This free weekly series will be every Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. via Zoom. This virtual series will provide information on a variety of horticultural topics, as well as highlight educational topics related to plant selection, entomology, plant pathology, and integrated pest management.  Whether you are new to gardening or have some experience, you’re sure to learn something new. Discussions will be led by K-State Extension Professionals throughout the state of Kansas. Pre-register for each session or visit recordings of past presentations here.   The featured presentations for June include:  Wednesday, June 3rd: Making and Supporting Pollinators In The Garden – Jason Graves, Central Kansas District Horticulture Extension Agent Making and supporting pollinators should not be optional since they are essential to maintaining the vast number of ecosystem services we all rely on every single day. Jason will explore who our pollinators are, understanding pollinator needs and what we can do to make and support pollinators in our own yards.  Wednesday, June 10 th : Indoor Plants for Health and Happiness – Ariel Whitely-Noll, Shawnee County Horticulture Extension Agent Indoor plants boost your mood, improve your health, clean the air and add beauty to your home and office. Learn more from Ariel about a few of the easiest indoor plants to grow along with how to keep your plants alive and happy! Wednesday, June 17 th : Bugs Galore: Bagworm, Japanese Beetle, Mosquitoes, And Other “Bug” Related Pests – Dr. Raymond Cloyd, Professor and Extension Entomology Specialist Dr. Cloyd will provide a brief overview of bagworms, Japanese beetles, mosquitoes, and other summer insect and mite pests. The presentation will discuss biology, damage, and management strategies that can be implemented now to control pest populations and mitigate plant damage. There will be time afterward for any questions. Wednesday, June 24 th : Identifying Garden Insects – Integrated Pest Management Steps for the Garden – Frannie Miller, K-State Pesticide Safety and IPM Coordinator  There are countless insects in a garden, but which are friendly and which are foe? Frannie will cover what insects you may want to know, in order to identify what is in your garden. Then, learn what you can do to discourage the pests in your garden. Each webinar in the series has a separate registration page. Please click on each webinar that you would like to attend. Please pre-register for each session here . You can also find, promote, and share each webinar on Facebook.

Extension Education Foundation

Facilities and electronic sign rental 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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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. ---------- K-State Research and Extension 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, please contact: Dr. Brantley, PhD, Extension Director, Sedgwick County 316-660-0105 ----------- K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu