Information You Can Trust |
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We Maintain Our Commitment to Our Mission and Core Values
K-State Research and Extension – Douglas County is as poised as ever to deliver on our mission as the front door of the state’s land grant university. Our core values direct us in how we achieve that mission as follows:
Integrity – to develop and deliver credible information
Communication – to provide common understanding
Scholarship – to foster lifelong learning
Leadership – to serve as an agent of change
Inclusion – to encourage active participation
Certainly, like you, we have been operating with an unprecedented air of uncertainty surrounding our activities over these past six months, but we’ve also demonstrated our ability to adapt....... read more. |
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Douglas County Entrepreneur Support Network |
Over the course of the global COVID-19 pandemic, communities across the country and the world are testing their resilience to economic disruptions. The implications of this crisis are far-reaching and may not be fully realized in the foreseeable future. Historically, a vast majority of entrepreneurial startups were launched by choice, not by necessity (88% in KS in 2019). However, the current situation of so many American workers may swing that pendulum. As a community, we can work proactively to ensure that we have systems in place to help people explore the monetization of innovative solutions to problems, be they at the individual or community level or more global. Continue reading...
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Health-Nutrition-Food Safety |
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Diabetes Course Turns Viral During COVID |
Dining with Diabetes was the first Nutrition, Health and Safety five-session class offered by KSRE-Douglas County to rapidly transform into an online format during COVID-19. In addition to the five modules focusing on the nutrients needed by making healthy food choices, it went “beyond the kitchen” to discuss eating at restaurants, grocery shopping and planning weekly meals. As shared by a participant, “This class was loaded with new information that I need to know as a diabetic. The recipes were easy to make and so flavorful.”
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Addressing Food Access During COVID-19
and Beyond
Prior to COVID-19, food security was identified as a priority community issue (Community Health Plan, 2019). In 2018, 15,220 residents (12.8%) in Douglas County were food insecure, including 3,650 children. The total households receiving SNAP benefits were 2,837 (6.13%) out of 46,294, with a $8,655,000 annual food budget shortfall (Map the Meal Gap, 2020; SNAP-Ed Assessment, n.d.). Feeding America has also released research on estimates of the impact of coronavirus on food insecurity. These numbers are less exact as they do not have all the data they normally use in calculating their Map the Meal Gap numbers. The projected 2020 food insecurity rate for Douglas County in 2020 is 18.1%, up quite a bit from the 12.8% number from the most recent data in 2018, and the 2017 number of 15.9%. Read more...
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Planting Natives in NE Kansas |
Planting Natives in Northeast Kansas is a unique collaborative effort between K-State Research and Extension - Douglas County (KSRE), the Grassland Heritage Foundation (GHF), and the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) to pull together information on and resources for integrating native plants into your landscape, whether it be in your backyard or back 40 acres. Interest in native plants is growing. Evidence for this appeal includes an increased number of native plant sales and selection of natives at garden centers, a flourishing industry of native plant nurseries and seed suppliers, and a swelling demand for information from the public. In recent years, calls to our respective organizations for help and advice on planting native plants, creating pollinator habitats, or restoring prairie have multiplied. This publication is specifically designed for those in the northeast corner of Kansas who wish to plant natives but do not know where or how to start. |
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Gardening is still about getting your hands into the soil, but garden education in Douglas County has gone virtual. Over the past six months, the K-State Research and Extension- Douglas County’s Horticulture program has made the same dramatic shift that so many groups across the country have made, turning towards online education.
While creating new challenges organizing workshops, managing technology, and certainly having a different feel that our traditional face-to-face workshops and programs, this format has some great benefits. Read more...
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Connecting Consumers and Producers
With agriculture markets changing and processing facilities closing due to outbreaks, producers and consumers became innovative to get local food to local families through the Shop Kansas Farms Facebook group.
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Pasture Management in the Fall
Owning and maintaining a productive plot of land is no easy task. Fall is an important time to make observations, sample, and plan.
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Upcoming Events
September 10: Coyote Calling and Trapping Workshop
October 1: KSU Beef Stocker Field Day
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In March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit our country, the entire K-State Research and Extension system paused in person programming.
Extension agents and staff across the state were faced with the challenge of teaching virtually. The 4-H youth development program in Douglas County quickly pivoted from face to face teaching to reaching youth through virtual platforms. 4-H Clubs, 4-H Council, 4-H Ambassadors and the Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) group shifted their meeting setting from in person to online. Educational programs also moved to a virtual format. Read about the silver lining...
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Clinton Eagles 4-H Club Cares |
While the world continues to adjust to a new way of being, 4-H members of the Clinton Eagles 4-H Club are determined to stay engaged and “Make the Best Better”!
The Clinton Eagles Cares program was developed by a group of parent volunteers from the Clinton Eagles 4-H Club. The volunteers were concerned about the 4-H'ers and how the pandemic was impacting them. “We were looking for a way to engage the youth and give them something positive to focus on amid all the chaos and uncertainty,” said Lanaea Heine, Clinton Eagles 4-H Club leader.
4-H’ers were asked to record 4-H project activities related to community service, leadership, and citizenship. Youth who recorded at least ten-hours of service would receive an incentive. Club members took this to heart and have made a positive impact within their communities. Read more...
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Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal
opportunity provider and employer.
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