4-H curricula are excellent supplements for teaching academic knowledge and life skills, and they correspond with Kansas Education Standards. Contact us to learn more about available 4-H programs in Sedgwick County.

If you are on Medicare and have a Medicare Part D or Part C, you will receive an Annual Notice of Change letter (ANOC) by September 30th. The ANOC includes any changes in coverage, costs, or services that will be effective in January. Review any changes to decide whether the plan will continue to meet your needs in the next year. If you don't get this important document either by mail or email, contact your plan.

Open Enrollment is from October 15-December 7, the time you can make changes to your plan for the next year. If you would like help reviewing your plan, call the SHICK program at the extension office to discuss your plan review options. Call: 316-660-0126

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The economic pain being felt in small towns across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic is not something most people want to talk about. But Becky McCray will.

“I wish we didn’t have to talk about this, but it’s something that’s on all of our minds right now,” said McCray, co-founder of Save Your Town, a consulting business that guides people toward making their small towns a better place to live.

“All small towns are facing the challenge of rebuilding their local economy. And the advice we hear is often meant for cities or big business districts. It doesn’t meet our small-town reality.” Read more

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Whether it’s reviewing insurance coverage or putting together a grab-and-go kit, preparing for any kind of disaster will make recovery easier. And Kansans know a thing or two about disasters. Flooded basements, fires, tornadoes or ice storms, we have them all and much more.

To help Kansans become as prepared as possible for emergencies, K-State Research and Extension is offering the Prepare Kansas Annual Preparedness Challenge. It’s a free weekly online challenge through September that includes activities individuals and families can accomplish each week. By the end of the month, participants will be better prepared to withstand and recover from emergencies.

Prepare Kansas aligns with National Preparedness Month, with a theme in September this year of “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” Read more

During this pandemic, more gardens were planted and now they are producing some great crops! So when those tomatoes all ripen at the same time, what can you do? Preserve them!

Pressure canning is used to preserve vegetables and meat, including many tomato products. Vegetables and meat are low acid foods and require pressure canning to destroy C. botulinum, the pathogen that causes botulism. It is critical to follow the directions in using pressure canners. Always read the instruction manual for your canner. Do a practice run with water in the canner to learn how to use it and how it works with your stove. Check your stove manufacturer to be sure canning is recommended. Some glass top stoves are not suitable for canners as they can crack under the weight of a heavy canner.

Learn more about safe pressure canning in the  How-to Guide to Pressure Canning. It is also available in Spanish.

For Tall Fescue lawns, fall is the most important time of the year to be thinking about turfgrass health, and no month is more important for lawn care than September.

Tall Fescue performs best in the cool weather of the fall and spring, and as a result, the right care now can help improve your lawn for the rest of the year. Tall Fescue is normally fertilized two to three times a year. The most important fertilizations are done in September and again in November, often with a fertilizer high in nitrogen. If fertilizer is only applied once per year, fertilize in September for best results. This promotes healthy root growth, earlier green-up for your lawn in the spring, and improved plant health for the rest of the year. Check out our Lawn Fertilizing Guide for more information about Fall Fertilization.

Other September lawn care activities for Tall Fescue include:

Core aerate lawns to relieve compaction and increase soil drainage - Publication

Plant new lawns, or over-seed thinning lawns - Publication

If you are not planting or over-seeding, consider weed control - Publication

Spray dandelions or other broadleaf weeds - Publication

Apply pre-emergent to prevent winter weeds - Publication

For more information on Fall Lawn care, visit our Tall Fescue Publication.

MANHATTAN — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has recognized Kansas State University faculty and administration and Community HealthCare System for their commitment to work with the Northeast Kansas Healthcare Coalition to successfully fill the supply chain gap of nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 testing in the region.

The group was recognized in a virtual ceremony of commendation with Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, on July 31.

"On behalf of KDHE, I want to thank Dr. Montelone and Dr. Kim for their contributions in helping solve a problem that we had during this pandemic of COVID-19: a short supply of a particular item, the nasal swabs," Norman said.

"It really is very illustrative that something kind of minor can really stop the presses. The Northeast Kansas Healthcare Coalition, Community Healthcare System and K-State met this need in a very creative way, which provided these much-needed swabs — not just to KDHE, but to hospitals, clinics, etc." Read more