OctoberNEWSLETTER | 2023

HELLO

FALL

Forget Summer. Fall is where it's at. Don't believe us? Check out the articles below to learn what we have done and what is ahead.

2023 Ag Day in Stafford County

Jacob Milton from Farmer Milton Hay was one of the thirteen presenters who participated in the 2023 Ag Day in Stafford County.

When I started back in June, one of the things I was most excited about was that I would be able to share my passion for agriculture with others. Ag education and ag advocacy are very important to me. I was fortunate enough to have been a part of a similar event prior to starting at KSRE, and I was eager to provide one in our district.

Our office in St. John hosted an Ag Day for all Stafford County 4th graders from St. John, Stafford, and Macksville schools. It was created with the intent to educate the youth in different facets of agriculture and help them understand the importance of the industry that feeds them.

After contacting several businesses and producers, I got 13 different presentations lined up for the youth to rotate through. From the seed that is put in the ground to the products that come of it, and about everything in between was covered.

Presenters were Jennifer Pfortmiller-Meats, Adams Farms, Stafford County Conversation District and NRCS, Dickson Trucking, Farmer Milton Hay, BTI, Mid KS Ag, South Wind Animal Health, Golden Belt Feeders, Raindrop Repair, Kanza Coop, Beth Krehbiel-Ag Byproducts, and Stafford County Flour Mill.

Everyone was provided lunch with hamburgers grilled by Golden Belt Beef, and cookies from the Stafford High School culinary class. It would not have been possible without the support of the Stafford County Farm Bureau Association, SJN Bank of Kansas, and Sunflower Trailer Sales.

It took much effort from many people, but the day was a success! All youth walked away with a better understanding of what it takes to feed the world.

With much positive feedback, our office plans to offer another similar event in Edwards County this Spring!

-----Baley Doggett, Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent

Fall Events

Freezer Ready Meals session, Woman's Day Out! Oktoberfest. Halloween. Thanksgiving. Fall has some of the best holidays of the year - if you know how to do them right.

Women's Day Out

We have an exciting day filled with great conversations and delicious food.

Tickets: $15

Saturday, November 11, 2023

St Nicholas Parish Hall, Kinsley

Reserve by October 30 by calling 620.659.2149 or emailing jengleason@ksu.edu

4-H Curriculum in

USD 349 Stafford

Students and teachers of Stafford Schools have chosen to work with Marissa again this school year to bring 4-H into the classroom! The program started on September 18th and is sure to have a lot of new and exciting opportunities for the youth! Keep an eye out for updates on this project.

Freezer-Ready Slow Cooker Meals

Who doesn't love the warm, rich comfort foods of fall? Let's get together to prep meals for our families. We will provide five recipes. Sign up today! Call 620.659.2149

We are hosting a session in a location near you! First we will be in Kinsley then Lewis, Macksville, and St John.

Open House in Stafford County

Every year, we invite the community members in our district to visit our office, say hello to new faces, enjoy food, and learn about our resources. We hosted our Kinsley open house on September 8th and will host one in St. John on October 20th from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Snacks, soup, and drinks will be served. Those who join us will be entered into a drawing for a

K-State-themed basket. Please join us!

What is a Story Walk?

A StoryWalk® is an innovative and delightful way to combine physical activity with literacy. Pages of a book are transformed into signs laid out on a trail, inviting families, children, caregivers, and others to follow the path of the pages.

Between September 11 and October 20, Stafford County residents can enjoy our StoryWalk® posted at the St. John school playground and along the Trojan Trail in Stafford. There will be 3 stories posted and left up for 2 weeks.

For more information on bringing our StoryWalk® program to your community, contact Trisha Greene.

Medicare Appointments Available

Once again, Trisha will offer times to review your Plan D Medicare Coverage (prescription drug plan). Please get in touch

with the Extension office to schedule an appointment. Open enrollment starts October 15 and ends on December 7. These appointments are strictly for Plan D coverage.

Kinsley Senior Center: 9 am – 4 pm

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

St. John Extension Office: 9 am – 4 pm

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Call to make an appointment:

Kinsley: 620.659.2149

St. John: 620.549.3502

4-H FAIRS IN OUR DISTRICT

Youth had the opportunity to participate in consultative judging over their static projects. This means that they met with the judge to discuss all the details of the project they had been working on for months. This is a great time to practice their public speaking skills and work on explaining the details of their project. Consultative judging allows youth to talk to an adult about a project they are passionate about and proud to show off. Walking through the fairbuilding, you could tell that a lot of time, effort, and hard work went into the various projects the youth spent months on! It was a fun experience to see all the unique and creative projects in one place.

65 Years of the Edwards County Fair

The Edwards County Fair Celebrated “65 Years of Fairs, Family, and Fun” this year at the annual event, and it sure was fun! Some of the newest events and activities at the Edwards County Fair include a 9-Square game that was a big hit and a Neon Spirit Day! 4-H families also had the opportunity to design and make their own stepping stone. Youth also tested their engineering skills by creating a contraption to carry their egg to safety (from the top of a cherry picker!) in the Egg Drop Challenge. They also could design and make their own Tie-Dyed t-shirts thanks to the help of our fantastic 21 Central 4-H Interns!

Barnyard Olympics was back and better than ever this year! 4-H members seemed to love the extra events and had a great time!

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Another Day in Fairadise at the Stafford County Fair

This year, the Stafford County Fair had some fun in the sun with new and exciting events and activities! One of the most festive events includes the 4-H Families and public dressing up in their best Hawaiian tourist outfits to celebrate the Fairadise theme for Spirit Day- some families even dressed up their livestock; how fun is that? There were four different categories to win in for Spirit Day (4-Her, Non-4-H youth, adult, and livestock animal), and it sure was a hard decision.

Also new at the fair this year, 4-H members could participate in a medallion hunt, a movie at The Ritz theater, a fun game of 9-Square, and tie-dying t-shirts- thanks to our fantastic 21 Central 4-H Summer Interns.

The Barnyard Olympics was also a new addition to the fair schedule that was a big hit this year! Youth, teenagers, adults, and even grandparents participated in the fun event!

State Fair Fun

The youth of 21 Central took a total of 67 exhibits to the Kansas State Fair. This was an excellent showcase for our district, with the youth earning 14 purples, 37 blues, 15 reds, and one participation award. Additionally, some of the youth earned other honors, such as the Top Spinning Award in Fiber Arts, a Best of Breed in Rabbits, and a Display Showcase opportunity in Foods and Nutrition. Congratulations to all of our competitors.

During the fair, Marissa acted as the Clothing and Textiles Display Superintendent and helped at the 4-H Centennial Hall Information Booth.

Beef and Cheesy Potato Casserole

1 lb ground beef

½ t garlic powder

½ t onion powder

¼ t pepper

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ C milk

1 can French-fried onions

1 bag frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

1 bag, 12 oz frozen cut green beans

Cook ground beef until brown; drain grease. Mix ground beef, seasonings, soup, milk, and ½ of onions. Put all of this in a 1-gallon freezer bag in this order: beef mixture, green beans, potatoes. To Cook: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Place in a slow cooker, dumping from the top of the bag (potatoes first.) Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Sprinkle remaining onions on top before serving.

212 E 6th St, Kinsley, KS 67547 | (620) 659-2149

210 E 3rd Ave, St John, KS 67576 | (620) 549-3502

https://www.21central.k-state.edu

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

K-State Research and Extension - 21 Central District

This quarterly e-newsletter is intended to inform citizens of events, activities and research-based information from K-State Research and Extension Center - 21 Central District.

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:

Trisha Greene, Extension District Director, 620.659.2149

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