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Kansas farm to school month showcases agriculture education and fresh foods efforts

By
Kansas Department of Agriculture
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MANHATTAN, Kan. – Amongst rotary hydroponics filled with growing greens and vertical gardens hydrated by aquaponics, Maize High agriculture education and culinary program students mingled with state and national leaders in agriculture, education and nutrition services. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback proclaimed October as Kansas Farm to School Month and Oct. 6-10 as Kansas Farm to School Week.  This morning leaders took student-led tours of the Maize USD 266 Farm to School and culinary programs to learn more about food education.

Kansas Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Jake Worcester was joined by Kansas Interim Commissioner of Education Brad Neuenswander, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Regional Administrator Darlene Barnes, as well as other state and national officials and Maize High students to recognize the growing number of diverse farm to school programs in Kansas.

“All across the state, KDA Farm to School sub-grantees areselecting food production systems that fit best into their program to serve students, while also educating students about the importance of agriculture and nutrition.” KDA Assistant Secretary Worcester said. “The Maize High agriculture education and culinary programs prove that when we allow students to utilize their talents, great things happen.”

The event included a student-led tour of the Maize Farm to School program which incorporates several different food production methods, including hydroponics and aquaponics. Culinary program students gave event attendees a tour of their kitchen facilities and explained the value of culinary education.

At Maize High, student ideas are turned into reality in the Career & Technical Education programs. Stylan Roberts, Senior at Maize High and Maize FFA Chapter President enjoys seeing his classmates’ model drawings come to life. “We can do this ourselves, we can grow our own food and sustain ourselves. It’s wonderful to see younger students become inspired to engage with agriculture,” Roberts said.

Guests enjoyed a meal that included greens from the Maize Farm to School program which were also served in the cafeteria that day. Nearly all the ingredients were locally sourced for the menu which included sweet and sloppy joe on whole wheat bun, cucumber and onion salad, roasted vegetables, spring salad mix with balsamic vinaigrette, and juicy apple crisp with honey whipped cream. The meal was developed and prepared by Maize culinary program students with a little help from event guests. Alongside students, event attendees helped harvest the greens and prepare the salad for lunch.

Maize USD 266 is one of eight recipients of the KDA Farm to School sub-grant awarded this spring. Sub-grants are derived from the grant KDA received from the USDA in the fall of 2013 to support efforts to connect school cafeterias with local farmers and ranchers through the Farm to School program.  The purpose of the grant is to expand the prevalence of fresh, local foods in school cafeterias and bolster agriculture and nutrition education.

“I am so impressed with Kansas and their Farm to School activities,” USDA FNS Regional Administrator Barnes said. “So far, more than 34 percent of Kansas schools are participating in Farm to School and they are mainly buying local produce to increase the fruits and vegetables served in school meals.  Because Kansas just got a USDA Farm to School grant, I know that more schools will get involved and help healthy habits take root.”

For more information about KDA Farm to School, please visit agriculture.ks.gov/farmtoschool or contact KDA Education and Events Coordinator, Nellie Hill at [email protected] or 785-564-6756.

Downtown Hutchinson soup and chili festival 2014

By
Editor
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SATURDAY OCTOBER 25, 2014

11:30 AM UNTIL 2:00 PM (OR UNTIL THE FOOD IS GONE)

 

SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN HUTCHINSON

AND FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF HUTCHINSON

 

The deadline for registering to cook is this Friday, October 10, 2014. 

 

Register by clicking here, or by calling or emailing Eric Steinle at 662-3331 or [email protected].

 

There’s a $350 cash prize! We will award Downtown Hutchinson gift certificates for best costumes and the best decorations! In addition, your chili/soup booth will be given vouchers from these generous sponsors to help make your chili/soup:

Smith’s Market – 20% off all ingredients

Berridge IGA – 20 cents per pound off ground chuck

Jackson Meat – 20 cents per pound off hamburger

The Hot Spot – 25% off all spices, sauces, and mixes

 

See the 2014 Rules by clicking here.

 

The participants are the ones that make this festival fun, so don’t miss out on a great time in Downtown Hutchinson! Thank you for helping us make this years Soup and Chili Festival a success!

 

Sponsored by Downtown Hutchinson, First National Bank of Hutchinson, The Hot Spot, Smith’s Market, Berridge IGA, Jackson Meat, Dollar Sense, PrairieLand Partners, and Stutzman’s Refuse

Rotate crops

By
K-State
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Building-Soils-With-Cover-Crops
Photo: Klesick Family Farm

By: Scott Eckert, County Extension Agent, Horticulture

 

Plant diseases occur when the climate, fungus/disease organism and host plant converge at the same time. There are ways to help prevent or reduce disease problems from year to year. Rotating vegetable crops is a standard way of helping prevent disease from being carried over from one year to the next. Rotation means that crops are moved to different areas of the garden each year.

 

 

Planting the same crop, or a related crop, in the same area each year can lead to a

build-up of disease. Also, different crops vary in the depth and density of the root system as well as extract different levels of nutrients. As a rule, cool-season crops such as cabbage, peas, lettuce and onions have relatively sparse, shallow root systems and warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers and melons have deeper, better developed root

systems.

 

 

Therefore, it can be helpful to rotate warm-season and cool-season crops. As mentioned earlier, it is also a good idea to avoid planting closely related crops in the same area as diseases may be shared among them. For example, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant are closely related.

 

 

Also, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts share many characteristics in common. Therefore, do not plant cabbage where broccoli was the previous year or tomatoes where the peppers were.

 

 

So, why is this important to bring this up in the fall? Now is the time to make a sketch of your garden so that the layout is not forgotten when it is time to plant next year.

Sweet poatoes are healthy and tasty

By
University of Missouri
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Tammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, Bates County, University of Missouri Extension

It’s that time of year when many people are harvesting their sweet potatoes. As you dig those tasty roots from the ground, it’s hard not to think of that special sweet potato casserole that is a fall favorite. Not only do sweet potatoes taste great, they are healthful as well.

According to Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition, three fourths of a cup of baked sweet potato contains 155 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 36 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of protein and no fat. They provide a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.

When choosing a sweet potato, you want the skin to be a bright uniform color and firm to the touch. Sweet potatoes and yams look alike but they are not related. Yams are blander than the sweet potato. Unlike the sweet potato, yams do not contain vitamin A, but they are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Yams can be stored, prepared and used in the same ways that sweet potatoes are used.

Sweet potatoes are very versatile. They can be baked in an oven or microwave like other potatoes. They can also be boiled but it is recommended that the skin be left on while boiling and easily removed after boiling. Mashed sweet potatoes can be substituted for pureed pumpkin in muffin, cake and cookie recipes. They also taste great added to casseroles, soups and stews.

For information on how to cure sweet potatoes once they’re harvested (if you grow your own), check out the full version of this article at http://missourifamilies.org/features/nutritionarticles/nut157.htm

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

By
Editor
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Janet Hackert, Regional Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, University of Missouri Extension

Breast cancer is so prevalent that most people know someone who has had it. In fact, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so here are a few facts, some of which may be surprising.

A family history of breast cancer is considered a risk factor, so if a woman’s mother, sister, aunt or grandmother has had it, she should be more careful about looking for it. However, having this risk factor does not mean that you will get breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, “only 20-30 percent of women with breast cancer have a family member with this disease.” This means that 7 or 8 out of every 10 women who have breast cancer are NOT related to someone who has had it.

As a woman ages, her risk of developing breast cancer increases. “Nearly 8 out of 10 breast cancers occur in women over age 50,” says the American Cancer Society. The risk for a woman over 70 developing the disease in the next year is almost double that for a 50-year-old.

Some risk factors are out of your control, but there are some changes you can make to lower your risk of breast cancer, including maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular exercise and avoiding or limiting alcohol intake. Not using hormone therapy after menopause may also help lower your risk.

Regardless of risk factors, early detection is important!…

For more information about early detection, check out the full version of this article at http://missourifamilies.org/features/healtharticles/health81.htm

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