Monday, January 19, 2026
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Baking It Forward: Russell Kern Honored for Youth Leadership

By
Guest Columnist
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Kansas Wheat

Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]

For the audio version, visit kswheat.com.

Russell Kern, a nine-year 4-H member from Chase, Kansas, is the recipient of the Home Baking Association’s 2025 Bake to Give: Maddie Kruse Youth Award. Kern’s leadership, generosity and enthusiasm for teaching others through baking is inspiring. Kern is a Kansas 4-H member who exemplifies the values of the wheat-growing and baking communities. Kern has done just that through a remarkable series of hands-on workshops, community service projects and creative educational activities that exemplify the spirit of this award.

 

A talented baker and teacher, Kern has taken his passion for the 4-H Foods and Nutrition project beyond personal achievement, though his own accomplishments are impressive. Last summer, he earned grand champion honors at his county fair with his expertly crafted buttery croissants. But what sets Kern apart is his deep commitment to helping others, particularly younger 4-H members in his community. Over the past year, he has organized and led a series of interactive baking workshops that not only taught practical skills but also integrated science, nutrition and cultural traditions in a fun and accessible way.

 

In one workshop, held the day before Thanksgiving, Kern taught a group of young 4-H members how to make butterhorn rolls. Each participant took home a dozen freshly baked rolls to share with their families, but the lesson didn’t stop at baking technique. Kern also led an engaging experiment demonstrating how yeast works, using balloons to show how warm water and sugar help activate the yeast. During Christmas break, he taught participants to make New Year’s Cookies, a family tradition he was excited to share. That session also included a MyPlate nutrition activity, encouraging students to think about healthy food choices as they cooked together.

 

On St. Patrick’s Day, Kern hosted an Irish Soda Bread workshop, introducing the difference between yeast-leavened and soda-leavened breads. While the bread baked, students shook heavy cream into homemade butter, learned knife skills for chopping herbs and watched a video on how flour is milled. Each class welcomed about 10 students, lasted two hours and gave participants more than just recipes; they left with a deeper understanding of baking, food science and nutrition.

 

“I think that it is very important for upcoming generations to know how to bake food and the importance of their health,” Kern said. “I strive to teach people about cooking and living a healthy life while learning while they are at it.”

 

His leadership goes beyond the kitchen. Kern serves on the Kansas 4-H Health and Wellness Team and traveled to Washington, D.C., to learn new strategies for promoting healthy living in his state. He regularly volunteers with the Northern Rice County Food Bank, where he donated 30 pumpkin pie kits last Thanksgiving, and is currently organizing a Swipe Out Hunger meal packaging event at his school. He’s also raised over $1,000 for the Ellinwood Energizers 4-H Club and Ellinwood High School SkillsUSA by baking and selling cinnamon rolls, macaroni and cheese and burritos.

 

As the 2025 Bake to Give: Maddie Kruse Youth Award winner, Kern will receive a $1,000 prize and a trip to the Home Baking Association’s Annual Meeting in Fort Collins, Colorado. His work embodies the values this award celebrates, sharing baking skills with others, fostering community connections and making a meaningful impact through generosity, leadership and a love of baking.

 

Kansas Wheat is a proud member of the Home Baking Association and is dedicated to supporting baking education and outreach across the state. From preserving baking traditions to promoting wheat-based nutrition, Kansas Wheat works alongside partners to ensure baking remains a valuable and accessible life skill. Supporting youth like Kern is a reflection of that commitment.

Harvey County Fair time!

By
Guest Columnist
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Harvey County Fair time! Time to pick out your best garden produce and see where you stack up with others in the county! I always enjoy seeing the garden entries at the fair. Horticultural exhibits provide something for everyone. Participants enjoy an exciting educational opportunity. Exhibits are visually appealing and provide food. Things to keep in mind when exhibiting fruits and vegetables:

• Follow fair show rules and regulations.

• Show your best quality specimens.

• Choose items of uniform size, shape, and color.

• Arrange items to develop a central point of interest.

• Display standard amounts of specimens.

• Items should be grown and cared for by the exhibitor

 

Selecting Horticultural Exhibits

Here are the most important factors when selecting exhibits for show. Quality and condition:

1. Specimens should be of edible maturity, not overripe, shriveled, or wilted.

2. Free of injury from diseases, insects, or mechanical means.

3. Color should be uniform and typical for the product.

4. The shape should be typical of the variety.

 

Shelf life: Consider how well exhibits hold up after the show.

1. Enter only firm fruits and vegetables that will stay fresh and appealing for the entire show, especially if cooled display cases are not available.

2. Choose products with a longer shelf life. Avoid those that deteriorate rapidly, including leafy greens, green beans, and strawberries.

3. Specimens should be evaluated on appearance at judging time. It is hard to predict what they will look like or what they looked like before. Crops that change rapidly should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

 

Cleanliness: To improve the appearance of specimens.

1. Brush or wash root crops, taking care not to damage the skin.

2. Dip leafy vegetables in cool water.

3. Wipe vegetables such as eggplant with a damp cloth.

4. Polish apples with a soft dry cloth

 

Preparing Vegetable Exhibits

Cantaloupe

1. Uniform in size, shape and color.

2. Free from injury.

3. Picked at full slip, or when the stem slips easily away from the attachment to the melon.

4. Uniform netting and true to type.

 

Onions, Mature

1. Uniform, mature, solid, bright.

2. Neck small and well cured or dry.

3. Smooth, clean, with outside skin intact. Do not peel.

4. Color typical of variety.

5. Tops trimmed ½ to 1 inch above the bulb.

6. Roots neatly trimmed ⅛ to ¼

 

Tomatoes

1. Select for varietal type, size, color, and maturity.

2. Firm, without cracks; free of disease, insects, or mechanical injury.

3. Remove the stem.

4. Do not select overripe or soft specimens.

5. Exhibit with stem end down

 

Peppers, Sweet

1. Deep in color.

2. Fresh, firm, symmetrical

3. Traces of red color not desirable unless peppers are uniformly red in color.

4. Number of lobes should be uniform.

5. Trim stems ¼ to ½ inch (but not so long that the peppers cannot stand up on the stem end).

6. Exhibit with the stem end down.

 

For more information see the publication C405 Exhibiting Fruits and Vegetables AND see the Harvey County Fair rule book for exhibit numbers and classes.

Corn Dip

By
Debbie Dance Uhrig
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I had all kinds of plans last week to freeze sweet corn for the winter months. None of it made it to the freezer! We had company, I cooked the corn, and in a blink it was all consumed. I might try again this week to find some laterears, so I can attempt the endeavor again. When I was on Facebook Sunday afternoon, I saw that my friend, Becky, up in Lewistown, Missouri, had packaged like 4 gallons of corn. Which unbeknownst to her, gave me a very unsatisfactory feeling!

I was wondering what recipe to run this week, when I flipped past my corn dip, I thought, yum, made with fresh sweet corn, this would be so delicious. One thing I would definitely do is cook the corn thoroughly, before putting it in the dip, and I think I would go about this with a skillet saute using olive oil. Allow to cool, and then implement into the dip.

There are so many different things to make with corn besides buttered and spiced. This weekend some of our family was here and they wanted to make Mexican sweet corn, which was much more fattening than regular, but they enjoyed it. Corn Souffles, of course, good ole’ corn casserole, creamed corn. I even have a delicious recipe for a hominy and corn salad. I’m not a huge fan of the cornbread salad, but this too is an option for the fresh corn. I’m like a little kid, I like to eat mine cut off the cob with the big strips connected together, butter pat, a bit of salt and pepper and yummy. Then I have Fiesta corn with red onion, cilantro, red pepper, and zucchini. Lots of directions to go with our North American corn. While we enjoy each kernel across the pond they think corn is the nearest thing to nothing there is.

I call the corn dip a casual appetizer. Yes, I did say that! Perfect for tail gating, cookouts, outdoor events, adding corn chips or tortilla chips. It could even be served slightly warm. There’s no cilantro, but I would definitely add it, chopping very fine. (My husband greatly dislikes cilantro.)

This week is about keeping the house picked up, and finishing a few small projects before diving into bigger things. The extra warm temperatures here in the Ozarks have driven all of us inside more this past week. Early morning is the best way to stay active in this heat.

Keep visiting the city markets for home-grown vegetables and fruit. They are so

good for us, and the flavors just seem to pop on the palate. ErvIn got me into eating tomato sandwiches a few years ago, and now it’s one of my favorite things, especially with a little chopped basil on top. Enjoy your week, and relish the good times. The Covered Dish

Spicy Corn Dip

1 (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese

1 dry package Ranch Dressing Mix, makes (32 oz.)

1 (11oz.) can drained Mexicorn

1 can Rotel Tomatoes, undrained

4 ounces sour cream

4-6 green onions, finely chopped.

Soften the cream cheese and work the dry ranch dressing into it. When smooth; add the corn, Rotel, sour cream and lastly; the green onion. Work ingredients together until blended. This will yield about 2 cups of dip. If made the day before it allows the flavors to permeate the dip.

If the dip is softer than you desire add some finely shredded cheddar cheese to make it into a tighter bind. Pepper Jack would be another good cheese choice.

You could omit the Rotel and sour cream if you wanted. Bring in hotter spices if you like, green chilies, jalapenos, cilantro, even a shake or two of hot sauce.

This appetizer will hold for several days in the refrigerator, which is great for weekend entertaining. Allowing you to make things of an evening after work. Imagine making a few pinwheels to go with the appetizer, a marinated salad, and more all before Saturday, leaving you time to tidy and sleep in a bit on Saturday morning!

Ah, My Little Lotus Flower!

By
Steve Gilliland
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I remember several years ago clamoring up over the dike of one pond in the McPherson Valley Wetlands to be greeted by what looked like something from an exotic Chinese water garden. I’ve always called them water lilies, but the Public Lands Manager for the Kansas Dept of Wildlife and Parks who manages the McPherson Valley Wetlands system tells me their proper name is American Lotus, and says they are in fact native to Kansas. That reminded me of PePe Le Pew the skunk from cartoons of my generation. PePe fancied himself a ladies’ man, and his famous pickup line was “Ah, my little Lotus flower.”

The year I first discovered them was a wet year, and they filled the shallow waters in the corners of the pond like a mat of immense green leaves dotted with bold, pale, yellowish-white flowers the size of cereal bowls. Most of the time these plants are shown with their enormous leaves floating on the water, but here where the water was shallow, they actually rise above the water’s surface. Most of the leaves on these plants were about a foot wide, give or take, and the flowers that were fully opened measured 6 inches across. Leaves on older American Lotus plants can reach 24 inches in diameter. An interesting phenomenon is that American Lotus leaves never get wet; water forms a droplet on them and just runs off.

Each flower has a bright, yellow, round center resembling a little double-layer cake. When the flower dies, that center swells into a seed pod 3 or 4 inches wide resembling a wasp nest with several individual seed compartments that each contain a single marble-sized seed. As it further dries the seed pod droops toward the water and the seeds eventually spill out and lay on the bottom of the pond. The seeds can lay dormant in the mud for several years before germinating, which occurs when the hard outer shell softens. The plants grow from tuberous roots called rhizomes which can become up to 50 feet long and can have dozens of plants growing from them. American Lotus plants will grow in the still water of any pond, lake or stream that is shallower than 3 feet.

Waterfowl and other wildlife will eat the seeds and tubers if they can get to them. Native Americans peeled and cooked the tubers to eat as vegetables or dried and stored them for winter food. They ate the seeds in soups and other dishes or roasted them like chestnuts. Many Great Plains tribes attributed mystic powers to the American Lotus plants. A poultice made from the pulp of the root was thought to relieve the pain of inflammatory ailments such as arthritis, and a mash made from the blossoms and leaves was said to have anti-fungal properties. Although little sound research exists concerning the medicinal properties of the American Lotus, a close cousin, the Indian or Sacred Lotus which is native to Asia and Australia has been used medicinally for generations. It is known to relieve asthma, inflammation, headache and fatigue, and is said to promote good digestion.

When I first visited Kansas over 30 years ago, I either bought or was given a decorative seed pod of some sort that was brown and hard with numerous round compartments in it, each containing a round hard seed of some sort. I was told they were called “lake nuts.” That decorative object has long since disappeared, but at the time I remember no one seemed to know what the heck it really was. Guess what; after writing this column I now know it was an American Lotus seed pod! I never cease to be amazed at the wildlife and plants which flourish here in Kansas that common sense tells me shouldn’t be

here in our prairie state at all. Of the American Lotus someone has said, “Whenever you doubt your self-worth, remember the lotus flower. Even though it plunges to life beneath the mud, it does not allow the dirt that surrounds it to affect its growth or beauty.” Boy Howdy, can we use a heapin’ portion of that today! Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].

Masked Bandit Warfare

By
Milo Yield
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Thayne Cozart
Milo Yield

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been lucky with my sweet corn gardening efforts here at our new home in Riley. Last year I raised and harvested two plantings of sweet corn without losing a single ear to Mother Nature’s masked bandits — raccoons.

This year my luck ran out. When my first planting of sweet corn approached maturity, one evening Nevah and I enjoyed our first sweet ears of corn on the cob. I planned on letting the ears fill out one more day before the main harvest. Alas, that harvest was not to be. That very night, my corn patch suffered a masked bandit invasion and they did the bulk of the harvesting..

The pesky critters — I suspect it wuz a mama coon and a litter of half-grown kits — pulled down stalks and ate all or bits and pieces of at least two dozen ears of corn. The corn patch looked like a hurricane had hit it.

Luckily, I wuz able to salvage around a dozen untouched sweet corn ears. I guess the masked bandits got full and could eat no more.

To add insult to injury, the raccoons not only ate my sweet corn, they discovered the suet at my bird feeders and emptied it, too. That did it. I declared WAR! First, I took the suet from my bird feeding tree. Second, I cut all the sweet corn stalks and put them securely into my newly-built compost bin.

Next, that night I put out two live traps. The critters stole the bait out of one without getting caught and tripped the other trap by reaching through. So, I changed tactics. The next night I baited the traps with baby marshmallows. The coons fooled me again. They didn’t show up at all. Guess they discovered someone else’s sweet corn patch.

But, I know raccoons. Once they discover a free food source, they don’t forget where it’s at. They’ll be back for my second-planting of sweet corn and I’ll be ready for them — lethally.

***

When they aren’t doing damage, there is nothing much cuter than raccoon kits. Yesterday, one of the infrequent visitors at our Old Geezers’ Gossip and Gabfest stopped and told a baby raccoon story that had just happened to him.

He’d been baling big round bales of hay when he said he spotted on the other end of the meadow what looked like “a big brown snake” undulating up and over the distant hay windrows. He’d never seen anything like that, so he said he sped up to take a better look. When he got close enuf, he discovered it was a mother raccoon and four or five babies tagging behind her in a close line. From a distance, they looked like a “big brown snake.”

***

Okay, back from warfare to humor. Thanks to my good friend, ol’ Willie Jay from Mt. Vernon, Mo., for this one:

An aging widower, who’d ranched all his life, and an aging widow, who’d been a farm wife all her life, met at a senior dance, fell in love, and soon thereafter decided to tie a senior knot and get married. They were tired of living along.

On one of their drives to the county seat town, they pass a pharmacy and mutually decide to stop in. Once they got inside, the pharmacist says, “Can I help you folks?”

The rancher asks, “Are you the owner?”

The pharmacist answers, “Yes, I am.”

The rancher asks, “Do you sell heart medication?”

The pharmacist replies, “Of course I do.”

The rancher then asks, “How about medicine for circulation?”

“All kinds,” answers the pharmacist.

“Medicine for rheumatism?” asks the rancher.

“Definitely,” says the pharmacist.

The rancher continues, “How about suppositories, hearing aid batteries, adult diapers for incontinence?”

“You bet!” replies the pharmacist.

“Medicine for arthritis, rheumatism, diarrhea, and upset stomach?” asks the rancher

The pharmacist replies, “Yes, we have a large variety. The works.”

“Well, how vitamins, sleeping pills, and pain relievers?”

The pharmacist replies, “Absolutely, I’ve got it all. What can I get for you today?”

The rancher replies, “Well nothing at the moment …. but we’d like to use your store for our wedding registry.”

***

A really loud-mouthed farm wife interrupted a quiet group of farmers gathered at the local co-op. They all knew her, so they tolerated her until she left.

After she wuz out of hearing, one farmer questioned: “Wonder why she speaks so loudly?”

Another replied, “I think she learned to whisper in a sawmill.”

***

One morning this week, I missed going to the geezer gabfest because Nevah and I were canning tomato juice. When I went to the afternoon gathering, one wag said, “Milo, we missed you this morning.”

I replied, “Did you really miss me, or did you just notice I wuz absent?”

***

Words of wisdom for the week: “A group folks doing the work of one is called a committee.” Have a good ‘un.

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