Broiler hatchery

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September 5, 2014

ISSN: 1949-1840

Released September 4, 2014, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).

Broiler-Type Eggs Set in the United States Up 1 Percent

Hatcheries in the United States weekly program set 212 million eggs in
incubators during the week ending August 30, 2014, up 1 percent from a year
ago. Hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 204 million eggs in
incubators during the week ending August 30, 2014, up 1 percent from the
year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week in the
United States was 83 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing
chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier.

Broiler-Type Chicks Placed in the United States Up Slightly

Broiler growers in the United States weekly program placed 174 million
chicks for meat production during the week ending August 30, 2014, up
slightly from a year ago. Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program
placed 168 million chicks for meat production during the week ending August
30, 2014, up slightly from the year earlier. Cumulative placements from
December 29, 2013 through August 30, 2014 for the United States were 6.03
billion. Cumulative placements were up slightly from the same period a year
earlier.

Broiler-Type Eggs Set – 19 Selected States and United States: 2014
—————————————————————————-
————————————–
: Week
ending
State
:—————————–———————————————-
——–
: July 26, : August 2, : August 9, :
August 16, : August 23, : August 30,
: 2014 : 2014 : 2014 :
2014 : 2014 : 2014
—————————————————————————-
————————————–
: 1,000
eggs
:

Alabama ………………….: 28,638 28,507 28,150
27,963 28,733 28,729
Arkansas …………………: 21,349 21,246 21,235
21,154 21,553 21,592
Delaware …………………: 4,389 4,422 4,415
4,516 4,567 4,400
Florida ………………….: 1,223 1,223 1,224
1,222 1,222 1,225
Georgia ………………….: 35,105 34,890 34,983
34,809 34,589 33,969
Kentucky …………………: 7,955 8,008 8,033
7,920 8,020 7,920
Louisiana ………………..: 3,526 3,772 3,787
3,817 3,817 3,787
Maryland …………………: 7,795 7,575 7,875
7,489 7,579 7,806
Mississippi ………………: 17,585 18,097 18,042
18,088 18,017 17,536
Missouri …………………: 8,466 8,469 8,473
8,472 8,474 8,354
:

North Carolina ……………: 21,320 20,578 20,905
21,022 21,053 20,632
Oklahoma …………………: 6,537 6,608 6,632
6,600 6,662 6,615
Pennsylvania ……………..: 4,413 4,273 4,379
4,153 4,402 4,378
South Carolina ……………: 5,122 5,159 5,257
5,497 5,166 5,123
Texas ……………………: 14,528 14,747 14,790
14,749 14,394 14,267
Virginia …………………: 6,460 6,465 6,450
6,439 6,444 6,446
California, Tennessee, :

and West Virginia ………..: 11,340 11,564 10,308
10,914 10,817 11,221
:

19 State total ……………: 205,751 205,603 204,938
204,824 205,509 204,000
Percent of previous year …..: 102 103 101
102 101 101
:

Other States ……………..: 8,101 8,135 8,192
7,932 7,841 7,710
:

United States …………….: 213,852 213,738 213,130
212,756 213,350 211,710
Percent of previous year …..: 102 103 101
102 101 101
—————————————————————————-
————————————–

Broiler-Type Chicks Placed – 19 Selected States and United States: 2014
—————————————————————————-
————————————–
: Week
ending
State
:—————————–———————————————-
——–
: July 26, : August 2, : August 9, :
August 16, : August 23, : August 30,
: 2014 : 2014 : 2014 :
2014 : 2014 : 2014
—————————————————————————-
————————————–
: 1,000
chicks
:

Alabama ………………….: 21,410 21,957 22,083
21,368 21,133 20,810
Arkansas …………………: 19,434 19,822 19,290
19,047 19,078 19,869
Delaware …………………: 4,974 4,551 5,281
4,267 4,621 4,790
Florida ………………….: 1,322 1,271 1,286
1,299 1,534 1,300
Georgia ………………….: 25,687 27,556 26,128
28,209 27,243 27,953
Kentucky …………………: 5,903 6,156 6,159
6,614 6,413 6,642
Louisiana ………………..: 3,416 3,387 3,265
3,145 3,318 3,331
Maryland …………………: 6,072 5,653 5,925
5,955 6,336 6,332
Mississippi ………………: 14,768 14,776 14,809
14,775 15,142 15,217
Missouri …………………: 5,882 5,605 5,627
6,529 6,196 5,987
:

North Carolina ……………: 17,355 16,761 16,234
16,849 15,812 16,660
Oklahoma …………………: 4,068 4,270 5,226
4,371 4,501 4,033
Pennsylvania ……………..: 3,482 3,798 3,699
3,641 3,568 3,590
South Carolina ……………: 4,880 4,385 5,993
4,077 4,923 4,621
Texas ……………………: 11,926 11,692 11,636
11,894 11,994 11,913
Virginia …………………: 4,909 5,455 5,047
5,916 5,311 5,331
California, Tennessee, :

and West Virginia ………..: 11,387 11,291 11,254
10,859 10,925 9,548
:

19 State total ……………: 166,875 168,386 168,942
168,815 168,048 167,927
Percent of previous year …..: 99 100 102
101 102 100
:

Other States ……………..: 6,078 6,173 5,959
5,809 6,207 5,938
:

United States …………….: 172,953 174,559 174,901
174,624 174,255 173,865
Percent of previous year …..: 99 100 102
101 102 100

Laugh tracks in the dust

By

Milo Yield

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September 5, 2014

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Who sez old folks can’t have a party? Ol’ Nevah and I survived (barely) a doozie during our 4-day “50FEST.”

We had more than 100 folks at the “Handshake and Howdy” reception and around 45, mostly extended family members, for the post-party in our huge garage. That party broke up shortly before midnight. We feasted, imbibed, and gabbed.

The oldsters got caught up on family happenings, the first-cousins recreated photos from their youth and played a few pranks on us (the honored couple), and the second-cousins got reacquainted by playing frisbee golf and card games.

And, although we requested no gifts, my bro-in-law broke the rule and brought me a well-rusted, but still usable, roll of hay baling wire so I would quit bugging him for a wire supply to keep Damphewmore Acres operational.

All our kids, hubbies and grandkids stayed over for an extra day or two of four-wheeling, card games and fishing.

On Labor Day I took my youngest granddaughter fishing in our pond. She had a new ultralight reel that I rigged for her. And, as luck would have it, on the very first cast, she caught a small channel catfish that gave her quite a tussle on that ultralight. We fished for 2 1/2 hours and caught at least a dozen fish. I think it was a memorable outing for her.

Our guests from the farthest distance wuz Nevah’s cousin from Marietta, Ga. Next farthest wuz friends from Hastings, Neb. Also a few welcome column readers dropped in.

All in all, it wuz a hoot. But when it wuz over, the trash hauled out, the place tidied up, and all the borrowed tables and chairs returned, Nevah and I said “whew,” and agreed that once every 50 years is a’plenty.

***

I want to mention that in cleaning up the garage for the 50FEST, we discovered a medium-sized black snake had made a home under our second refrigerator. Of course, it wuz my job to expel it before the party.

That proved a bit difficult and I had to move the fridge, get on my belly, and maneuver the snake until I could get my leather-gloved hand on it. I yanked the snake free of the fridge and while on my back whipped it back and forth on the concrete floor. As I wuz cracking the whip with the critter, I noticed something come flying out of it’s mouth.

Surprise! I made the snake cough up a dead mouse. So I guess I owe the now-departed black snake a post-mortem nod for rodent control.

One lasting result of the 50FEST is that our garage is less cluttered and varmint free.

***

Over the weekend, we got a welcome 3.2-inch rain and followed that up with another 0.3-tenths the next night. That rain revived the area’s soybeans and perked up the little trees and bushes in our yard. I didn’t even have to water the tomatoes.

***

Now I’ll relay to you a funny true story that happened several decades ago.

A prominent Flint Hills rancher and beef industry leader had recently expanded his beef enterprise to include a sizable feedlot. His other beef enterprises included summer-pastured feeder steers and heifers and also a nice purebred herd of Longhorns.

Now this rancher acquired many of his feedlot cattle from the southern states and most of the loads were of the “rainbow” cattle variety.

Well, on the day of the story, two pot-loads of mixed southern cattle arrived at the feedlot for processing by the ranch hands. As the processing took place, the rancher was occupied with other duties.

Suddenly, the ranch hands looked up to see the rancher driving his old Cadillac hell-for-leather, in a cloud of dust, over a series of terraces heading for the feedlot. Upon arrival, the rancher leaped out of his Caddy, hopped up on the fence, and looked over his newly-arrived cattle.

And then his face dropped and, utterly crestfallen, he returned to the Caddy and slowly made his way back to the feedlot headquarters.

Not long after the head cowboy came into the feedlot office and said to the rancher, “What was THAT all about?”

The dejected rancher replied, “Well, I forgot to mention to the crew that I bought an expensive, high-powered, young registered Longhorn bull and needed him cut out from the rest of the cattle before you started working them. I remembered too late and now he’s a dehorned Longhorn steer.”

***

I heard about and old ruralist who wuz sitting with his buddies over a few cold brewskis in a small town bar. They were discussing their memories they’d garnered with their sons.

The old-time said, “Ah, it brings back the memory of the time I took my son our for his first drink. I got him a Miller Genuine. He didn’t like it – so I drank it.

Then I got him an Old Style and he didn’t like it either, so I drank it. It was the same with the Coors and the Bud. By the time we got down to the Irish whiskey,

I could hardly push his stroller back home.”

***

I’ll close with that little stroll down memory lane. No room for wise words this week. So, just have a good ‘un.

Kansas State Board of Agriculture meeting September 18

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Kansas Department of Agriculture

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September 4, 2014

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TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s (KDA) Board of Agriculture will meet at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2014 in Manhattan, Kansas. The meeting will be held at agency headquarters 1320 Research Park Drive, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.

The meeting is open to the public. Individuals who have questions about the meeting should contact KDA Assistant Secretary Jake Worcester at [email protected].

Persons who require special accommodations must make their needs known at least two days prior to the meeting.

Shocker Hall is revitalizing and unifying Wichita State

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Editor

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September 4, 2014

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The opening of Shocker Hall – Wichita State’s new state-of-the-art, centrally located residence facility – is redefining what it means to be a student at WSU.

Shocker Hall opened to all of its residents Aug. 16. With nearly 800 students on five floors, top-notch dining, a coffee shop open 19 hours a day – all in a beautiful, modern setting – Shocker Hall is one of the most exciting updates to campus in decades.

And it’s already changing the way students think about their college experience.

“When you live at Shocker Hall, you develop a sense of belonging – a feeling like you belong at this university,” says junior Alex Van Pelt. “You join a community of people who all have one passion in common: being a Shocker. I think people who live off campus can see this, and more and more people will want to join us here at Shocker Hall.”

The new facility truly defines WSU’s commitment to residential living – a big change from the university’s tradition of being mostly a commuter college.

“There’s a distinction between living near people and living with people, and living on campus, especially in Shocker Hall, we get to really live with one another,” says junior Megan Stessman. “More people are attracted to housing now.”

‘People want to live here’

Shocker Hall is made up of four buildings, one of which has a laundry room, community kitchen and lounge area (referred to as an LKL) on each of its five floors.

There are spacious rooms, high-tech lounges and unprecedented Wi-Fi capabilities. But it’s the social aspect that’s taking Wichita State by storm.

Van Pelt says one of the best parts of Shocker Hall is its outdoor courtyard, which has turned into a social hub for students to gather after class and on weekends to meet with friends or make new ones.

There are also a lot of impromptu get-togethers now in the lounges and game room, says Stessman, a resident assistant in Shocker Hall.

As an RA, she’s in charge of planning educational and social programs for her floor that connect residents with each other and to resources in the university. Most of those planned programs happen at night when people are out of class.

There’s no doubt there is a renewed sense of after-hours life at WSU now that so many students are living in the heart of campus.

“Now that Shocker Hall is here, people want to live here,” says Van Pelt. “That is a complete turn-around from just a year ago. People want to be right here in the middle of all the action which is Wichita State University. Campus is becoming a place you want to be, not just a place for classes. With all the activities and friends right here, who wants to live anywhere else? In my mind, that is a vast improvement.”

Feeling connected

Before moving to Shocker Hall, Stessman lived in Fairmount Towers – located just off campus at the corner of 21st Street and Hillside – and the now closed Wheatshocker Apartments and Brennan Hall. She says student residents used to be in their own bubble, but now there is more of a community culture – and that’s after only a few weeks since Shocker Hall opened.

The dining facility is bringing in WSU professors, administrators and staff who residents wouldn’t have seen previously in the cafeteria, allowing students more interactions with others on campus.

“It is astonishing how much more connected I feel to the campus when I live in its center,” Stessman says. “The energy that has been put into this building and the community has a positive impact on our residents; you can tell that they feel valued and important.”

Van Pelt says the innovative design of Shocker Hall creates a closer sense of community, with large rooms that still let students feel close to their classmates living down the hall. And, he said, it’s not bad to look at either.

“It is simply beautiful. Everything from the rooms to the brand new dining facility have been wonderfully designed to be functional and gorgeous,” Van Pelt says. “I live at Shocker Hall because every time I see it, I can’t help but smile. This place is already my home, and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Source: Wichita State University

Crawford State Park to host country music jamboree Spetember 27

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Editor

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September 4, 2014

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Live music begins at 3:30 p.m. and will continue through the night

PRATT – Camping, chili, and country music – what more could you ask for? Thanks to the Friends of Crawford State Park, all this and more will be part of a one-night event, Sept. 27 at Crawford State Park’s Oak Point Campground. Crawford State Park is located just nine miles north of Girard on K-7. The first event of the day will be a chili cook-off beginning at 12 p.m. with a cook’s meeting, followed by cooking from 12:30 to 4 p.m., judging at 4 p.m., tasting session at 4:30 p.m., and awards at 5:30 p.m. There is a $20 entry fee for anyone wanting to enter the chili contest.

Following the cook-off, an “end of the season” campers’ pot luck will take place at 6:30 in the back of the campground amphitheater. Those interested in staying are asked to bring a covered side dish as spaghetti red (chili) will be provided.

Apart from good eats, park goers can also enjoy the park’s Country Music Jamboree beginning at 3:30 p.m. and running through the night. A host of local musical acts including The Duling Band, Jeff Simpson, Kinley Rice, and Jason Richison will perform.

The Duling’s are a local legend and part of a musical family that have entertained for over 50 years. The variety they bring to the stage is sure to please young and old.

Jeff Simpson, a resident of Cherokee, has been performing blues and jazz harmonica for the past 17 years. He is a regular with several area country, bluegrass, and classic rock bands.

Source: Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Kinley Rice, a 15-year-old country singer from Fort Scott, is currently a regular on TV’s “Kelly’s Kountry Junction.” Her musical influences are Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Hank Williams, and many other country legends.

Jason Richison, another Fort Scott resident, will perform classic country music with energy and an edgy guitar. He is also a member of the Fort Scott Jubilee Hot Band and lead guitarist for Kelly’s Kountry Junction television program.

Campsites will be available and can be reserved by visiting ReserveAmerica.com.

For more information on the chili cook-off, contact Kevin Smith at (620) 362-3237, or by e-mail at [email protected].

To reach the Crawford State Park office, call (620) 362-3671.

Tailgate Saturday event at Lovewell

By

Editor

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September 4, 2014

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Friendly competition expected for chili cook-off, 3-D archery shoot

PRATT – Lovewell State Park is sponsoring its final events of the season September 6-7 with “Tailgating Saturday,” a chili cook-off and a 3-D archery shoot on Sunday. Sunday is also a free park entrance day at Lovewell State Park. Vehicle permits are not required to enter the state park on that day; however, camping permits are still required if camping overnight.

For Tailgating Saturday, campers are encouraged to show their football pride with decorations at their campsites for their favorite team. This is a fun event, and registration is not necessary.

The fun will continue Sunday with a chili cook-off and 3-D archery shoot. Shooters can register from 9 a.m.-10 a.m., and must complete the course by 12 p.m. Participants may compete in either the men’s, women’s, or youth categories. There is no fee to enter, however a $10 donation is encouraged. A steel deer target competition will start at noon, with a $5 donation suggested for participation. Prizes will be awarded at 1:30 p.m. for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place shooters at the Lovewell Marina Area.

The Lovewell Marina will also host the chili cook-off on Sunday where park visitors can taste a variety of hearty dishes. Cooks must register no later than 9 a.m. at the park office. Judging will be done by the first 100 visitors who contribute a $5.00 donation for a taste-testing ticket. Judging tickets will also be available at the cook-off area beginning at 11:30 a.m. Entries will be judged from 12 p.m.-1 p.m., followed by the award presentations for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place entries by popular vote.

For more information on these events, contact the Lovewell State Park at (785) 753-4971.

Source: Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Author to speak at Eisenhower Library about the privatization of national security

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Editor

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September 4, 2014

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ABILENE, Kan. – Author Ann Hagedorn will speak about the privatization of American’s national security at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home on Thursday, September 11. The free public program begins at 7 p.m. in the Visitors Center Auditorium.

Hagedorn’s latest book, The Invisible Soldiers: How America Outsourced Our Security, was released in August. It is an investigation into the world of private military contractors. The book exposes where this industry came from, how it operates, where it’s heading, and why we should be concerned.

Hagedorn has been a writer for The Wall Street Journal, special projects editor for the New York Daily News and has taught writing at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Her previous books are Savage Peace, Beyond the River, Ransom and Wild Ride.

Copies of The Invisible Soldiers: How America Outsourced Our Security will be for sale at the Presidential Gift Shop. A book signing will follow the presentation.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, a nonpartisan federal institution, is part of the Presidential Libraries network operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Presidential Libraries promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire.

Sorghum and Millet Innovation Lab announces selected projects

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K-State

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September 4, 2014

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Projects funded through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sorghum and Millet, funded though USAID and established at Kansas State University, are aimed to help improve the adaptation and resilience of these crops in East and West Africa. K-State Research and Extension

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Project funding through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sorghum and Millet has been announced. The projects will contribute to improving food security, household resilience and private sector growth in the Ethiopia, Senegal and Niger through the enhancement of production and value-added product development.

The 2014 funding recipients were identified through a competitive call for proposals, with 10 projects selected from the 58 proposals received, from the recommendations of the Lab’s external advisory board and dozens of ad-hoc reviewers.

Six projects were selected in West Africa, led by five leader institutions with 16 collaborating institutions, and four projects were selected in Ethiopia, led by three leader institutions and 16 collaborating institutions.

“These projects represent the best ideas and strategies, drawn from around the world, to tackle hunger and undernutrition in some of the world’s most difficult agricultural regions,” said Timothy Dalton, associate professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University and director of the Lab. “The process will require patience, hard work and dedication, and we’ve assembled a fantastic team to attack these problems.”

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research in Sorghum and Millet is a consortium of cutting-edge research aimed at improving the adaptation and resilience of sorghum and pearl millet to the semi-arid climates of East and West Africa, with a focus on Ethiopia, Senegal and Niger.

Established in July 2013 at Kansas State University, the Lab contributes technologies and knowledge toward the adaptation, resilience and improved profitability of sorghum- and millet-based production systems and value chains through a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative (www.feedthefuture.gov).

The Lab links U.S. and international universities and research organizations in a collaborative effort to build human and institutional capacity in Ethiopia, Niger and Senegal to make sorghum and pearl millet the crops of the future. Additional information regarding the Sorghum and Millet Innovation Lab can be found at http://www.k-state.edu/smil.

Funded projects:

Developing superior functionality in sorghum for food applications to promote sorghum value chain in Ethiopia

Principal investigator: Joseph Awika (Texas A&M University)

U.S. collaborating institutions: Texas A&M University

International collaborating institutions: Ethiopia – Hawassa University
South Africa – University of Pretoria

Award amount: $809,941

Focus country: Ethiopia
Genetic enhancement of sorghum to promote commercial seed supply and grain market development in Ethiopia

Principal investigator: Gebisa Ejeta (Purdue University)

U.S. collaborating institutions: Purdue University, Kansas State University

International collaborating institutions: Ethiopia – Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) (Melkassa Research Center, Sirinka Research Center), Holleta Biotechnology Center, Tigray Regional Program, Oromia Regional Program, Haramaya University

Award amount: $912,703

Focus country: Ethiopia

Genetic improvement of sorghum for resistance to fungal pathogens

Principal investigator: Tesfaye Mengiste (Purdue University)

U.S. collaborating institutions: Purdue University, Kansas State University

International collaborating institutions: Ethiopia – EIAR (Asosa Research Center, Pawe Research Center, Bako Research Center), Holleta Biotechnology Center

Award amount: $842,963

Focus country: Ethiopia

Improved crop genetics and processing methods for increased productivity and nutrition for smallholder sorghum producers in Ethiopia

Principal investigator: Tesfaye Tesso (Kansas State University)

U.S. collaborating institutions: Kansas State University, USDA-ARS, Purdue University, KSU – Hays Research Station

International collaborating institutions: Ethiopia – EIAR (Melkassa Research Center, Sirinka Research Center, Pawe Research Center), Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Haramaya University

Award amount: $821,421

Focus countries: Ethiopia

Improving sorghum adaptation in West Africa with genomics-enabled breeding

Principal investigator: Geoffrey Morris (Kansas State University)
U.S. collaborating institution: Kansas State University

International collaborating institutions: France – Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD)
Senegal – Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Centre d’Etudes Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse (CERAAS), Centre National de Recherche Agronomique (CNRA)

Niger – International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN), LSDS (farmer organization), HALAL (farmer organization)

Award amount: $1,090,093

Focus countries: Niger, Senegal

Development of biotic stress-resistant sorghum cultivars for Niger and Senegal

Principal investigator: Bonnie Pendleton (West Texas A&M University)

U.S. collaborating institutions: West Texas A&M University, Texas A&M AgriLife Research

International collaborating institutions: Senegal – ISRA, CNRA, CERAAS
Niger – INRAN

Award amount: $876,284

Focus countries: Niger, Senegal

Sorghum trait development pipeline for improved food and feed value

Principal investigator: Mitchell Tuinstra (Purdue University)

U.S. collaborating institution: Purdue University

International collaborating institutions: Senegal – Institut de Technologie Alimentaire (ITA), CERAAS, ISRA, CNRA
Niger – INRAN

Award amount: $1,044,323

Focus countries: Niger, Senegal

Biological control of the millet head miner in Niger and Senegal

Principal investigator: Malick Ba (ICRISAT – Niger)

U.S. collaborating institutions: Virginia Tech University, IPM Innovation Lab

International collaborating institutions: Senegal – ISRA, CERAAS, University Cheik Anta Diop de Dakar

Niger – University of Maradi, INRAN

Award amount: $638,788

Focus countries: Niger, Senegal

Optimization of the seed ball technology for pearl millet, and agronomic and socio-economic evaluation in the context of smallholder farmers in Senegal and Niger

Principal investigator: Ludger Herrmann (University of Hohenheim – Germany)

International collaborating institutions: Senegal – ISRA, FAPAL (farmer organization)

Niger – INRAN, Fuma Gaskiya (farmer organization)

Award amount: $172,600

Focus countries: Niger, Senegal

Expanding markets for sorghum and millet farmers in West Africa through strengthening of entrepreneur processors and nutrition-based promotion of products

Principal investigator: Bruce Hamaker (Purdue University)

U.S. collaborating institutions: Purdue University

International collaborating institutions: Senegal – ISRA, CNRA, ITA

Niger – INRAN

Award amount: $816,328

Focus countries: Niger, Senegal

Multigenerational families provide benefits for everyone

By

University of Missouri

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September 3, 2014

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Nina Chen, Ph.D., CFLE, Human Development Specialist, University of Missouri Extension

According to the Pew Research Center, 49 million people live in multigenerational families in the U.S. Many include adult children in their 20s. The trend to bring extended families together in one home is heavily influenced by factors like the struggling economy, a tough job market, the housing crunch, increased immigrants, parents returning to school, saving money for a home, inability to afford child care or preferring to have grandparents care for grandchildren, elderly parents needing care, and widows or widowers unable to live alone. Other factors include the increase in marital instability, the breakup of nuclear families and the remarriage of parents. Grandparents and step-grandparents are also becoming more important.

Living in a multigenerational family has numerous rewards for all generations, including:

Family members experience the high level of emotional bonding and closeness across generations.
Grandparents provide important role models in the socialization of grandchildren. Grandchildren learn how to care for their elders.
Spending time with children can bring purpose and meaning to the lives of older generations. For example, the physical demands of keeping up with kids and helping with homework make them feel younger, useful and active.
Grandparents help grandchildren survive parents’ divorce by giving grandchildren undivided attention and helping when single parents are overwhelmed.
Multifamilies have financial benefits for everyone involved. If grandparents are in good health and willing, they could help care for young children. Adult children living in the multifamily household can save money while going to school, finding a job or saving money to buy a home of their own.
Family members provide constant companionship, as well as help reduce money strain and stress.
Family members look after, help and support each other.
Bringing family members together can be a joyful time to share and treasure for everyone in the family.

Multigenerational living also has its ups and downs. Moving into a new household can be challenging and everyone involved needs time to make adjustments…

The full version of this article includes several suggestions for a meaningful and happy multigenerational family life – find the full article at http://missourifamilies.org/features/divorcearticles/relations72.htm

Don’t forget to honor the grandparents in your life for Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 7, 2014!

Can your “Choice Salsa” safely

By

University of Missouri

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September 3, 2014

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Janet Hackert, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, Harrison County, University of Missouri Extension

People have often asked if it is possible to use their own salsa recipe and can it safely. In the past the best response was: no, use it fresh or freeze it. Now there is a tested, generic recipe that allows for creativity without giving up safety.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation has released their guidance on preparing and canning what they call “Choice Salsa.”

Choice Salsa provides the required proportions of each ingredient to insure that the final product can be safely canned in a boiling water canner. The recipe to make about 6 pint jars is simple:

6 cups peeled, cored, seeded and chopped ripe tomatoes
9 cups diced onions and/or peppers of any variety
1½ cups commercially bottled lemon or lime juice
3 teaspoons canning or pickling salt

The directions then specify the particulars. There are also some notes specific to keeping this recipe safe. For this important information, check out the full version of this article at http://missourifamilies.org/features/foodsafetyarticles/fdsfty89.htm