Thursday, January 15, 2026
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Aggie Influencers

By
Milo Yield
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0
Thayne Cozart
Milo Yield

One of the strangest offshoot of the modern digital communications world is the creation of the job “influencer.” Now, I’ve had a lot of “influencers” in my life. Of course, the first were my parents.

Second were neighbor kids that I looked up and tried to emulate.

Third were disciplinarian teachers in grade school who threatened the use of a paddle and would follow up with the threat if needed.

Fourth were college instructors who would as soon flunk you as pass you if you didn’t pay attention or were a troublemaker.

Fifth were bosses in my career who were either great mentors, teachers and supporters or incredibly inept on all accounts.

However, none of the folks mentioned above would have considered themselves “professional or career influencers.”

So, just what is the definition of an “influencer” today? Google says an influencer is an individual who has established credibility and a significant following within a specific niche or industry. They leverage their expertise, personality, and online presence to influence the opinions, behaviors, and purchasing decisions of their followers. Influencers typically have a strong presence on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or blogs, where they create and share content related to their niche. The key role of an influencer is to engage and connect with their audience by creating compelling and authentic content. Influencers can have a significant impact on consumer behavior and play a crucial role in shaping digital marketing strategies in today’s social media-driven landscape.”

That may be the official description of “influencer,” but it all sounds like a lot of hooey and hokum to me. I have enuf trouble trusting myself to make good decisions without relying on the puffery of weird total strangers and their beliefs, habits, experiences, and product uses.

But. apparently “influencers” are here to stay. Agriculture is probably lumped in there somewhere, too. So, here are some hypothetical “Aggie Influencers” who I might pay attention to — who might influence my opinion, behavior, or purchasing decisions.

• A grain merchandiser who hits the top of the market 95% of the time.

• A purebred cattle breeder whose cattle grade 95% prime on the rail.

• A horse breeder who sells colts and fillies that run Register of Merit on the race track 95% of the time.

• A seed producer who sells 100% pure seed.

• A pork producer who raises pigs with pork that is both flavorful and tender.

• A poultry geneticist who breeds hens that consistently lay two eggs per day.

• A manufacturer who develops a big round hay baler that rolls out a perfectly symmetrical bale every time,

• A beef feedlot nutritionist who develops a ration that induces cattle to gain more than six pounds per day.

• A tomato breeder who develops a flavorful tomato variety that is totally resistant to all diseases.

• A scientist who creates a “self-destruct gene” into eastern redcedar, sericea lespedeza, and bind-weed.

• A sheep or goat breeder who produces lambs or kids without a death wish.

• A herding dog breeder who sells pups that never want to kill chickens.

• An economist who gives business advice who has a history of successfully running a profitable, private business.

• A statesman/stateswoman politician who is honest and who retires after two terms in office no wealthier than when he/she came into office.

***

I recently ran across some old beef cattle research that might be worth re-visiting. The old study conducted at Colorado State University showed a link between bulls’ fertility and the patterns of hair on their heads. The researchers — including Temple Grandin — found bulls with perfectly symmetrical hair whorls in the middle of their foreheads may be more fertile than bulls with odd -shaped whorls. The study suggests that using hair whorls is an indicator could save time — and is cheap and easy — when testing for breeding soundness in bulls. The theory is, if there’s some kind of disruption the calf in the womb during gestation, it can cause a hair whorl on the face to take an abnormal shape, and can also affect the reproductive system. Hair patterns and reproductive systems generally develop in the womb at the same time.

Now, I have no idea how to truly evaluate how reliable the hair whorl research is but I can tell you this with certainty. I have. a “double crown” of hair whorls on the back of my old noggin — and back in the day I sired two beautiful daughters.

***

Well, I won 2 1/2 battles in my sweetcorn war with the masked bandit raccoons. I successfully harvested all the ears from my last two sweet corn plantings. All the cool weather we’ve had in the Flint Hills has my garden still producing tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and shelled dry beans. The okra will be ready within the week.
***

Words of wisdom for the week: “I get most of my exercise these days from just shaking my head in disbelief.”

Have a good ‘un.

Nurturing Active Childhoods in a High-Tech World

By
Guest Columnist
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0

Long before children say their first words or pick up a pencil, they’re learning through their bodies. They kick, reach, roll, crawl and explore – hardwired to interact with the world through movement. From the very beginning, motor and sensory experiences are how babies discover their environment and how their brains begin to grow and organize.

Simply put, our bodies in motion are the vehicles through which we learn. When children move, their brains light up. Their senses, muscles, emotions and attention systems all come online and begin working together. Through active exploration, children build the foundations of their sensory, perceptual and cognitive systems.

Movement and imaginative play stimulate both brain and body, supporting not only strength and coordination but also emotional regulation, adaptive behaviors and social connection. A child building a tower of blocks isn’t just learning fine motor skills; they’re developing attention, problem-solving and perseverance. Free play fosters communication, cooperation and confidence. Movement is how learning begins … and how it continues to unfold.

Yet despite all we know about the power of movement, children today grow up in an environment where active play is often displaced by screen time. Screens are nearly unavoidable and are often used to entertain, educate or soothe. For many families, technology helps manage the demands of modern life. But when screen use regularly replaces hands-on, movement-rich experiences, opportunities for growth are lost.

A child passively watching a screen misses the sensory variety, trial-and-error learning and face-to-face interaction that come from real-world play. Over time, this shift can influence motor skills, attention, emotional regulation, sleep and readiness to learn, which are essential for thriving in school, relationships and everyday routines.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 18 months avoid screen use altogether, and that children ages 2–5 be limited to no more than one hour of high-quality content per day. These guidelines aren’t about restriction for its own sake; they reflect what we know about how children learn best – through movement, play and real-world interaction.

Movement is also one of the most reliable indicators of healthy development. Nearly 9 out of 10 young children in the U.S. meet national physical activity guidelines. This number drops sharply with age. By 6 to 17 years, only about a quarter of children meet these standards. As screen time increases and free time shrinks, children’s need for movement can quietly go unmet.

This steady trend of rising screen use and declining physical activity doesn’t mean we need to eliminate technology. Rather, we need to be more intentional about preserving time for play. Supporting active childhoods means prioritizing daily opportunities for whole-body movement, open-ended exploration and connection. That might look like a walk after dinner, dancing in the kitchen, building a blanket fort or inviting your child to help prepare a meal.

As pediatric physical therapists, educators and parents, we see the impact of movement every day. Children don’t need expensive equipment or curated experiences. They need time, space and encouragement to move through their world and learn as they go. Fostering imagination, exploration and meaningful interactions with peers and caring adults helps children grow into strong, curious and resilient individuals.

For guidance on creating a balanced media plan, visit:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/hhh.aspx

 

Patti Berg-Poppe is a physical therapist and professor and chair of USD’s Department of Physical Therapy, where she also directs the Program for Advancing Early Childhood Intervention (PACE-i). She has extensive experience in pediatric physical therapy and early intervention, with a focus on preparing future professionals to support development through play, movement and family-centered care.

Hsin-yi “Tanya” Liu is a pediatric physical therapist and researcher with expertise in early childhood development, mobility and assistive technology. She has practiced in both Taiwan and the United States and currently serves as assistant professor within USD’s Department of Physical Therapy. Her work focuses on how play, movement and adaptive tools support motor and social development in children.

Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads. Prairied Doc Programming includes On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show (most Thursdays at 7pm streaming on Facebook), 2 podcasts, and a Radio program (on SDPB), providing health information based on science, built on trust

 

 

Time to Plant

By
Guest Columnist
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0
KSU horticulture

September is typically the time to plant tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass seed. Homeowners who put down seed during the heat may find themselves watering several times a day. By middle to late September, we should have relief from triple digits allowing homeowners time to re-seed.

Our usual recommendation is don’t plant Kentucky bluegrass past early October. However, you can get by with an early to mid-October planting for tall fescue. October 15 is generally considered the last day for safely planting or overseeding a tall fescue lawn in the fall. With a late seeding, take special care not to allow plants to dry out. Anything that slows growth will make it less likely that plants will mature enough to survive the winter.

Seeding after the cut-off date can work, but the success rate goes down the later the planting date. Late plantings often fail as a result of poorly rooted plants being heaved from the soil after repeated freezing and thawing. Roots are then exposed and quickly dry out. Help the seedlings establish a healthy root system prior to freezing weather by keeping them well-watered.

Also, don’t forget we are taking registration for our Basic Master Gardener volunteer training course! Learn about landscaping, flowers, trees, vegetables and more! Contact our office at 316 284-6930.

Digital Edition 09/03/2025

By
Guest Columnist
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0
digital edition

Digital Edition 09/03/2025

Lettuce Eat Local: Another Melon Thoughts About Watermelon

By
tammiehoeme
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0

Amanda Miller
Columnist
Lettuce Eat Local

Isn’t it a great feeling to have a really good idea pop into your brain? A literal lightbulb doesn’t materialize over your head, but you might still feel the warm glow of subtle genius. 

A surefire way to extinguish that lightbulb, however, is to realize it wasn’t the first time you had that idea. They say lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, but in reality it can and often does…just like my writing inspirations apparently. 

As I was typing up my article on cutting watermelon last week, I saw that there was far more in my brain than would fit in my wordcount; instead of spitting out the extra seeds of watermelon content, I saved them for today, relieved to have a head start on what I knew would be a busy week. 

I find it strangely fascinating how differently people can engage in preparing the same item, and how that can even show personality sometimes, and I was looking forward to expounding on that topic. In this instance, I was still thinking about watermelon, although there are more examples, like mangos, avocados, and onions. If you would tell a panel of people to cut these up, the end goals as well as the processes to get there might be completely disparate. In general, there aren’t necessarily any ways or means better than the others, just differences (although of course we all likely think our way is best, by default since it’s our way).

I already had a running list in my mind of a few people and their unique stances towards watermelon cutting: I was remembering nostalgically how my grandpa used to employ a sort of stack-and-hack method that landed the cubes directly in the serving bowl. Remembering with sticky amusement how a local gentleman once showed up to cut watermelons at a church function with his machete, and how the juice and wedges flew. Remembering contentedly how I enjoyed a new way to attack watermelon just a few weeks ago, when my friends served dessert by passing us each a plate-sized hunk of rind-on watermelon and a fork. 

It’s not of my own memory, but I was also remembering my dad’s story of one season of tossing fresh watermelons on the ground to break them open and eat out the best parts; that year his family had 50 acres of newly cleared land, supposedly the best for watermelon-growing — so grow watermelons they did, shipping out semi-loads of them. 

Like I said, I was excited to write about distinct watermelon ways. That is, until I started getting this strange sense of deja vu. Turns out, I had this same great idea almost exactly 6 years ago…ope, there went my lightbulb. Oops. 

But let’s be honest, I write about watermelon every year as their season rolls around. There’s just so much to share about them, and we are a watermelon family, no doubt about it.

My kids will have their own memories of their mom’s way of cutting watermelon, as I have mine of them intertwined throughout, since they insist on being part of it. They sit on the countertop as close as possible to the cutting board and the action; I am required by law to give them taster slabs as soon as we hit the sweet red, and they scarf down the bite-size cubes as soon as I am done cutting. Juice streams down their faces and hands, and they don’t slow down until I have safely packed away the various containers Benson chose for me to fill. We deliver the rinds to the thrilled flock of hens, and by then, we have a great idea! It’s time for more watermelon. 

 

Creamy Frozen Watermelon Slush

Good news, you can cut the watermelon for this recipe any way you want, as long as it fits in the blender (and has no rind…). More good news, while watermelon season is nearing its end, freezing some ensures that you can continue to enjoy it in things like this refreshing beverage year-round. This drink is best right away so it’s frozen and slushy, but of course I got busy wrangling children and didn’t get to mine until hours later — and it was still delicious.

Prep tips: seedless watermelons are clearly a good choice here. This batch makes two servings.

1 pound watermelon pieces, frozen

juice of 1 key lime (or ½ a standard lime)

1-2 ounces coconut cream

a couple sprigs of fresh mint

6 ounces club soda

Blend watermelon, lime, and coconut until smooth; pulse in mint until finely chopped but still with pieces visible. 

 

Lettuce Eat Local is a weekly local foods column by Amanda Miller, who lives on the family dairy farm with her husband and two small children. She seeks to help build connections through food with her community, the earth, and the God who created it all. Contact her at [email protected]. 

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