By C.J. JANOVY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/07/a-kansas-history-professor-sees-troubling-deeply-problematic-danger-signs-for-the-united-states/">Kansas Reflector</a>

A couple of weeks ago on a pleasant Tuesday afternoon, Andrew Denning was walking his dog and talking with me about fascism.

Denning is a <a href="https://history.ku.edu/andrew-denning">history professor at the University of Kansas</a>
 who specializes in 20th century Europe. I’d called him because I 
haven’t read enough books about World War II and was hoping he could 
give me a crash course on what regular people did as fascists took over.
 Did people in Germany go about their daily lives, worried but paralyzed
 by their inability to fully grasp what was happening, and how much 
worse it could get, as Nazis came to power?

It wasn’t just Germany, Denning reminded me. It was Italy’s Mussolini who <a href="https://time.com/5556242/what-is-fascism/">gave us the term “fascism.”</a> And there were fascist movements between the two World Wars in France and Great Britain as well.

“In the United States, <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/americans-hold-nazi-rally-in-madison-square-garden">tens of thousands of American Nazis</a>
 were going to Madison Square Garden,” he said. “Why does fascism 
succeed in consolidating power in Italy or Germany but doesn’t in France
 or Great Britain or the United States in the same time period?”

Like Jay Steinmetz at Fort Hays State University, who I’d spoken with a couple of weeks earlier about <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/23/were-so-close-to-civil-war-everyone-can-smell-the-smoke/">protest movements in the United States</a>,
 Denning said what we’re seeing around the world in recent years follows
 more of a “populist authoritarian” playbook, which can be used by 
dictators on the left (Hugo Chavez in Venezuela) but in recent years has
 been more widespread on the right (he cited Putin in Russia, Orbán in 
Hungary, Bolsonaro in Brazil and Erdogan in Turkey).

Denning said there were reasons for concern in the United States.

“The rise of armed 
paramilitary groups showing up to ‘help police’ and ‘protect property,’ 
blurring line between agents of the state who enforce the law — the 
police, the military, the National Guard — with paramilitary groups. 
That’s where there is, I think, some danger,” he said.

All summer, we’ve seen reports of armed vigilante groups showing up to do <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/30/politics/vigilante-group-activity-kenosha/index.html">exactly what he was describing</a>.

“The ways political 
figures and members of the media have either tolerated or spoken 
approvingly of either threats or acts of violence by paramilitary groups
 in pursuit of, or defense of, political goals is quite troubling as 
well,” he added.

A couple of hours after we spoke, the president made his now infamous comments about the <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/30/trump-tells-far-right-group-to-stand-back-and-stand-by-in-presidential-debate/">Proud Boys</a> and urged his supporters “<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/30/biden-says-hell-support-election-outcome-but-trump-urges-supporters-to-watch-very-carefully/">to go into the polls and watch very carefully</a>.”

Nationwide concern about 
that Proud Boys comment lasted all of two days before it was swamped by 
the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis and Washington sank into whole new 
layers of crisis.

None of that had happened when I spoke to Denning. But each crashing wave of chaos brought echoes of what he’d told me.

“What’s troubling about 
the current situation in the United States is a real sense of internal 
disorder,” he said, “and political factions lined up against one another
 which are certain the other political faction does not have best 
interest of the country at heart and so is incapable or unable to rule. 
That’s something we would want to pay attention to in the American 
context if we want to avoid something like a fascist revolution or a 
rising authoritarian regime.”

As in, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/05/i-just-dont-trust-the-system-any-more-voters-on-edge-as-election-nears/">questioning the legitimacy of elections</a>.

“The view that, ‘If my 
side wins, the election was just and the will of people, but if my side 
loses, something was corrupt and the winner was cheating’ — that doesn’t
 lead to a sense of legitimate governance,” Denning said. “When one side
 totally disavows the right of the other side to rule, that becomes 
deeply problematic because then there’s an inability to separate the 
instruments of the state from political parties.”

Those instruments of the 
state — which we all chip in for, trusting that they’ll keep us safe, 
healthy, educated, fed and transported, among many other functions that 
by their nature are politically neutral — should be separate from 
political parties in a democracy like ours. Sure, presidents appoint 
partisans to lead government agencies, but the whole idea of “peaceful 
transfer of power” means the foundational work that keeps our country 
operating can continue regardless of who is president.

“The state has immense power — to tax, to seize property, to imprison, to commit violence,” Denning noted.

He said the modern state 
holds “a monopoly on legitimate violence,” such as the death penalty. 
“This requires a sense that the state is just,” he said, and not the arm
 of one political party.

Regardless of the 
president’s state of health or mind on this day, we didn’t get here 
because of just one man. And we didn’t get here in just four years.

The particular warning of 
history, Denning had told me, is that “small political questions,” such 
as when different wings of a party disagree about tactics and 
strategies, are what divide and fracture coalitions that can challenge 
authoritarian aspirations.

It’s only the big political questions that matter now.

C.J. Janovy is a veteran journalist with deep roots in the Midwest. Before joining the Kansas Reflector, she was an editor and reporter at Kansas City’s NPR affiliate, KCUR. Before that, she edited the city’s alt-weekly newspaper, The Pitch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602087913589.jpeg" alt="Andrew S. Denning / KU" />
 <figcaption>Andrew S. Denning / KU</figcaption>
 </figure>By C.J. JANOVY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/07/a-kansas-history-professor-sees-troubling-deeply-problematic-danger-signs-for-the-united-states/">Kansas Reflector</a>A couple of weeks ago on a pleasant Tuesday afternoon, Andrew Denning was walking his dog and talking with me about fascism.Denning is a <a href="https://history.ku.edu/andrew-denning">history professor at the University of Kansas</a>
 who specializes in 20th century Europe. I’d called him because I 
haven’t read enough books about World War II and was hoping he could 
give me a crash course on what regular people did as fascists took over.
 Did people in Germany go about their daily lives, worried but paralyzed
 by their inability to fully grasp what was happening, and how much 
worse it could get, as Nazis came to power?It wasn’t just Germany, Denning reminded me. It was Italy’s Mussolini who <a href="https://time.com/5556242/what-is-fascism/">gave us the term “fascism.”</a> And there were fascist movements between the two World Wars in France and Great Britain as well.“In the United States, <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/americans-hold-nazi-rally-in-madison-square-garden">tens of thousands of American Nazis</a>
 were going to Madison Square Garden,” he said. “Why does fascism 
succeed in consolidating power in Italy or Germany but doesn’t in France
 or Great Britain or the United States in the same time period?”Like Jay Steinmetz at Fort Hays State University, who I’d spoken with a couple of weeks earlier about <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/23/were-so-close-to-civil-war-everyone-can-smell-the-smoke/">protest movements in the United States</a>,
 Denning said what we’re seeing around the world in recent years follows
 more of a “populist authoritarian” playbook, which can be used by 
dictators on the left (Hugo Chavez in Venezuela) but in recent years has
 been more widespread on the right (he cited Putin in Russia, Orbán in 
Hungary, Bolsonaro in Brazil and Erdogan in Turkey).Denning said there were reasons for concern in the United States.“The rise of armed 
paramilitary groups showing up to ‘help police’ and ‘protect property,’ 
blurring line between agents of the state who enforce the law — the 
police, the military, the National Guard — with paramilitary groups. 
That’s where there is, I think, some danger,” he said.All summer, we’ve seen reports of armed vigilante groups showing up to do <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/30/politics/vigilante-group-activity-kenosha/index.html">exactly what he was describing</a>.“The ways political 
figures and members of the media have either tolerated or spoken 
approvingly of either threats or acts of violence by paramilitary groups
 in pursuit of, or defense of, political goals is quite troubling as 
well,” he added.A couple of hours after we spoke, the president made his now infamous comments about the <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/30/trump-tells-far-right-group-to-stand-back-and-stand-by-in-presidential-debate/">Proud Boys</a> and urged his supporters “<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/30/biden-says-hell-support-election-outcome-but-trump-urges-supporters-to-watch-very-carefully/">to go into the polls and watch very carefully</a>.”Nationwide concern about 
that Proud Boys comment lasted all of two days before it was swamped by 
the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis and Washington sank into whole new 
layers of crisis.None of that had happened when I spoke to Denning. But each crashing wave of chaos brought echoes of what he’d told me.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602087979233.png" alt="Denning recommended 2017’s “On Tyranny,” by the Yale history professor Timothy Snyder, as “a primer for action for thinking about authoritarianism.” He also suggested Robert O. Paxton’s 2005 “The Anatomy of Fascism.” (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Denning recommended 2017’s “On Tyranny,” by the Yale history professor Timothy Snyder, as “a primer for action for thinking about authoritarianism.” He also suggested Robert O. Paxton’s 2005 “The Anatomy of Fascism.” (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>“What’s troubling about 
the current situation in the United States is a real sense of internal 
disorder,” he said, “and political factions lined up against one another
 which are certain the other political faction does not have best 
interest of the country at heart and so is incapable or unable to rule. 
That’s something we would want to pay attention to in the American 
context if we want to avoid something like a fascist revolution or a 
rising authoritarian regime.”As in, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/05/i-just-dont-trust-the-system-any-more-voters-on-edge-as-election-nears/">questioning the legitimacy of elections</a>.“The view that, ‘If my 
side wins, the election was just and the will of people, but if my side 
loses, something was corrupt and the winner was cheating’ — that doesn’t
 lead to a sense of legitimate governance,” Denning said. “When one side
 totally disavows the right of the other side to rule, that becomes 
deeply problematic because then there’s an inability to separate the 
instruments of the state from political parties.”Those instruments of the 
state — which we all chip in for, trusting that they’ll keep us safe, 
healthy, educated, fed and transported, among many other functions that 
by their nature are politically neutral — should be separate from 
political parties in a democracy like ours. Sure, presidents appoint 
partisans to lead government agencies, but the whole idea of “peaceful 
transfer of power” means the foundational work that keeps our country 
operating can continue regardless of who is president.“The state has immense power — to tax, to seize property, to imprison, to commit violence,” Denning noted.He said the modern state 
holds “a monopoly on legitimate violence,” such as the death penalty. 
“This requires a sense that the state is just,” he said, and not the arm
 of one political party.Regardless of the 
president’s state of health or mind on this day, we didn’t get here 
because of just one man. And we didn’t get here in just four years.The particular warning of 
history, Denning had told me, is that “small political questions,” such 
as when different wings of a party disagree about tactics and 
strategies, are what divide and fracture coalitions that can challenge 
authoritarian aspirations.It’s only the big political questions that matter now.C.J. Janovy is a veteran journalist with deep roots in the Midwest. Before joining the Kansas Reflector, she was an editor and reporter at Kansas City’s NPR affiliate, KCUR. Before that, she edited the city’s alt-weekly newspaper, The Pitch.

OPINION: Kan. professor sees ‘troubling’ danger signs for US

By KAITI DINGES Executive Director of Jana’s Campaign

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic violence is one of society’s largest social problems and it hides in plain sight. DVAM is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of these issues and share resources.&nbsp;

Nationally, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men have experienced gender-based violence by an intimate partner or ex-intimate partner (CDC, 2019).&nbsp;

Domestic violence is a leading contributor of injuries, chronic health issues, high-risk health behaviors, and creates a significant strain on the healthcare system. Growing evidence shows the long-term impact of emotional and mental trauma from violence carries an additional likelihood of disease and illness.&nbsp;

Domestic violence takes on many forms. It can be verbal, emotional, psychological, digital, sexual, and/or physical abuse. It can be extreme jealousy, possessiveness, unwanted touching, coercion, and excessive arguments.&nbsp;

And it is ALL about power and control.&nbsp;

Domestic violence occurs in every community across the country, and can happen to anyone regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status.&nbsp;

In Kansas alone, domestic violence claimed 37 lives in 2018 (KBI, 2018).&nbsp;

Throughout the month of October, Jana’s Campaign pledges to share 31 facts about domestic violence on our social media accounts.&nbsp;

Our hope is that you increase your understanding of this complex issue and utilize the information to become a part of the collective voice of individuals, families, activists, institutions, and systems who are working to prevent domestic violence.&nbsp;

To access this information, please follow Jana’s Campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.&nbsp;

Violence is a learned behavior, and we can unlearn violence. The only way we can create a society that does not accept violence, is to become educated on the issue and then start a conversation about what we know. While I know these conversations can be uncomfortable, I also know that no social issue has been solved by not talking about it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578075822734.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAITI DINGES Executive Director of Jana’s CampaignOctober is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is one of society’s largest social problems and it hides in plain sight. DVAM is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of these issues and share resources.&nbsp;Nationally, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men have experienced gender-based violence by an intimate partner or ex-intimate partner (CDC, 2019).&nbsp;Domestic violence is a leading contributor of injuries, chronic health issues, high-risk health behaviors, and creates a significant strain on the healthcare system. Growing evidence shows the long-term impact of emotional and mental trauma from violence carries an additional likelihood of disease and illness.&nbsp;Domestic violence takes on many forms. It can be verbal, emotional, psychological, digital, sexual, and/or physical abuse. It can be extreme jealousy, possessiveness, unwanted touching, coercion, and excessive arguments.&nbsp;And it is ALL about power and control.&nbsp;Domestic violence occurs in every community across the country, and can happen to anyone regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status.&nbsp;In Kansas alone, domestic violence claimed 37 lives in 2018 (KBI, 2018).&nbsp;Throughout the month of October, Jana’s Campaign pledges to share 31 facts about domestic violence on our social media accounts.&nbsp;A fact per day.&nbsp;Our hope is that you increase your understanding of this complex issue and utilize the information to become a part of the collective voice of individuals, families, activists, institutions, and systems who are working to prevent domestic violence.&nbsp;To access this information, please follow Jana’s Campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.&nbsp;Violence is a learned behavior, and we can unlearn violence. The only way we can create a society that does not accept violence, is to become educated on the issue and then start a conversation about what we know. While I know these conversations can be uncomfortable, I also know that no social issue has been solved by not talking about it.

LETTER: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month 

Let me introduce you to one of our new students: Hannah Dechant from Goodland. Her mom, Koren, recently messaged me to express gratitude: “Hannah’s experience has been amazing thus far, even in this crazy COVID world!”

Here is Hannah’s story: She shared that as long as she can remember, she has wanted to become a teacher with special education credentials. When she was 3 years old, her parents learned that she was legally blind in her left eye from a disorder called Amblyopia.

“In elementary school, my parents were my biggest advocates,” Hannah said. “In junior high and high school – and now in college – everything became much harder. I had to become my biggest advocate. Although I never needed special education services, I did access a few accommodations. This has meant I have to work that much harder to meet my goals. I believe my experiences, including constantly having to battle for myself, will be a big advantage as I pursue my dream.”

She said that when it was time for her to start looking for a university, she knew that FHSU was the right fit for her, “not just because it was close to home or because of the reasonable tuition, but because of the atmosphere. I came to the FHSU Leadership shadow day, took part in a class, and that is when I really knew FHSU was for me,” Hannah said.&nbsp;

One of Hannah’s favorite experiences so far is being a part of a Learning Community and being able to have friends and other classmates who have the same passion and drive that she does.&nbsp;

A Learning Community is a group of first-year students who share common interests, take classes together, live on the same floor, and participate in activities together throughout the year. It is a place for students to connect with one another, become engaged in all that Fort Hays State University has to offer, and belong to a supporting community.

“I really enjoy being in my Learning Community. We take classes together, study, and hang out while having fun – all while learning about becoming the best educator I can be,” Hannah said.

Hannah is a member of the Opportunity through Education Learning Community, designed especially for students interested in early childhood, elementary, or secondary teacher education. Learning Community students tend to have higher average GPAs than students who do not participate in a learning community. Additionally, students in Learning Communities also state that they feel greater satisfaction with student-faculty interaction and a greater sense of campus support. So, in my opinion, one of Hannah’s early college decisions was strategic and smart.

Each Learning Community is led by a faculty mentor. The faculty mentor for Opportunity through Education is Dr. Elodie Jones. Dr. Jones has been working with Learning Communities for several years now and is a strong proponent of the program. In fact, her daughter, Avery, a freshman at FHSU, is also enjoying a Learning Community experience.

Dr. Jones is a thoughtful educator. This semester, she is facilitating courses in both online and face-to-face settings, striving to truly make genuine and impactful connections with her students. She is a lifelong educator who said she realizes the most important factor regarding student learning and “making it stick” begins with building solid and meaningful relationships.&nbsp;

When I asked how her fall semester is going, she said she has been fortunate enough to teach a hybrid undergraduate course that has allowed her to fully connect with her freshman Learning Community. She redesigned her face-to-face course by splitting the class in half and then holding two 40-minute sessions versus one large session. When students are not in a class, they are reading articles, watching videos, engaging in discussions, or developing projects surrounding the course content.

Dr. Jones believes that face-to-face contact is the most powerful aspect of teaching to solidify students’ experience as incoming freshmen.

“The in-person sessions give me time to build relationships and make human connections in a time when I think students are seeking a physical presence,” she said. “I have found that my learning community students are eager because they just want to be at FHSU, be a part of something incredible, plus establish a bit of normality. They are seeking the true college experience regardless of how different it might be from what we consider ‘traditional.’ ”

Dr. Jones shared that her undergraduate students are very resilient and empathic young adults who have lived through unprecedented experiences over the last several months. From a missed ending to their senior year in high school, rescheduled summer graduations, and a transition into a new residence hall life, she believes these students are a force to be reckoned with. They will do astounding things with such deep understanding for challenging constructs such as change, opposition, being flexible, and living in the moment.

“This generation is filled with open and honest students who are not afraid to express themselves,” she noted. “I could not be more excited to work with such a bright, kind, and compassionate group of students.”&nbsp;

I couldn’t agree more. These Tigers are embracing education with great enthusiasm. They are demonstrating their resilience and determination. Indeed, this is what makes them Tigers.

At FHSU, our resolve to outlast and achieve is as firm and steady as our century-old limestone buildings. Nowhere else will you find a staff and faculty as dedicated and willing to give 150 percent effort to the FHSU mission and reinvest assets in what matters most: our students.

Inevitably there are changes and challenges, but we continue to press on and grow in spite of them. In fact, we’re stronger than ever.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>Let me introduce you to one of our new students: Hannah Dechant from Goodland. Her mom, Koren, recently messaged me to express gratitude: “Hannah’s experience has been amazing thus far, even in this crazy COVID world!”Here is Hannah’s story: She shared that as long as she can remember, she has wanted to become a teacher with special education credentials. When she was 3 years old, her parents learned that she was legally blind in her left eye from a disorder called Amblyopia.“In elementary school, my parents were my biggest advocates,” Hannah said. “In junior high and high school – and now in college – everything became much harder. I had to become my biggest advocate. Although I never needed special education services, I did access a few accommodations. This has meant I have to work that much harder to meet my goals. I believe my experiences, including constantly having to battle for myself, will be a big advantage as I pursue my dream.”She said that when it was time for her to start looking for a university, she knew that FHSU was the right fit for her, “not just because it was close to home or because of the reasonable tuition, but because of the atmosphere. I came to the FHSU Leadership shadow day, took part in a class, and that is when I really knew FHSU was for me,” Hannah said.&nbsp;One of Hannah’s favorite experiences so far is being a part of a Learning Community and being able to have friends and other classmates who have the same passion and drive that she does.&nbsp;A Learning Community is a group of first-year students who share common interests, take classes together, live on the same floor, and participate in activities together throughout the year. It is a place for students to connect with one another, become engaged in all that Fort Hays State University has to offer, and belong to a supporting community.“I really enjoy being in my Learning Community. We take classes together, study, and hang out while having fun – all while learning about becoming the best educator I can be,” Hannah said.Hannah is a member of the Opportunity through Education Learning Community, designed especially for students interested in early childhood, elementary, or secondary teacher education. Learning Community students tend to have higher average GPAs than students who do not participate in a learning community. Additionally, students in Learning Communities also state that they feel greater satisfaction with student-faculty interaction and a greater sense of campus support. So, in my opinion, one of Hannah’s early college decisions was strategic and smart.Each Learning Community is led by a faculty mentor. The faculty mentor for Opportunity through Education is Dr. Elodie Jones. Dr. Jones has been working with Learning Communities for several years now and is a strong proponent of the program. In fact, her daughter, Avery, a freshman at FHSU, is also enjoying a Learning Community experience.Dr. Jones is a thoughtful educator. This semester, she is facilitating courses in both online and face-to-face settings, striving to truly make genuine and impactful connections with her students. She is a lifelong educator who said she realizes the most important factor regarding student learning and “making it stick” begins with building solid and meaningful relationships.&nbsp;When I asked how her fall semester is going, she said she has been fortunate enough to teach a hybrid undergraduate course that has allowed her to fully connect with her freshman Learning Community. She redesigned her face-to-face course by splitting the class in half and then holding two 40-minute sessions versus one large session. When students are not in a class, they are reading articles, watching videos, engaging in discussions, or developing projects surrounding the course content.Dr. Jones believes that face-to-face contact is the most powerful aspect of teaching to solidify students’ experience as incoming freshmen.“The in-person sessions give me time to build relationships and make human connections in a time when I think students are seeking a physical presence,” she said. “I have found that my learning community students are eager because they just want to be at FHSU, be a part of something incredible, plus establish a bit of normality. They are seeking the true college experience regardless of how different it might be from what we consider ‘traditional.’ ”Dr. Jones shared that her undergraduate students are very resilient and empathic young adults who have lived through unprecedented experiences over the last several months. From a missed ending to their senior year in high school, rescheduled summer graduations, and a transition into a new residence hall life, she believes these students are a force to be reckoned with. They will do astounding things with such deep understanding for challenging constructs such as change, opposition, being flexible, and living in the moment.“This generation is filled with open and honest students who are not afraid to express themselves,” she noted. “I could not be more excited to work with such a bright, kind, and compassionate group of students.”&nbsp;I couldn’t agree more. These Tigers are embracing education with great enthusiasm. They are demonstrating their resilience and determination. Indeed, this is what makes them Tigers.At FHSU, our resolve to outlast and achieve is as firm and steady as our century-old limestone buildings. Nowhere else will you find a staff and faculty as dedicated and willing to give 150 percent effort to the FHSU mission and reinvest assets in what matters most: our students.Inevitably there are changes and challenges, but we continue to press on and grow in spite of them. In fact, we’re stronger than ever.

MASON: Tiger freshman seizes opportunity at FHSU

Small grain forages can be a profitable option for producers. They can be planted in the fall and either terminated or grazed out in the early spring, allowing time to plant a summer row crop if soil moisture is adequate.&nbsp;

Spring oats. Spring oats are usually planted in late February or March in Kansas. However, spring oats can also be planted in August or early September -- and if done so, they will produce much more fall forage compared to other small grain forages in the fall before a killing freeze. They will almost never produce grain if planted in August. Spring oats do not need to vernalize before heading. They will develop rapidly in the fall if they have enough moisture and fertility, and may even head out before termination by the first hard freeze in the mid-20 degree F range, but in most years it will not have time to produce viable grain.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Spring oats can also be planted in a mixture with a winter small grain. The spring oat will produce most of the forage in the fall and then most likely winter kill. If the winter climate is mild, the spring crop can survive the winter. The winter small grain will overwinter and produce forage in the spring. Winter small grain biomass production might be less than if planted alone, but the combination of oat and winter small grain biomass will most likely be higher than winter small grain planted alone. If a mixture is used, plant oats at a 50% seeding rate and winter small grain at 100% seeding rate.&nbsp;

Oat pasture can generally carry 500 pounds of beef per acre. Average daily gains range from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds per head per day. Forage quality on actively growing oats is high, with protein content in the range of 20 to 25%.&nbsp;

Winter wheat. Wheat is often used for grazing and grain in so-called “dual-purpose” systems. These systems are usually balanced between getting good forage and good grain yields without maximizing yields on either side. Dual-purpose wheat is typically planted at least two to three weeks earlier than wheat planted for grain only, which can increase the risk of a wheat streak mosaic infection. In addition, producers wanting both grazing and grain should use a higher-than-normal seeding rate and increase the N rate.&nbsp;

Winter barley. There are new, improved varieties of winter barley available with better winterhardiness, especially under grazing. Many of the newer varieties also produce more forage than older varieties. Barley produces palatable growth rapidly in the fall under favorable conditions. It is considered supe­rior to other cereals for fall and early winter pasture, but wheat, triticale, and rye provide better late winter and spring grazing. Barley has excellent drought and heat tolerance. Winter barley forage is typically the most palatable of the small grain cereals and feed quality is the highest, although tonnage of barely is usually less then triticale or rye.&nbsp;

Winter rye. Rye establishes fall pasture quickly. It also regrows rapidly in late winter and early spring. However, rye becomes “stemmy” and unpal­atable earlier in the spring than other cereals. Since rye is less palatable and higher in fiber than wheat or barley, cattle gains during grazing are normally greater on oat, wheat, triticale, and barley pasture than on rye pasture. Rye is the hardiest of the small grain cereals for overall tolerance to drought, heat, winterkill, and poor soil conditions.&nbsp;

Winter triticale. Triticale, a cross between wheat and rye, possesses the toughness of rye along with the quality of wheat. It can be grazed much harder than wheat and still recover to produce grain. Triticale and rye can be planted about a month earlier than wheat with a decreased risk of wheat streak mosaic (while the triticale might not show symptoms of wheat streak mosaic virus infection, it may vector the mites that might affect a neighboring wheat field). However, there is still risk to grasshopper feeding in the fall, hessian fly, barley yellow dwarf, or root rot. Planting triticale or rye earlier in the fall increases the amount of fall forage available compared to winter wheat. Triticale has longer effective spring grazing than rye, but not as long as wheat. Depending on the variety, winter triticale will head later than rye so the forage can remain higher in quality later into the spring. Heading date on all winter cereals should be a consideration if spring grazing is the goal.&nbsp;

Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592579538317.png" alt="Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>Small grain forages can be a profitable option for producers. They can be planted in the fall and either terminated or grazed out in the early spring, allowing time to plant a summer row crop if soil moisture is adequate.&nbsp;Spring oats. Spring oats are usually planted in late February or March in Kansas. However, spring oats can also be planted in August or early September -- and if done so, they will produce much more fall forage compared to other small grain forages in the fall before a killing freeze. They will almost never produce grain if planted in August. Spring oats do not need to vernalize before heading. They will develop rapidly in the fall if they have enough moisture and fertility, and may even head out before termination by the first hard freeze in the mid-20 degree F range, but in most years it will not have time to produce viable grain.&nbsp;&nbsp;Spring oats can also be planted in a mixture with a winter small grain. The spring oat will produce most of the forage in the fall and then most likely winter kill. If the winter climate is mild, the spring crop can survive the winter. The winter small grain will overwinter and produce forage in the spring. Winter small grain biomass production might be less than if planted alone, but the combination of oat and winter small grain biomass will most likely be higher than winter small grain planted alone. If a mixture is used, plant oats at a 50% seeding rate and winter small grain at 100% seeding rate.&nbsp;Oat pasture can generally carry 500 pounds of beef per acre. Average daily gains range from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds per head per day. Forage quality on actively growing oats is high, with protein content in the range of 20 to 25%.&nbsp;Winter wheat. Wheat is often used for grazing and grain in so-called “dual-purpose” systems. These systems are usually balanced between getting good forage and good grain yields without maximizing yields on either side. Dual-purpose wheat is typically planted at least two to three weeks earlier than wheat planted for grain only, which can increase the risk of a wheat streak mosaic infection. In addition, producers wanting both grazing and grain should use a higher-than-normal seeding rate and increase the N rate.&nbsp;Winter barley. There are new, improved varieties of winter barley available with better winterhardiness, especially under grazing. Many of the newer varieties also produce more forage than older varieties. Barley produces palatable growth rapidly in the fall under favorable conditions. It is considered supe­rior to other cereals for fall and early winter pasture, but wheat, triticale, and rye provide better late winter and spring grazing. Barley has excellent drought and heat tolerance. Winter barley forage is typically the most palatable of the small grain cereals and feed quality is the highest, although tonnage of barely is usually less then triticale or rye.&nbsp;Winter rye. Rye establishes fall pasture quickly. It also regrows rapidly in late winter and early spring. However, rye becomes “stemmy” and unpal­atable earlier in the spring than other cereals. Since rye is less palatable and higher in fiber than wheat or barley, cattle gains during grazing are normally greater on oat, wheat, triticale, and barley pasture than on rye pasture. Rye is the hardiest of the small grain cereals for overall tolerance to drought, heat, winterkill, and poor soil conditions.&nbsp;Winter triticale. Triticale, a cross between wheat and rye, possesses the toughness of rye along with the quality of wheat. It can be grazed much harder than wheat and still recover to produce grain. Triticale and rye can be planted about a month earlier than wheat with a decreased risk of wheat streak mosaic (while the triticale might not show symptoms of wheat streak mosaic virus infection, it may vector the mites that might affect a neighboring wheat field). However, there is still risk to grasshopper feeding in the fall, hessian fly, barley yellow dwarf, or root rot. Planting triticale or rye earlier in the fall increases the amount of fall forage available compared to winter wheat. Triticale has longer effective spring grazing than rye, but not as long as wheat. Depending on the variety, winter triticale will head later than rye so the forage can remain higher in quality later into the spring. Heading date on all winter cereals should be a consideration if spring grazing is the goal.&nbsp;Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

BOOR: Small grain forage

By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher

As my family is in the depths of the fall harvest season, the landscape all around us is beginning its annual preparation for winter. The colors surrounding our farm have begun their yearly transition and serve as a visual reminder that we have entered a new season: Fall.

It’s as if overnight the leaves on the trees have yellowed, the morning air has become crisp, the sun sets earlier, the moon rises sooner and the fall crops around us continue drying down.

The sights in town are reflections of this annual transition as well. The gorgeous mums now being prominently displayed at a greenhouse, the bright orange pumpkins lining the sidewalks at the grocery store, the newly posted signs advertising the latest seasonal coffee flavor and the school-aged children wearing sweatshirts or light jackets to school in the morning all serve as proof that fall has arrived.

As we continue our fall harvest— while also sowing wheat — it’s easy to overlook these seasonal changes. While we hurry to move equipment to the next field, scurry out the door with meals to deliver to the crew or drive the kids out to the combine operator for goodnight kisses, it is possible to miss this annual transition while driving down the dirt roads on a mission. Nonetheless, the changes are occurring.

It seems like it was only days ago that the Monarch butterflies briefly made a pit-stop in our area while migrating south. The Monarchs seem to have left, continuing their journey south. 

It seems like it was only days ago that my mother-in-law and I were planning our harvest meals menu, noting options needed to be cool and refreshing for the crew. We now discuss options that will warm them up.

It seems like it was only days ago that the air conditioner was running to cool us down, whereas now we contemplate turning on the seat warmer every morning when climbing into a vehicle.

It seems like it was only days ago that we’d go to sleep with open windows and the sounds of crickets and frogs. We now wake up with extra blankets wrapped around us.

While I try to make mental notes of these changes daily — hoping I can bottle up this season — I know I’m also missing things I only realize once they no longer occur. I’ll tell myself that I have to be ready next year to see or smell or taste or hear an element of fall I missed. It happens every year. And every year I tell myself that I must be ready because it always seems like overnight it immediately becomes fall.

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575904358712.png" alt="Kim Baldwin" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher As my family is in the depths of the fall harvest season, the landscape all around us is beginning its annual preparation for winter. The colors surrounding our farm have begun their yearly transition and serve as a visual reminder that we have entered a new season: Fall.It’s as if overnight the leaves on the trees have yellowed, the morning air has become crisp, the sun sets earlier, the moon rises sooner and the fall crops around us continue drying down.The sights in town are reflections of this annual transition as well. The gorgeous mums now being prominently displayed at a greenhouse, the bright orange pumpkins lining the sidewalks at the grocery store, the newly posted signs advertising the latest seasonal coffee flavor and the school-aged children wearing sweatshirts or light jackets to school in the morning all serve as proof that fall has arrived.As we continue our fall harvest— while also sowing wheat — it’s easy to overlook these seasonal changes. While we hurry to move equipment to the next field, scurry out the door with meals to deliver to the crew or drive the kids out to the combine operator for goodnight kisses, it is possible to miss this annual transition while driving down the dirt roads on a mission. Nonetheless, the changes are occurring.It seems like it was only days ago that the Monarch butterflies briefly made a pit-stop in our area while migrating south. The Monarchs seem to have left, continuing their journey south. It seems like it was only days ago that my mother-in-law and I were planning our harvest meals menu, noting options needed to be cool and refreshing for the crew. We now discuss options that will warm them up.It seems like it was only days ago that the air conditioner was running to cool us down, whereas now we contemplate turning on the seat warmer every morning when climbing into a vehicle.It seems like it was only days ago that we’d go to sleep with open windows and the sounds of crickets and frogs. We now wake up with extra blankets wrapped around us.While I try to make mental notes of these changes daily — hoping I can bottle up this season — I know I’m also missing things I only realize once they no longer occur. I’ll tell myself that I have to be ready next year to see or smell or taste or hear an element of fall I missed. It happens every year. And every year I tell myself that I must be ready because it always seems like overnight it immediately becomes fall."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Immediately, it becomes fall

Change in education goals used to come slowly.&nbsp;&nbsp;Since the 1960s, it’s generally come from federal law and Supreme Court rulings.&nbsp;&nbsp;But today, political polarization and social media clashes have devolved decision-making to debate.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We live in civic turmoil that reaches every part of society—even into how children are taught our nation’s history.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here in Kansas our educators and their curriculum are being unfairly pilloried by both the left and right in the cultural war over the teaching of U. S.&nbsp;&nbsp;history.&nbsp;

President Trump weighed in during the first presidential debate, recapping his Sept. 17 Constitution Day speech when he characterized demonstrations against racial injustice as “rioting and mayhem . . . a direct result of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

His speech singled out&nbsp;The New York Times Magazine&nbsp;1619 Project as an example of far-left propaganda.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Pulitzer prize-winning series argues that&nbsp;the enslavement of Africans is central to understanding our country’s founding and that the nation’s foundational principles are deeply tied to racial oppression.&nbsp;&nbsp;To negate the Marxists’ viewpoint he sees being taught, the President announced a 1776 Commission to promote a curriculum that celebrates the greatness of America.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It’s not the first time that critics have argued for a different version of history, for example during the “Red Scare” of the 1920s, schools also were accused of teaching Marxist propaganda.&nbsp;&nbsp;Alternatively, critical race theory that emphasized racial and economic injustice flourished in the 1960s.&nbsp;

All history consists of narrative accounts, emerging from writers’ perspectives. History’s value is in accurately explaining events, and that singular purpose hasn’t always been honored in teaching our nation’s history.&nbsp;&nbsp;

No student in my late 1960s Norman (OK) high school classes learned of the Tulsa race riot because I didn’t know about it, despite the fact I was a native Oklahoman, University of Oklahoma graduate and a licensed U. S. history teacher.&nbsp;&nbsp;I learned about the riot many years later and I wasn’t the only teacher in that situation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Glossing over unsavory parts of U. S. history in the name of patriotism doesn’t uphold our nation’s core values; neither does concentrating on our country’s failures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The 1619 Project deserved the Pulitzer but neither journalism nor a presidential commission should underwrite a curriculum belief system. Legally, what is taught in public schools is the purview of local school boards based on state policy and federal law.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas’s U. S. history curriculum standards and social studies standards for early grades are fact-based and can be reviewed on the Kansas State Department of Education Website.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As for Kansas teachers being Marxists or far-left agitators just think about those you often see—attending church, little-league games, 4-H meetings—hardly revolutionaries. As Kansas curriculum requires, the history of First Amendment rights and peaceful dissent is taught not as an attempt to indoctrinate Marxism or any other ideology.&nbsp;

Students need to learn about the Tulsa race riot, the Cherokee Trail of Tears and other shameful events in our history.&nbsp;&nbsp;Students also need to learn how America became a world beacon of freedom and democracy and to embrace our country without ignoring its negative aspects.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas teachers instill patriotism by bringing students to a nuanced understanding of their country’s complex history--one that honors its greatness and, despite its failings, can achieve the goal of liberty and justice for all.&nbsp;

Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593719779701.jpeg" alt="Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education." />
 <figcaption>Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.</figcaption>
 </figure>Change in education goals used to come slowly.&nbsp;&nbsp;Since the 1960s, it’s generally come from federal law and Supreme Court rulings.&nbsp;&nbsp;But today, political polarization and social media clashes have devolved decision-making to debate.&nbsp;&nbsp;We live in civic turmoil that reaches every part of society—even into how children are taught our nation’s history.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here in Kansas our educators and their curriculum are being unfairly pilloried by both the left and right in the cultural war over the teaching of U. S.&nbsp;&nbsp;history.&nbsp;President Trump weighed in during the first presidential debate, recapping his Sept. 17 Constitution Day speech when he characterized demonstrations against racial injustice as “rioting and mayhem . . . a direct result of decades of left-wing indoctrination in our schools.”&nbsp;&nbsp;His speech singled out&nbsp;The New York Times Magazine&nbsp;1619 Project as an example of far-left propaganda.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Pulitzer prize-winning series argues that&nbsp;the enslavement of Africans is central to understanding our country’s founding and that the nation’s foundational principles are deeply tied to racial oppression.&nbsp;&nbsp;To negate the Marxists’ viewpoint he sees being taught, the President announced a 1776 Commission to promote a curriculum that celebrates the greatness of America.&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s not the first time that critics have argued for a different version of history, for example during the “Red Scare” of the 1920s, schools also were accused of teaching Marxist propaganda.&nbsp;&nbsp;Alternatively, critical race theory that emphasized racial and economic injustice flourished in the 1960s.&nbsp;All history consists of narrative accounts, emerging from writers’ perspectives. History’s value is in accurately explaining events, and that singular purpose hasn’t always been honored in teaching our nation’s history.&nbsp;&nbsp;No student in my late 1960s Norman (OK) high school classes learned of the Tulsa race riot because I didn’t know about it, despite the fact I was a native Oklahoman, University of Oklahoma graduate and a licensed U. S. history teacher.&nbsp;&nbsp;I learned about the riot many years later and I wasn’t the only teacher in that situation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Glossing over unsavory parts of U. S. history in the name of patriotism doesn’t uphold our nation’s core values; neither does concentrating on our country’s failures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The 1619 Project deserved the Pulitzer but neither journalism nor a presidential commission should underwrite a curriculum belief system. Legally, what is taught in public schools is the purview of local school boards based on state policy and federal law.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas’s U. S. history curriculum standards and social studies standards for early grades are fact-based and can be reviewed on the Kansas State Department of Education Website.&nbsp;&nbsp;As for Kansas teachers being Marxists or far-left agitators just think about those you often see—attending church, little-league games, 4-H meetings—hardly revolutionaries. As Kansas curriculum requires, the history of First Amendment rights and peaceful dissent is taught not as an attempt to indoctrinate Marxism or any other ideology.&nbsp;Students need to learn about the Tulsa race riot, the Cherokee Trail of Tears and other shameful events in our history.&nbsp;&nbsp;Students also need to learn how America became a world beacon of freedom and democracy and to embrace our country without ignoring its negative aspects.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas teachers instill patriotism by bringing students to a nuanced understanding of their country’s complex history--one that honors its greatness and, despite its failings, can achieve the goal of liberty and justice for all.&nbsp;Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

INSIGHT KANSAS: The fight over teaching U.S. history in Kansas

I’ve noticed that here in Kansas, we get into lengthy rain cycles that last for a year or more. When we’re at one end of the cycle, rain predictions as small as 20% usually mean rain, sometimes lots of it. At the other end of the cycle, where we seem to be now, rain predictions of 60% and higher often bring no rain at all. I would be a rich man if I had a fiver for every time over the years I’ve seen good rain approach our part of the state, only to part and go north and south of us, then come back together in eastern KS to give them a good drenching.

By now you’ve probably heard most of the “It’s so dry that”….jokes, but here are a few more for good measure. It’s so dry the catfish are carrying canteens, trees are bribing dogs, and fire hydrants are chasing dogs down the street. The Democrats have announced a water pistol buy-back program, Baptists are baptizing with wet-wipes, and migrating ducks and geese have to bring their own water. CRP now stands for Crispy Rotational Pasture, and the Kansas Dept of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is offering a new hunting license this year; it’s good for the harvest of one camel, either sex. Yes, we need rain…again. Farmers and ranchers, please don’t tar-and-feather me for this statement, but a long dry spell this time of the year can have its benefits for outdoorsmen.&nbsp;

First let’s look at the obvious, that being how this dry spell will affect waterfowl hunting. Most of the McPherson Valley Wetlands near McPherson are dry or soon will be, and the wetlands just outside Inman have water in perhaps only one-half the pools. There are several ponds along the 61 four-lane highway that are completely dry, as are many other ponds in this part of the state. Many of these ponds and water impoundments are favored by ducks and geese over the next couple months, so now all those birds will have to find other water in farm ponds, stock ponds and sand pits for example. There is just as much feed around for them this year as any year, so that will probably mean just as many ducks and geese will stop here for a spell as on any year. Putting two-and-two together means if you can get permission to hunt some of those otherwise overlooked and out-of-sight spots that hold water, the waterfowl hunting for you this year may be tremendous.

Whether big game, small game, winged or four footed, furbearers or predators, all critters need water, and even though dry spells don’t affect critter movement patterns much, it’s a no-brainer that more wildlife will be watering at the ponds, creeks and rivers that still hold water. Deer stands placed near water are good bets near dawn and dusk on any year, but this season, hunting near a water source may be especially productive as more deer will be drinking from those spots. If your hunting property doesn’t have water on it, try hanging a stand or putting up a blind as close as you can get to the nearest water. Stock tanks and windmill tanks will probably be more popular watering spots this season for wildlife too, so if possible, find some cover within shooting range of them. In short, this year water sources may be as big a draw as corn feeders or salt blocks, so place you deer stands and blinds accordingly.

Although the properties I trap rarely have ponds on them, most predator trappers agree that pond dams are good spots to set traps for bobcats and coyotes, as they also need water and like to nose around on the dams. All pasture ponds will have cattle trails leading to and around them, and predators use those same trails too. Following the same thinking, since some of those ponds are dry this year, the ones still holding water might be better trap sites this year than usual, as more predators and furbearers will be traveling there to drink. Deep holes in creeks and rivers that still have water will also see more wildlife traffic that normal. I always wonder where all the beavers and muskrats go when ponds and drainage ditches go dry, and this year water sources still with water could see an influx of them too.

Fishing is affected by extended dry spells also as water levels drop in ponds, lakes, rivers and streams and fish become more concentrated around cover in the available water. I questioned a friend who is a tremendous fisherman about this and he confirmed my assessment. He also added that ice fishing is often great on years when water levels are low, as fish are easier to locate beneath the ice.&nbsp;

Jacques Cousteau once said “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” Leonardo da Vinci saw that “Water is the driving force of all Nature.” Yes, it’s dry again and we need a good soaking rain. It seems that all the native Kansans I know have long ago made peace with our states propensity to stay dry, but as a Kansas transplant, I still struggle with that. Nelson Mandela said “Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.” I guess we can furnish the work, bread and salt, but only God can send the water. Even though it’s dry, use some of the above tips to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>I’ve noticed that here in Kansas, we get into lengthy rain cycles that last for a year or more. When we’re at one end of the cycle, rain predictions as small as 20% usually mean rain, sometimes lots of it. At the other end of the cycle, where we seem to be now, rain predictions of 60% and higher often bring no rain at all. I would be a rich man if I had a fiver for every time over the years I’ve seen good rain approach our part of the state, only to part and go north and south of us, then come back together in eastern KS to give them a good drenching.By now you’ve probably heard most of the “It’s so dry that”….jokes, but here are a few more for good measure. It’s so dry the catfish are carrying canteens, trees are bribing dogs, and fire hydrants are chasing dogs down the street. The Democrats have announced a water pistol buy-back program, Baptists are baptizing with wet-wipes, and migrating ducks and geese have to bring their own water. CRP now stands for Crispy Rotational Pasture, and the Kansas Dept of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is offering a new hunting license this year; it’s good for the harvest of one camel, either sex. Yes, we need rain…again. Farmers and ranchers, please don’t tar-and-feather me for this statement, but a long dry spell this time of the year can have its benefits for outdoorsmen.&nbsp;First let’s look at the obvious, that being how this dry spell will affect waterfowl hunting. Most of the McPherson Valley Wetlands near McPherson are dry or soon will be, and the wetlands just outside Inman have water in perhaps only one-half the pools. There are several ponds along the 61 four-lane highway that are completely dry, as are many other ponds in this part of the state. Many of these ponds and water impoundments are favored by ducks and geese over the next couple months, so now all those birds will have to find other water in farm ponds, stock ponds and sand pits for example. There is just as much feed around for them this year as any year, so that will probably mean just as many ducks and geese will stop here for a spell as on any year. Putting two-and-two together means if you can get permission to hunt some of those otherwise overlooked and out-of-sight spots that hold water, the waterfowl hunting for you this year may be tremendous.Whether big game, small game, winged or four footed, furbearers or predators, all critters need water, and even though dry spells don’t affect critter movement patterns much, it’s a no-brainer that more wildlife will be watering at the ponds, creeks and rivers that still hold water. Deer stands placed near water are good bets near dawn and dusk on any year, but this season, hunting near a water source may be especially productive as more deer will be drinking from those spots. If your hunting property doesn’t have water on it, try hanging a stand or putting up a blind as close as you can get to the nearest water. Stock tanks and windmill tanks will probably be more popular watering spots this season for wildlife too, so if possible, find some cover within shooting range of them. In short, this year water sources may be as big a draw as corn feeders or salt blocks, so place you deer stands and blinds accordingly.Although the properties I trap rarely have ponds on them, most predator trappers agree that pond dams are good spots to set traps for bobcats and coyotes, as they also need water and like to nose around on the dams. All pasture ponds will have cattle trails leading to and around them, and predators use those same trails too. Following the same thinking, since some of those ponds are dry this year, the ones still holding water might be better trap sites this year than usual, as more predators and furbearers will be traveling there to drink. Deep holes in creeks and rivers that still have water will also see more wildlife traffic that normal. I always wonder where all the beavers and muskrats go when ponds and drainage ditches go dry, and this year water sources still with water could see an influx of them too.Fishing is affected by extended dry spells also as water levels drop in ponds, lakes, rivers and streams and fish become more concentrated around cover in the available water. I questioned a friend who is a tremendous fisherman about this and he confirmed my assessment. He also added that ice fishing is often great on years when water levels are low, as fish are easier to locate beneath the ice.&nbsp;Jacques Cousteau once said “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” Leonardo da Vinci saw that “Water is the driving force of all Nature.” Yes, it’s dry again and we need a good soaking rain. It seems that all the native Kansans I know have long ago made peace with our states propensity to stay dry, but as a Kansas transplant, I still struggle with that. Nelson Mandela said “Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.” I guess we can furnish the work, bread and salt, but only God can send the water. Even though it’s dry, use some of the above tips to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Can dry times be advantageous?

I want to continue to be your Treasurer through 2025, so I am a write-in candidate in the general election.&nbsp;

To vote for me requires you to fill in the bubble and then write my name.&nbsp;

Why take the effort to write in Lisa Schlegel?&nbsp; When there is confusion, look at the facts: my record-breaking revenue, a slashed budget to where I still spend less to run the Treasury than it cost in 2016, a fully cross-trained staff. Within my first year, the money I made the county paid for my salary for all 4 years of my term. The Treasury is now operating like a strong private sector organization, thanks to implementation of leadership practices I learned from my Bachelor’s degree in Leadership from FHSU.&nbsp;

I have always been upfront with my credentials. I graduated with honors with my Master’s degree from KU. I was nominated for the Torch Award at FHSU, the highest award annually given to a graduating senior. These credentials illustrate, (along with my performance as Treasurer), my persistence, integrity, intelligence, and motivation to work smart and produce results for citizens. I run this business for you.

I designed a strategic plan in 2017, and spent three years enacting it, systematically and successfully. I was first in Ellis County to revise office hours, along with making stronger county contractual agreements and investments. I put in the time, negotiation, and research to strengthen our Treasury in all facets. My resume includes record percentage-collection on taxes, hosting the first ever annual tax sales, and millions of dollars from banking proposals and investments. Our money is safer, too. I also hold a Level 2 Certified KS County Finance Officer credential. I am from Ellis County and I work FOR Ellis County.&nbsp;

I am a new person with new ideas; the county is full of “lifers” who want to keep the status quo and violently refuse to grow--I am not exaggerating. Being qualified and doing a good job seems secondary in every regard here. This poor leadership starts from the top down, and must change now before things go so far south we cannot come back from it without serious impact to citizens. The power has shifted from the politicians back to you this November. It is critical to the health of the county you pick honest local leaders.&nbsp;

Who will be the better Treasurer? Remove the distractions and outright lies politicians have told you to make you doubt me. Their goal is to secure their political sandbox from outsiders like me who put the citizens first. I have perfect audits for all three years of my term. I have done nothing wrong or illegal; if I had I would have been legally reprimanded. All the rumors are feathers in the wind, spread by people of poor character and no substance, grasping to hold onto political power.

Who do you choose? Julie, the Democratic candidate for Treasurer, no longer lives in Hays. She has refused to participate in the interviews and has not told citizens anything.&nbsp;

Vern, the Republican candidate has worked at the Landfill for several years. He is dangerously unqualified to be the Treasurer. He has been deliberately unclear about his job title in interviews, (Foreman of Landfill, Supervisor of a division of Public Works, and “a long-time county employee” are three ways he has introduced himself in public). Is length of employment a credential? It simply indicates his status as a non-threatening member of the good old boys club. Why should citizens have to pay to train Vern Ruder to do what I already do? What does he have to offer that competes with me? If he wins, he will tell you how great things are, and will look at you blankly when something, inevitably, goes wrong. His investment credentials are obscure and questionable, along with the multiple ways he has described his educational background. We don’t sell bonds at the Treasury, so that credential is not useful. He did not specify if he graduated from NCK Tech, but listed once he was in Management, and another time, it was Marketing. Which is it? What is his job title? What is his educational background?&nbsp;

It is ironic Vern Ruder cites “communication” as the biggest challenge to the Treasury 2021 onward. I am the first Treasurer to communicate with citizens. It is not I who lacks communication skills; communication is a two-way street. Since he brought it up, let’s look at his communication: he has been unclear in every facet of his communication with citizens about why he is running for Treasurer. He has spread rumors about my staff, when he knows nothing about what goes on in the Treasury. My staff are happy, and we have an enjoyable work environment. He says he will improve investments. I already have sound investments; it was the first sector I improved in 2017. He says he will decrease spending. That is not possible. I already decreased it. Vern brags he has a $1.2 million budget to run the Landfill. He has never presented to the Commission or citizens, line by line, as I have on my $515,000 budget for the Treasury. He spends without oversight, like most departments. He brags his budget is higher, as though that is a feather in his hat, but says he can come here and lower mine. Vern said he wants to buy kiosks for the Treasury to save money 2021 onward. He wants to cut employees and use technology, which was proven by Johnson County two years ago to be an unsuccessful hassle, and did not save money. I will keep your tax dollars local, supporting local jobs, not technological fads. &nbsp;

Competing candidates Vern and Julie do not come close to offering you what I can. Julie has stayed silent. Vern’s obscure description of his resume deflected from the one thing everyone at the county knows: under his management, the Landfill burned down in 2019.&nbsp; With the negligence he displayed in his current position with the County, why let him slide into the Treasury and bring more havoc?&nbsp;

Vern Ruder will work for the politicians; Treasurer Lisa Schlegel works for YOU. I want to continue to make my living working for you. I love my staff; I love meeting and talking with the public. You will make a wise investment if you mark the bubble, then write-in “Lisa Schlegel” on your ballot. Advance-Vote at 718 Main Street before November 3, or vote at your polling place on election day.&nbsp;

Lisa Schlegel, Ellis County Treasurer

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584719419709.png" alt="Lisa Schlegel" />
 <figcaption>Lisa Schlegel</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Citizens:I want to continue to be your Treasurer through 2025, so I am a write-in candidate in the general election.&nbsp;To vote for me requires you to fill in the bubble and then write my name.&nbsp;Why take the effort to write in Lisa Schlegel?&nbsp; When there is confusion, look at the facts: my record-breaking revenue, a slashed budget to where I still spend less to run the Treasury than it cost in 2016, a fully cross-trained staff. Within my first year, the money I made the county paid for my salary for all 4 years of my term. The Treasury is now operating like a strong private sector organization, thanks to implementation of leadership practices I learned from my Bachelor’s degree in Leadership from FHSU.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>I have always been upfront with my credentials. I graduated with honors with my Master’s degree from KU. I was nominated for the Torch Award at FHSU, the highest award annually given to a graduating senior. These credentials illustrate, (along with my performance as Treasurer), my persistence, integrity, intelligence, and motivation to work smart and produce results for citizens. I run this business for you.I designed a strategic plan in 2017, and spent three years enacting it, systematically and successfully. I was first in Ellis County to revise office hours, along with making stronger county contractual agreements and investments. I put in the time, negotiation, and research to strengthen our Treasury in all facets. My resume includes record percentage-collection on taxes, hosting the first ever annual tax sales, and millions of dollars from banking proposals and investments. Our money is safer, too. I also hold a Level 2 Certified KS County Finance Officer credential. I am from Ellis County and I work FOR Ellis County.&nbsp;I am a new person with new ideas; the county is full of “lifers” who want to keep the status quo and violently refuse to grow--I am not exaggerating. Being qualified and doing a good job seems secondary in every regard here. This poor leadership starts from the top down, and must change now before things go so far south we cannot come back from it without serious impact to citizens. The power has shifted from the politicians back to you this November. It is critical to the health of the county you pick honest local leaders.&nbsp;Who will be the better Treasurer? Remove the distractions and outright lies politicians have told you to make you doubt me. Their goal is to secure their political sandbox from outsiders like me who put the citizens first. I have perfect audits for all three years of my term. I have done nothing wrong or illegal; if I had I would have been legally reprimanded. All the rumors are feathers in the wind, spread by people of poor character and no substance, grasping to hold onto political power.Who do you choose? Julie, the Democratic candidate for Treasurer, no longer lives in Hays. She has refused to participate in the interviews and has not told citizens anything.&nbsp;Vern, the Republican candidate has worked at the Landfill for several years. He is dangerously unqualified to be the Treasurer. He has been deliberately unclear about his job title in interviews, (Foreman of Landfill, Supervisor of a division of Public Works, and “a long-time county employee” are three ways he has introduced himself in public). Is length of employment a credential? It simply indicates his status as a non-threatening member of the good old boys club. Why should citizens have to pay to train Vern Ruder to do what I already do? What does he have to offer that competes with me? If he wins, he will tell you how great things are, and will look at you blankly when something, inevitably, goes wrong. His investment credentials are obscure and questionable, along with the multiple ways he has described his educational background. We don’t sell bonds at the Treasury, so that credential is not useful. He did not specify if he graduated from NCK Tech, but listed once he was in Management, and another time, it was Marketing. Which is it? What is his job title? What is his educational background?&nbsp;It is ironic Vern Ruder cites “communication” as the biggest challenge to the Treasury 2021 onward. I am the first Treasurer to communicate with citizens. It is not I who lacks communication skills; communication is a two-way street. Since he brought it up, let’s look at his communication: he has been unclear in every facet of his communication with citizens about why he is running for Treasurer. He has spread rumors about my staff, when he knows nothing about what goes on in the Treasury. My staff are happy, and we have an enjoyable work environment. He says he will improve investments. I already have sound investments; it was the first sector I improved in 2017. He says he will decrease spending. That is not possible. I already decreased it. Vern brags he has a $1.2 million budget to run the Landfill. He has never presented to the Commission or citizens, line by line, as I have on my $515,000 budget for the Treasury. He spends without oversight, like most departments. He brags his budget is higher, as though that is a feather in his hat, but says he can come here and lower mine. Vern said he wants to buy kiosks for the Treasury to save money 2021 onward. He wants to cut employees and use technology, which was proven by Johnson County two years ago to be an unsuccessful hassle, and did not save money. I will keep your tax dollars local, supporting local jobs, not technological fads. &nbsp;Competing candidates Vern and Julie do not come close to offering you what I can. Julie has stayed silent. Vern’s obscure description of his resume deflected from the one thing everyone at the county knows: under his management, the Landfill burned down in 2019.&nbsp; With the negligence he displayed in his current position with the County, why let him slide into the Treasury and bring more havoc?&nbsp;Vern Ruder will work for the politicians; Treasurer Lisa Schlegel works for YOU. I want to continue to make my living working for you. I love my staff; I love meeting and talking with the public. You will make a wise investment if you mark the bubble, then write-in “Lisa Schlegel” on your ballot. Advance-Vote at 718 Main Street before November 3, or vote at your polling place on election day.&nbsp;Lisa Schlegel, Ellis County Treasurer

LETTER: Schlegel outlines write-in re-election campaign

By KARISSA NIEHOFF, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, and BILL FAFLICK, Executive Director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused everyone to hit the pause button on life. During the stoppage and forced time away from routines, many people have come to appreciate the important things in life – family, friends and faith among others.&nbsp;

Still, the loss of some routines and regular activities hurt worse than others, namely last spring when high school sports and performing arts were shut down. Millions of students, coaches, parents and fans quickly began to realize the privilege of involvement in these education-based programs in schools.&nbsp;

Now, slowly but surely, high school sports and performing arts are on their way back into schools in Kansas and across the country. While things are different – with social distancing, universal masking protocols in place – there is a resounding feeling of thankfulness that some degree of normalcy is returning.

As a result, this year’s celebration of National High School Activities Month will be like none other in the 40-year history of the event. Since 1980, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and its member state associations have promoted the values of high school activity programs during the month of October, but this year will be extra special.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kicking off the month-long focus October 4-10 is National Sportsmanship, Fan Appreciation and Public-Address Announcers Week.

Hopefully, one of the silver linings of the pandemic is that parents and other fans are more grateful for any opportunity to attend contests this year and positively support student participants. At this time last year, there were numerous incidents of inappropriate adult behavior at high school events – mostly directed at officials.&nbsp;

This year, in addition to being respectful of officials, being a good fan involves supporting participants by social distancing and wearing a mask. Attending a high school contest is even more of a privilege, and players, coaches and officials need positive and encouraging support.

The week of October 11-17 is National Performing Arts Activities and Local State High School Associations Week.

More than four million high school students are involved in speech, debate, music, band and theatre activities each year. And the results of an aerosol study conducted by the NFHS and 125 other organizations show that if schools are in session, these activities can be safely conducted by implementing a mitigation strategy focused on Masks-Distance-Time-Air Flow-Hygiene.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Competing on the debate team or playing in the marching band or acting on stage as a part of the theatre team help students develop critical-thinking skills. They also learn to be better communicators and tend to be good listeners – qualities that are essential for success in life and in their chosen careers.

This week is also set aside to recognize the 51 NFHS member state associations, which have been working overtime for the past seven months with state government, health and education leaders to outline a safe return to activities.

The week of October 18-24 is National Coaches, Advisors, Officials and Sponsors Week.

High school coaches are playing an even larger role this year in connecting with their athletes – whether that connection is virtual or in-person. In some situations, a coach may be the most significant mentor in a student-athlete’s life, so keeping that relationship intact is paramount. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The nationwide shortage of officials has been exacerbated by the pandemic as some officials have decided not to return. To help with this critical situation, the NFHS is continuing its #BecomeAnOfficial campaign. Individuals can get started on a career in officiating by clicking on the following link:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.highschoolofficials.com/">www.highschoolofficials.com</a>

The week of October 25-31 is National Community Service/Youth Awareness Week. Schools across the country need financial support from communities due to loss of revenue from the pandemic.&nbsp;

Whether as a participant, parent, coach, official, teacher, administrator, community supporter or general fan, millions are invested in the greatest education-based programs in the country – high school sports and performing arts. In Kansas, and throughout the rest of our nation, we encourage support of these programs more than ever during National High School Activities Month.&nbsp;

More information on National High School Activities Month is available on the NFHS website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nfhs.org/">www.NFHS.org/</a>HSActivitiesMonth.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598357043542.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KARISSA NIEHOFF, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, and BILL FAFLICK, Executive Director of the Kansas State High School Activities AssociationThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused everyone to hit the pause button on life. During the stoppage and forced time away from routines, many people have come to appreciate the important things in life – family, friends and faith among others.&nbsp;Still, the loss of some routines and regular activities hurt worse than others, namely last spring when high school sports and performing arts were shut down. Millions of students, coaches, parents and fans quickly began to realize the privilege of involvement in these education-based programs in schools.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Now, slowly but surely, high school sports and performing arts are on their way back into schools in Kansas and across the country. While things are different – with social distancing, universal masking protocols in place – there is a resounding feeling of thankfulness that some degree of normalcy is returning.As a result, this year’s celebration of National High School Activities Month will be like none other in the 40-year history of the event. Since 1980, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and its member state associations have promoted the values of high school activity programs during the month of October, but this year will be extra special.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kicking off the month-long focus October 4-10 is National Sportsmanship, Fan Appreciation and Public-Address Announcers Week.Hopefully, one of the silver linings of the pandemic is that parents and other fans are more grateful for any opportunity to attend contests this year and positively support student participants. At this time last year, there were numerous incidents of inappropriate adult behavior at high school events – mostly directed at officials.&nbsp;This year, in addition to being respectful of officials, being a good fan involves supporting participants by social distancing and wearing a mask. Attending a high school contest is even more of a privilege, and players, coaches and officials need positive and encouraging support.The week of October 11-17 is National Performing Arts Activities and Local State High School Associations Week.More than four million high school students are involved in speech, debate, music, band and theatre activities each year. And the results of an aerosol study conducted by the NFHS and 125 other organizations show that if schools are in session, these activities can be safely conducted by implementing a mitigation strategy focused on Masks-Distance-Time-Air Flow-Hygiene.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Competing on the debate team or playing in the marching band or acting on stage as a part of the theatre team help students develop critical-thinking skills. They also learn to be better communicators and tend to be good listeners – qualities that are essential for success in life and in their chosen careers.This week is also set aside to recognize the 51 NFHS member state associations, which have been working overtime for the past seven months with state government, health and education leaders to outline a safe return to activities.The week of October 18-24 is National Coaches, Advisors, Officials and Sponsors Week.High school coaches are playing an even larger role this year in connecting with their athletes – whether that connection is virtual or in-person. In some situations, a coach may be the most significant mentor in a student-athlete’s life, so keeping that relationship intact is paramount. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The nationwide shortage of officials has been exacerbated by the pandemic as some officials have decided not to return. To help with this critical situation, the NFHS is continuing its #BecomeAnOfficial campaign. Individuals can get started on a career in officiating by clicking on the following link:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.highschoolofficials.com/">www.highschoolofficials.com</a>The week of October 25-31 is National Community Service/Youth Awareness Week. Schools across the country need financial support from communities due to loss of revenue from the pandemic.&nbsp;Whether as a participant, parent, coach, official, teacher, administrator, community supporter or general fan, millions are invested in the greatest education-based programs in the country – high school sports and performing arts. In Kansas, and throughout the rest of our nation, we encourage support of these programs more than ever during National High School Activities Month.&nbsp;More information on National High School Activities Month is available on the NFHS website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nfhs.org/">www.NFHS.org/</a>HSActivitiesMonth.&nbsp;

COLUMN: Celebrating return to play

Crude futures prices bounced back on Monday, gaining six percent, after a big sell-off Friday in which prices drifted below $37. By midday Monday, the benchmark Nymex contract was up $2.37 to $39.42 per barrel. London Brent rose to $41.50 per barrel. CHS in McPherson dropped its prices by $1.75 on Friday. Kansas Common starts the week at $27.25 per barrel. The monthly average for the Kansas benchmark crude dipped below $30 a barrel in September for the first time since June. Kansas regulators reported a small increase in the number of intent-to-drill notices filed in Kansas. Ellis County notched six new intents last month, Barton and Stafford counties each report one. According to the Kansas Corporation Commission the total statewide is 50 intents for the month of September, up from 38 in August. So far this year, Kansas operators have filed 393 such notices, down from 842 a year ago.&nbsp; Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports three active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, down one for the week, and four west of Wichita, also down one. Drilling is underway on one lease in Ellis County. Baker Hughes reports 266 active drilling rigs across the U.S. Friday, an increase from last week of six oil rigs. The count in New Mexico was up three. Regulators signed off on just six new drilling permits in Kansas last week, four of them east of Wichita and two in Western Kansas, including one in Ellis County. There are 321 permits for drilling at new locations on file so far this year across the state compared to nearly 800 through the third quarter of 2019. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 14 newly-completed wells across Kansas last week, with ten new completions in the eastern half of the state, and four in Western Kansas. That's 669 so far this year compared to well over 1,000 completions by the end of the third quarter last year. Domestic crude inventories dropped by two million barrels last week. The Energy Information Administration reports stockpiles of just over 492 million barrels, which is about 13% above the five-year seasonal average. The government reported a slight increase in U.S. crude production last week. The Energy Information Administration says domestic output increased 36,000 barrels per day over the week before to 10.74 million barrels per day. Imports last week were down 45,000 barrels per day. EIA says the four-week average is nearly 22% less than the same four-week period last year. In its yearly report on natural gas production, consumption and exports, the government says the U.S. set records in all three last year. The Energy Information Administration says dry natural gas production increased by ten percent, consumption was up three percent, and exports were up by nearly 30%. The re-entry of Libya into the oil marketplace continues. Two weeks into an easing of a blockade by eastern forces, Reuters reports the OPEC member is seeing a nearly three-fold ramp up in oil production, which reached 270,000 barrels per day. Exports have doubled and are expected to rise even more as they open more terminals. The former head of the Libyan bank responsible for managing the country's oil revenues is behind bars amid corruption allegations. Bloomberg reports a state prosecutor is investigating some risky investments that cost the bank $1.6 billion, as well as efforts to falsify the bank's profits and mismanage funds. The price tag for plugging and cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells could soon reach staggering proportions. Reporting in the Houston Chronicle suggests taxpayers could be left on the hook for plugging and cleaning up so-called "orphan wells." &nbsp;The expense could reach $117 Billion in Texas alone. There are some 3.8 million unplugged oil and gas wells nationwide, including more than 783,000 in Texas. A Houston company is hoping to connect three Texas crude-oil pipelines into a large export facility. Max Midstream has bought the Seahawk Pipeline and Terminal at the Port of Calhoun southwest of Houston. They plan to connect to both the Eagle Ford and Permian basins to transport up to 20 million barrels a month. In a news release, the company said exports could begin with completion of the first phase of the project late this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARCrude futures prices bounced back on Monday, gaining six percent, after a big sell-off Friday in which prices drifted below $37. By midday Monday, the benchmark Nymex contract was up $2.37 to $39.42 per barrel. London Brent rose to $41.50 per barrel. CHS in McPherson dropped its prices by $1.75 on Friday. Kansas Common starts the week at $27.25 per barrel. The monthly average for the Kansas benchmark crude dipped below $30 a barrel in September for the first time since June. Kansas regulators reported a small increase in the number of intent-to-drill notices filed in Kansas. Ellis County notched six new intents last month, Barton and Stafford counties each report one. According to the Kansas Corporation Commission the total statewide is 50 intents for the month of September, up from 38 in August. So far this year, Kansas operators have filed 393 such notices, down from 842 a year ago.&nbsp; Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports three active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, down one for the week, and four west of Wichita, also down one. Drilling is underway on one lease in Ellis County. Baker Hughes reports 266 active drilling rigs across the U.S. Friday, an increase from last week of six oil rigs. The count in New Mexico was up three. Regulators signed off on just six new drilling permits in Kansas last week, four of them east of Wichita and two in Western Kansas, including one in Ellis County. There are 321 permits for drilling at new locations on file so far this year across the state compared to nearly 800 through the third quarter of 2019. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 14 newly-completed wells across Kansas last week, with ten new completions in the eastern half of the state, and four in Western Kansas. That's 669 so far this year compared to well over 1,000 completions by the end of the third quarter last year. Domestic crude inventories dropped by two million barrels last week. The Energy Information Administration reports stockpiles of just over 492 million barrels, which is about 13% above the five-year seasonal average. The government reported a slight increase in U.S. crude production last week. The Energy Information Administration says domestic output increased 36,000 barrels per day over the week before to 10.74 million barrels per day. Imports last week were down 45,000 barrels per day. EIA says the four-week average is nearly 22% less than the same four-week period last year. In its yearly report on natural gas production, consumption and exports, the government says the U.S. set records in all three last year. The Energy Information Administration says dry natural gas production increased by ten percent, consumption was up three percent, and exports were up by nearly 30%. The re-entry of Libya into the oil marketplace continues. Two weeks into an easing of a blockade by eastern forces, Reuters reports the OPEC member is seeing a nearly three-fold ramp up in oil production, which reached 270,000 barrels per day. Exports have doubled and are expected to rise even more as they open more terminals. The former head of the Libyan bank responsible for managing the country's oil revenues is behind bars amid corruption allegations. Bloomberg reports a state prosecutor is investigating some risky investments that cost the bank $1.6 billion, as well as efforts to falsify the bank's profits and mismanage funds. The price tag for plugging and cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells could soon reach staggering proportions. Reporting in the Houston Chronicle suggests taxpayers could be left on the hook for plugging and cleaning up so-called "orphan wells." &nbsp;The expense could reach $117 Billion in Texas alone. There are some 3.8 million unplugged oil and gas wells nationwide, including more than 783,000 in Texas. A Houston company is hoping to connect three Texas crude-oil pipelines into a large export facility. Max Midstream has bought the Seahawk Pipeline and Terminal at the Port of Calhoun southwest of Houston. They plan to connect to both the Eagle Ford and Permian basins to transport up to 20 million barrels a month. In a news release, the company said exports could begin with completion of the first phase of the project late this year.

News From the Oil Patch: Six new intent-to-drill notices in Ellis Co.

With the maiden name of Meyer and married name of Krug you might guess that our family has a rich German heritage. I have always enjoyed learning about the foods that are tied to various cultures and when you think of German foods, one that comes to mind is sauerkraut. Did you know that sauerkraut is easy to make in your home kitchen so that you can enjoy it often?

The past year I have been busy learning more about the fermentation of vegetables. I submitted a proposal to write a Fact Sheet for K-State Research and Extension titled, “Taking a New Look at Fermented Foods.” I had been seeing articles in several sources and heard a conference speaker touting the health benefits of eating a small amount of fermented foods often. Then I noticed a fermentation kit on the shelf at our local hardware store. The kit made fermenting vegetables in wide mouth canning jars in small batches sound like a fun thing to try.&nbsp;

The practice of fermenting foods has been around for thousands of years. There are many claims to how fermentation was discovered, but now, every culture with access to salt, makes some kind of fermented food. The simplicity of this food preservation method coupled with its unique flavors and reported health benefits has made fermenting food popular worldwide. Today there seems to be a renewed interest in preparing fermented foods at home.

Many foods and beverages are created through the process of fermentation: sourdough bread, yogurt, beer, wine, sauerkraut, and kombucha to name a few. The fact sheet I wrote focused on the fermentation of vegetables, known as lactic acid fermentation. Fermentation is a process where the natural bacteria found in fresh vegetables utilize the carbohydrates to reproduce and excrete lactic acid, which preserves the vegetables and creates a characteristic tangy flavor.

I would love for you to join me at one of the public educational programs I am scheduled to present during October. My presentation will include sharing the techniques for making sauerkraut and kimchi successfully in a wide mouth canning jar. Kimchi is a delicious Korean condiment that is fun to make. I will also discuss the health benefits of including fermented foods in your daily menu.&nbsp;

The free educational programs are set for: Wednesday, October 14th, at noon, at the Great Bend Activity Center, 2715 18th Street; Thursday, October 22nd, at 5:30 PM, at the Extension office meeting room at 601 Main Street, Hays; and Friday, October 23rd, at 1:00 PM, at the Great Bend Senior Center. I hope to see you soon!

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent, in the Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141404420.png" alt="Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent, in the Cottonwood District. " />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent, in the Cottonwood District. </figcaption>
 </figure>With the maiden name of Meyer and married name of Krug you might guess that our family has a rich German heritage. I have always enjoyed learning about the foods that are tied to various cultures and when you think of German foods, one that comes to mind is sauerkraut. Did you know that sauerkraut is easy to make in your home kitchen so that you can enjoy it often?The past year I have been busy learning more about the fermentation of vegetables. I submitted a proposal to write a Fact Sheet for K-State Research and Extension titled, “Taking a New Look at Fermented Foods.” I had been seeing articles in several sources and heard a conference speaker touting the health benefits of eating a small amount of fermented foods often. Then I noticed a fermentation kit on the shelf at our local hardware store. The kit made fermenting vegetables in wide mouth canning jars in small batches sound like a fun thing to try.&nbsp;The practice of fermenting foods has been around for thousands of years. There are many claims to how fermentation was discovered, but now, every culture with access to salt, makes some kind of fermented food. The simplicity of this food preservation method coupled with its unique flavors and reported health benefits has made fermenting food popular worldwide. Today there seems to be a renewed interest in preparing fermented foods at home.Many foods and beverages are created through the process of fermentation: sourdough bread, yogurt, beer, wine, sauerkraut, and kombucha to name a few. The fact sheet I wrote focused on the fermentation of vegetables, known as lactic acid fermentation. Fermentation is a process where the natural bacteria found in fresh vegetables utilize the carbohydrates to reproduce and excrete lactic acid, which preserves the vegetables and creates a characteristic tangy flavor.I would love for you to join me at one of the public educational programs I am scheduled to present during October. My presentation will include sharing the techniques for making sauerkraut and kimchi successfully in a wide mouth canning jar. Kimchi is a delicious Korean condiment that is fun to make. I will also discuss the health benefits of including fermented foods in your daily menu.&nbsp;The free educational programs are set for: Wednesday, October 14th, at noon, at the Great Bend Activity Center, 2715 18th Street; Thursday, October 22nd, at 5:30 PM, at the Extension office meeting room at 601 Main Street, Hays; and Friday, October 23rd, at 1:00 PM, at the Great Bend Senior Center. I hope to see you soon!Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent, in the Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or <a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

KRUG: Taking a new look at fermented foods

By GARRET K. WOODWARD <a href="https://www.smokymountainnews.com/aae/item/29919-this-must-be-the-place">Smoky Mountain News</a>

It’s 9:29 a.m. on Tuesday at 
the Holiday Inn off Interstate 135 near the city of Salina, Kansas. 
Looking out the fourth-floor window, it was hundreds of miles of 
cornfields, grasslands, gas stations and truck stops.&nbsp;

The morning sun is shining bright, as it has been for most
 of this two-week boomerang trip out West and back to Carolina. 
Thousands of miles already traveled on this solo trek in my rusty, musty
 Toyota Tacoma. Two oil changes and two new front tires in that time, 
too.&nbsp;

Yesterday, I awoke at my friend’s apartment in downtown 
Denver, Colorado. He and his girlfriend were still at their house in 
Eastern Idaho, so I had the place to myself for the weekend. A few days 
of meandering around the Mile High City — this prairie oasis of people, 
places and things.

Getting out of bed in Denver, it was tough, seeing as I 
knew my western excursion would be over once I got into the truck and 
headed east over the state line into Kansas. The West has always held a 
piece of my heart since I first visited it as a kid from Upstate New 
York (and lived in it as a rookie reporter in Idaho/Wyoming).&nbsp;

And I know, just like clockwork,
 that I have to always give this landscape back that piece each time I 
start to go east again. Thus, I found myself taking my damn time to pack
 up the truck, lock the porch door and return the key to its secure box 
in that picturesque Denver neighborhood, the immense skyscrapers looming
 overhead like the nearby Rocky Mountains.&nbsp;

It’s startling how fast the view outside the windshield 
shifts from the high peaks and rolling prairie of the west to the vast, 
flat emptiness of the high plains. It’s as if God just simply pulled out
 an ironing board and started to get out the wrinkles, moving east until
 the Appalachian chain.&nbsp;

Passing by the tiny outpost town of Burlington, Colorado, I
 had a flashback of when I stopped there for a beer on Dec. 31, 2007. 
Leaving my hometown of Plattsburgh, New York, a few days prior to start 
my first newspaper gig in the Grand Teton Mountains, I was 22 years old 
and traveling with my old friend, Rob. We had just entered Colorado and 
wanted to celebrate finally being in the West with a cold one.&nbsp;

The only spot we could track down a beer was the local 
bowling alley. The bar was tucked into the side of the building. Few 
tables and an old pool table with crooked cues. Order a couple of 
Budweiser bottles and try to play some haphazard billiards before we 
continued on our way, eyes aimed for New Year’s Eve shenanigans later 
that night in Boulder, Colorado.&nbsp;

And there I was yesterday, some 13 years later. Now 35, 
and no time for a brew at that bowling alley in Burlington. I still had 
several hours left to drive into Kansas and I’d yet to find a place to 
go trail run before the sun falls behind the Rockies in the rearview 
mirror.

Somewhere around Hays, Kansas, I was able to figure out a 
spot to throw on my running shoes and hit the trail. Apparently, an hour
 down Interstate 70 towards Salina, Kansas, there’s Wilson Lake State 
Park. Never heard of it. But, I needed to sweat a little and clear out 
the cobwebs of sitting in a truck all day.&nbsp;

Exit 206 off I-70 and north on Route 232. Not a house, car
 or human being in sight. Just a straight horizon line of dirt along the
 road to Wilson Lake. Suddenly, the truck dips down along the road. A 
large lake appears, like some kind of mirage in the desert, surrounding 
by grasslands and sporadic trees with a tight, well-earned grip on the 
land.&nbsp;

Parking the truck, I stood at the shoreline and was taken 
back by the sheer steepness of the cliffs, the undulating waves of the 
lake crashing into the rocks. I swear, if you’d had just dropped me 
there from above and asked me where I was, I’d have sworn I was at some 
desolate cove on the coast of Maine.&nbsp;

It was surreal. Who knew such serene and splendid running 
trails existed in the emptiness of central Kansas, eh? Lacing up my 
shoes, I disappeared into the grassy hills, bouncing up and over rocky 
ledges and down dusty side routes.&nbsp;

The sky went from a bright blue to a hazy orange. I knew I
 only had a limited amount of time to run around the lake. But, it 
didn’t matter. I was in the moment, my mind, body and soul soaking in 
the natural beauty of this place that was alien to me just minutes 
earlier.&nbsp;

My eyes would gaze west and I’d think of my past way out 
there, those foggy nights, familiar faces and old newspaper assignments 
still lingering in the depths of my mind. I’d gaze east and ponder my 
present existence in Western North Carolina, the aspirations I’ve 
pursued and the life I continue to decorate with vibrant souls and 
dreams occurring in real time.

But, even in that thought process, I kept being aware of 
where I stood, physically and emotionally. Jogging along in the center 
of America, this careful balance of geographical landscapes and personal
 ideologies from coast-to-coast. In an election year of turmoil and 
disagreement, I remain optimistic.&nbsp;

Nobody around, just me and a few miles left to go on the 
trail before I start the truck engine and tick down the miles back to 
Waynesville. And it was in that moment where my I thought of an old Ray 
Wylie Hubbard lyric, “And the days that I keep my gratitude higher than 
my expectations, well, I have really good days.”

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.&nbsp;

Garret K. Woodward is a reporter at the <a href="https://www.smokymountainnews.com">Smoky Mountain News </a>in Waynesville, N.C. Republished with permission.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601476384478.jpeg" alt=" 
						 
			Eastern Colorado. Photo by Garret K. Woodward" />
 <figcaption> 
						 
			Eastern Colorado. Photo by Garret K. Woodward</figcaption>
 </figure>By GARRET K. WOODWARD <a href="https://www.smokymountainnews.com/aae/item/29919-this-must-be-the-place">Smoky Mountain News</a>It’s 9:29 a.m. on Tuesday at 
the Holiday Inn off Interstate 135 near the city of Salina, Kansas. 
Looking out the fourth-floor window, it was hundreds of miles of 
cornfields, grasslands, gas stations and truck stops.&nbsp;The morning sun is shining bright, as it has been for most
 of this two-week boomerang trip out West and back to Carolina. 
Thousands of miles already traveled on this solo trek in my rusty, musty
 Toyota Tacoma. Two oil changes and two new front tires in that time, 
too.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Yesterday, I awoke at my friend’s apartment in downtown 
Denver, Colorado. He and his girlfriend were still at their house in 
Eastern Idaho, so I had the place to myself for the weekend. A few days 
of meandering around the Mile High City — this prairie oasis of people, 
places and things.Getting out of bed in Denver, it was tough, seeing as I 
knew my western excursion would be over once I got into the truck and 
headed east over the state line into Kansas. The West has always held a 
piece of my heart since I first visited it as a kid from Upstate New 
York (and lived in it as a rookie reporter in Idaho/Wyoming).&nbsp;And I know, just like clockwork,
 that I have to always give this landscape back that piece each time I 
start to go east again. Thus, I found myself taking my damn time to pack
 up the truck, lock the porch door and return the key to its secure box 
in that picturesque Denver neighborhood, the immense skyscrapers looming
 overhead like the nearby Rocky Mountains.&nbsp;It’s startling how fast the view outside the windshield 
shifts from the high peaks and rolling prairie of the west to the vast, 
flat emptiness of the high plains. It’s as if God just simply pulled out
 an ironing board and started to get out the wrinkles, moving east until
 the Appalachian chain.&nbsp;Passing by the tiny outpost town of Burlington, Colorado, I
 had a flashback of when I stopped there for a beer on Dec. 31, 2007. 
Leaving my hometown of Plattsburgh, New York, a few days prior to start 
my first newspaper gig in the Grand Teton Mountains, I was 22 years old 
and traveling with my old friend, Rob. We had just entered Colorado and 
wanted to celebrate finally being in the West with a cold one.&nbsp;The only spot we could track down a beer was the local 
bowling alley. The bar was tucked into the side of the building. Few 
tables and an old pool table with crooked cues. Order a couple of 
Budweiser bottles and try to play some haphazard billiards before we 
continued on our way, eyes aimed for New Year’s Eve shenanigans later 
that night in Boulder, Colorado.&nbsp;And there I was yesterday, some 13 years later. Now 35, 
and no time for a brew at that bowling alley in Burlington. I still had 
several hours left to drive into Kansas and I’d yet to find a place to 
go trail run before the sun falls behind the Rockies in the rearview 
mirror.Somewhere around Hays, Kansas, I was able to figure out a 
spot to throw on my running shoes and hit the trail. Apparently, an hour
 down Interstate 70 towards Salina, Kansas, there’s Wilson Lake State 
Park. Never heard of it. But, I needed to sweat a little and clear out 
the cobwebs of sitting in a truck all day.&nbsp;Exit 206 off I-70 and north on Route 232. Not a house, car
 or human being in sight. Just a straight horizon line of dirt along the
 road to Wilson Lake. Suddenly, the truck dips down along the road. A 
large lake appears, like some kind of mirage in the desert, surrounding 
by grasslands and sporadic trees with a tight, well-earned grip on the 
land.&nbsp;Parking the truck, I stood at the shoreline and was taken 
back by the sheer steepness of the cliffs, the undulating waves of the 
lake crashing into the rocks. I swear, if you’d had just dropped me 
there from above and asked me where I was, I’d have sworn I was at some 
desolate cove on the coast of Maine.&nbsp;It was surreal. Who knew such serene and splendid running 
trails existed in the emptiness of central Kansas, eh? Lacing up my 
shoes, I disappeared into the grassy hills, bouncing up and over rocky 
ledges and down dusty side routes.&nbsp;The sky went from a bright blue to a hazy orange. I knew I
 only had a limited amount of time to run around the lake. But, it 
didn’t matter. I was in the moment, my mind, body and soul soaking in 
the natural beauty of this place that was alien to me just minutes 
earlier.&nbsp;My eyes would gaze west and I’d think of my past way out 
there, those foggy nights, familiar faces and old newspaper assignments 
still lingering in the depths of my mind. I’d gaze east and ponder my 
present existence in Western North Carolina, the aspirations I’ve 
pursued and the life I continue to decorate with vibrant souls and 
dreams occurring in real time.But, even in that thought process, I kept being aware of 
where I stood, physically and emotionally. Jogging along in the center 
of America, this careful balance of geographical landscapes and personal
 ideologies from coast-to-coast. In an election year of turmoil and 
disagreement, I remain optimistic.&nbsp;Nobody around, just me and a few miles left to go on the 
trail before I start the truck engine and tick down the miles back to 
Waynesville. And it was in that moment where my I thought of an old Ray 
Wylie Hubbard lyric, “And the days that I keep my gratitude higher than 
my expectations, well, I have really good days.”Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.&nbsp;Garret K. Woodward is a reporter at the <a href="https://www.smokymountainnews.com">Smoky Mountain News </a>in Waynesville, N.C. Republished with permission.

This must be the place: Trekking into NW Kansas

What is the secret to staying positive? Staying positive when times are tough is much easier said than done.&nbsp; Living a healthy lifestyle is very important but maintaining a positive attitude in today’s world is even more important.&nbsp;

On Wednesday Oct. 7, at 12:10 p.m., Berny Unruh will be presenting “I’m&nbsp;Positive, I’m Ok” at the Cottonwood Extension Office, 601 Main, in Hays. Come spend your lunch hour with us as we outline ideas to keep a positive outlook on life. The program will be concluded by 12:50 pm so participants can return to work. The program will be held in the large meeting room at the back of the Extension office and social distancing will be practiced.

Research has shown that optimism improves not only mental well-being but also physical health and that resilience and optimism can be associated with greater longevity. There are many ways to stay keep a positive outlook and the first one is to be around positive people and those that support you.&nbsp; That has been more difficult during the last six months but there are many ways to connect with people when you cannot physically be with them.&nbsp;

Hopefully this lesson will inspire you to make a checklist of the things that will help you live a more positive and successful life. An RSVP that you will be able to attend to the Extension Office 785-628-9430 or an email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bunruh@ksu.edu">bunruh@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;would be greatly appreciated.&nbsp;

Berny Unruh is the Family and Community Wellness Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp;&nbsp;She can be reached at 785-628-9430 or at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bunruh@ksu.edu">bunruh@ksu.edu</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588274071306.jpeg" alt="Berny Unruh is Family and Community Wellness agent for the Cottonwood Extension District." />
 <figcaption>Berny Unruh is Family and Community Wellness agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.</figcaption>
 </figure>What is the secret to staying positive? Staying positive when times are tough is much easier said than done.&nbsp; Living a healthy lifestyle is very important but maintaining a positive attitude in today’s world is even more important.&nbsp;On Wednesday Oct. 7, at 12:10 p.m., Berny Unruh will be presenting “I’m&nbsp;Positive, I’m Ok” at the Cottonwood Extension Office, 601 Main, in Hays. Come spend your lunch hour with us as we outline ideas to keep a positive outlook on life. The program will be concluded by 12:50 pm so participants can return to work. The program will be held in the large meeting room at the back of the Extension office and social distancing will be practiced.Research has shown that optimism improves not only mental well-being but also physical health and that resilience and optimism can be associated with greater longevity. There are many ways to stay keep a positive outlook and the first one is to be around positive people and those that support you.&nbsp; That has been more difficult during the last six months but there are many ways to connect with people when you cannot physically be with them.&nbsp;Hopefully this lesson will inspire you to make a checklist of the things that will help you live a more positive and successful life. An RSVP that you will be able to attend to the Extension Office 785-628-9430 or an email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bunruh@ksu.edu">bunruh@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;would be greatly appreciated.&nbsp;Berny Unruh is the Family and Community Wellness Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp;&nbsp;She can be reached at 785-628-9430 or at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:bunruh@ksu.edu">bunruh@ksu.edu</a>

UNRUH: Staying positive when times are tough

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;

Sweet corn. It’s one of the joys of summer. Freshly picked sweet corn, cooked and served with some butter and salt, can be a summertime treat. When there happens to be extra sweet corn, it also can be a benefit when it is donated for families facing food insecurity.&nbsp;

Tonya Martisko and Julie Ball are sisters and owners and operators of Gaeddert Farms Sweet Corn, based on the third-generation family farm near Buhler.&nbsp;

Gaeddert Farms, one of the state’s leading vendors of sweet corn, has been generous to many families in need. This generosity caused the company to be recognized as an Ag Hero by the Kansas Department of Agriculture during the 2020 Ag Growth Summit.&nbsp;

“We’ve been doing this since grade school,” Tonya said with a smile. She and Julie are daughters of Leon and Ruth Gaeddert. The Gaedderts had a family garden which included sweet corn.&nbsp;

“When we had extra, we would take it to our grandparents’ house in Buhler and sell it from the front yard,” Tonya said. “We were excited if we sold five dozen in one day.”&nbsp;

The Gaedderts started selling sweet corn direct from the farm and at farmers’ markets.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tonya and Julie grew up, married, started families and expanded the sweet corn business. In 1996, the Gaedderts opened a retail stand location in Hutchinson.&nbsp;

“About 2000, we really made a commitment to grow the business,” Tonya said. Today, they sell at farmers’ markets in Hutchinson and Wichita, plus selling from their distinctive green-and-gold canopies at their seasonal retail stands in Hutchinson, McPherson, Newton, Andover, Derby, Salina and five in Wichita.&nbsp;

That’s a lot of sweet corn. It requires a lot of work and management. The Gaedderts typically begin planting sweet corn in early April. From then on, multiple plantings are staggered to get fresh sweet corn for six to eight weeks.&nbsp;

The Gaeddert Farms website says: “Planning for that perfect timing can be difficult to do.&nbsp;So many factors come into consideration, most of which we have no control over, such as Kansas weather.&nbsp;There have been years when some of our crop has been hailed out, drowned out, frozen out and even sustained damage from high winds. So goes the life of a farmer.”&nbsp;

Freshness and quality are emphasized by the Gaedderts. “We start picking corn at three in the morning and sell that corn on the same day,” Tonya said. Estimating consumer demand can be tricky.&nbsp;

“Some days we sell out and some days we don’t,” Tonya said. “If there’s any extra, we hate to throw it away.”&nbsp;

As a result, they worked out an arrangement with the Kansas Food Bank to pick up the excess. It was the Kansas Food Bank, based at the Cargill Cares Complex in Wichita, which nominated Gaeddert Farms for the Ag Hero award.&nbsp;

The Food Bank nomination noted: “In their 12-year history with us, they have donated over 454,000 pounds of fresh produce and they are still going strong. Fresh produce is one of the first things that is passed up at the grocery store by cash-strapped households. Yet, fresh produce is one of the most needed items for people who have underlying health issues … Gaeddert Farms has stepped up tremendously this year to provide missing meals for families in need.”&nbsp;

The Gaeddert family also has ventured into agritourism. For a number of years, they offered a corn maze. In 2018, they opened their sunflower fields for visitors. Now they conduct an annual Sunflower Festival, a Craft and Art Market with more than 40 vendors, and even a 5K and one-mile trail run through their 16-acre sunflower field.&nbsp;

All this is located on the farm near the rural community of Buhler, population 1,327 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gaeddertfarms.com/">www.gaeddertfarms.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasmaze.com/">www.kansasmaze.com</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601472463034.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;Sweet corn. It’s one of the joys of summer. Freshly picked sweet corn, cooked and served with some butter and salt, can be a summertime treat. When there happens to be extra sweet corn, it also can be a benefit when it is donated for families facing food insecurity.&nbsp;Tonya Martisko and Julie Ball are sisters and owners and operators of Gaeddert Farms Sweet Corn, based on the third-generation family farm near Buhler.&nbsp;Gaeddert Farms, one of the state’s leading vendors of sweet corn, has been generous to many families in need. This generosity caused the company to be recognized as an Ag Hero by the Kansas Department of Agriculture during the 2020 Ag Growth Summit.&nbsp;“We’ve been doing this since grade school,” Tonya said with a smile. She and Julie are daughters of Leon and Ruth Gaeddert. The Gaedderts had a family garden which included sweet corn.&nbsp;“When we had extra, we would take it to our grandparents’ house in Buhler and sell it from the front yard,” Tonya said. “We were excited if we sold five dozen in one day.”&nbsp;The Gaedderts started selling sweet corn direct from the farm and at farmers’ markets.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tonya and Julie grew up, married, started families and expanded the sweet corn business. In 1996, the Gaedderts opened a retail stand location in Hutchinson.&nbsp;“About 2000, we really made a commitment to grow the business,” Tonya said. Today, they sell at farmers’ markets in Hutchinson and Wichita, plus selling from their distinctive green-and-gold canopies at their seasonal retail stands in Hutchinson, McPherson, Newton, Andover, Derby, Salina and five in Wichita.&nbsp;That’s a lot of sweet corn. It requires a lot of work and management. The Gaedderts typically begin planting sweet corn in early April. From then on, multiple plantings are staggered to get fresh sweet corn for six to eight weeks.&nbsp;The Gaeddert Farms website says: “Planning for that perfect timing can be difficult to do.&nbsp;So many factors come into consideration, most of which we have no control over, such as Kansas weather.&nbsp;There have been years when some of our crop has been hailed out, drowned out, frozen out and even sustained damage from high winds. So goes the life of a farmer.”&nbsp;Freshness and quality are emphasized by the Gaedderts. “We start picking corn at three in the morning and sell that corn on the same day,” Tonya said. Estimating consumer demand can be tricky.&nbsp;“Some days we sell out and some days we don’t,” Tonya said. “If there’s any extra, we hate to throw it away.”&nbsp;As a result, they worked out an arrangement with the Kansas Food Bank to pick up the excess. It was the Kansas Food Bank, based at the Cargill Cares Complex in Wichita, which nominated Gaeddert Farms for the Ag Hero award.&nbsp;The Food Bank nomination noted: “In their 12-year history with us, they have donated over 454,000 pounds of fresh produce and they are still going strong. Fresh produce is one of the first things that is passed up at the grocery store by cash-strapped households. Yet, fresh produce is one of the most needed items for people who have underlying health issues … Gaeddert Farms has stepped up tremendously this year to provide missing meals for families in need.”&nbsp;The Gaeddert family also has ventured into agritourism. For a number of years, they offered a corn maze. In 2018, they opened their sunflower fields for visitors. Now they conduct an annual Sunflower Festival, a Craft and Art Market with more than 40 vendors, and even a 5K and one-mile trail run through their 16-acre sunflower field.&nbsp;All this is located on the farm near the rural community of Buhler, population 1,327 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gaeddertfarms.com/">www.gaeddertfarms.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasmaze.com/">www.kansasmaze.com</a>.&nbsp;Sweet corn and sunflowers are among the joys of summer and fall in Kansas. We commend Tonya Martisko, Julie Ball and all the Gaeddert family for making a difference with their productivity as well as their generosity. The results are sweet.&nbsp;

Opinion