September 2015 - Reno County Extension Office

Reno County Extension
September 2015
K-State Research & Extension - Reno County 2 W 10th Ave South Hutchinson KS 67505
In This Issue:
Newsletter moving to digital format
Page 2 Deer Processing Workshop
Page 3 Grasses in the Garden
Page 4 Finding, and Documenting Your Family History Online
Technical Assistance Available
Sports Calendars, Holiday Calendars, and More!
Page 5 Sports Calendars, Holiday Calendars, and More! (cont’d)
It’s Always a Good Time to Prepare for Severe Weather
Inventory Your Digital Assets
Page 6 Inventory Your Digital Assets (cont’d)
New Fact Sheet on Monosodium Glutamate
September is Food Safety Education Month
Page 7 Making Meat Without an Animal
New Publication on Ground Beef Color
Watermelon 101
Can Jam or Jelly be Made with Honey
Start School Days with Breakfast
Medicare Open Enrollment
Page 8 Medicare Open Enrollment
Page 9 Medicare Open Enrollment (Continued)
Beginning in January 2016, the Reno County
Extension newsletter will no longer be distributed via U.S. Mail. If you currently receive the newsletter in print form and would
like to continue receiving it digitally, please
contact the Extension office with your email
address. You can call us at 620-662-2371 or
email [email protected] and request to be put
on our email list. Anyone without email access who still wishes to get the newsletter can
pick up a printed copy in person at the Extension Office, 2 W 10th Ave in South
Hutchinson during normal business hours.
With the costs of postage and printing supplies increasing steadily in recent years, we
felt it was a good time to move to a digital
format. For additional news and updates
from K-State Research & Extension in Reno
County, visit our Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/renoksre or our newsletters website at reno.ksu.edu/newsletters.
On October 29, 2015 from 8 AM to 6 PM, the Reno County Extension Council Elections will
take place. Come and vote to elect members of the Extension Council in the areas of Agriculture & Natural Resources/Horticulture, Community Development/Technology, 4-H/Youth Development, and Family & Consumer Sciences. Extension Council members serve on Program
Development Committees, advising and assisting in the development of Extension education
programs. If you're a citizen of Reno County and of voting age, come vote at 2 W 10th Ave,
South Hutchinson, KS (Reno County Extension Office).
“K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer”
“K-State Research and Extension is committed to making its services, activities and programs accessible to all participants. If you have special requirements due to a
physical, vision or hearing disability, or a dietary restriction please contact Jan Steen by phone at (620) 662-2371 or by email at [email protected].”
A
G
N
E
W
S
With
Ag Agent
Darren
Busick
GETGROWINGwithPamPaulsen,HorticultureAgent
COMMUNITY
BITS AND BYTES WITH JAN STEEN
Ancestry DNA, and Family Tree DNA all offer kits.
After sending in a sample you’ll receive results in 6-8
weeks. Results will list ethnicity/countries of origin
If you missed our Online Genealogy Resources discusand matches to close and distant family members
sion session earlier this month, but are still interested in
who have also taken DNA tests.
starting your family tree research online, here are some
• Look for sales on DNA tests around Mother’s Day,
tips:
Father’s Day, and Christmas. Buying multiple kits
For beginners, free sites like the National Archives
will sometimes also qualify you for a discount.
(www.archives.gov/research/genealogy), and Cyndi’s list
(www.cyndislist.com) have links to many sources of in- If you’d like to see what these services look like in performation about online research sites and tools, and how son, and what DNA results look like, along with the kit
to use them.
and how it works, contact Jan Steen at [email protected]
• You can create a family tree online for free using
or 620-662-2371 to set up a time to come and visit.
sites like Familysearch.org, Ancestry.com, or MyherTechnical assistance available
itage.com. Some free tree creation sites require a fee
Trying
to figure out your new laptop? Has your tablet
to view documents such as draft cards, census recor smartphone got you stumped? Maybe you’d like to
ords, and marriage certificates.
try out Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter, but don’t know
• Should you decide to upgrade from a free account to
where to start. We can meet together one on one or in
a paid account on any of these sites so you can acgroup
sessions to answer your questions and guide you
cess more documents and records, look for sites
with free trials. If you don’t like the look or feel, or through your technology issues. This is a free service as
part of the Extension Office. Call or email: 620-662there’s not as much information available as you
2371 – [email protected]
thought, you can cancel within the trial period (see
website’s terms for more details).
Sports calendars, holiday calendars, and
• Not sure about doing the free trial? Hutchinson
more!
Public Library patrons have access to the AncesAre you a sports fan, or know someone who is? Have
try.com Library Edition while visiting the library.
you wondered what holidays are coming up, or even
There is also a Family History Center at 518 E 43rd when the sunrise and sunset might be for your location?
in Hutchinson with access to additional online reIf you use Google Calendar (calendar.google.com), you
sources. Call them at 620-663-8907 for hours.
can have your favorite sports team’s schedule show up
• Visit any public library in Kansas and ask them for a on your phone or web calendar. Here’s how to do it:
free Kansas Library Card. You’ll get login infor• When logged into your calendar, look at the left side
mation to kslc.org, where you’ll be able to use Heritof your page. Click on the down arrow next to the
age Quest, Genealogy Connect, and KSGenweb.
Other calendars option:
• Other useful sources for finding records and family
information are as close as your search engine.
Google, Bing, or Yahoo searches for family names
can yield a variety of useful results, as can the use of
•
newspaper archives, and online records from the
• Next click on “Browse Interesting Calendars”
Kansas Historical Society.
• You’ll be presented with options to view Holidays,
• What about DNA genealogy services? 23andMe,
Sports, and More. Make your selection and drill
Finding, and documenting your family history online
down to the holiday list, team, or other information
you’d like to see regularly.
• From here you can preview the calendar, or subscribe to it.
Any calendar you subscribe to will now show underneath the “Other calendars” heading on the left side of
your calendars page. If you’d like to color code the calendar to make it stand out from your other entries, click
on the down arrow next to the calendar name for color,
and other, options:
It’s always a good time to prepare for severe
weather
Thunderstorms or blizzards, tornadoes or floods, even
ice storms – all of these events are easier to deal with if
you’re prepared. Right now is a great time to check your
emergency kits to make sure they are fully stocked with
fresh batteries, snacks, and water, and that you replace
items used throughout the year.
You should have at least two kits – one in your storm
shelter area at home, and one in your car for travel purposes. It’s also a good idea to have a kit at work in case
you get stranded due to bad weather.
Ready.gov has a list of tips and resources in building
kits, where to store them, and how to maintain them.
You can learn more about these kits here:
www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
Inventory your digital assets
Originally published on the Military Families Learning Network
Blog on eXtension.org – this article is written for military families,
but is good advice for anyone
By Barbara O’Neill, Ph.D., CFP
Last year, my brother-in-law passed away. A pretty tech
savvy seventy-something, he used computers a lot for
online bill-paying, online shopping, and financial account access. As family members gathered from points
all across the U.S., I observed his sons trying to make
sense of missing or illegible usernames, passwords, and
security questions. It was a real “teachable moment” for
me as I saw first-hand what happens when people pass
away without a list of their digital assets.
The term “digital assets” refers to personal information
stored electronically on either a computer or an online
“cloud” server. Anyone who uses e-mail, has a password
protected cell phone or iPad, uses social media, makes
online purchases, or pays bills or does banking online
has digital assets. Like all Americans, military families
have many digital assets that often need to be accessed
far away from home. Digital assets generally require a
user name, password or PIN, and/or security questions
to access and can be difficult or impossible to retrieve if
someone is incapacitated or passes away.
Encourage service members to take the time to record
their digital assets using the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Digital Assets Inventory Worksheet (http://bit.ly/1EY8z6t - URL is case sensitive) that
I developed. They should then keep this information in
a safe place and share it only with a power of attorney,
executor, and other trusted person who would need to
have it. Writing everything down will also help them
keep track of their digital life by itemizing account access details in one place so this information is available
when needed. Below is a list of categories:
• Electronic Devices- This category includes all of a
person’s electronic gadgets including a smart phone,
tablet, laptop computer, desktop computer, and external hard drive.
• Benefit Accounts- Examples include airline miles,
Amtrak railroad miles, hotel rewards program
points, and online accounts for retailer reward/loyalty programs.
• E-mail Accounts- Specific examples include Yahoo!, Google Gmail, AOL, Outlook, Hotmail, Juno,
and an employer’s E-mail account.
• Financial Accounts- This category includes bank,
credit union, and brokerage accounts, and online
access for mutual funds, retirement savings accounts, credit cards, employee benefit accounts, PayPal, and Social Security.
• Online Merchant Accounts- Included here are
accounts that someone creates to make online purchases from any retailer. Specific examples include
Amazon, Blair, Chadwicks, eBay, Etsy, Zappos, and
Wal-Mart.
• Organization Accounts- Include here access infor-
xygen
ed.
•
•
•
•
•
mation for professional societies, membership organizations, and personalized charitable organization
donation web pages such as those for American
Cancer Society fundraisers.
Photography and Music Accounts- These are
web sites where people store often irreplaceable
family photos and music. Examples include Instagram, Snapfish, Flickr, and a digital music library.
Publication Accounts- This category includes
online access to newspapers, magazines, and blogs.
Social Media Accounts- In this category are various types of social media that often include intellectual property and personal photographs. Examples
include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and
Google+.
Video Accounts- This category includes web sites,
such as YouTube and Vimeo, that are used to store
videos that people create for personal or professional use.
Virtual Currency Accounts with Cash ValueMany people have digital currency with real U.S.
dollar currency value stored in web sites such as
Bitcoin, Farmville, Second Life, and World of
Warcraft.
• Web Site Accounts- This category of digital assets
includes domain names, hosting services, online
business accounts, and cloud storage sites such as
Dropbox, Google Drive, and Apple iCloud.
Once military families have inventoried their digital assets, they are not quite done. The final step is to include
specific language in estate planning documents (e.g., will,
trust, and power of attorney) that authorizes a fiduciary
to handle digital assets, as well as tangible assets, in the
event of their death or incapacity. Digital assets should
be referred to in a will, as someone would similarly do
for a list of untitled personal property. However, do not
include them in a will. A will becomes a public document when someone dies, which will not keep digital
asset data secure.
You can read more from Barbara O’Neill and other Extension
professionals at the Military Families Learning Network Blog:
blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies
GET THE FACTS FROM JENNIFER SCHROEDER,
Family & Consumer Science Agent
New Fact Sheet on Monosodium Glutamate
search, to date, has proven that the symptoms are from
MSG.
The International Food Information Council has developed a new fact sheet on Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Learn more about MSG and its association with food and
This much discussed ingredient used in many foods pro- health at: http://bit.ly/1TyBKOk
Stir fry meals commonly contain ingredients with MSG
vides that fifth taste, called “umami” or savory flavor.
such as soy sauce
MSG contains the amino acid glutamate, a building block
of protein. It is naturally present in plant and animal pro- September is Food Safety Education Month
teins. The more protein content, the more glutamate pre- Since 1994, National Food Safety Education Month has
sent. Some foods also contain “free” glutamate, along
increased awareness about the importance of food safety
with sodium, in the form of MSG which provides that
education for the food industry, food service, and the
umami taste. Tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and walnuts are consumer.
examples. Other packaged and prepared foods with MSG
This year, the theme for the National Restaurant Associainclude a variety of condiments, snack chips and crackers,
tion Food Safety Education Month is “Let It Flow,” to
seasoning mixtures, and more. MSG is not considered an
focus on how food flows through a food service operaallergen. But some people, however, may experience
tion.
symptoms similar to allergic reactions. No scientific re-
Promotional materials for food safety can be found at:
www.fightbac.org www.foodsafety.gov
Making Meat Without an Animal
In-vitro meat. Tissue-engineering technology. Cultured
meat. Would you eat it? What is it you ask? The simple
answer is meat without livestock. The technology consists of removing stem cells from living animal muscle
tissue, place them in culture media to grow, then meat
would be developed without any genetic manipulation.
pickled. Picking a watermelon is as easy. Examine the
melon for bruises, cuts or dents. Choose a firm melon
that feels heavy for its size when you lift it up. The underside should have a creamy yellow spot where it sat
on the ground.
Learn more about watermelon at
www.watermelon.org/.
Can Jam or Jelly be Made with Honey?
Sugar serves as a preserving agent, contributes flavor,
and aids in gelling. Cane and beet sugar are the usual
sources of sugar for jelly or jam. Corn syrup and honey
may be used to replace part of the sugar in recipes, but
So far, cultured meat is not efficient, the color is off, the too much will mask the fruit flavor and alter the gel
taste is not right, and is very expensive. The first ham- structure. Use tested recipes for replacing sugar with
burger patty made with this technology cost more than honey and corn syrup. Do not try to reduce the amount
of sugar in traditional recipes. Too little sugar prevents
$300,000. That’s one pricey burger!
gelling and may allow yeasts and molds to grow.
Sources: http://
Learn more about making jams and jellies at:
news.ift.org/2015/07/12/meatwithout-parents/
http://nchfp.uga.edu/ how/ can7_jam_jelly.html
www.futurefood.org/in-vitro-meat/ index_en.php
The development of this process is to help meet the
demand for meat for the growing population by 2050.
Conventional meat production is predicted to be unsustainable by then.
New Publication on Ground Beef Color
Start School Days with Breakfast
Consumers expect fresh ground beef to be brightred,
but at times it may appear brown, mottled red and
brown, or even purplish. Color variations can be confusing and may lead to the rejection of acceptable
ground beef.
A healthy breakfast is a must for kids. Skip it and your
kids will be playing nutritional catch-up for the rest of
the day. Anything goes, as long as you maintain a
healthy balance. So if your kids want a change from cereal and eggs, think about serving left-overs from last
night’s dinner. There’s nothing wrong with tuna fish
with celery on a whole wheat English muffin or a turkey
sandwich to start the day. Growing bodies need nourishment. And if your kids are physically active to boot,
they need plenty of calories to keep them fueled. A
breakfast that contains protein, fat and carbohydrates
helps children feel full and stay focused until lunch.
Protein choices might include an egg, some nuts, a slice
of deli meat or cheese, or a container of yogurt.
This publication helps explain where meat color comes
from; is brown ground beef safe; and if packaging
makes a dif ference. It also shows external and internal
color changes over time.
Learn more at: www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.
edu/pubs/MF2957.pdf
Watermelon 101
Did you know that 100 percent of watermelon is usaLearn more at: www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ Consumble? The average watermelon has 70 percent flesh and
erUpdates/ ucm456060.htm
30 percent rind. It is also 92 percent water, which makes
Medicare Open Enrollment
it a tasty choice to keep hydrated.
Don’t toss that overripe watermelon! Turn it into juice
or puree to drink or add to a smoothie. Remove the
flesh to make into a salad, but use that hollowed out
rind as the bowl. When done using it, compost the
bowl.
Watermelon rind is edible. It can be stir-fried, stewed or
Open enrollment for Medicare Part D is October 15th
through December 7th. If you would like help with the
new 2016 plans please call Jennifer (620) 662-2371 at
the Extension Office.
Reno County Extension
September 2015, Issue 9
Cooperave Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension
K-State Research and Extension
Reno County Extension Office
Pamela Paulsen
[email protected]
2 West 10th Avenue
South Hutchinson KS 67505-1331
County Extension Agent - Horticulture
Phone: 620-662-2371
Darren Busick
[email protected]
www.reno.ksu.edu
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
[email protected]
Jennifer Schroeder
County Extension Agent - Family & Consumer Sciences
Joan Krumme
Fax: 620-662-0313
[email protected]
County Extension Agent - 4-H
Kansas State University Agricultural
Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension
Service
K-State, County Extension Councils, Extension
Districts, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating.
All educational programs and materials
available without discrimination on the basis of race,
color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability.
Jan Steen
[email protected]
County Extension Agent - Technology & Community Development
County Extension Director
South Hutchinson, KS 67505-1331
2 West 10th Ave.
Reno County
K-STATE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
Permit 11
Hutchinson, KS 67501
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NONPROFIT ORG