Coffee, Cookies and Conversation Series 2018

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18 1:00-2:30 PM

Ponds Maintenance: Aquatic Problems—Fish, Plants Rural Water District #3, 4926 SW Wanamaker Road, Topeka

Speakers: Richard Sanders, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 1:00-2:30 PM

Weed Suppression, Resistant Weeds & Increasing

Beneficial Cover Shawnee County Extension Office, 1740 SW Western Avenue, Topeka

Speakers: John Welborn, Shawnee County Weed Department

Dr. Anita Dille, Kansas State University, Weed Ecology

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22 1:00-3:00 PM

Leasing, Fence Laws, Easements, LLCs & Estates Shawnee County Farm Bureau, 3801 SW Wanamaker Road, Topeka

Speakers: Forrest Buhler, Kansas State University, Kansas Agriculture

Mediation Services

Shon Robben, Arthur-Green, LLP

TUESDAY, MARCH 13 9:00-10:00 AM

Soil Health Test Plot Tour 9626 NW 21st Street, Topeka, Park along 21st Street

Speakers: Francis Kelsey, Northwood Farms

Sara Fredrickson, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Each educational training is a Free event open to interested land owners, crop and

livestock producers. If you have questions or would like to RSVP, call Shawnee

County Extension at (785)232-0062 or e-mail Leroy Russell at lrussell@ksu.edu.

Thank you to our partners: The Shawnee County Conservation District and the Natural

Resources Conservation Service. We also extend thanks to our sponsors: Landmark

National Bank, Shawnee County Farm Bureau, Premier Farm and Home, Frontier

Farm Credit, Kansas Insurance.

January

2018

Shawnee County

Extension Office

1740 SW Western Avenue

Topeka, KS 66604

Phone: 785 232-0062

Fax: 785-232-0093

Email: sn@ksre.ksu.edu

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Coffee, Cookies and Conversation

Series 2018

1

2018 Soybean Schools 2

2018 Topeka Farm Show 2

Before A Winter Storm: Prepare

Your Vehicle

2

Starting Seeds 3

Mark Your Calendar: Kansas

Garden Show

3

Tax Basics for Earners in the

‘Sharing Economy’

4

Choose MyPlate 5

Staying Active This Winter 6

#Adulting 6

New Program : 4-H Projects to

Profits

7

Calendar 8

P A G E 2

Leroy W. Russell

County Extension

Agent

lrussell@ksu.edu

One of the three Kansas State University 2018 Soybean

Schools will be hosted by Shawnee County Extension.

Wednesday, January 24th

Rossville, KS

Potawatomi Nation Center

806 Nishnabe Trail

9am to 2pm

RSVP requested by January 22

The 2018 Soybean School is a free event.

Agenda

9:00 AM Introduction, Stu Duncan

9:10-10:00 Weed Control, Dallas Peterson

10:00-10:40 Soybean Nutrient Management,

Dorivar Ruiz Diaz

10:55-11:40 Soybean Practices, Ignacio Ciampitti

11:40-12:00 Grad Research: Importance of Seed

Weight, Santiago Tamagno

12:00-12:40 Lunch/Kansas Soybean Commission

Update

12:45-1:35 Diseases, Doug Jardine

1:35-2:00 Effect of Planting Date x Variety

on SDS, Eric Adee

Other K-State Soybean Schools include:

January 22—Phillipsburg

January 23—Salina

On-line registration is available at the KSU Agronomy

eUpdate site, by phone at 785-232-0062 or e-mail Leroy

Russell at lrussell@ksu.edu.

All soybean producers are encouraged to attend.

Valuable information will be shared on the topics of

weed control, crop production, soil fertility and pest

management. It will probably be several years before

the soybean school will take place this close again.

Soybeans are the top grown crop in Shawnee County

with nearly 40,000 acres planted and are a large part of

the nearly 42 million in crop sales in Shawnee County

each year.

2018 Topeka Farm Show

Tuesday, January 9th—9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Wednesday, January 10th—9:00 am to 8:00 pm

Thursday, January 11th—9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Kansas Expocentre

Free Admission

Before a Winter Storm: Prepare Your Vehicle (Iowa State University) Prepare your car for winter

□ Have your car systems serviced; check the

battery, antifreeze, wipers, etc.

□ Replace wiper fluid with a wintertime mixture.

□ Replace worn tires; check tire air pressure.

□ Keep gas tank full to avoid ice in tank/fuel lines.

Prepare a survival kit for your car that includes:

□ Blankets/sleeping bags.

□ Extra winter clothes (mittens, hats, scarves) boots

□ High calorie, non-perishable food (unsalted nuts,

dried fruit); hard candy keeps your mouth moist.

□ A can and waterproof matches to melt snow for

drinking water.

□ Flashlight, extra batteries, battery powered radio,

first aid kit.

□ Shovel, windshield scraper, tool kit

□ Road salt, sand/cat litter, jumper cables, tow rope

□ Cell phone and charger

□ Compass and maps

Agriculture

P A G E 3

Horticulture Ariel Whitely-Noll

County Extension Agent

arielw@ksu.edu

Starting Seeds

January may not be a good “gardening month” in many

people’s minds but it can be a good time to start vegeta-

ble and flower seeds indoors. The following steps will

help get your seedlings off to a good start.

Quality Seed: Star t with fresh seed and var ieties

recommended for the area you live in. Obtain your

seed from a reputable source like garden stores or

seed catalogs. If you buy from a store that doesn't

specialize in plants make sure to check the package

date to ensure it was packaged for the current year.

The following link has many suitable plant varieties

for Kansas. http://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-

center/recommended-plants/

Date to Seed: Use your Kansas Garden Guide

(available online) to determine transplant dates.

From the transplant date count backwards

(transplant date on the package) to determine your

seeding date.

Proper Media: Don’t use regular potting soil or

garden soil to sow seeds. These can be too heavy for

small seeds and garden soil may contain diseases.

Garden stores sell mixes just for starting seeds.

These will produce optimal germination.

Moisture: Once seeds are planted the soil should-

n’t be allowed to dry. Keep soil moist (but not water

logged) with a spray bottle and plastic over the con-

tainer. Remove the plastic once the plant germinates

but keep the soil moist until transplant.

Light: Pay attention to the germination needs for

each plant. Some will need to germinate in the dark,

but all seedlings will need light once they emerge.

Seedling left in darkness will continue to stretch

until they run out of energy.

Temperature: Some plants require a higher

temperature for germination than we typically have

in our homes. You may try to find the warmest spot

in your home (the top of the fridge or the laundry

room) or purchase a heated germination mat. Once

germination occurs, most plants can be moved to

cooler areas.

Touch: Don’t just sing to your plants; touch

them! Gently brushing your hands over your plants

will make them stronger. “Brush” them with 20

strokes a day to get stockier plants. Keep in mind

that not even touch will make up for inadequate

light or overcrowding.

Hardening Off: Before you transplant your seed-

lings outside, make sure you harden them off. This

means you begin gradually exposing the seedlings

to outside conditions. Begin setting your seedlings

outside about two weeks before transplant. The first

day only leave them out for an hour or two, but as

the days pass gradually increase the time outside.

This will minimize deaths from the harsher outdoor

conditions.

Mark Your Calendar

Kansas Garden Show

“Gardens Around The World”

February 9-11, 2018

Kansas Expocentre

Topeka, KS

P A G E 4

Cindy M. Evans

County Extension

Director

cevans@ksu.edu

County Extension Director

Tax Basics for Earners in the ‘Sharing Economy’ This excerpt is reprinted with permission from Consumer

Action. To obtain a copy of the publication with additional

information, please call or stop by our office.

The sharing economy might enable you to put a little

extra cash in your pockets in your spare time, or it

might be your primary source of income. Either way,

earning money through ridesharing, homesharing,

“tasking” or performing any other paid peer-to-peer

(P2P) service will have an impact on your tax situation.

What many people who participate in the sharing econ-

omy don’t realize is that, in most cases, the money you

earn is taxable. Because of that, there are steps you

should take before earning your first dollar that will

help you report your income accurately, take advantage

of all the deductions (which reduce the amount of your

tax liability) you may be entitled to and avoid an un-

pleasant surprise when you file your tax return.

Your tax preparer is always the best person to turn to

for information about what records to keep and how to

minimize your taxes. However, here are a few guide-

lines to help you understand what tax considerations

you should be aware of if you have earnings from the

sharing economy.

Tracking Income and Expenses

The sharing economy is primarily based on apps (the

platform through which you connect with customers

and get paid), and these apps generally do a pretty

decent job of tracking your earnings. However, it’s a

good idea to keep your own records in case the app

fails in some way (i.e. loses your data) or the company

folds. You should also keep track of any payments not

made through the app— for example, tips, which the

IRS includes as taxable earnings.

If you earn a certain amount, you — and the IRS—

should receive a form from the business or individual

that paid you reporting this. If you don’t hit the thresh-

hold for payment reporting — $600 in 2017— the com-

pany or individual that paid you does not have to send

you a form, and your only record of your earnings will

be the app’s calculation

and/or the one you keep

yourself.

It’s important to keep

close track of your ex-

penses because you

may be able to reduce

the amount of tax you

pay by reporting them

on your tax return. The

expenses you can

deduct from taxable income depend on how you earn

your income. For example, someone driving for Uber

or Lyft would track auto-related expenses. Someone

who earns money by renting out a room in their home

through Airbnb would track the costs of providing and

maintaining that space. Both workers might track

things like cell phone expenses, app fees (if any) and

accounting software costs.

The expenses are claimed on IRS form Schedule C,

which is attached to your tax return. Get a copy of the

Schedule C (by going to IRS.gov) and review the types

of expenses you can claim.

Reducing Your Taxable Income

The goal of tracking your expenses is to reduce the

amount of business income you have to report on your

tax return. Keep in mind that when all the figures are

in, you could have a loss, but it can’t be every year.

The IRS has a rule that within the first five years of

your business, you have to profit in at least three of

them or the IRS will classify your business as a hobby.

Paying Taxes

Since taxes are not deducted from independent contrac-

tor’s pay (withholding) through the year as they are for

employees, you could owe tax and underpayment pen-

alties when you file your return if you haven’t paid

what you owe throughout the year. To avoid this sce-

nario, you might have to pay “quarterly estimated tax.”

As a general rule, if you’re an independent contractor

who expects their tax liability to be more than $1,000

for the year, the IRS expects you to make estimated tax

payments throughout the year.

P A G E 5

Lisa Martin

County Extension

Agent

ljmartin@ksu.edu

Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program

Choose MyPlate Making that New Year’s resolu-

tion to lose weight seems doable in

December when we are full from

indulging in many holiday celebra-

tions. But come the new year, we

are bound to fail if we expect

immediate results by drastically

cutting calories and overdoing the exercise. Losing

weight and adopting new habits mean hard work and

persistence so that the changes you make become a

healthy lifestyle that you can follow the rest of your

life.

So, where do you start? Choose MyPlate is a free,

interactive website that offers a variety of resources and

tools to help you plan a healthy diet and get enough

physical activity. Choose MyPlate gives you a simple

guideline for planning your meals: fill half of your plate

with fruits and vegetables, fill one fourth with a grain,

and fill the remaining fourth with protein. Add a serv-

ing of dairy and you have a complete meal. Try to have

three food groups at breakfast, all food groups at lunch

and dinner, and fill in any missing food group servings

with healthy snacks.

Food Groups

On the main page, you can explore the different food

groups, learning about their nutrients and health bene-

fits. Then you can test your knowledge but taking the

MyPlate quizzes: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/

quiz.

Nutrition throughout the Lifecyle

Need some help with feeding kids or have questions

about nutrition for older adults? Visit https://

www.choosemyplate.gov/audience.

Shopping on a Budget

It is possible to eat a healthy diet and watch your pen-

nies. Visit https://www.choosemyplate.gov/budget for

shopping and budgeting tips.

SuperTracker

Need a personalized nutrition and fitness plan? Set up a

free account at https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/

default.aspx to track your food intake and physical ac-

tivity. Plus, check out the other tools such as My Reci-

pe that will help you analyze a favorite family recipe.

Looking for a Recipe?

Visit What’s Cooking USDA Mixing Bowl

https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Ingredients

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups carrot, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped, including some leaves

8 cups chicken broth, fat free, reduced sodium

2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

For the Dumplings:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup skim milk

1 egg, large

Directions

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium-

high heat.

2. Sauté carrot, onion and celery for 5 minutes; stir in

broth, chicken, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaves.

3. Reduce heat to low; simmer, partially covered for 20

minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix dumpling ingredi-

ents until well blended.

5. Drop small spoonfuls of dumpling dough into sim-

mering soup.

6. Cover soup and allow dumplings to cook for about

20 minutes (they will rise to the top of the soup as they

cook).

7. Stir in spinach.

8. Remove bay leaves before serving soup.

P A G E 6

Susan Fangman

Family & Consumer

Sciences Agent

sfangman@ksu.edu

Family & Consumer Sciences

Staying Active This Winter

Cold weather may seem like a good excuse to avoid

workouts, stay inside, and overindulge in comfort

foods. Regardless of the season it is still important to

be active. The current recommendation for adults is

150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity or

75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity.

Moderate means that heart rate increase and breathing

is heavier– the exerciser can still talk, but is unable to

sing.

During winter months, many engage in indoor physical

activities such as mall walking, exercise classes, or

working out to an at-home video series. Here are a few

other ideas to get you moving this winter:

Dancing– sign up for a class or have a dance party

in your living room.

Take a swimming or water aerobics class.

Walk in place, or around your living room while

you watch your favorite TV show. Stretch during

commercials.

Explore a local museum– I am looking forward to

visiting the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka later

this winter.

Have a snowball fight, make a

snow angel, or roll your own

snowman!

If you choose to exercise outside

during the cold weather, proper cloth-

ing will make your experience more enjoyable. First,

go outside to see what it feels like out there. Is it

windy? Is the sun out? Is there ice or snow on your

path? If temperatures are really low or if there is wind,

make sure to cover your skin, including your face and

ears. Cover as much of your exposed skin as possible,

including your mouth to prevent breathing in cold air.

Don’t forget to protect your eyes with goggles or sun-

glasses.

Consider layers for the rest of your body. Don’t

overdress. You may be cold at the beginning of your

workout, but your body will warm up and you will start

to sweat. Moisture-wicking, breathable layers will help

prevent your clothes from becoming damp.

The last thing to consider is footwear. Heavy winter

boots are not made for running or walking for exercise.

They may keep your feet warm but could cause inju-

ries. Your regular running or walking shoes could leave

your feet cold and wet, and may not have the traction

you need in the snow. Consider a pair of light hiking

shoes for winter. Get a size that will allow you to wear

a thicker pair of socks. Hiking shoes are often more

water resistant than regular tennis shoes plus have bet-

ter tread for slippery conditions.

Information from Michigan State University Extension

Save the Date for Walk Kansas 2018 March 17– May 12

I have partnered with the Topeka & Shawnee

County Public Library to offer the following classes

for teens. You can find us in the teen room!

Nutrition 101

Jan 11|4-5 p.m. Get the nutrition lowdown.

Money 101

Feb 8|4-5 p.m

Skills to make adulting

smoother.

Tech Savvy

Mar 8|4-5 p.m.

Online safety and job

searching tools.

P A G E 7

Candis Meerpohl

County Extension

Agent

candism@ksu.edu

4-H Youth Development

New Program:

4-H Projects to Profits

Shawnee County 4-H is excited to work with

Community Development Agent Cindy Evans, and

Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Susan Fangman

to offer the 4-H Projects to Profits program. Projects to

Profits will focus on the elements of entrepreneurship

and how to make money on something you love to do.

This will be a multi-phase learning experience with

three different components.

Project Talk at Club Days:

Youth will give a talk about their idea for turning a

profit with their 4-H project at Club Days on Feb. 17th.

They will research basic business planning concepts.

They will look at input costs, market competition and

market value. This is the brainstorm and research phase

for the 4-Her. Agents will plan additional educational

offerings and tours based on the business ventures pre-

sented by the youth at club days.

Work Day during Spring Break:

On March 23rd we will have a work day to help youth

with their project to profit idea. We will bring in local

professionals that can give advice and possibly do some

tours. Youth will also use each other as sounding boards

to figure out how to make their idea a reality!

4-H Projects to Profits Competition at the Shawnee

County Fair:

There will be a pitch competition for the 4-H Projects to

Profits business ideas. Youth will present in front of

judges on why their idea has the most potential to be a

successful business. They can include information on

ways they have already produced and sold their product,

and what they have learned about that process.

We are considering having a market for youth selling

their wares from 4-H Projects to Profits. Those details

are still being discussed.

Objectives:

To teach youth about resources that go into a small

business. This is more than just time and money, but

also intellectual/talent resources.

To have youth work on planning and time management

skills in relation to a business.

To teach how a youth’s abilities and skills can translate

into workforce skills.

To teach youth about motivation and commitment.

Recognition:

All youth who present at project talk at Club Day will

receive a 4-H Projects to Profit quarter-zip top.

There will be cash prizes for the competition at the

Shawnee County Fair. There will be an Intermediate

(Ages 10 – 13) and Senior (ages 14 – 19) division.

4-H Junior Leaders, pictured above, recently assembled

a team building kit for 4-H clubs to check out. The kit

contains a variety of games utilizing dice, jump rope,

PVC and marbles, to help 4-Hers practice leadership

skills in a interactive setting. Call 232-0062 ext. 111 to

schedule a check-out date.

P A G E 8

Calendars

EMR—Extension Meeting Room (upper southwest corner of

1740 SW Western Avenue)

JANUARY 2018

Jan. 1 Office closed for New Year’s holiday

Jan. 9 Executive Board Mtg., 6:00 p.m., EMR

Jan. 9-11 Topeka Farm Show, Expocentre

Jan. 15 Office closed for Martin Luther King,

Jr.’s holiday

Jan. 18 Pond Maintenance, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm,

Water District #3, 4926 SW Wanamaker

Jan. 24 Soybean School, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm,

Potawatomi Nation Center, Rossville

Jan. 26 Kansas 4-H Scholarships due

FEBRUARY 2018 Feb. 1 Conservation Annual Meeting, Kansas

Museum of History

Feb. 4 4-H Beef Weigh-In, Expocentre

Feb. 7 Weed Suppression, Resistance &

Increasing Beneficial Cover, 1:00 pm to

2:30 pm, EMR

Feb. 10 Youth Livestock Judging Clinic,

Expocentre

Feb. 9-11 Kansas Garden Show, Expocentre

Feb. 13 Executive Board Mtg., 6:00 p.m., EMR

Feb. 14 & 16 Women Managing the Farm,

Manhattan, Kansas

Feb. 17 4-H Club Days, Shawnee Heights

Middle School

Feb. 22 Leasing, Fence Laws, Easements, LLCs &

Estates, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm,

Shawnee County Farm Bureau,

3801 SW Wanamaker Road

Feb. 24 4-H Dog Show, Ag Hall, Expocentre

Extension Agents

Cindy Evans, Director

Susan Fangman, Family and Consumer Sciences

Candis Meerpohl, 4-H Youth Development

Lisa Martin, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

Leroy Russell, Agriculture & Natural Resources

Ariel Whitely, Horticulture

Extension Staff

Joanne Domme, Office Professional, Administrative and Family and

Consumer Sciences

Marc Galbraith, Horticulture Program Assistant/Response Line

Callie Hobkirk, Office Professional, 4-H Youth Development

Brenda Jarboe, SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator/Community Garden

Network Coordinator

Janice Jones, EFNEP Nutrition Assistant

Margarita Munoz, EFNEP Nutrition Assistant

Kim Seeley, 4-H Program Assistant

Kendra Stover, EFNEP Nutrition Assistant

Bessie Tolbert, Horticulture Program Assistant

Tracy Tugman, EFNEP Nutrition Assistant

Michelle Wilson, Office Professional, Horticulture and Agriculture

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 our office

at 785-232-0062.