All posts by Submitted Story

Chamber Coffee Oct. 25 At Trinity Lutheran Church

WEEKLY CHAMBER COFFEE REMINDER
Join us for Chamber Coffee hosted by Trinity Lutheran Church
 Location: 2824 S. Horton St.
Thursday, October 25, 2018


Click here for Trinity Lutheran Church’s Facebook page.
Chamber members and guests are encouraged to attend for networking, community announcements, and to learn about the hosting business or organization.
Members may pay $1 to make an announcement about an upcoming event, special/sale/discount, or news of any kind.
Upcoming Coffees:
November 1st – Fort Scott Area Community Foundation
@ Landmark Bank
November 8th – VFW
November 15th – Bourbon Co. Arts Council
November 22 – Thanksgiving – NO CHAMBER COFFEE

Podcasts Available For Farmers

 

According to Bob Weaber, K-State Research and Extension Professor and Cow-Calf Specialist, Dr. Weaber,  Dr. Dustin Pendell from the Department of Agricultural  Economics,  Dr. Bob Larson and  Dr. Brad White from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine Beef Cattle Institute have been recording a weekly podcast called BCI Cattle Chat.

The podcast can be downloaded on your smartphone or online at https://ksubci.org/media/podcast. Recordings began in May of this year, and now include over 20 podcasts with topics such as: should we test forage and why, challenges of bull buying, advocacy in agriculture, and selecting replacement heifers.

Dr. Weaber States “we feel like we’ve kinda hit our stride, and want to share this audio resource with you. If you’re not already a listener, please give it a whirl. If you are already a listener, send us some feedback: what you like, don’t like, or think we should discuss”.

BCI Cattle Chat is always on the lookout for new material and guests.  Please send topic ideas and guest suggestions to your local extension agent, and ask him or her to forward these suggestions to the Beef Cattle Institute.

The most current sessions include a podcast featuring Southeast Area K-State research and Extension Beef Specialist Dr. Jaymelynn Farney, from Parsons, and a podcast featuring a sports dietician from the Kansas State University training table.

Friday Night Concert: Church of Christ Acapella

“I am pleased to have the Crawford Street Church of Christ produce this Friday’s concert,” Ralph Carlson, organizer of the free Friday Night Concerts at Heritage Park.

“Their acapella music is a real treat to hear and the songs they do are songs that are familiar to the audience,” he said. “It often ends up with the entire audience taking part in the singing.”

In the event of inclement weather, the show will be moved indoors from the regular location at First and Main Streets to The Common Grounds Coffee shop on Main.

The concert starts at 7 pm.

“Come early as seating is limited. You might want to bring lawn chairs,”  Carlson said.

City Planning Commission Meets Oct. 29

The Fort Scott Planning Commission will meet on Monday, October 29th, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to consider a change in zoning from Mixed Use District to Central Business District for the property at 19 S. Hill Street.

At 5:00 p.m. there will be a public hearing on the proposed Comprehensive Plan for Fort Scott.

These meetings are open to the public.

Hard choices in the heartland: Farmers Need to Manage Stress

 

Carla Nemecek is Southwind District Director and agent.

Submitted by; Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director

For Release: Week of October 22, 2018

Unpredictable weather, falling net farm income, spotty health care services and a host of other factors can make for incredible stress on farms and in rural communities. Many of the factors causing sleepless nights are beyond an individual’s control, yet there are often ways to manage the stress, according to North Dakota State University family science specialist Sean Brotherson.

“People will power through even if they don’t feel well,” said Brotherson, speaking at a recent K-State Research and Extension workshop in Manhattan. “There’s a cost to that. You can’t put your health or relationships on the back end for long without consequences.”

The most important asset of any agricultural operation is the health and wellness of the farm operator, said Brotherson, who also presented a workshop on the same topic in Dodge City.

Farming and ranching ranks in the top 10 of the most stressful occupations. That stress can lead to depression, anger, health concerns, failed marriages, loss of friendships or relationships with family members, alcohol or substance abuse or worse.

“When we talk about farm safety, we often talk about accident prevention but we tend to neglect talk about mental and emotional health,” Brotherson said, adding that’s a mistake.

Despite the overall U.S. economy booming, the farm economy has been in a slump the past several years: “This great economic condition is not translating into a good farm economy. Many farmers are very good at what they do, yet some still find themselves in situations that they can’t control,” Brotherson said.

Net farm income, a broad measure of profits, is forecast to decrease $9.8 billion (13.0 percent) from 2017 to $65.7 billion in 2018, after increasing $13.9 billion (22.5 percent) in 2017, according to an August report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

Net cash farm income is forecast to decrease $12.4 billion (12.0 percent) to $91.5 billion. In inflation-adjusted 2018 dollars, net farm income is forecast to decline $11.4 billion (14.8 percent) from 2017 after increasing $13.0 billion (20.3 percent) in 2017.

If realized, inflation-adjusted net farm income would be just slightly above its level in 2016, which was its lowest level since 2002.

The situation is taking a toll, Brotherson said. Some feel extra pressure because their farm has been in the family for generations and they don’t want to be the one to lose it.

“Stress signals are like the warning lights blinking on your truck’s dashboard,” Brotherson said. “We often want to ignore them but at some point there is a price to pay – a heart attack, broken relationships, depression or worse. You maintain your car to keep it running properly. You have to maintain your health, too.”

Coping strategies include things that help you unwind, include exercise, getting enough sleep, hobbies, or reaching out to someone for support or help – a friend, a counselor, or a loved one.

K-State Research and Extension has teamed with NDSU’s Brotherson to share resources linked to farm stress management including a tip sheet. In addition, K-State programs such as the Farm Analyst program, Kansas Agricultural Mediation Service and Kansas Farm Management Association are available to work with rural enterprises.

Contact the Southwind Extension District at 620-365-2242 for more information. Your health matters too us.

 

 

Carla Nemecek
Southwind Extension District
Director & Agent
[email protected]
620-365-2242
1 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749