K-State expert outlines key tips during webinar for Kansas small business owners
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Many of the guidelines that helped Americans get through the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two months will serve as a good guide as businesses throughout the country slowly begin to re-open their doors.
In fact, Londa Nwadike, a food safety specialist with K-State Research and Extension whose academic background is in public health, says avoiding close contact with others and washing your hands regularly will become even more important as Americans begin moving about more regularly.
“Ensure that you are following all guidance, especially as it is being provided by your local public health department,” said Nwadike, who holds a dual extension appointment with Kansas State University and the University of Missouri.
On April 30, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced a phased re-opening of the state’s economy, which continued to emphasize the importance of the six-foot social distancing guideline, and washing hands with soap and water. Kelly’s plan also encourages wearing face masks in public settings and staying home if you feel sick.
Nwadike spoke May 1 during a First Friday webinar hosted by K-State Research and Extension and targeted for Kansas business owners. Among the advice she shared:
Listen to workers and customers regarding their concerns.
Communicate your plans with workers, stakeholders and customers.
Evaluate your situation and implement appropriate steps for re-opening.
“Business owners should actively encourage sick employees to stay home,” Nwadike said, adding that other steps businesses can take include providing protective equipment (face coverings and gloves, for example), providing tissues and trash cans, installing plexi-glass shields for cashiers, and other modifications specific to the business – such as additional space between restaurant tables.
Additional steps that businesses can take, some of which have already been seen in stores that were able to stay open in March and April, include:
Disinfecting cart handles.
Encouraging sick customers to not come in.
Providing sanitizing wipes for customers.
Placing marks on the floor near checkout areas to guide social distancing.
Monitoring the number of people in the building.
Cleaning and stocking bathrooms more frequently.
Cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, such as door handles, shelves and the credit card terminal.
Nwadike said those practices are important since coronaviruses such as the new strain that causes COVID-19 are generally spread person-to-person through respiratory droplets. It is also thought that it may be possible to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object with the virus on it, and then touching one’s mouth, nose or eyes – though, she adds, “this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
“Encourage your customers to shop with their eyes, not their hands,” Nwadike said. “The more we can keep people from touching shelves and products, the less likely we will pick up a virus.”
Nwadike cited a guide being distributed in the Kansas City area that provides good advice for businesses of all sizes. While the information is geared toward the greater Kansas City area, it is a good resource for all business, Nwadike said.
Nwadike and colleague Karen Blakeslee also have published a website, Food Safety and COVID-19, providing numerous resources outlining safe practices related to COVID-19.
K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu
Carla Nemecek is Southwind District Director and agent.
Submitted by Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director
This is not the article I would have predicted to write a few months ago, and certainly not my usual educational column. However, like many others, COVID-19 has me feeling off-balance as I navigate my work and family responsibilities while following orders and staying at home.
Let me start with the most popular question we receive – Will there by a County Fair in July? Currently, K-State Research & Extension will not organize or participate in any face-to-face events or activities through July 4, 2020 due to the pandemic.
Unfortunately, that means we will not host our annual 4-H Day Camp, area judging contests or attend Rock Springs 4-H Camp in June.
However, after hearing the Governor’s plan last week we are feeling more optimistic we will be able to have traditional County Fairs as scheduled!
We are hoping for the best, but also planning for the worst as we research online platforms that will allow us to host educational showcase events for our 4-H youth to share their projects and receive feedback from judges.
Whether we are allowed to have our county fairs in person or remotely, the Southwind Extension District Agents are already working with our County Fair Boards to be sure the county fair will go on because we know how important they are to our kids and communities.
In January, I really began to notice how Extension needed to shift our programming efforts from entirely face-to-face to exploring remote and virtual alternatives to reach more diverse audiences.
That was never more obvious than when COVID-19 forced us into a remote environment.
For the past 7 weeks, your Extension Agents, 4-H Program Assistant and Office Professionals have relocated their work spaces to homes, pastures, porches and crop fields, and have proven we can educate in a virtual environment – something we didn’t even know we could do!
All eight Extension Agents and the 4-H Program Assistant have put themselves out there for the world to watch us offer advice and explain why research-based information is important to your lives and livelihood.
Personally speaking, my first live was as uncomfortable as my very first 4-H project talk, but then I saw the positive feedback and expanded audience that I was able to connect with and understood the value of an authentic video.
Meal planning, family & financial management tips, and fun family activities from home have all been shared through Facebook live, YouTube and on our Instagram page.
We submitted a public request to complete an online state-wide Extension needs assessment survey and you all responded with 20% of the state wide results coming from Allen, Neosho, Bourbon and Woodson Counties – thank you! It is obvious you value K-State Research & Extension and we will not disappoint you with our efforts.
You might be surprised to know that many of our traditional Extension services are still accessible to you.
Horticulture consultations, soil testing, and pond management assistance continue to be priorities for us, and we are only a phone call away on our usual office numbers that are now being forwarded to Office Professionals.
4-H youth have been able to continue monthly meetings through Zoom coordination and some have found creative ways to help with project meetings remotely.
This pandemic has been hard on all of us, and everyone has had a different reaction to the day by day changes and announcements that come from state government, local officials or employers.
As we navigate the coming weeks of reopening, the Southwind Extension District will make every effort to be the trusted, go-to resource for research-based information you have come to expect in Southeast Kansas. For more information, you can reach us at www.southwind.ksu.edu.
Survey to Evaluate Kansas Consumers’ Shopping Practices
and Awareness of From the Land of Kansas Program
MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s state trademark program From the Land of Kansas has released a public survey asking consumers about their shopping practices and preferences. Recent events have reminded all of us about the importance of local foods. This survey is seeking feedback from Kansas consumers on what they are looking for and how we can help them find local foods. The survey, which takes less than five minutes to complete, will inform the program’s efforts to better promote and celebrate agricultural experiences and products grown, raised or produced in the state of Kansas.
Participants who complete the survey will be entered in a gift basket drawing. The gift baskets contain a variety of Kansas grown or made products, valuing over $100. Three winners will be selected and notified in early June via the contact information they provide at the end of the survey.
From the Land of Kansas is designed to promote and celebrate agricultural experiences and products grown, raised or produced in Kansas. The program offers an array of incentives to Kansas companies — big and small — who grow, raise or produce products in the state. For questions about the survey, please contact Janelle Dobbins, marketing manager of the From the Land of Kansas program, at 785-564-6759 or [email protected].
Agency opens new channels for customer communication
Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard announced today that DCF service centers will remain closed to the public until further notice. The offices have been closed since March 23.
“My first priority is the health and safety of both our clients and employees,” Howard said. “I am committed to implementing a reopening plan that ensures social distancing and other safety requirements set forward by Governor Kelly. We’ll reopen when we can ensure these requirements can be met.”
To help ensure clients have access to services, the agency has implemented a series of new public facing communication channels.
On April 29, the agency opened a virtual call center to answer client questions about agency assistance programs including cash, food and child care assistance. Kansans can call 1-888-369-4777 from anywhere in the state to speak with a DCF representative or connect with their local service center.
DCF also added a chat function to its public website. Visitors can use the chat to get basic information about programs and application processes. DCF encourages Kansans to visit www.dcf.ks.gov for information about programs and to apply for services. Paper applications also are available outside each DCF service center across the state. Completed applications can be left in drop boxes outside each service center.
With not much to report during the past several weeks, Uniontown 4-H Reporter, Marley Sutton, will be doing 4-H member spotlights on club members. This month’s spotlight is on members Bareigh Farrell, Austin Maycumber and McKinley Sutton. Please enjoy!
Are you turning 65 in the coming months? Or want to understand Medicare benefits? Free, educational programs to learn about Medicare options are being offered. Senior Health Insurance Counselors for Kansas (SHICK) counselors, Joy Miller and Tara Solomon-Smith with K-State Research and Extension and Melanie Smith with Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging will present, via Zoom, two part series about Medicare eligibility, enrollment periods, how parts A,B,C and D work, Medigap and advantage plans. First session, will be Tuesday, May 12th @ 5:30 and second session, Thursday, May 14th @ 5:30. You may register at the following link: https://bit.ly/New2Medicare . Last day to register is Monday, May 11th.
DeeAnna Marie Poole, age 60, resident of Fulton, KS, died Friday, May 1, 2020, at her home.
She was born on July 8, 1959, on Camp Pendleton Marine Corp base in Oceanside, CA, the daughter of John Thomas Durbin, Sr., and Mary Eva Wickham Durbin.
She was a loving mom, wife, aunt, and sister. She cared for her family and always saw the good in people. She worked for the U.S. Postal Service from 1989 to 1994 when MS caused her to be paralyzed.
DeeAnna always had a warm smile on her face. She was the best mother any child could ask for. She will forever be greatly missed by many.
Survivors include her husband Jim of the home; two sons Brandon Poole, Prescott, KS and Jimmy Poole, Jr. Phoenix, AZ; sisters Faith Durbin, OK and Kathy Biggart, Fort Scott; grandchildren Tayden Poole, Kelsee Poole, Anna Olive, Hailey Olive, and Taylor Poole; nieces and nephews Jorden Durbin, Matt Brown, Jessy Brown, Daniel Durbin, Michael Durbin, Tommy Durbin, Jeffery Durbin,
She is preceded in death by her parents; a brother, John Thomas Durbin, Jr.; a sister, Candy Brown; and two nieces, Justina Durbin, and Katrina Brown.
Private graveside services will be Monday, May 4th, in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Fulton, KS. Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
