Opinions

The Greenwood County Extension office would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful volunteers during National Volunteer Week! Without their support, experience, and guidance, it would be impossible to provide the programming for producers and especially 4-H youth that we do. Data shows that volunteers donate an average of nine hours per month, or an estimated 695,736 hours annually to the Kansas 4-H youth program. Findings also indicate that the value of one volunteer hour in the United States is $29.95. That would add up to an annual contribution of $20.8 million to the Kansas 4-H program. Last year, K-State Research and Extension reported that volunteers, across all programing areas, gave 309,345 hours of their time to programs carried out across the state. The equivalent value of that time is more than $8.8 million across the state and programs. These statistics can help us show the impact volunteers have on the 4-H program, but can never truly grasp the passion these volunteers have for donating their time and helping to develop our leaders of tomorrow. Volunteers give their time, talents and energy to the 4-H program and serve as primary ambassadors to our program doing work such as talking about he importance of 4-H, recruiting new youth and volunteers and growing community partnerships. Most importantly, volunteers help youth gain learning and leadership skills as they prepare for careers and engage in communities.

Following last week’s tornado warning, this is a perfect time to discuss weather notification systems. If you didn’t receive notifications on your phone or weather radio, or your notification relies on an outdoor warning siren (OWS), it is time to get serious and adapt to keep your loved ones and yourself safe. We will address OWS first and then detail reliable options for staying informed.

Lions, and tigers, and bears..oh my!

One of the biggest questions I’ve been asked since I started Shop Kansas Farms (SKF) during the pandemic after discovering local grocery store shelves were empty, was whether the trend of people buying locally would continue once the pandemic restrictions eased.

I know, I know. This is cattle country. Generally speaking, we all love a nice juicy beef steak on our plate. Hear me out though. Maybe consider sprucing up your Spring meals with a new protein, like lamb. In many countries, young sheep called a lamb, is the major source of protein. Sheep are the oldest domesticated meat species, having been raised by humans beginning about 9,000 years ago in the Middle East.

It doesn’t matter where you go….opinions are there.

-

In three quarters of a century from the time I first watched some snowy, black and white images, television programming has evolved into the primary source of entertainment and information in the large majority of American households. Ours is no exception.