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Category: June 2022

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

Posted on by djbechard

Worldwide, 55 million people are living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease. It is an overall term that describes a group of symptoms.  Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are 10 warning signs and symptoms. If you notice any of them, don’t ignore them.  Schedule an appointment with your doctor.

  • Memory loss that disrupts daily life
  • Challenges in planning or solving problems
  • Difficulty completing familiar tasks
  • Confusion with time or place
  • Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
  • New problems with words in speaking or writing
  • Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
  • Decreased or poor judgement
  • Withdrawal from work or social activities
  • Changes in mood and personality

 

Signs of Alzheimer’s and Dementia may be poor judgment and decision-making, inability to manage a budget, losing track of the date or the season, difficulty having a conversation, or misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them. These signs differ from typical age-related changes such as making a bad decision once in a while, missing a monthly payment, forgetting which day it is and remembering it later, sometimes forgetting which word to use, or losing things from time to time.

By: Brenda Langdon

Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program

Posted on by djbechard

Low-income Kansas seniors may be eligible for a program that provides checks to purchase fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables and honey at farmers markets in selected counties throughout the state.

The Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (KSFMNP) is providing low-income seniors who meet age and income requirements with $35 in checks to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey from authorized farmers at local participating farmers markets, June 1 through November 1, 2022. Checks are available in $5 increments.

To be eligible to receive KSFMNP checks, the following criteria must be met:

  1. Age: A senior must be 60 years old or older, or at least 55 years old and a member of an Indian Tribal Organization, on the day the money is issued.
  2. Income level: A senior’s annual gross household income (before taxes are withheld) must be at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. For example, a household of one must have an annual gross income at or below $25,142, or a monthly gross income at or below $2,096.

Applications for the Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program will be available starting on June 1st, at any Post Rock Extension District office. Seniors may apply on-site from 8:00a.m. – 4:30p.m. Monday through Friday.  Funds are limited and benefits will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, call your local Post Rock Extension District office.

Eligible foods to purchase with the KSFMNP checks from authorized farmers at participating farmers markets are defined as “fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, locally produced honey and herbs for human consumption that are produced in Kansas under normal growing conditions.”

The Senior Farmers’ Market Program is a project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The program is coordinated by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), which is collaborating with local partners to identify and distribute checks to eligible seniors.  This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

By: Ashley Svaty

Summer Day Camps

Posted on by djbechard

Post Rock District Summer Day Camps explore all the wonders from the kitchen to space! More details are available at postrock.k-state.edu/youth/day-camps.

>> Kids in the Kitchen. Osborne. June 7 & 8.

>> Momentum! Leadership. Smith Center. June 15.

>> Space Discovery. Lincoln. June 22.

>> Explore Engineering. Mankato. June 29.

>> Kids in the Kitchen. Beloit. August 2 & 3.

Day Camps meet 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Register your kids for one or more or all at bit.ly/PostRockCamps.

World Food Safety Day is June 7th

Posted on by djbechard

With the recent high profile food recalls, people might be even more aware of the importance of food safety. June 7th is World Food Safety Day, which is a great time to review the 4 steps to keeping our food safe. These steps are: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. It’s incredibly important to understand the need of these 4 steps and to practice the tips from the CDC below every time you prepare food.

Clean: Wash your hands and surfaces often.

  • Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before, during, and after preparing food and before eating.
  • Wash utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
  • Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.

Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate.

  • Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread germs to ready-to-eat foods—unless you keep them separate.
    • Use separate cutting boards and plates for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
    • When grocery shopping, keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices away from other foods.
    • Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods in the refrigerator.

Cook to the right temperature.

  • Food is safely cooked when the internal temperature gets high enough to kill germs that can make you sick. The only way to tell if food is safely cooked is to use a food thermometer.
  • Use a food thermometer to ensure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature.
    • Whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork, including fresh ham (raw): 145°F (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
    • Fish with fins: 145°F or cook until flesh is opaque
    • Ground meats, such as beef and pork: 160°F
    • All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey: 165°F
    • Leftovers and casseroles: 165°F
    • Microwave food thoroughly, use a food thermometer to make sure food reaches 165°F.

Chill: Refrigerate promptly.

Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F.

  • Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below, your freezer at 0˚F or below.
  • Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours. If the food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F (like a hot car or picnic), refrigerate it within 1 hour.
  • Thaw frozen food safely in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Never thaw foods on the counter because bacteria multiply quickly in the parts of the food that reach room temperature.

By: Ashley Svaty

Summer Safety

Posted on by djbechard
  • Be a water watcher – Designate an adult to actively watch children when they are in a pool or lake. Take turns sharing the responsibility.
  • Wear a life jacket – Young or inexperienced swimmers should wear a life jacket when in the water. Everyone in a boat should wear a life jacket too.
  • Never let children play with fireworks – Sparklers and other fireworks can be hot enough to melt metal. Fireworks are a cause of life-threatening injuries and burns in children each year.
  • Use window guards – Window screens will not stop someone from falling from a window. Use window guards to ensure that windows open no more than 4 inches.
  • Never leave a child alone in a vehicle – In just 10 minutes, the inside of a vehicle can become so hot that it can be deadly.
  • Slow down when driving – Watch for children on residential streets, and around school buses, ice cream trucks, or other places children play.

By: Brenda Langdon

Cabbageworms

Posted on by djbechard

Cool season vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower are prone to cabbage worms. These pests are hard to spot because they are often the same color of green as the plant leaves. Early control is important. Follow this link for more information on controlling cabbage worms.

https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/common-pest-problems/common-pest-problem-new/Imported%20Cabbageworm.pdf

By: Cassie Homan