Category: April 2023

Does “Green” Mean Clean?

Regular use of cloth bags is considered important to “save the environment,” but isn’t personal and family health just as important? The inside and outside of reusable grocery bags can be a breeding ground for dangerous foodborne bacteria which can pose a serious risk to our health.

Reusable bags if not properly washed between uses, create the potential for cross contamination of foods.

When transporting foods, keep food safety in mind. Juices from meats can leak from packaging and contaminate ready-to-eat foods like fruits and vegetables in the cloth bag. A good rule-of-thumb is to put raw meat in a separate plastic bag before packing in reusable bags, or use a separate cloth bag for meats.

Where do you place your reusable bags while putting groceries away? The outside of the bag may be contaminated from the grocery cart, the store counter, or from the floor of your vehicle. If you set bags on the counter when you get home, the germs on the outside of the bag are now on your countertops. Remember to wash and sanitize your countertops before preparing food.

When shopping for reusable cloth bags, look for ones that are washable and remember to launder bags often. Simply washing reusable cloth bags between uses in the washing machine, or by hand, with soap is effective at reducing bacteria by 99.9%.

By: Jamie Rathbun

Vegetable Planting Dates

The veggies we grow in the garden fit into two groups based on their temperature preferences: cool season and warm season crops.

Most cool season crops can be planted and will germinate when soil temperatures average 45F.  These include:

  • Lettuce
  • Radishes
  • Spinach
  • Potatoes
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Carrots
  • Cabbage
  • Asparagus

Most warm season crops will not germinate and should not be planted until soil temperatures are 55F – some even 60F.  These veggies are:

  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Melons
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Pumpkin
  • Squash
  • Eggplant
  • Beans

We typically reach the 45F level about mid to late March and the 55F level about late April.

Unsure of the soil temperature in your area? K-State Mesonet Site is a great resource to find local soil temperatures. https://mesonet.k-state.edu/

By: Cassie Thiessen

Review Your Safety Checklist

Daylight savings time begins every year on the second Sunday of March.  This is also a good time to review your spring safety checklist.

Smoke Alarms – Smoke alarms should be in every bedroom and in the common areas on each floor of a home. Mount them at least 10 feet from the stove to reduce false alarms, less than 12 inches from the ceiling and away from windows, doors and ducts.

Three out of every five home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Test your smoke alarms every month and replace the battery at least once a year.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors – Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that can kill.  CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each bedroom and on every level of the home. Like you smoke alarms, change the batteries and test them.

Get Rid of Unwanted Medicines – Take your unwanted or expired medicines to a prescription drop box or take-back event near you, or drop by your local Post Rock District Extension office and pick up an easy to use drug deactivation disposal bag.

Spring Cleaning – With the warmer weather comes a desire to shine and polish your home. Keep your family safe around poisons in the home. Keep all chemicals, household cleaners, and medicines in locked cabinets or out of the reach of children. Keep the National Poison Control Center number (800-222-1222) in your cell phone contacts.

By: Brenda Langdon

Are You Throwing Away Food (and Money and Time)?

Families living in the U.S. throw out about 15% of the food and 10% of the beverages they buy! This means that if your family spends $100/week on groceries you could be throwing away up to $25/week, or $100/month in discarded food! Imagine what you could do with that extra money – and with the extra time needed to shop for the food that gets wasted. Below are ways you can reduce waste in you your home to cash in on saving.

Organize. Save money at the grocery store by what you do before leaving the house. Check our food supplies and plan meals around what you already have. Use the oldest foods in your cupboard and freezer first. Make a grocery list for items you need to buy. Avoid buying perishables that aren’t in your menu plan. Or, adjust your meal plan if you buy perishables that you didn’t originally plan to get.

Buy fewer perishable foods in each shopping trip. Buy only the amount of fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, and other perishables that you can eat in a few days. Stuffing a refrigerator full of food makes it harder to know what is inside. Forgotten food is more likely to spoil. Buy canned, frozen, or dried foods to use until you shop again.

Serve small portions first. Rather than risk wasting part of a large served meal, plan to offer a second portions if you or a family member are still hungry.

Plan for “planned-overs.” You may have more product than a recipe calls for, such as the extra half package of some food. Or you may have more food than your family can eat at one meal. Make a plan to eat these foods later. Could you serve it for lunch tomorrow? Use it in a dinner salad? Freeze extras for later use?

Food patrol. Check in your refrigerator daily for foods that need to be eaten soon. If they are raw, cook seafood, poultry, and meats in the first day or two. Be creative, or find a recipe to use up certain foods. For instance, us a too-ripe banana in a smoothie. Chop rubbery carrots or other vegetables and cook them in a soup or in spaghetti sauce.

By: Jamie Rathbun

2023 Extra Help Limits

The Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy, sometimes referred to as Extra Help, assists people with limited income and resources with paying for their prescriptions.

Extra Help is administered by the Social Security Administration and is estimated to have an average value of $5,300 per year per beneficiary.

Income limits are set based on the federal poverty guidelines which were updated in January. The Extra Help income limit for partial help for a single individual is $22,110 per year or $1,843 per month. The income limit for a couple is $29,820 per year, or $2,485 per month.

Resources or asset limits to receive full Extra Help are $9,090 for an individual and $13,630 for a couple. Partial help limits are $15,160 for an individual and $30,240 for a couple. These limits do not include a $1,500 burial allowance.

Beneficiaries must meet both income and asset guidelines. If you or someone you know thinks they might qualify or have questions, contact Brenda at 785-346-2521 or bklangdon@ksu.edu.

By: Brenda Langdon