The Kansas Local Food Summit will be held July 29-30, 2025 in Salina, co-hosted by the Community Resilience Hub at Kansas Wesleyan University. The Summit will begin with a day of optional workshops and tours on Tuesday, followed by a full day of speakers, interactive learning sessions, and more opportunities to connect with people from across the state on Wednesday.
K-State Research and Extension and the Heartland Regional Food Business Center is hosting a Food Business Start-Up Summit. This event will be in Lawrence, KS on September 11-13, 2025.
This isn’t your average conference — it’s a hands-on, get-it-done retreat for Kansas food and farm entrepreneurs ready to move their businesses forward. Apply as a Business Project Team with your key partners — be they funders, marketers, or farm managers — and dig into real challenges alongside peers and experts. Join us for three days of programming to help your business:
The heat of summer is a bit cooler with a dish of cold ice cream. A special treat in itself, but can be more special when homemade ice cream is the star. While ice cream is a cold product, it can support the growth of bacteria that could cause foodborne illness.
Eggs are a key ingredient in traditional homemade ice cream. They help add rich flavor, a light yellow color, help prevent crystallization and add a smooth creamy texture. But raw or undercooked eggs that are contaminated with Salmonella can survive cold temperatures and lead to foodborne illness.
To make homemade ice cream safely, here are some tips from University of Minnesota Extension.
Cooked egg base
Egg substitutes
Egg substitute products also may be used. You may have to experiment with each recipe to determine the correct amount to add.
Pasteurized eggs
Another option is to use pasteurized eggs in recipes which call for uncooked eggs. Pasteurized shell eggs are available at some supermarkets and cost more. Commercial pasteurization of eggs is a heat process at low temperatures. It destroys Salmonella bacteria that may be present. Pasteurization has a small effect on flavor, nutritional content and functional properties of eggs.
Egg-less Ice Cream
There are many homemade ice cream recipes without eggs, and these would be a good option for those allergic to eggs.
Gardens are growing and more will be planted. Now is the time to prepare for preserving your harvest. It starts with equipment and recipes.
Jams and jellies, pickles, many fruits and most tomato products can be safely canned in a water bath canner. This is a large stock pot with a lid and a rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the pot. The pot must be tall enough so when jars are added the water covers the top of the jars by 1-2 inches. Learn more about water bath canning and also steam canning in the How-to Guide to Water Bath Canning and Steam Canning. It is also in Spanish.
Pressure canning is required for all plain vegetables and meats. There are no instructions to water bath these foods. Stovetop pressure canners are the standard and if you have dial gauge canner from Presto, National, Maid of Honor, or Magic Seal, many Extension offices can test the gauge for accuracy. We do not test All American canner gauges. Learn more about pressure canning in the How-to Guide to Pressure Canning. It is also in Spanish.
Use recipes that have been researched. The testing and research behind these recipes will get you on the right path to success. If you have your own favorite recipe, eat it fresh or freeze it for later use. More information on canning, freezing and dehydrating can be found on the Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe website.
For pickling, the recommended vinegar to use is one with 5% acidity. This is also known as 50 grain vinegar. While most vinegars are at 5% acidity, some are not. Therefore, shop wisely and read the label. The percentage may be on the front of the label or in the ingredient statement.
Typical distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar has 5% acidity, but it depends on the brand. There are some alternative vinegars, such as a “pickling vinegar base” which is only 2.5% acidity. There are no pickle recipes developed for this type of vinegar for canning, but it could be used in a refrigerator pickle. Do not use “cleaning” vinegars as they are too high in acidity.
Learn more about different vinegars from Penn State Extension.
As we start spending more time outdoors, the chances of getting bit by a tick increase. If that tick is a Lone Star Tick, it can lead to Alpha Gal Syndrome. The most significant result is an allergy to all red meat and meat by-products.
As with any food allergy, sensitivity or intolerance, grocery shopping can be a challenge. So what about home food preservation?
Obviously, red meat is not an option so canning meat or meat broth is not an option. Chicken
If making jam and jelly, commercial pectin is not made with any gelatin or other meat ingredients. Commercial pectin is made from citrus fruit peel or apple pomace. It also usually contains dextrose and citric acid. Always read package labels.
Pectin is naturally present in many fruits such as apples, plums, gooseberries, and cranberries. There are jam or fruit butter recipes that do not need pectin as the product thickens when cooked slowly. Search for these recipes and more from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Fair season is almost here! Here are some reminders from the Kansas Department of Agriculture for serving food safely in licensed food stands.
For 4-H food stands, see https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3472.pdf
For more information, go to www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/topics/4h.html.
Combines will soon be rolling across Kansas for wheat harvest! Part of this event is feeding the people working hard to harvest the wheat in a timely and safe manner. So start planning now for meals in the field!
Many foods can be prepared and frozen for easy preparation. Use freezer-safe containers for best results. Pack foods in the amounts you plan to use and reduce leftovers. Foil baking pans covered with heavy aluminum foil work well for casseroles. Freezer reclosable bags and rigid plastic freezer containers are best for baked goods or frozen fruit.
Plan now to transport food. Keep cold foods cold, below 40°F, and hot foods hot, above 140°F. Use ice chests with plenty of ice for cold foods and beverages. For hot foods, there are many insulated options to use, or equipment that can plug into your vehicle. A simple option is wrapping the hot dish is several large towels inside an insulated carrier.
Remember the four steps to food safety, even in the middle of wheat harvest:
Keep meals simple and easy to grab-and-go. Have a great and safe wheat harvest.
The annual Kansas 4-H/FFA Wheat Expo will be held on August 7, 2025 in South Hutchinson. This is a great event to celebrate all things wheat grown in Kansas.
There are several competitions to participate in, including baked yeast rolls, cookies and muffins. Other competitions include photography, educational posters and cleaned wheat. Cloverbud members are welcome to participate!
Learn more on the Wheat Expo website. Registration is coming soon!
Some of us need that daily caffeine boost to get us going! But do you really know how much caffeine you consume each day?
The International Food Information Council has an online Caffeine Calculator to help you out. Safe consumption for healthy adults is up to 400 mg/day. For example, two 8 oz cups of coffee has 192mg of caffeine.
Healthy pregnant lactating women can consume low to moderate amounts, about 300 mg/day or less. Caffeine values in this tool are based on the USDA Food Data Central Database.
Learn more information from Boost Your Caffeine Confidence.