Released: November 26, 2008           e-Mail the story

1)  Save Time, Money with a Potluck

           
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Offering to host a wintertime gathering can be a gracious gesture. But, doing so doesn’t always require a host to buy or prepare all of the food to serve, a Kansas State University specialist said.

Hosting a potluck can share the responsibility – plus save the host’s time and money, said Sandy Procter, K-State Research and Extension nutrition educator. 

The host’s asking for volunteers and/or making assignments can ensure a balanced menu, she said. If guests will be traveling a distance, however, the safest and easiest course for them may be to bring nonperishable foods such as pickles, olives or spiced apples/peaches for the relish tray, or contribute to the cost of beverages.

Encouraging guests to bring a wintertime family favorite to the potluck can sometimes add an international flavor to the menu, said Procter, who is a registered dietitian and Kansas’ coordinator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.

“Sharing the responsibility also provides an opportunity for others to take pride in their contribution to a successful event,” she said.

More ideas on managing food, nutrition and health are available at county and district K-State Research and Extension offices and on the Kansas Extension Web sites at www.oznet.ksu.edu/humannutrition/ and www.oznet.ksu.edu/foodsafety.

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2)  Too Much Wintertime Care Can Kill Houseplants

           
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Killing houseplants may be easiest during winter.

“All you have to do is to water or fertilize the plants just as you did last summer,” said Ward Upham, Master Gardener program coordinator for Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Light – direct or indirect -- fuels plant growth, Upham explained.

“It’s why some Alaskans can produce enormous garden vegetables in just 90 frost-free days. Their growing season is short, but it includes 20 hours of sunlight daily,” he said.

To grow as well as stay alive, plants also need extra water and nutrients. So, even indoors, Kansas houseplants’ water and nutrient needs peak during the state’s sunny summers.

“The reverse is also true. When light is limited -- as it is around here during winter -- houseplants’ need for water and nutrients drops dramatically,” Upham said. “Not only are the winter days shorter in the central Plains but also the angle of the sun’s light becomes quite acute.

“As a result, winter’s sunlight enters windows at such a low angle that its intensity is just a fraction of the intensity of summer’s overhead sun. The most tender houseplants aren’t adversely affected by that direct winter sun.”

The horticulturist strongly recommends that Kansans water their houseplants during winter only when the top inch of the potting soil is dry to the touch.

“It’s best not to fertilize at all during December-January. But, you usually can fertilize sparingly – at about one-fourth of the normal rate – during November and February,” Upham said.

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3)  Weather Wonders: State Climatologist Reviews Winter Terms

           
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Dangerous weather can happen as often in winter as in summer in the nation’s heartland. Knowing the differences in terms used to describe winter weather conditions can sometimes be a life-or-death matter, said State of Kansas Climatologist Mary Knapp.

Knapp, who is in charge of maintaining the Kansas Weather Data Library at Kansas State University, said the basic term -- “winter storm” -- does mean severe winter conditions. But, such conditions can vary from storm to storm. They can include mixes of snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain or drizzle, wind, poor visibility, and/or cold temperatures.

When the National Weather Service issues other words to follow “winter storm,” however, the term picks up a time element. Examples include WINTER STORM . . .

·         OUTLOOK:  Winter storm conditions are possible in the next two to five days. Stay tuned to local media for updates and plan for expected conditions. 

·         WATCH:  Winter storm conditions are possible within the next 36-48 hours. Prepare now.

·         ADVISORY: Winter weather conditions are likely to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous. But, if you are cautious, these situations should not be life threatening. 

·         WARNING: Life-threatening severe conditions have begun or will begin within 24 hours. Act now.

More specific information about Kansas weather is available on the Weather Data Library Web site:  http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/wdl/. Knapp’s Weather Wonder audio reports are available on the K-State Research and Extension Kansas Radio Network site: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/radio/. 

The National Weather Service maintains a Web glossary of the gamut of  the official weather terminology it uses (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=weatherterminology).

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4)  For Pigs, Milo’s Economics Is Beating Corn’s

           
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Many central U.S. swine producers switched in recent years to feeding their stock a corn-based diet. That decision may now need to change.

“With our recent harvests, as well as the increasing demand for corn in ethanol production, corn prices have risen dramatically – especially in comparison to milo’s (grain sorghum). As a result, milo is emerging in many areas of Kansas as the more economical feed alternative,” said Bob Goodband, swine specialist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

He uses a long-established price-point “rule” to assess when milo becomes competitive. That rule suggests milo merits a serious look whenever its price is 96 percent or less of the market value of corn.

“In some locations, milo now is just 70 percent of the value of corn,” Goodband said.

Pound for pound, milo can totally replace corn in all swine diets, he said. A milo variety’s color (red, yellow, etc.) seems to have no impact on its nutrition. Average daily gains of pigs fed milo-based diets have proven to be similar to those of pigs fed a corn formulation.

Producers may want to consider, however, the fact that milo is a bit lower than corn in both energy and lysine content. Unless countered, this can lead to a small drop in feed efficiency.

“They might want to make a slight adjustment in soybean meal or synthetic amino acids,” he said. 

Milo has a small kernel that’s much harder than corn’s. So, proper processing is vital, Goodband warned. Roller mills are best for achieving the optimum particle size of 600 to 700 microns for meal diets.

More about Goodband’s latest research in swine nutrition is available on the Web, as part of K-State’s 2008 Swine Day proceedings (http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/srp1001.pdf).

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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, Manhattan.

Story by: Elaine Edwards
elainee@ksu.edu
K-State Research & Extension News

Contributing writers: Mary Lou Peter-Blecha, Nancy Peterson and Kathleen Ward