By JACKIE MUNDT
Pratt County farmer and rancher

The Fourth of July has always been my favorite holiday. My hometown of Pittsville, Wisconsin, has a population of 800 that easily quadruples for the festivities. We have a quintessential celebration with a parade, fireworks and numerous unique traditions. The event mixes community fun, with the ideals of service, democracy and freedom. Though I now live hundreds of miles away, I always look forward to going home for the festivities.

However, this year that was not in the cards. Last week as I watched combines roll through our wheat fields, my anticipation faded with the recognition that harvest would continue through the Fourth, and we would have to cancel our trip to Wisconsin.

That is the thing about farm life. It is incredibly unpredictable and often disappointing.

No farmer wants to be roused from a warm bed in the middle of a cold night in February, but she does it to care for the newborn baby calves who might not make it without her help. The farmer who invests time and effort to grow corn has no guarantee he will have a crop, but he balances that risk with his need to feed his family. Farm life encourages selflessness and annihilates entitlement.

Life on the farm is filled with frustration and disappointment. Countless nights when dinner gets cold because fieldwork took longer than expected. Trips canceled or attending events alone because an irrigator got stuck or a pump broke down. Waking up in the middle of the night because something on the farm needs attention and just can’t wait until morning.

In these moments of disappointment, I take a breath and try to get perspective. No life is easy or perfect. Why waste time and energy being upset about the things that go wrong. I am blessed in so many ways and this is the trade-off for the life we have dreamed about and are working to build.

Disappointment is not fun, but that is OK because it reminds us to appreciate the good things in life. I have learned to be grateful for the pain of failure, regret in rejection or the sorrow of loss. They keep me grounded, hungry for the next opportunity.

So many people seem petrified of disappointment. Parents work tirelessly to prevent their children from failing. Schools hesitate to recognize achievements of exceptional students because others might feel bad. Technology has created an expectation of instant gratification and easy access to information. We are working so hard to avoid disappointment that we are missing the important lessons that come from being disappointed.

As you fail, get frustrated or face challenges, choose to grow. People who learn from disappointment have empathy, gratitude, wisdom and humility. It makes us better, stronger and more resilient.

Life is not fair. We will suffer disappointment and heartache but those can become some of the most impactful moments.

When you find yourself faced with moments of disappointment, take a breath, get perspective and embrace it.

“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This essay on a topic in agriculture was researched and written by a student as part of a project in a senior animal science class at Fort Hays State University.

By PATRICK KEPKA
Dorrance junior
Do you like to help cows at bedtime? Late nights and early mornings are just an accepted part of life for farmers and ranchers. Of many things that can be done to help the betterment of the cattle and the farmer’s lifestyle, adjusting the cattle’s feed towards the evening or at night may do just that, especially in the months leading up to the calving period.

Cow-calf operations nowadays can get quite extensive. Two areas that reflect the success of a farm or ranch are optimization and efficiency. They often go hand in hand as better optimization often creates better efficiency and vice versa. Feeding cows at night will act upon these components while improving opportunities for a full night’s rest because calving episodes are more likely to occur during the daylight hours due to the time of feeding adjustments.

Operations have shifted from numerous small ranches to a more efficient outlook with larger being better in most cases. With the number of beef cattle dropping since the late 1970s, the efficiency aspect continues to grow in importance. Not to shock anyone, but farmers and ranchers are always looking for ways to improve financially, such as with their feeding programs, breeding programs, and labor management as well as the environment, price cycles, and community programs.

For example, these last three items deal mostly with external sources like unpredictability of weather events and also the cattle prices. Community programs can help build personal connections down the line like in 4-H and FFA that can positively affect one’s operation.

Feeding cattle at night opens up opportunities to improve efficiency via reduction in cow and calf mortality due to improved supervision, as shown by recent research. Cows being fed at night in the months leading up to the calving season showed a great increase in calves being born during the day rather than at night. This is called the Konefal Calving Method, after the first researcher to report this effect in the 1970s. A study done in Iowa of over 1,300 fed cows once daily near dusk and started multiple weeks before the calving season began. They found that 85 percent of the cows calved between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. when fed near dusk compared to 49 percent of the cattle calving during the day when fed in the morning.

Another study by John Jaeger, of the Agricultural Research Center-Hays of Kansas State University, and co-workers involved two experiments, morning fed and evening fed cattle groups. Morning fed cattle were held at the University of Idaho and evening fed were held at the Agricultural Research Center.

The day for calving was broken down into six segments of four hours each. The morning-fed cattle were nearly evenly spread out among all six segments, but the evening-fed cattle had far more calve during the day rather than night. Breaking down into percentages, 52 percent of morning-fed calved between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. compared to 85.4 percent for evening fed. Several other studies have been done showing similar results throughout the years.

Jaeger’s study also looked at calving time heritability between a dam and her daughter He found that “heifers appear to model their pattern of parturition to that of their dam.” One can use this to further select for cattle that will calve during the day outside of the feeding time adjustment.

The exact cause of the apparent increase in day-time calving from evening feeding is not known as of now. A hormonal effect may be involved, said Rick Rasby with University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Studies have shown feeding at night may cause intraruminal pressures, which need to be low for calving, to rise at night. Day-time calving will likely increase survival rates of calves as it might reduce deaths by dystocia, or difficult births, since ranchers or farmers can be around for assistance. In addition, for early spring calvers, calving in the heat of the day and not in the cold of night helps survival.

Feeding at night is by no means a perfect system. Some negative aspects go along with the positives. Feeding all the cattle in the evening may not be possible, so feeding earlier in the day must be done. First-calf heifers would be the first priority for evening feeding if this were the case.

In addition, stress on equipment and land can be much more impactful during the evening hours than morning hours, especially if the winter was wet. Frozen ground will not cause as much of issues as the slush that occurs if the temperature rises to above freezing during the day.

In the larger picture, whether to institute evening or morning feedings depends how one weighs the risks or rewards of each. There is a pretty good correlation of evening or night time feedings to cows calving during the daylight hours along with the benefits involved from it. Becoming more informed on the topic at hand is the first thing to do as one goes forward towards making a change in the operation.

Patrick Kepka, a 2016 Thomas More-Prep Marian High School graduate, is a junior majoring in general agriculture at Fort Hays State University. He is the son of Michael and Linda Kepka, Dorrance.

The Legislature’s Special Committee on Judiciary will spend at least two days this summer and fall taking a close look at Kansas Supreme Court decisions on two recent high-profile cases: one that officially declared there is a constitutional right to abortion in Kansas, another which held unconstitutional the Legislature-set cap on noneconomic damages.

Now, that’s not unexpected. Both cases have drawn considerable coverage in recent weeks, so the next obvious move was to put them up for review.

The topic specifically proposed for the 11-legislator summer study is pretty simple: “Review the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions on the citizens of Kansas.”

It’s, of course, not specific, but look for abortion and look for that damage cap to become high-profile issues for the upcoming election-year legislature, when members of the House and Senate all stand for reelection, and there isn’t a hotter issue among Republicans than abortion, and there isn’t a hotter issue for everyone else than insurance rates.

And the seldom-called topic of “impact of recent Supreme Court decisions” falls at a time when along with all House and Senate seats, only two Kansas Supreme Court justices will be on the ballot next November, when they stand for retention to another six-year term on the high court.

Those justices? Two former Democrat Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appointments to the court, Eric Rosen and Lee Johnson—both of whom were on the majorities in the abortion and noneconomic damage cases.

Now, the committee’s hearings may sprawl to other issues, but the keys are abortion and noneconomic damages.

The abortion decision? It essentially rejected a state law that prohibits the most commonly used second-trimester abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation to the medical world, but as “dismemberment abortion” to antiabortion activists.

House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, and Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, are hoping that the interim committee meetings and study will eventually lead to a Kansas constitutional amendment that will either prohibit abortion in Kansas or allow lawmakers to specify a range of limits that can be applied to the procedure.

That special committee can ponder just what’s possible in the way of restrictions and keep alive the politically hot issue for the upcoming elections.

The noneconomic damages issues, well, that stretches across a lot of political lines, mostly for businesses which buy liability insurance, and for nearly everyone else in Kansas who drives a car and must carry liability insurance for damages that can be caused in a vehicle accident.

It’s not the easily computable damages—repairing the car or the house that it might crash into which can be assessed by adding up receipts. It’s the effect that a wreck or mistake can have on the lives of those who are victims of a wreck.

Is the damage of a wreck adequately compensated when the car is fixed and the bruises and other injuries healed, or does it have a psychological effect that causes suffering every time a survivor hears tires squeal, or sees a car headed in his/her direction? The Legislature initially figured $250,000 would cover those noneconomic damages, raised it to the current $325,000 and headed to $350,000 by July 1, 2022.

It is that uncapped potential liability that has insurers worried. They can compute what a fixed cap on noneconomic damages will cost them—and their policyholders, plus enough profit to stay in business. But no cap? What should insurance rates be to cover those unlimited damage costs?

That’s the “impact of recent Supreme Court decisions” that will probably show up in the Legislature next session, while lawmakers search for the bullet points on their election brochures that they can aim at voters.

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com

As I was looking back on what I wrote about last year I saw the article on chinch bugs and how the second generation nymphs were moving out of harvest wheat fields and feeding on young grain sorghum and forage sorghum plants along field edges. These young plants can be damaged by the chinch bug feeding.

My guess is this could happen again this year and since we are experiencing planting delays the milo and feed crops could even be more vulnerable this year since they will be smaller. So after wheat harvest keep a close eye on those fields of milo and feed that are close or adjacent to your wheat fields.

The overwintered adults emerge in early spring and fly into small grains where they mate and produce the first generation. Most problems in milo or feed occur when large groups of the immature, wingless nymphs migrate from maturing wheat fields and invade adjacent sorghum or sorghum/sudan hay fields where they attempt to complete development. They typically do not infest the entire field but can take out several rows of milo next to the wheat.

Problems with this insect were historically confined to eastern and central Kansas, with damage beginning in May or June, but in recent years, chinch bugs have become more of a problem further west in the state.
Chinch bugs puncture vascular tissues to extract plant juices and secrete digestive enzymes that cause the breakdown of surrounding plant tissues. Feeding punctures also can allow pathogens to enter the plant.

Consequently, damaged plants present a variety of symptoms including stunting, yellowing, wilting, and necrotic lesions. The effect nymphal feeding has on plants depends to a large degree on the size, health and nutritional status of the plants. Growth stage and water balance are critical because small or drought-stressed plants have less ability to tolerate or recover from chinch bug feeding damage.

Using seed treatments: clothianidin (Poncho), imidacloprid (numerous products) and thiamethoxam (Cruiser) at planting can potentially decrease chinch bug damage and may protect plants for up to 3 weeks, unless the migration is heavy. Growers can use follow-up sprays on border rows if protection wears off before the end of chinch bug migration.

Most often the damage is noticed only after several rows of sorghum or feed have been severely stunted or killed. Ideally treating promptly as migrations begin and before significant numbers of bugs enter the field and small plants are affected is best.

An insecticide spray can be used over the affected rows and approximately an additional 100 feet beyond. Also, spraying about 100 feet into the wheat stubble is advisable if chinch bugs are still coming out of the wheat field.

Most currently approved insecticides have good efficacy against chinch bugs, if three factors are considered. First, it is important to use the full recommended rate of the selected insecticide, preferably applied in 20 to 40 gallons of water per acre. High gallonage ensures good plant coverage and enhances the movement of material into protected plant parts such as leaf sheaths, which increases the probability of contact with bugs. Second, the material should be applied with properly adjusted and calibrated equipment.

Cone nozzles designed for high-pressure use will create smaller droplets and improve coverage. Third, the timing of the insecticide application is critical. Early morning applications are preferred because winds are calm (reducing drift), temperatures are cool (reducing volatilization of chemicals), and a large proportion of the chinch bug population will be on the plants and exposed to the application. None of the materials currently registered for use against chinch bugs has long residual efficacy and plants can outgrow the protection. Because peak migrations may continue for 10 days or more, monitoring is required to determine if additional applications to border rows are necessary.

There are several insecticides labeled for the control of chinch bugs listed in the K-State Research & Extension publication “Sorghum Insect Management 2019 which can be found on our web site at www.cottonwood.ksu.edu

If you have any questions or need further information, contact Stacy Campbell at the Cottonwood District Extension Office, Hays at 785-628-9430 or email [email protected]

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

For the first time, monthly U.S. crude oil production figures topped 12 million barrels per day, while Texas and Oklahoma also set records. According to the Petroleum Supply Monthly report from the Energy Information Administration, U.S. operators tapped nearly 12.2 million barrels per day in April, the latest monthly figures available. Oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma all hit record highs. Texas reached 4.97 million barrels per day, while Oklahoma notched 617,000 barrels per day. Kansas production in April was 95,000 barrels per day.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a big decline in domestic crude oil inventories to 468.5 million barrels for the week ending June 28. That’s down more than one million barrels for the week. The government reported weekly U.S. production increased slightly to more than 12.2 million barrels per day. Average production over the last four weeks is up nearly 12% over the same four-week period a year ago. Imports increased nearly one million barrels to 7.6 million barrels per day. Imports over the last four weeks averaged about 7.3 million barrels per day, which is 13% less than the same four-week period last year.

Operators reported continuing problems with high water across the area causing delays in drilling activity. Independent Oil & Gas Service reports drilling was underway on one lease in Ellis County, but said flooding delayed work at four other sites. Across Western Kansas there are 24 active rigs, up two. There are seven seven active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, which is up one over last week.

Baker Hughes reported a big drop in its weekly rig count, with 963 active rigs, a drop of five oil rigs and one seeking natural gas. The count in Oklahoma was down five rigs, Louisiana was down four. New Mexico was up three rigs. The count in Canada was down four at 120 active rigs.

Regulators report 25 new Kansas drilling permits for the week, 480 so far this year, with 15 permits in eastern Kansas and ten west of Wichita. There’s one new permit on file in Ellis County.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reports 27 newly completed wells last week across Kansas, 777 so far this year. There were twenty completions east of Wichita, and seven in Western Kansas, including one dry hole in Stafford County.

One of the world’s largest oil-field service companies, Weatherford International filed for bankruptcy protection on last week. The Wall Street Journal reports bondholders approved a restructuring agreement that will reduce Weatherford’s total debt by 70% or almost $6 billion. Five years ago, the company was worth more than $12 billion, but the Journal reports equity shareholders would be left virtually empty-handed under the agreement.

An Oklahoma company bogged down by earthquakes, disposal limits and lawsuits will face an involuntary bankruptcy case in federal court in Oklahoma. White Star Petroleum tried to get the case dismissed in favor of a voluntary Chapter 11 filing in Delaware. But The Daily Oklahoman reports the hearings will be held locally. The company’s hopes for crude production from the Mississippian Lime play were doused by the huge amounts of water those wells produced, the earthquakes that followed disposal of that water, and the lawsuits that followed one of those earthquakes.

Q: What are some types of skin cancer?
A: The three major types are basal cell, squamous cell and malignant melanoma. In general, one in five, or 20 percent of people in the U.S. have had or will have some type of skin cancer. In Australia where the sun is intense, two out of three skin cancers are basal cell, one in four are squamous cell, and one in twelve are malignant melanoma.

Q: Should I go to a dermatologist for screening?
A: The dermatologist is the most experienced with skin cancer, but primary care providers can help, too. Realize, however, that the first person to discover skin cancer should be you, along with a partner to look over places you cannot see. Self-screening is especially important for those at high risk for skin cancer.

Q: Who is at high risk for skin cancer?
A: At highest risk would be anyone who has had a bad sunburn or excessive lifetime sun exposure, especially when young, and those with light complexion, freckles, blue eyes, blond or red hair. At higher risk for malignant melanoma are those with many moles, with a prior personal history of skin cancer, and with a family history of malignant melanoma.

Q: Does sunscreen help prevent skin cancer?
A: This is widely presumed to be true but not yet scientifically proven. In fact, some speculate that people who use sunscreen may feel emboldened to expose themselves to more hours of damaging sunlight. Also, using sunscreen to shield skin from sunlight may possibly result in vitamin D deficiency. All that said, it is my opinion there is enough evidence to use sunscreen all year long and, if you live in the northern climates, take 2000 IU of vitamin D daily.

Q: How do I know when to go to the doctor?
A: The ABCDE mnemonic helps in knowing when a skin lesion might be dangerous. A: asymmetry or irregularly shaped; B: border fuzzy not sharp; C: more than one color in it; D: diameter wider than pencil width; and E: lesion evolving or changing. It is common to mistake a benign and safe look-a-like seborrheic keratosis for a possible malignant melanoma. Seborrheic keratosis is light brown to black, raised, and waxy. If one can partially peel or scratch off waxy material with a fingernail, then it is likely a benign keratosis. Malignant melanomas can be either flat or nodular…but never waxy.

No question, if ever you are in doubt, see your doctor.

For free and easy access to the entire Prairie Doc® library, visit www.prairiedoc.org and follow The Prairie Doc® on Facebook, featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc® a medical Q&A show streamed most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

One plus one equals ten. Well, it’s obvious that I flunked new math. But today we’ll learn about one community which got together with another to co-create an exceptional new model of health care delivery in rural America.

Martha Hadsall is chair of the board of directors of the Patterson Health Center, a new health care facility in Harper County. Martha, a longtime teacher in Harper, was also involved with the local hospital.

Anthony, population 2,269, and Harper, population 1,473, are Harper County’s two largest communities, located 9 miles apart. Both had small, financially struggling hospitals. In 2012, a community health needs assessment identified integration between the two hospitals as the top concern. However, the two towns were longtime rivals.

In 2015, a proposal came from Neal Patterson, a native of Anthony who had grown up on a nearby family farm. According to the stories, when working in the fields, his father told Neal and his brothers to “do one more round after sundown.” Neal Patterson carried that work ethic and a brilliant mind into a career in medical information technology. He co-founded the highly successful Cerner Corporation in Kansas City.

Patterson was aware that the hospitals back in his home county were struggling with future plans. “He told us that if we were to do research on a merger that could create a new model of health care delivery, he would be our biggest benefactor,” Martha said.

Extensive research followed. Studies found that a new facility was the most financially sustainable option. The board committed to not increase property taxes for the new facility, and to not require a reduction in staff employment.

Following a successful petition drive, the two hospital districts merged and developed plans for a new joint facility. In 2017, the Patterson Family Foundation made a $35 million commitment to the new facility. Sadly, Neal Patterson passed away from cancer, but the commitment remained.

The boards selected the new site on 60 acres next to the shared high school, approximately halfway between Harper and Anthony. “We want to build connections,” Martha said. The next step was to design a state-of-the-art medical facility called the Patterson Health Center.

“It is intentionally called a health center, not a hospital,” Martha said. “We’re about health, not sickness.” It’s based on an integrated care model.

In addition to state-of-the-art equipment, the inpatient, outpatient, and emergency services are structured to maintain privacy, meet modern needs, utilize technology, and encourage collaboration among physicians and specialists. The facility will also include a rehabilitation area, hydrotherapy pool, tornado shelters, helipad, outdoor patios, and a café open to the public. Pat Patton was hired as CEO.

“Our theme is `Together for a healthy future,’ and the architects created `Two communities under one roof,’” Martha said. Together, the two hospital districts are able to eliminate duplication and achieve benefits. For example, the two existing hospitals each had what is called a 16 slice CT scanner, which required each one to have a $40,000 maintenance policy. The Patterson Health Center will have one new 64 slice CT scanner which operates in a matter of microseconds.

Inside the entrance, there is a beautiful wooden display of a map of the health center’s service area from Wellington to Medicine Lodge. Anthony and Harper are shown in the center, with Patterson Health Center in between. Outlying rural communities are shown as well, such as Milan, population 82, Danville, population 38, and Freeport, population 5 people. Now, that’s rural.

At the staff entrance, there is a huge and beautiful rendering of a pretty prairie sunset. “It’s a reminder to the staff of what Neal Patterson’s father said, to `make one more round after sundown,’” Martha said.

The Patterson Health Center is to be dedicated on July 19, 2019. See www.hhd5.com for more information.

One plus one equals ten. No, it’s not new math. It’s an example of two communities coming together to create something great. We commend Martha Hadsall, Pat Patton, and all those who are making a difference by creating this new model of rural health care. I hope it becomes a perfect 10.

The majority of Americans consider fake news and misinformation to be serious threats to democracy — and that fear may actually be making us better and savvier news consumers.

Last week, the First Amendment Center of the Freedom Forum Institute released the results of the 2019 State of the First Amendment survey. We’ve been conducting this survey since 1997, taking stock of what Americans know and how they feel about their expressive freedoms — and each year we brace ourselves for bad news.

So, it was a bit of a shock for us to look at the data and find that this year’s results are, relatively speaking, actually pretty good.

Knowledge of the five First Amendment freedoms — speech, religion, press, assembly and petition — is at an all-time high. This year, 71 percent of Americans were able to name at least one of the five freedoms, up from 60 percent in 2018. More people could name specific freedoms than in years past.

Comparing 2019 to 2018, those naming free speech rose to 64 percent from 56 percent; those naming freedom of religion rose to 29 percent from 15 percent and respondents naming freedom of the press rose to 22 percent from 15 percent.

My colleague Gene Policinski wrote a piece cautioning against too much giddiness in the wake of these findings, because the rise in awareness is most likely due to the fact people are increasingly worried about losing these freedoms.

Fair point. But still, it’s nice to see that our anxiety is making us slightly sharper.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the responses to the questions we asked about how Americans feel about the news and those who provide it. Seventy-seven percent of our survey respondents agreed that misinformation on the internet and the spread of fake news were serious threats to democracy. One might expect that fear to translate into a rising distrust in the press at large. But that wasn’t the case. Instead, our data showed that more Americans think the news media reports the news accurately and without bias than they did in 2017, the last time we asked that question (48 percent vs. 43 percent).

Furthermore, a majority of Americans agree that it is important for our democracy that the news media act as a watchdog on government — 72 percent, up from an all-time low of 68 percent in 2017. These might not seem like drastic improvements, but they are significant ones. They indicate that the specter of fake news hasn’t eroded all trust in all media — instead, it seems that Americans are putting greater trust in media outlets that do real reporting.

They’re also becoming more media literate. Americans are taking more steps to verify and review the news they read online, by:

• • Talking with others (80 percent, up from 73 percent in 2016);
  • Looking at other news stories (78 percent, up from 72 percent in 2016);
  • Reading comments about the story (71 percent, up from 58 percent in 2016);
  • Looking for a rating from a fact-checking website (46 percent, up from about 42 percent in 2016).

None of these tactics is foolproof, but the uptick in each of them suggests Americans are no longer taking everything they see on the internet at face value — and that’s a good thing for our democracy.

Lata Nott is executive director of the First Amendment Center of the Freedom Forum Institute. Contact her via email at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @LataNott.

Pop quiz:

1. Who was the last elected Republican incumbent senator to lose in the general election?

2. Who was the last elected Senate incumbent of either party to lose in the general election?

3. Since 1969, how many open U.S. Senate has Kansas had?

4. When was the last senator from Johnson County elected? Who was it?

The answers:

#1: The last elected incumbent Republican to lose was Charles Curtis, defeated in 1912, only to return to the Senate in 1915 and subsequently become vice-president.

#2. Democrat George McGill won in 1932 but lost his 1938 bid for re-election. No Democrat has since won a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas.

#3. Formally, three. Jim Pearson’s seat in 1978, won by Nancy Landon Kassebaum. Her seat in 1996, won by Pat Roberts. And Sam Brownback’s seat in 2010, won by Jerry Moran. For all intents and purposes, Sheila Frahm’s seat in 1996 was open; appointed by Governor Bill Graves, she lost the GOP primary to Brownback.

#4. The last Johnson County U.S. Senator was Pearson (1962-1978), the only one over the past century.

Why are these questions important? Because Kansas rarely has an open U.S. Senate seat. Few retire and none (save the appointed Frahm) lose.

Thus, Senator Pat Roberts’s retirement decision has produced a wide-open 2020 race to succeed him. For Republican candidates, it’s an opportunity to have an extended tenure in national office; for Democrats, in the wake of 2018 victories, it represents an historic chance to capture a U.S. Senate seat.

The 2020 election may seem distant, but the filing deadline is just 11 months away. Prospective candidates need to be ready.

First, a roster of possible nominees. For Republicans, state treasurer Jake LaTurner and former NFL player Dave Lindstrom are in, while Representative Roger Marshall and Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle are all but declared; likewise, perhaps, Chamber of Commerce President Alan Cobb.

There are more: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, American Conservative Union president Matt Schlapp, and maybe even former governor Jeff Colyer and 2018 lieutenant governor candidate Wink Hartman.

Among Democrats, former U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and former Representative Nancy Boyda have already declared, and State Senator Barbara Bollier is contemplating a run. Add to those the name of Sarah Smarsh, the best-selling author and powerful voice of rural America.

For Republicans, two things stand out: (1) If Pompeo gets into the race, even fairly late, he will be the odds-on favorite, attracting funds and presidential support; (2) absent Pompeo, the GOP race will be unpredictable, and the number of candidates could well determine the outcome, especially if several conservatives battle it out, allowing a relative moderate like Schmidt to prevail.

With Laura Kelly’s and Sharice Davids’s solid 2018 wins, Democratic visions of capturing the senate seat seem not completely far-fetched. But it’s still a very long shot, unless Kobach wins the nomination, which would provide an opening. While giving Bollier, Boyda, and Grissom their due as serious candidates, the most intriguing possibility is Smarsh, whose memoir/social analysis in Heartland has propelled her into the conversation about a possible Senate run. With her appeal to the Davids/Kelly constituencies and her roots in rural Kansas, Smarsh would offer Democrats a fresh option. They might say, “After almost 90 years, what do we have to lose?”

Still, like hens’ teeth, Democratic U.S. Senate victories are beyond rare, but a far-right Republican candidate might produce a real race for the first time since Bob Dole squeaked by Bill Roy in 1974.

Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

What are you doing for your summer vacation? I love to listen and learn about travel. Education is available all over the globe, and, at Fort Hays State, one of the creative ways we fulfill our mission to help transform minds and advance futures is by providing experiences in other countries.

This past year, I marveled at Student Body President Adam Schibi’s exploration of our world. He studied last summer in London at the London School of Economics – a great experience for an accounting major like Adam. Over the winter break he traveled to Italy with his younger sister to help her begin a semester study abroad. Then, in May, he traveled with the FHSU delegation to China. Discussing his experience in China, Adam said, “It was a great opportunity to meet faculty and students at our partner institutions, learn about their culture, and see what it is like to be a Tiger from the other side of the globe.”

What an opportunity for Adam! At his age, my only international experience was stepping over the border into Canada.

I love that our students have wonderful opportunities to travel abroad – beginning in their freshman year. Some of our learning communities, such as Everybody’s Business (a learning community for freshmen from any major who have an interest in business or entrepreneurship) created innovative opportunities for students to learn more about their majors through travel. Students in this learning community had the opportunity to travel to the Caribbean to serve as interns in start-up companies. Amazing!

Students have several options to help them enhance their “world readiness.” Faculty-led programs are short-term study tours over breaks. This year, leadership studies students traveled to Belize in January while students in applied business traveled to Costa Rica and Ecuador, and graduate students traveled to Italy.

During spring break, art students traveled to Germany, Prague, and Vienna. This summer, some teacher education students will travel to England and/or Costa Rica; geoscience students to Ireland; economic students to Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest; health and human performance students to Italy and Greece; modern language students to Germany; nursing students to the Dominican Republic; and biology students to the African country of Senegal.

In addition to short, faculty-led study trips, our students have the opportunity to study a semester or a year through exchange programs. The great thing about FHSU exchange programs is that our students pay FHSU tuition and fees (among the lowest in the nation) while attending a different university in the United States or abroad. These experiences can really enhance an education. I once heard about a biology student who did a year exchange in Florida to learn more about marine biology. What a great idea.

We also have travel opportunities through our international partners, including China, Germany, Paraguay, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom, and not just for students. Faculty also have the opportunity to travel. Through the faculty exchange program, our professors share their scholarly expertise, foster research relationships with their international colleagues and increase their cultural knowledge. For example, faculty traveling to China this summer presented their research on a wide variety of topics, including bat sensory ecology; teaching communication skills to children; adapting to western writing expectations; business aviation around the world; enterprise risk management in banking; precision agriculture; the historical relationship of international trade to world and regional peace; stress reduction for college students; ethics and social responsibility; managing burnout in the workplace; and governmental response to natural destruction.

Stacey Lang, FHSU study abroad coordinator, said, “One thing is for sure – study abroad can transform a student even in just a few weeks! The transferrable skills obtained and the personal development that a student undergoes while stepping out of their comfort zone is so rewarding to witness. It truly does impact them academically, personally and professionally.”

I really appreciate the fact that we offer strong support for students and faculty who choose to travel. That support includes scholarships and financial aid, information sessions, assistance with all of the paperwork that goes along with traveling, and, most importantly, helpful advice and enthusiastic encouragement from those who have traveled before them.

Traveling is indeed a deep, exciting learning opportunity. Aimee Johnson graduated this May with a degree in communication studies with an emphasis in public relations and advertising. She is spending her summer working for a public relations firm in Barcelona! Aimee said: “Traveling abroad can only teach me more about myself, and I am incredibly ready for that experience. I desire to explore other cultures and to learn about life outside the United States. I see traveling as so much more than a stamp on my passport. Everyone can gain something from being outside their comfort zone. I am ready for this experience.”

Our faculty and students are traveling, sharing, learning, growing and modeling what it means to be a world ready Tiger!

By GLENN BRUNKOW
Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher

I am here, in the house, writing this column because we had another round of rain, and I cannot be out mowing hay. I said last summer I was not going to complain about rain, but here we are a year later, and it is hard not to. It appears the whole universe is against those of us in agriculture, and we can’t catch a break.

Between weather, trade wars and record-low farm income, it is easy to get down. We all get down at times, I know I did this winter. We had wave after wave of bad weather; it never let us catch a breath or fully recover from the havoc it wreaked on our livestock. I remember one night coming in and telling Jennifer, my wife, I could not take it anymore.

She listened to me and consoled and counseled me the best way she knew how. I was lucky, I had a support team around me who helped me with chores and things got better. That is not always the case. Every day I read stories about the mental health crisis in agriculture and the rising rates of suicide among our friends and neighbors. I understand, and I am worried.

Several times I have been asked what Kansas Farm Bureau can do about this crisis, and I must admit I don’t have any easy answers. We have talked about it. Kansas State Extension and Research has a wonderful program to connect farmers and ranchers with the help they need. Resources and mental health professionals are often just a call away. However, these resources are seldom used.

I get it — it’s tough to admit we need help. I don’t see my medical doctor as often as I should, and medical problems do not have the stigma mental health issues do. That is a downfall of our society, and one we had better get over in a hurry. We have also been raised with the idea that emotions should not be shown, things will get better, just suck it up and go on. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

I don’t know what the answer is. I know we need more resources funneled into mental health. I know it is going to be a bigger and bigger problem if this economy and weather don’t straighten out. While I may not have all the answers, I do know one thing we can all do.

Take care of each other. Watch your neighbors and friends, offer support and, most importantly, if you think someone is struggling talk about it. Let their family know, talk to them, don’t ever let anyone think they are going through this by themselves and don’t be afraid to intervene. Take the time to check on friends and neighbors you haven’t seen for a while. The best thing about farmers and ranchers is the community, and communities care for everyone. Together we will get through this.

“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson closed out the month of June at $48.75 [[“forty-eight seventy-five”]] per barrel. That’s five dollars more than at the beginning of the month, thirteen dollars more than at the beginning of the year, but nearly sixteen dollars less than last year at this time. The average price for June was $45.14 [[“forty-five fourteen”]] per barrel, compared to $57.50 [[“fifty-seven fifty”]] in June of last year.

Baker Hughes reported 967 active drilling rigs across the U.S. Friday, an increase of four oil rigs. There are 124 active drilling rigs in Canada, up five. Oklahoma reports an increase of two rigs and Texas was up one. Independent Oil & Gas Service reports six active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, up two for the week, and 22 west of Wichita, which is unchanged.

Triple-A is predicting higher gasoline prices for some of us going into the Independence Day holiday. A fire in Philadelphia forced the permanent shutdown of the oldest and largest refinery on the east coast. The federal government announced large reductions in domestic crude oil and gasoline inventories. This could all push pump prices higher. The national average price for a gallon of regular on Monday (7/1) was up a penny to just over $2.71 a gallon, which is about 11 cents lower than last month at this time. The average in Kansas was a little over $2.46 a gallon. Locally, you should be able to save about two dollars on your 15-gallon fill up compared to a month ago.

Regulators report just 115 new intent-to-drill notices across Kansas for the month of June, bringing the statewide total to just 530 for the first half of 2019. That’s 355 fewer intents than the total through June of 2018, a year in which total Kansas crude production reached its lowest level in more than a decade. There was one new intent filed last month Barton County. That’s 18 so far this year. Ellis County reports six new intents in June and 20 through the month of June. Russell County had one last month and seven year-to-date. There were no new intents filed last month in Stafford County, which has 11 for the first six months of the year.

The Kansas Geological Survey reports the state’s crude oil production in March was 2.8 million barrels. First quarter production was just over 8.1 million barrels statewide. Barton County production stands just short of 400-thousand barrels for the first three months of the year. Ellis County produced 625-thousand barrels. The total in Russell County was 369-thousand barrels and Stafford County produced just over 253-thousand.

Regulators approved 24 permits for drilling at new locations statewide last week, seven east of Wichita and 17 in Western Kansas, for a total of 455 permits so far this year. There’s one new permit in Ellis County and one in Russell County.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reports continuing weather-related problems delaying some production activity in Western Kansas. There were four leases in Ellis County where the site is too wet to begin completion work. There was one well completed in Ellis County last week and three in Barton County. Across the state there were 46 newly-completed wells, 750 so far this year. There were 33 completions in Western Kansas and 13 east of Wichita.

The government said U.S. crude oil inventories dropped nearly 13 million barrels last week to 469.6 million barrels. That’s about five percent more than the five-year average for this time of year.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported domestic production was down slightly to 12.07 million barrels per day for the week ending June 21. That’s a drop of 92-thousand barrels from the week before, but over a million barrels per day more than a year ago at this time.

Imports were down more than 800-thousand barrels to 6.7 million barrels per day. The four week average for imports is down more than 10% from the same period a year ago.

A new report shows that we’re consuming a lot more oil than we’re producing. According to the authoritative Statistical Review of World Energy from BP, worldwide crude oil consumption set a record last year at 99.8 million barrels per day. Worldwide production only reached 94.7 million barrels per day. The United States remains the world’s top oil consumer, at 20.5 million barrels per day last year. China was second and India was third.

Sky high economic expectations in the Permian Basin in southeastern New Mexico are prompting United Airlines to offer daily flights direct from Hobbs, New Mexico to Denver. United is ready to start the new service October 28. Flights from Hobbs to Houston began eight years ago.