KDA

MANHATTAN — The Neighbor to Neighbor statewide food drive kicked off Kansas Agriculture Month in support of our neighbors in need and to reduce hunger in Kansas communities.

Harvesters–The Community Food Bank in Topeka, Kansas, hosted state leaders, including Governor Sam Brownback, representatives of the food banks of Kansas, Dillons Food Stores employees and members of the Kansas agriculture community.

The food drive is a collaborative effort by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Dillons Food Stores, Harvesters–The Community Food Network, Kansas Food Bank, Second Harvest Community Food Bank and the Kansas agriculture community. The goal is to raise 85,000 meals for Kansas families during the food drive throughout the month of March.

Kansans can contribute to the campaign at Dillons Food Stores statewide, at other community locations across the state or through the virtual donation portal, http://ksn2n.harvestersvfd.org.

Governor Brownback signed a proclamation declaring March as Kansas Agriculture Month and March 21 as Kansas Agriculture Day. He also stressed the importance of serving our neighbors in need as well as educating all Kansans about how the food they eat transitions from farm to fork.

Governor Brownback recognized the value of agriculture to the state of Kansas and thanked the food banks for their service to our state. Staff from the three food banks, representatives from Dillons Food Stores, Kansas FFA officers and representatives from the Kansas Department of Agriculture and other state agencies and agriculture organizations then joined together to pack boxes of food to be distributed to Kansans in need.

“It is important for all of us to work together to feed those in our Kansas communities who are food insecure, because when families and children have enough to eat, our communities are stronger and our state is stronger,” said Brian Walker, CEO of Kansas Food Bank. “We greatly appreciate our partners in the Neighbor to Neighbor food drive and we encourage Kansans to join us in this statewide effort.”

Dillons Food Stores made an initial donation of several thousand pounds of non-perishable food items at the kickoff event, where the participants packed 287 boxes of food to be distributed to low-income seniors in Kansas.

To learn more about the Neighbor to Neighbor statewide food drive and ways to participate in Kansas Agriculture Month, visit www.agriculture.ks.gov/ksagday.

KDHE

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) encourages farmers and ranchers who have lost livestock in the ongoing wildfires to contact the agency as soon as possible for assistance with disposing of dead livestock.

KDHE’s Bureau of Waste Management can help farmers and ranchers determine the safest and most effective means of livestock disposal. The agency works with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to help farmers and ranchers with disposal, including selecting and permitting locations for those who wish to bury dead livestock on-site.

Farmers and ranchers who have lost livestock in the fires should contact Ken Powell, Compliance and Enforcement, Waste Reduction and Assistance Section Chief for the Bureau of Waste Management, at (785) 296-1121 or [email protected].

KDA

MANHATTAN ­­— The Kansas Department of Agriculture encourages all citizens to better prepare their homes, businesses and communities for the upcoming flood season during the week of March 6-10, 2017. Flood Safety Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for and understanding flooding in Kansas.

The Kansas Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies flooding as one of the costliest types of natural disaster in Kansas, in terms of lives lost, injuries and property damage. Floods threaten people, homes and other property in every county in Kansas.

KDA’s Division of Water Resources (KDA–DWR) encourages Kansans to be aware of flood hazards especially if you live in a low-lying area, near water or downstream from a dam. Most flood-related deaths are caused by people attempting to drive through moving water. Find out if roads are closed due to flooding at the Kansas Department of Transportation website, kandrive.org.

KDA is the state agency devoted to the total support of agriculture in Kansas and helps to protect natural resources and promote public health and safety along with animal health. KDA–DWR’s floodplain management team creates new flood maps and trains surveyors and floodplain managers to better flood insurance estimates, property protection and most importantly, to protect lives.

Follow KDA on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about flood safety this week. For more flood safety resources from KDA–DWR, go to agriculture.ks.gov/flood-safety.

KDA

MANHATTAN ­­— The Kansas Department of Agriculture has partnered with the Kansas Department of Commerce to award funds to Kansas entrepreneurs to encourage innovation and entrepreneurial spirit within the agriculture industry. These funds are made available by the JumpStart Kansas Entrepreneur program.

“A strong agriculture industry is the foundation of the Kansas economy,” said Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey. “We are committed to economic growth, and this program will expand opportunities for agricultural innovation across the state of Kansas.”

A total of $100,000 is available to disperse in $10,000 increments among selected applicants. Money will be awarded to Kansas-based individuals and companies toward the goal of creating new businesses. Proposed ideas must fall under one of these categories: entrepreneurial concepts or ideas, proof of concept, company growth opportunities or start-ups (not limited to first stage). The product or service must be innovative, whether it be a new idea, device, method or application of a better solution.

Application reviews will begin March 22. Awards will be made until funds are exhausted. Awardees will be paid funds in early April and will be required to submit quarterly reports for one year following the award announcement or until their project or service application goals are satisfactorily met.

The goal of JumpStart Kansas Entrepreneur is to develop the entrepreneurial spirit in the state by encouraging new businesses. This program will allow individuals who do not have access to adequate funds to make their innovative ideas a reality. Kansas agriculture has developed specific desired outcomes for growth in the agricultural technology and entrepreneurship sector, with an objective to “foster a business environment that supports new and expanding enterprises.” This project directly addresses an outcome by providing start-up capital to agricultural entrepreneurs through the JumpStart Kansas Entrepreneur program.

For application details, go to the KDA website at agriculture.ks.gov/business-development. Questions should be directed to Kerry Wefald, agriculture marketing director, at (785) 564-6758 or [email protected].

KDC

The Kansas Department of Commerce, in partnership with KANSASWORKS, will host the 2017 KANSASWORKS Statewide Job Fair on March 9, 2017. The annual job fair will provide employers, veterans and job seekers with the unique opportunity to connect face-to-face. This aids in the ability for the employer and employee to make a genuine connection.

“Workforce and Commerce are inextricably linked through the mutual goal of successful employer-employee relationships and quality work,” said Kansas Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave. “The Department of Commerce values the opportunity to unite the businesses we work so closely with to the skilled and valuable employees they need to fill their crucial positions.”

This is also an opportunity for veterans of any status and their families to meet with a variety of employers in an array of industries and fields. Veterans at any stage in their career search are invited, including active duty, reservists or National Guard. The KANSASWORKS Statewide Job Fair will also give veterans an opportunity to meet with these employers before the job fair opens to the public.

“The Kansas workforce is made up of highly-skilled and talented individuals with a passion and drive that brings an inherent value to every task they set their minds to,” said Kansas Commerce Deputy Secretary for Workforce Services Brad Klinge. “Our workers make up the fabric of this state, holding it together through their unending will and commitment to excellence.”

The event will take place at 11 different locations throughout the state, including Dodge City, El Dorado, Kansas City, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Overland Park, Parsons, Topeka, Wellington and Wichita. The job fair will open exclusively to veterans from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and at 3:00 p.m. all job seekers are invited to attend.

Employers interested in participating in the 2017 KANSASWORKS Statewide Job Fair or job seekers looking for the location nearest to them can visit KansasWorks.com, under the Upcoming Events table. For more information, you may also call (877) 509-6757.

KDWPT

PRATT – Anglers are eager for warm weather and time on the water, and one of the hallmarks of spring fishing is the opening of the paddlefish snagging season. But hold on, it’s not as easy as showing up on opening day. While there are several rivers in southeast Kansas where paddlefish snagging is allowed, conditions must be right for paddlefish to be present.

The Kansas paddlefish season runs March 15–May 15 during the annual spring spawning run. Paddlefish may be taken in posted areas inside Chetopa and Burlington city parks on the Neosho River; on the Neosho River at Iola, downstream from the dam to the city limits; on the Marais des Cygnes River below Osawatomie Dam, downstream to a posted boundary; on the Marais des Cygnes River on the upstream boundary of the Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area, downstream to the Kansas-Missouri border; and the Browning Oxbow of the Missouri River (Doniphan County).

Water temperatures of 50-55 degrees and an increase in river flow will start paddlefish moving upstream out of reservoirs. Most Kansas paddlefish are caught from the Neosho River at Chetopa, but for paddlefish to be present there requires a significant increase in river flow. It’s a good idea to call local Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism offices or area bait shops for river and angler updates before traveling to a site.

Paddlefish have been around for more than 300 million years, and these large, prehistoric looking fish are unique in several ways. First, they are similar to sharks in that their skin is scaleless and smooth, and their skeleton is made of cartilage rather than bones. And second, they are filter feeders, eating only microscopic zooplankton. As a result, they can only be caught by snagging. Kansas waters commonly produce paddlefish weighing 30-60 pounds, and the world record paddlefish that weighed 144 pounds was caught in Kansas.

Paddlefish anglers must have a paddlefish permit ($12.50 for adults, $7.50 for youth), which includes six carcass tags. Because the permit includes carcass tags, it must be purchased in-person from a license vendor or by calling 1-800-918-2877, in which case permit and carcass tags will be mailed. Permit-holders can snag up to two fish per day, and six for the season. Unless exempt, paddlefish snaggers must also have a Kansas fishing license.

Paddlefish may be snagged using pole and line with not more than two single or treble hooks. Barbless hooks must be used in Chetopa City Park. Catch and release is allowed in Burlington, Chetopa, and Iola, except that once attached to a stringer, a fish becomes part of the daily creel limit. There is a 24-inch minimum length limit for fish snagged in the Missouri River boundary waters, and there is a 34-inch minimum length limit for fish snagged on the Marias des Cygnes River.

Immediately upon harvest, anglers must sign a carcass tag, record the county, date and time of harvest, and attach the tag to the lower jaw of the paddlefish. Paddlefish caught out of season or in non-snagging areas may be kept only if they are hooked inside the mouth.

For information, consult your 2017 Kansas Fishing Regulation Summary, or visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Fishing,” “Fishing Regulations,” then “Paddlefish Snagging.”

KDA

MANHATTAN — From workforce development to increased market access to research and development of new technologies and products, agriculture is primed for growth. Based on direct input and collaboration with hundreds of Kansas agricultural leaders, the Kansas Department of Agriculture has compiled and summarized industry feedback into desired growth outcomes for 19 specific sectors of the industry. The outcomes document has now been published on the Kansas Department of Agriculture website, agriculture.ks.gov/GrowAg, along with documents providing expanded background information for each of the 19 agricultural sectors.

“At every stage of this project, we have been pleased with the enthusiasm, initiative and spirit of cooperation shown by agricultural leaders throughout the state, who are eager to work together to enhance an environment for growth in Kansas,” said Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey. “It comes as no surprise to us that the farmers, ranchers, and agricultural business leaders of Kansas understand the need to look to the future in strategic ways to create short-term and long-term expansion of our state’s agriculture industry.”

The Kansas Agricultural Growth Strategy project has been coordinated by KDA, with participation by more than 500 agricultural stakeholders. This project is a direct response to the call to action issued at the August 2015 meeting of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors hosted by KDA. A highlight of the project was the inaugural Kansas Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth, which was held in Manhattan in August 2016. The Summit brought together nearly 400 leaders from across industry sectors under one roof to talk about barriers, challenges, opportunities, growth goals and next steps.

Input from the Summit, as well as from smaller meetings both before and after the event, led to the identification of desired industry outcomes, which can be found at the Ag Growth website. These documents are not intended to represent the opinions and priorities of the state government, but as a compilation of feedback from agricultural stakeholders which will now serve as a guidance document for private, public and academic partners to work together to grow the agricultural industry.

“Growing the Kansas economy is a top priority, and to grow the Kansas economy the agriculture industry must grow,” said Governor Sam Brownback. “I appreciate the commitment of everyone across the state who has worked on this agricultural growth project and I look forward to seeing their progress in the future.” Agriculture is Kansas’ largest industry and economic driver, contributing $64 billion to the Kansas economy, and employing nearly 13 percent of the Kansas workforce.

Individual action plans for each outcome have been developed by members of the KDA Growth Team in consultation with industry partners, and will be used to track progress of the strategic growth project.

The industry will gather once again this summer for the second annual Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, to evaluate progress on the actions plans and to identify next steps for the Kansas agriculture industry. Information on the Summit will be posted as it becomes available at agriculture.ks.gov/summit.

KDC

TOPEKA–The 2017 Global Manufacturing Summit, hosted by the Kansas Department of Commerce, in partnership with Pittsburg State University will take place on Thursday and Friday, April 6 – 7, 2017. The Global Manufacturing Summit will bring together industry experts to discuss modern issues and innovative and practical solutions for the future of manufacturing.

“The Global Manufacturing Summit will showcase Kansas’ hard-working manufacturers as well as the industry’s high-tech, innovative practices,” said Kansas Governor Sam Brownback. “It speaks volumes to the Kansas manufacturing sector that global industry-leaders are coming here to discuss the future of manufacturing.”

Governor Sam Brownback will be the keynote speaker at the Summit’s lunch and Mr. Cliff Pemble, CEO of Garmin, will provide the keynote address at dinner. In addition, six panels will be offered on the following topics related to manufacturing:

• Packaging/Graphics & Imaging Technology
• Transportation Manufacturing
• Agriculture & Heavy Equipment
• Sustainable Materials
• Construction Manufacturing
• Emerging Technologies

Expert speakers from industry-leading companies will provide insight to the panel discussions, including speakers from companies such as, M&M/Mars Chocolate, Inc., BlackRock Alternative Investors, POET Ethanol, GE Plastics of Brazil, AGCO, Inc., Dairy Farmers of America, Kenny Construction of Chicago, Fosber Manufacturing of Green Bay and Western Forms.

The Manufacturing Summit will provide an opportunity to engage with industry leaders and discover new and innovative ways manufacturers around the world are engaging with the industry. For more information please contact Nicole Randall at [email protected].

KDWPT

PRATT – If you’re a Kansas boat owner or are thinking of buying a boat, you should know that property taxes on recreational boats have gone down as much as 75 percent since 2013. Before that, Kansas boat owners paid property taxes based on an assessed value that was 30 percent of the boat’s market worth. So if you owned a $30,000 boat, the assessed value was $9,000, and depending on the mill levee in the county you lived in, you could have paid more than $1,000 in annual property taxes.

Boats must be registered with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) to operate on public waters, and that registration fee is just $32.50 for three years. Since counties use KDWPT’s registration lists to assess property taxes, many Kansans opted to register their boats in neighboring states where the property taxes were much less. In fact, according to the Oklahoma Department of Conservation, more than 5,000 Kansas boats were registered there in 2013.

Reducing the tax rate on Kansas boats required an amendment to the state’s constitution, and the Kansas legislature put that question on the ballot in November 2012. Voters approved the amendment and a new law took effect in 2013, reducing the assessment rate in phases – 11.5 percent in 2014 to 5 percent in 2015 where it remains.

The result has been a significant reduction in property taxes on boats. Take that $30,000 boat for example. If you own that boat in Pratt County, where the mill levee is 120, you’ll pay just $180 annually.

To get the word out, KDWPT began a campaign titled: “Own It Here, Use It Here, Register It Here.” The idea is to encourage Kansas boat owners to voluntarily register their boats locally, but KDWPT law enforcement officers will also step up enforcement of the law, which requires boats to be registered in the state of principal use. Boat registration fees fund boater education programs, construction and enhancement of boat access facilities, as well as other recreational boating programs. And Kansas counties depend on property taxes to fund county services.

Remember: Own It Here, Use It Here, Register It Here.

KDEM

TOPEKA–May 20 will be a day of some note for the small Kansas town of Codell in Rooks County. It was on that date exactly 100 year ago that an F3 tornado passed just east of the town.

What makes this particularly memorable is that the year before, May 20, 1916, an F2 tornado passed to the west of the town. What makes it even more memorable is that Codell was later hit by an F4 tornado that destroyed the school, a church and hotel and several homes. The date: May 20, 1918.

While the odds of such an occurrence are extremely small – Codell has been tornado-free since then –it highlights the capricious nature of tornadoes and severe storms and the need to be prepared for them, particularly during what is known as the Severe Storm Season of April through June.

To remind Kansans to be prepared for severe weather, Gov. Sam Brownback signed a proclamation Feb. 17 designating March 6-10 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kansas. During the week, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management will place special emphasis on reminding Kansans to be mindful of severe weather alerts and to make sure they are prepared.

Kansans are also urged to take part in the statewide tornado safety drill Tuesday, March 7 10 a.m. (CST). If severe weather is imminent on March 7, the backup date for the tornado drill will be Thursday, March 9 at 10 a.m. (CST).

“Check your home emergency kit to make sure it has everything you need,” said Angee Morgan, deputy director of KDEM. “Replace outdated items. Make sure flashlights and battery-operated radios are working and test the backup batteries. If you don’t have an emergency kit, now is a good time to start putting one together.”

Morgan said there are many good checklists available online to use as guidelines for putting a kit together.

“You can go to KSReady.gov, FEMA and many other sites,” said Morgan. “Go to the store and buy the basics – water, high-energy snacks, first aid supplies – and add an item or two to your shopping list every time you go to the store.”

Morgan said the week is also a good time to sit down with your family and review your home emergency plan.
“Then practice it,’ said Morgan. “Have a drill so everyone knows what to do if the warning sirens sound and where you’ll meet if you are separated during a storm.”

To help Kansans practice their plan, there will be a statewide tornado drill on Tue., March 7. If severe weather is threatening on that date, the drill will be postponed.

KDEM also wants reminds Kansans that a storm does not have to include a tornado to be dangerous.

“Severe thunderstorms may include high straight-line winds that can knock down trees and power lines and even buildings,” said Morgan. “The possibility of large hail is another factor to consider, as is the prospect of lightning and floods.

“When the weather looks threatening, we have tendency to go stand on the porch and see if we can spot a tornado,” said Morgan. “That’s not the wisest thing to do. When severe weather is forecast, stay inside and monitor your TV, radio or social media for weather alerts. Don’t tune it out; stay tuned.”

KDR

TOPEKA – Kansas drivers can now track their driver’s license production status online and receive automatic updates when changes are made to their driving record.

The two features are available on both the Kansas Department of Revenue’s website in the vehicles’ section ksrevenue.org/vehicle.html under driver’s license and on the Division of Vehicles’ free mobile app KSVehiclesConnect.

For security purposes, Kansas does not produce driver’s license in its offices. Instead, customers are given a 60-day temporary license print out and the driver’s license is produced offsite and mailed to the customer’s residence usually within three weeks. This allows Kansas to include security features on the cards that would not be available if they were produced onsite.

With the Driver’s License Mailing Status check, customers can enter their driver’s license number, first and last names and date of birth to see where the license or ID card is in production status. The status will tell customers if the card has been sent for processing, received and is waiting to be printed, has been mailed or has been delivered.

The second feature will allow customers to received automatic text or email alerts anytime there is a change to their driving record. This includes a status change such as to suspended, revoked or restricted and if new communication is posted such as a letter. This will help customers stay informed about their driver’s license status without the need to visit an office or call to talk to a specialist.

Customers can sign up through the division’s Driver’s License Status Check feature. After entering their full name, driver’s license number and date of birth, customers will be able to view their license status, driving record and view copies of notices and at the bottom of the screen enter their email address or mobile phone number to receive updates.

KDA

MANHATTAN — The Kansas Department of Agriculture is seeking individuals to participate in a beef genetics trade mission to Costa Rica on April 23-27, 2017. In an effort to increase market opportunities for U.S. and Kansas beef genetics, this program provides an opportunity for Kansas purebred beef cattle producers and allied industry to continue developing relationships with livestock producers in Costa Rica. KDA strives to encourage and enhance economic growth of the agriculture industry and the Kansas economy by exploring and expanding both domestic and international marketing opportunities.

Attendees will participate in a field day showcasing calves sired by U.S. Red Angus and Charolais bulls crossed with local Costa Rican Brahman dams in an effort to demonstrate the advantages of heterosis in a tropical climate. Initial data from this project supports the use of U.S. genetics. Attendees will also visit a local research university implementing projects utilizing U.S. beef genetics. Additional opportunities to engage with potential buyers of beef semen and embryos and visit Costa Rican ranches will be arranged as part of the mission. Kansas ranchers and related agribusinesses specializing in producing germplasm qualified for export are invited to participate.

This trade mission is funded in part by the U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. Selected participants will be eligible for travel stipends for airfare depending upon number of applicants and fund availability. Participants will be responsible for the cost of hotels, meals and other incidental expenses.

Individuals interested in participating should complete the application form available on the KDA website at www.agriculture.ks.gov/international. The application deadline is Monday, March 6, 2017.

For more information, please contact KDA agribusiness development coordinator Billy Brown at [email protected] or (785) 564-6752.

DCF

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) provides a multitude of services to help Kansas families in need. One of those programs, the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), is a statewide commodity household program, which is on track to donate $2,606,000 in goods in 2017. With 235 distribution sites across the state, TEFAP served roughly 153,615 low-income Kansans in FY 2016.

TEFAP relies heavily on volunteers that so generously give of their time and energy. Without their efforts to help unload trucks, box the commodities and run the distribution, the program would not be possible. Kansas receives a small amount of federal funding to run this program, but 70 percent of the administrative funding goes to shipping and warehouse costs. The importance of volunteers to TEFAP cannot be understated.

One of these generous volunteers has been giving back to his community for more than 30 years. Murl Corbett, a 96 year-old World War II veteran and former mayor of Yates Center, has been helping distribute commodities to his local neighborhood since the early 1980s.

“I got involved [with the commodities program] back in 1983, when I was Mayor of Yates Center,” Corbett said. “We didn’t have a TEFAP here, so I had to send people down to Cherryvale to pick up items from their distribution center. Eventually, we started our own program, and we now serve over 200 families.”

Corbett helps distribute commodities in Yates Center out of the Woodson County Shop distribution site, which serves approximately 505 people in the community.

After three decades of volunteering, Corbett is officially retiring and moving closer to family. On Feb. 13, DCF presented Corbett with a certificate of appreciation for his many years of faithful service.

“Murl has dedicated his life to the service of others, and he is to be commended for his humility and sacrifice,” DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore said. “Programs like TEFAP would not exist without people like Murl who are graciously willing to serve others. It’s amazing the impact one person can have on an entire community.”

For more information about the TEFAP, including distribution sites in your area, visit http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/USDA-Commodity-Programs/Emergency-Food-Assistance-Program-(TEFAP).aspx.