KDWPT

MANHATTAN ­­— The From the Land of Kansas Annual Meeting and Farmers’ Market Conference will be held March 16-17, 2017, in Manhattan. The conference includes the annual meeting for members, partners and farmers’ markets. It will feature general sessions, specialized workshops and a wholesale trade show for all attendees. This year’s theme, “Focus on our Future,” embraces how members from the trademark program and farmers’ market groups can learn to make their companies and programs more successful.

“The annual meeting is an opportunity to network with other Kansas entrepreneurs in the ag industry,” said Jackie McClaskey, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture. “In addition, sessions will cover a diversity of topics and presentations by experts in the industry for continued learning and growth.”

The keynote speaker will be Jon Schallert, destination business expert, whose presentation will focus on reinventing businesses into consumer destinations. Participants in the conference and trade show also will be able to hear from other experts in the agriculture, marketing and food industries. Topics which will be featured in sessions and workshops include:

• Small business marketing
• Successfully coordinating, managing and sustaining a farmers’ market
• Food industry updates

To register or learn more about the conference, visit FromtheLandofKansas.com/AMeeting. This event is sponsored by Network Kansas; Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Hy-Vee; Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops; Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development; Kansas Association of Conservation Districts; Marion County Economic Development; Visit Manhattan; and Pottawatomie County Economic Development.

From the Land of Kansas is the state’s agriculture trademark program in the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The program works to promote and support Kansas farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses that grow, raise or manufacture agriculture products or products for agriculture use. KDA is committed to its mission to help make Kansas businesses more successful, grow rural communities and expand markets for Kansas agricultural products.

If you have questions, please contact Janelle Dobbins, From the Land of Kansas marketing manager, at (785) 564-6759 or [email protected]. To learn more about From the Land of Kansas, become a From the Land of Kansas member, or find local Kansas food, products or services, visit FromtheLandofKansas.com.

KDWPT

PRATT — Waterfowl hunting addicts may be having withdrawals since the duck seasons closed on Jan. 29 and regular goose seasons closed Feb. 12. But they will find temporary relief in the Light Goose Conservation Order, which is open Feb. 13-April 30, 2017. In an effort to reduce the population of snow and Ross’ geese, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) authorized this special hunting season for light geese.

To increase hunter success, the conservation order authorizes hunting methods not allowed during the regular seasons, including the use of electronic calls and unplugged shotguns. Extended shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. And there is no daily bag or possession limits.

The conservation order was first established in 1999 when it was determined that the population of light geese had increased more than 300 percent since the mid-1970s. Extraordinary numbers of geese have denuded portions of their fragile tundra breeding habitat in the arctic, which may take decades to recover. And the damage is impacting other bird species that nest there, including semi-palmated sandpipers and red-necked phalaropes.

For more information on this season, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click on “Hunting/When to Hunt/Migratory Birds.”

DCF

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) works diligently to improve the performance and safety of our adult and child welfare professionals. On a daily basis, our staff enter unpredictable, sometimes volatile, environments in order to protect and defend our most vulnerable Kansans. Whether entering an abusive home or testifying in court, it is important that these individuals are prepared and trained to handle difficult situations.

To that end, today, DCF unveiled its new simulation training lab during an open house, at the DCF Administration Building, 555 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka. The open house offered guests the opportunity to view the lab, as well as live training simulations.

The lab is designed to support the learning and training experiences of child welfare professionals, as well as adult protective services and licensure staff, on issues such as worker safety, interview techniques, communication techniques and investigations.

The training lab offers three different settings welfare professionals encounter. A residential arrangement includes a simulated kitchen, living room and/or bedroom. The home environment can be set up clean or dirty, and can include mock drug paraphernalia, alcohol containers, fake insects and other safety violations, to create a realistic scene. The training lab can also be transformed into a courtroom scene, complete with a judge’s bench, witness stand, court reporter, parent’s attorney and county/district attorney.

Through interaction with trained actors, workers are immersed in a realistic, interactive environment, while maintaining a safe learning experience. Simulations can be set up to include various relationships and interactions, such as family interviews, child and adult protection investigations and assessments, courtroom testimony and assessing foster and adopted families.

“This lab affords the opportunity to learn with real experiences in a safe environment, but also a very realistic environment,” DCF Strategic Development Director Beth Gunsalus said. “Our workers can learn to respond appropriately in intense, highly-emotional or unsafe situations in a home or courtroom.”

The training lab is equipped with cameras that produce a live feed in a nearby control room. Peers and supervisors can observe the training in real-time, offering additional learning experiences for other workers and providing a chance for instant feedback. In addition, the training can be broadcasted live to regional offices or recorded for online training classes.

The simulation training lab is part of the Kansas Child Welfare Professional Training Program (KCWPTP), which is a new, comprehensive training program rolling out to child welfare staff this year.

“The KCWPTP is an interactive, interwoven training system for the agency and our community partners,” Gunsalus said. “It also includes needs assessment features, allowing us to get feedback from staff on areas of emphasis they would like to focus on. This allows us to deliver the right training, to the right people, at the right time.”

KDWPT

PRATT – In late February, the computer license sales and reservation system the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has used for many years will be no more. A new and improved system, provided by Active Network, will go into full operation. Active Network has provided the software and point-of-sale hardware for 11 years that allowed KDWPT to accept campsite and cabin reservations and sell licenses online, maintaining all license records electronically. That contract expired and a new contract, with some changes, is now in place.

License buyers and campers won’t notice a big difference; however, the current license sales system will shut down at 9:45 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 18, and the new system will be online at 8 a.m. on Wed., Feb. 22. No license or permit sales will be available through the system for roughly three days. The campsite and cabin reservation system will shut down at 12:01 a.m., Mon., Feb. 20 and go back online at 6 p.m., Tue., Feb. 21.

While it may be inconvenient for anyone who tries to buy a license or make a reservation during the downtime, this time is important to allow data to be transferred, configurations to be completed and to ensure everything is working properly before going live. The new system will retain the KDWPT numbers of everyone who purchased a hunting or fishing license in the old system, and there will be no changes in pricing.

The new system will provide some advantages to users, including allowing customers to purchase hunting and fishing licenses at the same time they make camping or cabin reservations. It will allow customers to reprint licenses within 48 hours if they were unable to print during the transaction. Other features include allowing customers to browse available licenses and permits before they make a purchase, buy licenses or permits for multiple years when available (such as buying a 2017 hunting license and a 2016 HIP stamp) and logging in with an email address to edit personal information on record such as address and phone number.

One significant change with the new system involves permits that have carcass tags attached, such as deer, turkey, elk, and antelope, which could have been purchased from home and printed out on a desktop printer under the old system. This caused many issues for Law Enforcement since there was no way to prohibit someone from printing multiple carcass tags with one permit. In the new system, permits with carcass tags will have to be purchased and issued through a license agent or over the phone, in which case the permit/carcass tag will be mailed to the customer.

OFFICE OF SEN. MORAN

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today joined Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to introduce the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act (S. 407). The bipartisan legislation would further extend the short line railroad track maintenance tax credit that expired in 2014.

“Short lines matter greatly to us in Kansas,” said Sen. Moran. “It is critical for Kansas farmers and factories that we have an efficient, cost-effective way to move the commodities and goods produced in our state – and the short line railroad network fits that need. This legislation will help support large areas of the country, including many rural communities across Kansas, where short lines serve as the main connection to the national railroad network and markets far from home.”

“The team members on the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad, Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad, Kaw River Railroad, and our Pittsburg headquarters staff come to work every day to focus on the needs of Kansas farmers, cement plants, as well as coal, chemical, steel and plastics shippers,” said Watco Companies Chief of Global Strategy Ed McKechnie. “Sen. Moran’s tireless efforts in support of rural transportation for more than a decade now to build an enormous bipartisan coalition – first in the House and now in the Senate –have made tremendous impacts. We appreciate his leadership and we will continue to put our customers first and invest in Kansas infrastructure with the support of this important bill.”

The tax credit was established by legislation introduced by then-Rep. Jerry Moran in 2004 to encourage railroads, railroad customers and suppliers – who depend the most on short line railroads – to invest directly in maintaining the more than 2,000 miles of short line rails in Kansas. Located in the center of America’s heartland, Kansas is one of the leading rail and distribution centers in our country and plays an integral role connecting farmers and factories with communities around the globe. The short line railroad track maintenance credit provides short line and regional railroads a 50 percent tax credit for railroad track maintenance expenses, up to $3,500 per mile of track owned or leased by the railroad.

In addition to Sens. Crapo and Moran, S. 407 is cosponsored by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jonny Isakson (R-Ga.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-02).

KDWPT

PRATT – It’s still early to think about scouting turkeys for the spring season because the big birds are still in their winter flocks. However, it’s not too early to be thinking about finding a place to hunt. One way to find a great hunting spot is through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) Special Hunts Program.

There are 84 spring turkey hunts offered this year with a total of 165 Special Hunt permits available. Twenty-five are Mentor Hunts, 29 are Open Hunts and 30 are Youth Hunts. Hunters must apply online by March 6, 2017 to be drawn for a hunt. There’s no fee to apply, and the draw is open to residents and nonresidents. Apply at http://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Special-Hunts-Information.

Special hunts are part of KDWPT’s recruitment and retention program, Pass It On. These hunts are conducted on department lands, including state parks, wildlife areas, and refuges. The hunts also occur on Walk-in Hunting Areas; national wildlife refuges; city and county properties; and other locations where access may be limited. The hunts limit the number of participants to ensure high-quality experiences.

Open Hunts are open to all persons with no age or experience restrictions. Youth Hunts are open to youth 16 and younger, who must be accompanied by adult mentors 18 or older (adults may not hunt). Mentor Hunts are open to youth and/or inexperienced (novice) hunters who are each supervised by a licensed adult mentor. Both the novice and mentor may hunt. Several hunts allow for additional hunters to accompany a permit holder.

Successful applicants will be notified by email shortly after the computer-generated drawing has occurred. Special Hunt permits only provide access, so hunters must purchase all necessary licenses, permits and have hunter education certification, unless exempt.

The 2017 Spring Turkey Season opens April 1-11, 2017 for youth and hunters with disabilities; April 3-11, 2017 for archery only; and April 12-May 31, 2017 for the regular season. Permits and game tags are available over the counter for all turkey management units except Unit 4. Hunters who have purchased a spring turkey permit may also purchase a second turkey game tag valid in units 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. For information on permits, regulations and other spring turkey hunting opportunities, visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting,” then “Turkey Information.”

KDWPT

PRATT – The Kansas Bowhunters Association invites you to join them for their 44th Annual State Convention and Banquet in Hutchinson Feb. 24-26. If you have a passion for bowhunting, bowfishing, archery, outdoor gear, photography, paintings, arts and crafts, custom made knives, bows, antlers, wildlife or taxidermy, make plans to attend this fun-filled weekend. The Atrium Hotel and Conference Center, 1400 North Lorraine, will host the event. Rooms can be reserved at a discounted rate by calling (620) 669-9311 by Feb. 17.

Friday evening will feature an informal gathering with Colorado-based bowhunter and writer Lou Phillipe, who has 45 years experience bowhunting big game. Saturday morning events include exhibitor displays, as well as a ladies’ get-together. Saturday afternoon and evening include an informal question and answer period with staff from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, an awards ceremony and banquet with guest speaker presentation, fundraising auction, raffle drawings and kids pizza party. Sunday morning events include a worship service and guest speaker presentation.

For more information and to purchase admission tickets, contact Barry at (316) 299-8845 or e-mail [email protected]

KDC

TOPEKA-The Tallgrass Artist Residency is now accepting applications from artists currently living in a place within the ecological boundaries of the North American prairie to participate in the 2017 residency program. The residency program was first implemented in 2016 with funding from the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission’s Arts Integration Program, and will be returning this year as a partnership program between KCAIC and the Center for Living Education, a non-profit organization that owns the Bank Art Space in Matfield Green, Kansas.

The Tallgrass Artist Residency will invite 8-10 artists to participate in two-week residency periods between April 17 and September 22, 2017. During individual residency periods, each artist will give a public presentation (i.e. artist talk, workshop, demo, performance). Dates and times TBD. Artists will also participate in a group exhibition at the Bank Art Space and the Tallgrass Artist Symposium at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Manhattan, KS. The opening of the exhibition and the symposium of artist talks will take place on September 23, 2017.

This residency seeks to create connection and conversation across the Great Plains by requesting that applicants currently live in a place that is ecologically considered prairie. Ideal applicants will have a strong body of work with a voice that reflects the artist’s own community; a dedication to place, and an interest in participating in a contemporary dialogue. Applicants from all backgrounds and career levels, media and practice are welcome.

The Tallgrass Residency is headquartered at The Bank Art Space in the small community of Matfield
Green, KS. Several regional partners will participate in the 2017 program as lodging hosts for participating artists: Matfield Station and Prairieside Cottage & Outpost — both in Matfield Green, and The Volland Store in Volland, KS. Other partners include the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University, which will host the Tallgrass Artist Symposium and The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City, which will host artist events.

The application deadline for the 2017 Tallgrass Artist Residency is March 1, 2017. Artists will be selected by a jury, comprised of Katherine Hamm (the Bank Art Space), Peter Jasso (Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission), Aileen Wang (Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art), Laura Berman (Prairieside Cottage & Outpost), and Patty Reece (the Volland Store).

Online application: https://kansascaic.submittable.com/submit/76304/tallgrass-artist-residency
Tallgrass Artist Residency website: https://tallgrassart.wordpress.com/
To contact the program directly: [email protected]

The Kansas Ag Research & Technology Association (KARTA) announced late last month that they will be making up to $14,000 available for agricultural research funding in 2017. The announcement was made during the 20th Annual Kansas Agricultural Technologies Conference in Junction City in front of more than 150 producers, vendors, and students who attended the growing event.

Between now and February 20th, KARTA members (and prospective members) are encouraged to submit funding applications for on-farm research. “It is getting harder and harder to maintain a viable farming operation with rising input costs,” says KARTA Board President Tyler Rider. “On farm research is so important for testing new products and new methods – and sharing that information with the other producers at our annual conference is always an attendee favorite. It’s not about your theory being right, it’s about being more in-the-know when the data comes in.”

Research grants are available in several amounts. KARTA members who submit new research project receive a grant in the amount of $500 per person. Members who submit applications for continuing projects from previous years receive $400 per person. Group studies are also encouraged, and grants are available at $300 per group member involved with the research project. New group projects are being facilitated this year, with more information being announced to those who apply to participate.

“Grant funding is designed to encourage producers to answer the questions they might have on their own farms,” says KARTA Research Coordinator Brent Rendel. “The first time you take on a research project it can be challenging, but it gets easier the more you practice. We can help new researchers get started tracking their results, and can try to walk them through the process to make it as simple as possible.”

Grant recipients are expected to track their project’s results in a scientific manner that produces comparable data. The funds will be awarded in the spring of 2017, and the recipient will be expected to report their results to the KARTA membership at next year’s conference in January 2018. Anyone interested in learning more about the research funding or reading previous research projects should visit the KARTA website at www.kartaonline.org. From there, they can also fill out the convenient online application to request funding for their proposed project. Deadline to apply is February 20th.

In addition to the winter conference, KARTA also hosts a number of workshops and educational evnets throughout the year including a workhop on Yield Editor coming up March 2nd and 3rd at two locations in Western Kansas. Locations and additional details will be made available very soon on the KARTA website, www.kartaonline.org. Be sure to like the KARTA facebook page and follow on Twitter, @kartaonline.

KDWPT

PRATT – Tuttle Creek State Park near Manhattan was recently chosen to receive a $2,500 BlueCHIP Award by BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas (BCBSKS) and the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association (KRPA). BlueCHIP Awards are issued through a community health improvement program created seven years ago by KRPA and BCBSKS to recognize and reward Kansas communities that encourage and support healthy lifestyles through programs, initiatives, policies and/or community-wide events.

In addition to Tuttle Creek State Park, communities recognized this year include Baldwin City, Derby, City of Lindsborg, Shawnee County – Topeka, and Wellington. Each received $2,500 to assist with continued efforts to improve the health of their communities. The awards were presented at the 2017 KRPA Annual Conference and Trade Show in Manhattan.

According to Tuttle Creek State Park manager Todd Lovin, the BlueChip award will be used to purchase additional canoes, kayaks and paddling equipment. The state park sponsors several floats on the Kansas River each year, and boats and equipment are made available to those who don’t have their own.

Tuttle Creek State Park includes four units (River Pond, Fancy Creek, Cedar Ridge and Randolph) around Tuttle Creek Reservoir. In addition to a swimming beach, boat ramps, courtesy docks and dump stations, the park offers 159 water/electric campsites, eight electric/water/sewer campsites, 24 electric-only campsites, 500 primitive campsites and 11 rental cabins. Activities offered include hiking, biking and equestrian trails; disc golf; volleyball; horseshoes; a state-of-the-art shooting range; and archery range. Learn more about Tuttle Creek State Park at www.ksoutdoors.com or call the park office at (785) 539-7941.

By KARI M. BRUFFET
Kansas Health Institute

TOPEKA–This infographic depicts insurance coverage in Kansas for 2015, the second full year following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This is the latest-available data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2015) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The infographic also breaks down the uninsured population in Kansas, including eligibility for public insurance programs, such as Medicaid and CHIP, as well as potential eligibility for Medicaid if the state expanded its program.

Detailed information about insurance coverage in 2015 will be presented in KHI’s Annual Insurance Update, which will be published in late spring, 2017.

For questions about this infographic, or for more information, please Connect with Us.

About KHI
The Kansas Health Institute delivers credible information and research enabling policy leaders to make informed health policy decisions that enhance their effectiveness as champions for a healthier Kansas. The Kansas Health Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy and research organization based in Topeka, established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.

KDHE

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Bureau of Family Health, the March of Dimes and the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative (KHC) have joined together to encourage continued progress towards eliminating early elective deliveries (EED) in Kansas. Together, the organizations support Kansas birthing hospitals in adopting the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines that highlight the importance of allowing babies to reach 39 weeks gestation through the elimination of elective labor inductions and cesarean sections.

More than 30 years ago, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published guidelines on the importance of allowing babies to reach 39 weeks gestation to optimize brain and organ development and improve neonatal outcomes. Unfortunately, even as recently as 2012, some providers still were inducing labor or performing cesarean sections prior to 39 weeks gestation without medical necessity. Kansas hospitals and providers have taken the lead in reversing that trend.

In recent years, Kansas hospitals have moved to adopt best practices in line with the ACOG guidelines. The collaborative efforts and hard work of hospitals have resulted in a rapid and significant reduction in the statewide EED rate from eight percent in 2013 to two percent in 2015.

The March of Dimes’ national Hospital Banner Recognition Program is designed to recognize hospitals that have achieved EED rates below five percent, and Kansas hospitals are invited to participate. Hospitals that complete a simple checklist and meet the criteria will receive a customized banner that commends the hospital for commitment to improving the quality of care for moms and babies. Each hospital also will receive a press kit from the March of Dimes so that patients, families, community leaders and donors are aware of the hospital’s commitment to the health of the community.

“This laudable achievement deserves recognition, and KDHE is proud to supply banners at no cost to qualifying hospitals,” said Susan Mosier, KDHE Secretary and State Health Officer.

About Early Elective Delivery (EED)
Babies born preterm, before 37 completed weeks of gestation, are at increased risk of immediate life-threatening health problems, as well as long-term complications and developmental delays. Among preterm infants, complications that can occur during the newborn period include respiratory distress, jaundice, anemia and infection, while long-term complications can include learning and behavioral problems, cerebral palsy, lung problems and vision and hearing loss. As a result of these risks, preterm birth is a leading cause of infant death and childhood disability. Although the risk of complications is greatest among those babies who are born the earliest, even those babies born “late preterm” (34 to 36 weeks’ gestation) and “early term” (37 and 38 weeks’ gestation) are more likely than full-term babies to experience morbidity and mortality. In 2015, 66 Kansas births per week were preterm (8.8 percent of all births), and 179 were early elective deliveries.

About the March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines and breakthroughs. To participate in our annual signature fundraising event, visit marchforbabies.org. For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. You can also find us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

About the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative
KHC is a nonprofit organization with a mission dedicated to transforming health care through patient-centered initiatives that improve quality, safety and value. KHC was formed in 2008 by the Kansas Hospital Association and the Kansas Medical Society as a resource to enhance health care provided to Kansans. With the support of the Kansas Medical Society and the Kansas Hospital Association, KHC is seen as the lead organization in Kansas for health care quality improvement education, evaluation and measurement. The KHC mission is to engage and align providers in delivering quality health care and outcomes.

About the Kansas Department of Health & Environment, Bureau of Family Health
The KDHE Bureau of Family Health is responsible for administering the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant for the State of Kansas. The Title V MCH program plays a key role in the provision of maternal and child health services in Kansas and targets activities to improve the health of all women and infants. Find more information at kansasmch.org or kdheks.gov/bfh. You can also find us on Facebook (Kansas Maternal & Child Health).