Agriculture is the largest employer in Kansas and contributes almost 40 percent of the state's gross regional product. Farmers and agribusinesses exported $2.6 billion worth of goods in 2013. For almost 130 years, K-State Research and Extension has helped fuel the state's agricultural production. Innovations discovered at Kansas State University have led to greatly improved crop, fruit, and vegetable varieties; livestock traits and handling systems; and pest control.
If you have any ideas or requests on other programs you would like to be held in our district, please reach out to Baley with them: baley@ksu.edu, 620-546-3502
Coffee Talk Shop
"Coffee Shop Talks," also known as Producer Meetings, are programs directed toward local producers covering current topics in the ag industry. Typically, they start around 7:30 am, and attendees receive breakfast. Topics covered in this past season of Coffee Shop Talks include grain market update, coyote control, weather/climate update, and understanding EPDs/Indexes. Stafford County producers like to attend these talks, so the main delivery site for them is at the Extension Office in St. John. If you are interested in coming to these, the next round will begin in November of this year and run through February of 2025.
Ag Day
With the huge success of a 4th Grade Ag Day in Stafford County this past September, we are excited to host one in Edwards County on April 24th in conjunction with Edwards County Conservation District and NRCS. We have presenters and sponsors lined up for an entire morning, teaching the county’s 4th graders about many different facets of the agriculture industry. Hopefully we will provide Ag Day each year in both counties.
Range Management
A Range Management meeting was recently held in Stafford County. A lot of good information was presented to the producers that attended. A range management specialist from K-State, a rangeland management specialist from NRCS, and a pasture and land management specialist rep from Corteva were all key speakers. Thanks to Stafford County Conservation District, we were able to provide lunch for all attendees.
2024 Wheat Plot
The district will host a wheat plot field day in collaboration with Mid KS Ag in St. John. Keep your eye out for a date and time!
Chicks-R-Us
A 4-part, 4-week series on chick hatching will start on April 8th in Lewis. The class will learn about incubation, embryology, chicken life cycle, and others from lessons provided during the 4 weeks. If you
