Kansas ranks 5th in the nation for wheat production. And that’s low compared to years past when we’ve ranked number one.
Who knew?
Even a native Kansas girl, like myself, is embarrassed to admit that I don’t know as much as I should about our state’s agriculture and what it means for my family and my kitchen table.
But I know quite a bit more now thanks to an afternoon spent helping Timmerman third-graders bake bread last week.
In anticipation of Kansas Day (Jan. 29) the Lyon County Extension Office facilitated the informative — and engaging — session, seamlessly leading more than 60 eight- and nine-year-old’s through the process of baking their very own loaf of bread. As the delicious smell of yeast and freshly baked bread filled the air in the school cafeteria the students learned about their state’s leading crop, wheat, its harvest, production and the industry of selling it around the world.
From social studies to math to economics and even phys. ed. (have you ever kneaded bread dough for five minutes?), the students received a well-rounded and worthwhile lesson — and they didn’t even realize it at the time.
A job well done by the Extension staff.
As the public discusses and debates about the Lyon County Extension office and their proposed merger, it’s good to be reminded of the good the Extension does for our state, our communities, our families and our kids.
And no amount of debate should overshadow those things.
The Lyon County Extension Office is responsible for many lessons, like the one mentioned above, in our schools. They are one of the most consistent and proactive voices in our schools, teaching kids how to eat healthy and make wise food choices — something children and adults can never get enough of.
Speaking of kids, Extension is also the force behind one of the best leadership-training clubs for Kansas youth: 4-H.
The K-State Extension Office is one of our state’s biggest advocates. Committed to improving the quality of life in Kansas, it is a resource for many things including nutrition, agriculture, livestock and land stewardship.
Without their work here, Kansas — and Kansans — would be missing something.
Hattie came home from school last week carrying her loaf of bread as precious cargo and sharing with our family bits and pieces of the many things she learned about the Breadbasket Of The World while making it — the proudest we’ve seen her in a long time. And I’m quite sure she wasn’t the only third grader who felt good about what he or she had learned that day, thanks to the vision and work of our local extension agents.
Now that’s certainly something no one can argue with.