Shawnee County K-State Research and Extension

Join us August 30th from 9:00am - 12:30pm in the upstairs meeting room at the Shawnee County Extension Office!
UPDATE: Registration extended till EOB today August 29th!

We hosted two Summer Education Interns this summer and are so proud of the impact they made with Shawnee County youth! Thank you to Rachel and Riley for making a difference!

For more information including locations and times visit our website.
https://www.shawnee.k-state.edu/community/index.html
Any other questions you can e-mail [email protected]

Fall gardening season is almost here! As you work on getting your garden put to bed for winter, the Master Gardeners are here to answer any and all gardening questions you have! Everything from shrub pruning, houseplants, lawn care, fall vegetable gardening, our volunteers are here for you. Call into the office, stop by the office, or use our online question survey at https://qrs.ly/wofnf7l to add your question to the queue!

A big welcome to the newest member of our staff!

Last weekend was the Kansas 4-H Livestock Sweepstakes on the K-State campus!

Our team placed in the Top 25 in Livestock Judging! Congratulations!

Last chance to sign up for the Board Leadership Series. This will be the last time this series is offered for awhile. (Meaning, not in 2025) E-Mail [email protected] to sign up or call the Extension Office at 785-232-0062
Must sign up by noon on Friday Aug. 23rd.

Are you looking to add trees and shrubs to your home landscape? Fall is a great time for planting! Milder temperatures and warm soil allow new roots to establish and set your trees up for success next summer. For more information, check out this video on planting, staking, and tree selection!

K-State Garden Hour: Fall Tree Planting Fall can be an ideal time to plant trees & shrubs. Dr. Charlie Barden will share his tips & techniques for selecting, planting, staking and mulching trees. I...

Shawnee County Pond Management Program, August 20th from 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Shawnee County Row Crop Day, August 30th from 9:00am to 12:30pm

Get all your pond and row crop questions answered with these two upcoming events Abigail Gettinger with the Shawnee County Extension Office joins the 27 News Morning crew ahead of two upcoming agriculture and natural resource events. On A...

We had 7 Shawnee County 4-Hers represent us at the Kansas 4-H Horticulture Judging Contest on Saturday!

Congratulations to both our Senior and Intermediate teams who placed 5th!

Join us August 30th from 9:00am - 12:30pm in the upstairs meeting room at the Shawnee County Extension Office!

The August Plant of the Month is a summer icon, the black-eyed Susan!

-Flowers come in a variety of shades of yellow
-Drought tolerant once established
-Attractive to native pollinators and beneficials
-Seed heads persist through the winter

For more information on black-eyed Susans and attracting pollinators and beneficials, check out https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/pollinators-and-beneficial-insects_MF3588.pdf!

Are you interested in learning more about food preservation? Sign up to receive the North Central Food Safety Extension Network Food Preservation Newsletter. You can also visit the KSRE Rapid Response website for recipes, recommendations and more. https://www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/index.html

Come join us at our Shawnee County Pond Management Program!

It's not too late to sign up for Board Leadership Series. It's a great series for those that are on volunteer boards, those that have thought about serving on a board or for those that work with volunteer boards. E-mail Candis to get signed up at [email protected]

The next Shawnee County Extension Master Gardener presentation at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library will be on August 8th titled "Fall Lawn Care". Join Master Gardener Kevin Siek as he talks about getting your lawn ready for winter and next spring!

What: Fall Lawn Care
Where: Topeka Shawnee County Public Library
When: August 8th, 7pm

If you have questions on the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge give Candis a call or e-mail her at [email protected]
Details are being finalized for our 2025 contest!

Youth Entrepreneurship: Growing Entrepreneurs Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities

This is a great series for current board members, those interested in joining a board and for those that work with volunteer boards. You also get to connect with people from across Shawnee County!
For More information:https://www.shawnee.k-state.edu/community/Board%20Leadership%20Fall%202024.pdf

A great way to help your plants through these hot summer temperatures is to water effectively! Instead of watering a little bit every day, water deeply and infrequently, and go as long as you can between waterings. This will lead to stronger roots and more resilient plants! For more information, check out the KSRE publications MF2800 and MF2801 on watering effectively!

Up, up, and away! Set up for the Shawnee County Fair is happening now!

Go check out Shawnee County 4-H to see what's going on all weekend!

Applications close NEXT FRIDAY, August 26th! If you are passionate about all things plants and sharing that love with everyone you know, apply today at https://qrs.ly/zrfy73x!

The Shawnee County Fair is next week! Some of our divisions will start being judged as early as this Friday!

Join us starting July 21st for the 4-H Horse Show at Domer Arena!

Some of the topics covered in this series includes; roles and responsibilities of board member, how to have effective meetings, conflict management, intergenerational teamwork, financial responsibilities, ethical issues and board strategic planning.

This will be the last offering of this series for 2024!

The July Plant of the Month is an iconic annual flower that blooms all season long, the petunia!

-Flowers come in many colors and patterns
-Flowers best in part or full sun
-Fertilize monthly for continuous flowering
-Fantastic in containers or the ground

For more information on petunias and growing annuals in pots, check out KSU MF2874!

Today is the day to shop our Young Innovators Market! 6-7pm at Evergy Plaza! We will be giving away Youth T-Shirts while supplies last!

Our 4-H staff is in full County Fair mode! They are working to put together everything needed for another fantastic Shawnee County Fair!

Make sure to visit the Shawnee County Fair July 25-28 at Stormont Vail Event Center! The Horse Show is Sunday, July 21!

The next Shawnee County Extension Master Gardener presentation at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library will be on July 11th titled "Sustainable Gardening for a Changing Climate". Join Master Gardener Caroline Seals as she talks about improving success for your landscape using best management strategies and plant selection!

What: Sustainable Gardening for a Changing Climate
Where: Topeka Shawnee County Public Library
When: July 11th, 7pm

Our Youth Entrepreneurs are set and now all we need are shoppers at the 1st Young Innovators Market Contest. Come support our youth and stay for the free Friday movie!
July 12th 6-7pm at Evergy Plaza

Our office will be closed Thursday, July 4th, 2024.
We will re-open Friday, July 5th, 2024