Fall Harvest Means Farmers Markets!

More and more urban Kansans are wanting to know where their food is coming from, who grows it, and the methods the grower has utilized. There is no better way than to go to a local farmers market and meet and talk with the growers themselves. Last month, Secretary of Agriculture Josh Svaty challenged Kansans to add more locally grown foods to their menus in support of Kansas Farmers Market Month. September is a wonderful month to visit your local market for the beginnings of fall harvest! Want to know how you can bring homegrown foods to your table?

Svaty's press release regarding farmers market challenge
http://www.ksda.gov/news/id/311

KSDA farmers markets page
http://www.ksda.gov/kansas_agriculture/content/148

Kansas farmers market official homepage- find a market near you!
http://www.ksfarmersmarkets.org

Growing Local- by American Farmland Trust
http://www.farmland.org/programs/localfood/default.asp

Find more Kansas products at Simply Kansas!
http://www.simplykansas.com/Pages/SimplyKansasHome.aspx

Kansas Department of Agriculture-Division of Food Safety and Lodging
http://www.ksda.gov/food_safety/

For growers and producers:

Learn more about marketing your wares from the Kansas Department of Commerce
http://www.kansascommerce.com/Divisions/RuralDevelopment/AgMarketing.aspx

K-State University Department of Food Science
http://foodsci.k-state.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tab

Kansas rules and regulations for producers at farmers markets
http://www.ksfarmersmarkets.org/sites/default/files/ksfm_rulesregs_revised2009_web.pdf

Market your product online at the Simply Kansas! directory
http://www.kansascommerce.com/Divisions/RuralDevelopment/AgMarketing/SimplyKansas.aspx

Article contact: Kim Harp (Check out recent additions to our collection here)

Who is... the Kansas Department of Agriculture?

The Kansas winter wheat harvest is starting to roll in and we here at the KGI thought it would be great to spotlight a government agency that has a deep rooted history to help keep the agriculture-based Kansas economy moving. The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KSDA) is a regulatory agency that serves all Kansans. It is charged by law to ensure: a safe food supply; responsible and judicious use of pesticides and nutrients; the protection of Kansas' natural and cultivated plants; integrity of weighing and measuring devices in commerce; and, that the state's waters are put to beneficial use. This department works with Federal and local agencies to ensure that the food grown in Kansas that is put on the world's plate is safe and wholesome and that the waters that flow through Kansas are appropriated carefully and will continue to flow for future generations.

Department Head: Secretary Adrian Polansky, read his biography at:
http://www.ksda.gov/kansas_agriculture/about/

Department reports to: Governor

Homepage: http://www.ksda.gov/

You can find Kansas laws and regulations that apply to agriculture, lodging and water resource management at:
http://www.ksda.gov/statutes/

Find the forms for reporting to the KSDA at:
http://www.ksda.gov/open_records/

KSDA is committed to educating students about the importance of farming. Learn more at:
http://www.ksda.gov/kansas_agriculture/content/236

Find the list of upcoming seminars or meetings with or by KSDA at:
http://www.ksda.gov/events/

KSDA recently launched a site to help Kansans support their local growers at:
http://www.simplykansas.com/Pages/SimplyKansasHome.aspx

Learn more about finding or selling locally grown produce at farmers markets all across Kansas:
http://www.ksda.gov/kansas_agriculture/content/148

KSDA provides access to help for Kansas farming families through various services:

Loans and grants available for agriculture:
http://www.ksda.gov/kansas_agriculture/content/237

Connections through its news service:
http://www.ksda.gov/kansas_agriculture/content/313

The Kansas Rural Family Helpline provides free confidential support to rural families struggling with unmet emotional, medical, financial or legal need.

Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services provides low-cost financial counseling and legal assistance.

WORKS -- Work Opportunities for Rural Kansans is a statewide program helping farmers, ranchers and their families find work off the farm or ranch. The program is through Kansas Legal Services.

Kansas AgrAbility is a part of a national network of programs that inform, educate and assist farmers and farm families who have disabilities.

The Flint Hills

The Flint Hills in central Kansas are an amazing sight no matter the time of year. It preserves our ranch heritage and tall grass prairies. Learn more about this valuable Kansas resource at the following links.

NEW! National Tallgrass Preserve literature
http://www.nps.gov/tapr/upload/rackCard2.pdf

Tallgrass Prairie Maps
http://www.kansasenergy.org/KEC/FHmaps.html
(Kansas Energy Information Network)

Travel in the Flint Hills
http://kansasflinthills.travel/

Flint Hills as featured in National Geographic:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/04/tallgrass-prairie/klinkenborg-text

Flint Hills as a geologic region
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Extension/flinthills/flinthills.html and
http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/field/flint/flint.htm

Flint Hills National Scenic Byway:
http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2095/ andhttp://www.ksbyways.org/Pages/Flint/flint1.html

Symphony in the Flint Hills
http://www.symphonyintheflinthills.org/

Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/flinthills/

Kaw Mission State Historic Site
http://www.kshs.org/places/kawmission/

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
http://www.nps.gov/archive/tapr/home.htm