Storm Season Calls for Insurance Check-up

It’s spring in Kansas and that usually brings about a few storms and tornadoes. This past weekend’s weather was a reminder that storms can strike with very little warning. When warnings are issued and the sirens blow, it’s too late to worry about your insurance coverage. Now is the time to review your policies to make sure you have the proper coverage.

Homeowners are all too often surprised to learn that their coverage doesn’t cover expenses related to water and wind damage; debris or tree removal; sewer back-up due to flooding; sump pump failure; or additional living expenses if the disaster destroys your home. Read your policy thoroughly to find out what your policy covers. Contact your insurance representative if you have questions, and consider buying additional coverage if necessary.

Renters and home owners alike should check policy payout limits, including the amount for the contents of the home. If you’ve bought new or additional furnishings, you may need to increase your coverage. This is especially true when you purchase big ticket items like big screen televisions, stereo systems or home furnishings or appliances.

In the event of a disaster, the settlement amount you’ll receive will depend on the type of policy you have. Two common policy types are replacement cost and actual cash value. A replacement cost policy will provide you with the dollar amount necessary to replace damaged items without deductions for depreciation. An actual cash value policy pays the amount needed to replace the item minus depreciation. For example, let’s say that a tree falls on your house during a storm and demolishes your 10 year-old roof. If you have a replacement cost policy, the insurance company would pay the entire cost of replacing the roof, minus your deductible. An actual cash value policy would pay a smaller percentage of the replacement cost. You would be responsible for the rest of the cost. If you typically do not have enough money on hand to cover your portion of the replacement costs, you’ll probably want to choose a replacement cost policy.

Most policies do not cover damage caused by rising waters. If your home is located in a flood prone area, consider buying federal flood insurance. Storms can also wreak havoc on vehicles so check your auto policy too. Comprehensive, rather than collision, coverage pays if a storm or flood damages your car.

Storms are a fact of life in Kansas, but they’re not nearly as disastrous to the pocketbook if you have the right insurance coverage. If you would like more information about insurance, contact Jennifer Wilson at the Riley County Extension Office. You can reach me by calling 537-6350 or stopping by 110 Courthouse Plaza, Rm B220 or by e-mail at jrwilson@ksu.edu.

4-H Twilight Trail Hike

Riley County 4-H Health & Wellness project leader, Dianna Schalles, is planning the first ever “Twilight Trail Hike” for 4-H members and families. The hike will take place at Annenberg Park, on Friday, May 29 at 7:00 p.m.

Participants should plan to gather at the Shelter House next to the playground. We will make trail mix, explore pedometers and hike around the loop. Youth all ages are welcome, and youth age 13 and younger must be accompanied by a parent.

This is the first of a series of three hikes that Dianna will be coordinating. The second hike will be held on Saturday, June 27 at Linear Trail. Other fun activities will also be held in conjunction with this hike. A third hike will be held in August or September.

Since food supplies will need to be purchased ahead of the hike date, we need an RSVP. Please email Dianna at diannas@ksu.edu by May 22 for the May 29th hike. Additional information will come later for the June hike.

Come walk the trail with Riley County 4-H!

I fertilized my broccoli with some urea (straight nitrogen) fertilizer. I pulled back the row cover to fertilize and watered it in. I then put the row cover back.

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage can be fertilized 3 weeks after field transplanting with a half a pound of urea (46-0-0) per 100 feet of row. Or half a tablespoon of urea per plant.

4-H Recycle Sale

The weather is getting a bit warmer – slowly – and Riley County 4-H members are ready to ring in the spring cheer with a sale. So, mark your calendars to come and visit Pottorf Hall on Saturday, April 18. The sale will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will feature a variety of items: housewares, décor, electronics, books, toys, games, yard, sporting goods, small appliances, furniture, linens and much more than can be listed.

Most people think of spring as a perfect time to clean out the closets, and get the house ready for the warmer weather. 4-H families have searched through their home treasures to determine items they no longer need. These items will be featured at the 4-H Garage Sale. The sale is a great place to find items you need, add to your family board game collection, or update your home décor.

Sale visitors will want to stop back by at 10:30 a.m., as the bag sale begins at that time. During the last hour of the sale, customers will receive a bag (large paper bag size) and will be invited to put anything in the bag. Each bagful of items will be $4. Customers may fill as many bags as they wish.

This sale is one way that 4-H members participating in the Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) program, raise funds to cover travel expenses, for this government learning experience. The group will travel to Washington, DC during the summer of 2010 to learn more about the national governmental process.

Calling all Youth

Most of this blog’s readers are likely familiar with 4-H – K-State Research and Extension’s youth development program. 4-H is an awesome program, but wouldn’t it be great if we could make it better? After all, the motto is, “To Make the Best Better.”

Riley County 4-H serves 360 youth ranging in age from 7-19 in the traditional club setting, or clubs that meet once per month. Riley County Extension also offers educational enrichment to classrooms and provides resources and instruction for after school settings. About 2,500 youth in Riley County experience 4-H resources through this format.

Riley County is also home to Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, faith-based organizations and a myriad of others. Most of us are reaching some of the same youth participants. Likely, there are youth out there in Riley County, who have not been reached at all.

How can we reach more youth with less resources? Could Riley County design a county-wide youth organization? What would it look like to have youth gain benefits from all these organizations? How can we maximize the strengths and talents of these local organizations to create an impactful educational experience? This is on my mind at the moment. What do you think??

Go Green Project Day A Success!

Riley County 4-H’s first annual Go Green Project Day was a success! On Sunday, April 5, nearly 40 4-H participants came to experience an afternoon full of hands-on, educational, and fun class sessions that were designed to increase their awareness of being environmentally friendly. Class sessions included learning how to make a rug out of old T-Shirts, turning old crayons into candles, discovering new ways to irrigate a garden, and growing container plants to sell at the Farmer’s Market. Feel free to browse some pictures from the event below. If you’d like to leave any feedback about the Go Green Project Day or tips on how it could be improved in the coming years, please leave us a note in the comment section. Thanks to all our participants, parents, and class leaders for making this day a success!

Broccoli Pests

Two early pests have been cold weather and deer. The best protection from both is the use of a floating row cover. This barrier fabric is available from garden centers or mail-order. Broccoli is cold hardy, I'm more interested in faster growth with the cover. The raised bed was full of deer tracks except where the row cover was.