MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
From gardening advice and tree recommendations to food safety classes and youth development, the Reno County office of K-State Research and Extension provides a wide range of educational services to residents across the area.
Pam Paulsen, horticulture extension agent for the Reno County office in South Hutchinson, said extension services touch nearly every part of community life throughout the year.
Paulsen said her own path into extension work started through family connections and eventually grew into a passion for education.
“Both of my parents have been plant people at K-State,” Paulsen said. “I never thought I’d go in that direction, but started working in the greenhouse in college and really enjoyed it.”
She said the office fields a variety of questions depending on the season. Spring typically brings gardening inquiries, while summer and fall shift more toward agriculture, food preservation and 4-H activities.
“Right now with springtime, we get a lot of gardening questions,” Paulsen said. “As crops start to mature, a lot of the agriculture problems and disease issues will start to come in.”
The office includes specialists in several areas, including horticulture, family and consumer sciences, food safety and 4-H youth development.
Paulsen said gardening and landscaping questions are especially common this time of year, including recommendations on vegetables, flowers and trees suited for south central Kansas.
“Kansas is a hard place to grow because we get super hot and we can get super cold and dry and wet,” Paulsen said. “So what does well here, we try and make recommendations for those.”
She said oak trees are often among the best options for homeowners planting new shade trees.
“Oak trees are always a good, strong tree for here,” Paulsen said. “One of my favorites is shingle oak because it’s a little bit faster growing.”
Paulsen noted the office also maintains demonstration gardens through Reno County Master Gardeners at the Hutchinson Community College campus to showcase plants that perform well locally.
In addition to horticulture services, the extension office also oversees Reno County 4-H programs.
“4-H started more with rural kids, but now we’ve got a lot more in-town kids,” Paulsen said. “We’ve got photography, gardening, arts and crafts. It really is geared toward youth from all backgrounds.”
She said many 4-H projects advance from the Reno County Fair to the Kansas State Fair if participants earn purple ribbons at the county level.
The office also provides nutrition education, food preservation assistance and family support programs through its family and consumer sciences division.
Paulsen said residents can receive help with safe canning practices, budgeting, wellness programs and even Medicare counseling.
“We’ve done programs on Dining with Diabetes and basic food preparation classes,” she said.
The office also partners with local organizations on nutrition and wellness initiatives, including work with the Reno County Food Bank and local health agencies.
The Reno County K-State Research and Extension office is located at 2 W. 10th Ave. in South Hutchinson. Residents can access information through the office website, Facebook page and upcoming email newsletters.