Planting the Plains: Revisiting Produce Safety

By Anthony Reardon

Published July 17, 2026 at 6:00 AM CDT

With cyclosporiasis in the news lately, and in some states on the High Plains, it pays to keep safety and proper food handling practices in mind…some things that don’t seem problematic, or which may not have caused issues in the past, might still be worth doing differently as part of a multi-layered process to minimize your risk. We’ll talk about steps you can take in this week’s episode!

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Planting the Plains Planting the Plains

Anthony Reardon

Anthony Reardon is the Horticulture – Small Farms Extension Agent for Johnson County, Kansas.

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HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: July Gardening Tasks

Anthony Reardon

It may feel like a good time to relax for a bit, with your garden now in for the summer, but in fact, time flies, and it’s already time to plant items you plan to harvest in the fall! This week, we’ll talk about how now is the time to get in your last batch of plants, in order to get the best fruits of your labor!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Summer Watering Mistakes

Anthony Reardon

Well, with summer comes the hot weather, and when you're hot, your plants must be, too, so you should probably water them, right? Well...probably, but when you do so can make a pretty massive difference, and might actually cause more harm than good, if you're not careful. This week, we'll talk about the best ways to ensure that you hydrate your plants without damaging them!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Addressing the ‘Bug Boom'

Anthony Reardon

With temperatures warming up, it’s around that time where we’ll be seeing more and more insects in our gardens. So what is a gardener to do? This week, we’ll talk about steps you can take to see whether you’ve got a bug problem, and how to prevent an infestation, or to address one once it’s begun!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: A Proactive Approach to Uncertain Weather

Anthony Reardon

There’s another “El Niño” weather pattern on the horizon, which can sometimes affect what you plant in your garden. But there are ways to mitigate these effects by making some informed choices about what to plant, and for what reasons. We’ll talk about those choices and reasons in this week’s episodes!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: When the Garden Hits ‘Pause'

Anthony Reardon

Once in a while, you’ll see signs of stress on some of your new plants, and start to feel discouraged about your skills as a gardener. But with weather as varied as we’ve had in the last few months on the High Plains, it may not be you at all - it may be a natural response by your plant to survive irregular conditions. This week, we’ll talk about why, and what to do about it!