fbpx

Get Healthy De Soto

…having a long-lasting positive impact on the health and safety of the De Soto community by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, through programs promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, community involvement, and disease and injury prevention.

School Prep

4 things to remember as you prepare your children to return to school

  1. Until all children can be vaccinated against COVID, pediatricians recommend that children wear masks in school. Masks aren’t going to end the pandemic, but they are the simplest way to help protect our kids. There is speculation about the type and fit of masks for kids, so keep it simple. You should have masks for your kids that are comfortable and fit correctly. A mask with a flexible nose bridge and ear loops that adjust are great. A three-layer mask that fits well is highly recommended for unvaccinated elementary kids. And to ensure that masks don’t become safe havens for other illnesses, make sure there is at least 1 extra mask stowed in your child’s backpack in case one becomes wet or dirty. Lanyard: optional, but a great idea!
  2. Basic health is important. This includes a healthy diet, good quality sleep, regular physical activity, and self care for mental health. These things are what allow your immune system to function at optimal levels. If you aren’t already, try to do these things four days in the next week: get sweaty, eat a meal as a family, and go to bed early. How much sleep is recommended for kids: 10-12 hours per night for elementary kids and 8 hours per night for teenagers!
  3. Along with mental health, keep this in mind. Some kids haven’t been in a school for over a year! If you don’t think that will contribute to some anxiety, you’re delusional. We’ve been harping on them to avoid crowds, and we’re about to release them into small classrooms with 19 other kids. You can help ease some of the anxiety by talking to your child about what to expect, working with your pediatrician, and contacting the school counselor. You can learn more about anxiety in children (signs, symptoms, and treatment) in this article by Dr. Natasha Burgert, a pediatrician out of the Kansas City area.
  4. The pandemic will end. Many of us are frustrated with the situation, and we shouldn’t hide this from our children. At the same time, you can’t let it contribute to their anxiety (See #3). We are the barometers of their hope, and extending grace to one another during this difficult time will help our children more than you might realize. We are doing our best, and we have to have faith that the pandemic will end.

COVID-19 Vaccine

They’re here! Well, at least nearby…

There are lots of questions about the vaccine for COVID-19 and when it will become available. Pretty graphics show tiers and when they will likely get vaccinated, but pretty graphics aren’t a shot in the arm! You should consider getting on a list for updates from 2 places:

  • Jefferson County Health Department-there’s a Vaccine Info Request Form where you answer 20 questions that allow them to determine which tier you’re in and also allows them to contact you when that tier can begin being vaccinated so you can learn about how to schedule an appointment.
  • Mercy Hospitals-you can also sign up for alerts through Mercy. The same general procedure is followed. When vaccines become available for your tier, they will let you know based on the contact information you provide.

It can all be a bit overwhelming, so consider gathering information from multiple sources. The two above are good, and you can also check out the state’s site about the vaccine. It has a specific section for facts about the vaccine: is it safe, what are the ingredients in the vaccine, should I get the vaccine if I’ve already had COVID-19…

You can see the facts page here.

And for those that have already received their vaccine (remember, you need 2 doses), you might find this video from the Mayo Clinic helpful. Basically, wash your hands and wear a mask, but Dr. Badley does a good job of explaining why.

Stay healthy!

The times, they are a-changin’

The market has a plan in place to make shopping safe for customers, vendors, staff, and volunteers. Here is what you need to know when you head out to the market on May 16.

The market layout will be modified, at least for a few weeks! It will look like the image below.

There will only be one way into and out of the market. This is a bit of an inconvenience, but it is the best way to keep people from being too close together.

You’ll have to wash your hands before you enter the market. We’ll have a handwashing station set up for this on the west side of the market. There will also be one on the east side of the market, so you can wash your hands when you leave.

Vendor booths will be farther apart, so there won’t be as many in the market. However, you can check out the customer information on the website and find out which vendors are signed up for May 16 or any other day at the market. It’s a cool new feature that we’re proud to offer, and we want you to use it and the directory of vendors to learn more about our producers, artisans, and bakers.

Although we normally encourage customers to visit the market building to grab a cup of coffee, check out market swag, use the bathroom, etc. we won’t be doing that until later in the season. There will not be any public restrooms at the market until further restrictions are lifted. As far as market swag, we’re still looking at options to bring that to you online.

You can learn more about market considerations and changes due to COVID-19 at the page below. We look forward to seeing you at the market opening on May 16th!

COVID-19 Safety at the Market

Social Distancing at the farmers’ market

One of the most successful and most loved Get Healthy DeSoto programs is the DeSoto Farmers’ Market. Since it started, it has been a wonderful place to shop for local produce, visit with neighbors, learn about preserving food, and share a cup of coffee and cookie with a friend.

The market will open for the season on May 16, 2020, pending approval by the Jefferson County Health Department of our plan to keep vendors, customers, and volunteers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a bit different from our original intent to open on April 25th with the normal hoopla and fanfare of a Tractor Parade and plant sale. These changes are necessary though to keep our community safe.

Since many of our vendors are part of the food supply, they are considered “essential”!

We certainly think of all our vendors as being essential because each of them bring so much knowledge and a sense of community to our market. However, not all vendors will be present when the market opens in May. Only produce, food, and some plant vendors will be allowed to be at the market. You’ll still be able to pick up your lettuce, radishes, broccoli, and (keep your fingers crossed) asparagus. Vendors with food items, such as breads, pies, and jam will also be allowed. Our honey vendors will certainly be invited, and you’ll be able to pick up your beef, pork, turkey, and chicken as well. You’ll also be able to pick up your tomato and pepper plants, microgreens, and herb plants.

Our artisans and crafters will be absent for the first part of our market season. This means you’ll miss out on the handpainted signs, wooden benches, aprons, potholders, crocheted hats, paintings, jewelry, and carved spoons. (I love those carved spoons!)

We know that Mother’s Day is quickly approaching, and if there is something in particular that you missed out on last year that will be missing from the market, we are happy to put you into contact with the vendor. However, until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, these vendors will be missed from the market.

Vendors aren’t the only thing that will be different…

We’ll miss the live music, Power of Produce activities for kids, and sitting at our happy picnic table to “people watch”. (No worries! Since the Olympics have been postponed, there’s still plenty of time for you to hone your people watching skills!)

But wait! Won’t that make the market boring?!

The DeSoto Farmers’ Market has become the Saturday Morning Place to Be. It will be that again. We just need to take safety into consideration and take stock of all the things that are still available and working for us right now. You can still offer a friendly smile and wave to your neighbors and vendors. We just want to keep you safe while doing so.

Remember your cap gun?

Your time playing a cowboy is now paying off!

In the past week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed their recommendation about the use of face coverings in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. [Insert your best John Wayne comment here.] The recommendation is for the public to wear a mask while going out. This is a change from their previous guidelines, and it seems like the shift is mainly focused on places with high levels of community transmitted COVID-19.

The recommendation does not extend the need for surgical masks or N-95 masks to be worn by the general public. Instead, the public is asked to wear homemade masks when going out to run their essential errands; grocery shopping and work (depending on your work environment) would both fall into this category. Cowboys…well, you should already have your bandanna ready! And as with so many changes during the crisis, communication is key.

Bring on the make-a-mask videos!

That’s right; the internet is now flooded with instructional videos about how to make your own masks. There are no-sew versions and others that require needle and thread. In fact, the CDC has instructions and recommendations for fabric and supplies that you might find useful. They also let the Surgeon General make his own mask and recorded it for all to see.

https://youtu.be/tPx1yqvJgf4

I know! His mask doesn’t qualify him to be a bandit in your childhood games. It might keep you from inadvertently contracting COVID-19 though and help you survive all of this. That will give you a chance to teach your grandchild the art of being a proper bandit or a cowboy in a dust storm! Now is definitely the time to circle the wagons.

Guidelines from the Jefferson County Health Department
Guidelines from the Jefferson County Health Department

News

Contact

[email protected]

Mailing Address

520 N. Main Rd.
DeSoto, MO 63020