The Emporia Gazette

May 28, 2012

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It is that time of year when many of us make New Year’s Resolutions. The most common New Year’s Resolutions include weight loss, choosing healthier meal options, time management, becoming more organized.

K-State Research and Extension’s motto is “Knowledge for Life;” we have many resources available to help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions. If you are planning on improving your health, managing your time, improving your financial health, getting your home organized, learning to plant a garden, conserving energy, or managing your natural resources, the Extension Office is the place to come. We have many free or low cost informational resources available to help you reach your New Year’s goal.

In keeping with our motto “Knowledge for Life” we have some programs coming up that might also help you stay on track to reach your New Year’s resolution. Starting on Saturday Jan. 7 at 9 a.m. in the Extension Office Meeting room, we will be offering Women in Agriculture a Kansas Annie’s Project; this is a six week course. Through a six week course, we plan to enable farm women to be better business partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information.

We are planning six Saturday sessions over the winter, running from approximately 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The planned dates are Jan. 7 and 14, Feb. 4, 11 and 25, and March 10. Topics that will be covered include: determining production costs, understanding financial statements, marketing (terms and tools), using Quicken for farm accounting, determining equitable leases, and estate planning.

We still have just a few spots left; please call in to register at 341-3220. The registration fee for this six week session is $50; a meal is served with each session. If you are interested and have additional questions, please contact Brian Rees or Rhonda Gordon at the Lyon County Extension Office.

Walk Kansas is set to return March 18 through May 12. I am currently still working on the details for this year. Walk Kansas is a team based program that will help us all lead a healthier life by being more active, making better nutrition choices, and learning positive ways to deal with stress.

Learning a healthier lifestyle doesn’t mean changing everything at once. It’s about looking at the choices we make each day, and improving those choices one step at a time. We had 108 teams last year. My New Year’s Resolution for Walk Kansas is to see that number grow. One hundred twenty teams has a nice ring! Walk Kansas starts the first part of March. This is a time when many of us are starting to give up on our New Year’s Resolutions. Walk Kansas would the perfect program and time to recommit to your resolution for a healthier you.

As you can see we are trying to provide “Knowledge for Life”. I hope that each of you will reach your goals that you set for yourselves and your family in 2012. The Lyon County Extension Office is available to provide research based educational information to help you met your goals. If we can all learn one new thing each day we are well on our way to better lives.

If you have questions, please feel to contact me at the number provided below. I wish each of you a Happy New Year and challenge you to keep learning.

• Rhonda Gordon is the Family and Consumer Sciences agent for K-State Research and Extension in Lyon County. For more information on this column, nutrition, food safety, parenting, financial management, health and safety email Rhonda at rgordon@ksu.edu call the Lyon County Extension Office at (620) 341-3220.