Weekly Column - Donna Krug, District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent – K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District

Each year at this time I like to reflect on the positive things that are happening in the Cottonwood Extension District. Everywhere we turn the media bombards us with negative news about the economic downturn, an increase in chronic health issues, or threats of terrorism. What can be done to change the negative news into positive thoughts? Take on a ALife is Good attitude. To do what you like and like what you do really is the best way to have an attitude adjustment.

As educational programming winds down for another year, be assured I will hit the ground running when 2020 arrives. January 14 marks the start of the “Stay Strong, Stay Healthy” workshops that I will be leading in Great Bend. This is a research based program that emphasizes strength, flexibility and balance for our aging population. We target those who are over 60 but can definitely include younger folks who may be dealing with a chronic condition. The class meets two times per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) for 8 weeks at the Great Bend Activity Center on 18th Street. There are just a few spots remaining in both the 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. classes. A $20 registration fee may be paid at the Barton County Extension Office to hold your spot. Later this month and the first week in January I will conduct pre-assessments for everyone who is enrolled. At the end of the 8-week class, we conduct post-assessments and see how much improvement is made.

Mark your calendar for my next program at the Great Bend Senior Center. The 4th Friday in January, the 24, I will be sharing the Fact Sheet, “Action Plan for Healthy Living” at 1 p.m. at the Great Bend Senior Center. It’s the perfect time of year to review 15 healthy lifestyle choices. If you want to begin working on your Action Plan as 2019 comes to a close, give me a call or send me an e-mail and I will be happy to share the fact sheet with you before the January 24 program.

As another year winds down I find the variety of questions I receive at the office are interesting and sometimes challenging. I do enjoy finding answers that may help improve a person’s quality of life. I appreciate having this column space as well as radio time to bring up to date research based information to our Cottonwood District families. It has been a great year and I am looking forward to visiting with you in 2020!

On a personal note I would say that Life is Good too. Our family has enjoyed good health and safe travels during 2019. The tree is decorated and family celebrations are planned for the weeks ahead. My wish for your family is for a blessed Christmas and a happy year ahead!

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 </figure>Weekly Column - Donna Krug, District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent – K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood DistrictEach year at this time I like to reflect on the positive things that are happening in the Cottonwood Extension District. Everywhere we turn the media bombards us with negative news about the economic downturn, an increase in chronic health issues, or threats of terrorism. What can be done to change the negative news into positive thoughts? Take on a ALife is Good attitude. To do what you like and like what you do really is the best way to have an attitude adjustment.As educational programming winds down for another year, be assured I will hit the ground running when 2020 arrives. January 14 marks the start of the “Stay Strong, Stay Healthy” workshops that I will be leading in Great Bend. This is a research based program that emphasizes strength, flexibility and balance for our aging population. We target those who are over 60 but can definitely include younger folks who may be dealing with a chronic condition. The class meets two times per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) for 8 weeks at the Great Bend Activity Center on 18th Street. There are just a few spots remaining in both the 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. classes. A $20 registration fee may be paid at the Barton County Extension Office to hold your spot. Later this month and the first week in January I will conduct pre-assessments for everyone who is enrolled. At the end of the 8-week class, we conduct post-assessments and see how much improvement is made.Mark your calendar for my next program at the Great Bend Senior Center. The 4th Friday in January, the 24, I will be sharing the Fact Sheet, “Action Plan for Healthy Living” at 1 p.m. at the Great Bend Senior Center. It’s the perfect time of year to review 15 healthy lifestyle choices. If you want to begin working on your Action Plan as 2019 comes to a close, give me a call or send me an e-mail and I will be happy to share the fact sheet with you before the January 24 program.As another year winds down I find the variety of questions I receive at the office are interesting and sometimes challenging. I do enjoy finding answers that may help improve a person’s quality of life. I appreciate having this column space as well as radio time to bring up to date research based information to our Cottonwood District families. It has been a great year and I am looking forward to visiting with you in 2020!On a personal note I would say that Life is Good too. Our family has enjoyed good health and safe travels during 2019. The tree is decorated and family celebrations are planned for the weeks ahead. My wish for your family is for a blessed Christmas and a happy year ahead!

Make 'Life Is Good' your motto

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141417887.jpeg">written by Donna Krug Two and a half years ago we received word from the Kansas Attorney General’s office that the Cottonwood Extension District #17 had been approved. Months of hard work by our Extension supporters preceded the formal announcement. Our board, consisting of four members from each county, has held monthly meetings to stay abreast of the business of running an Extension District. At the end of this month we will say good bye and thank you to two of our outgoing board members and welcome two new faces to the board in January. Rhiannon Corn from Ellis County and Steve Tustin from Barton County will both be stepping off the board and I want to publicly say “thank-you” for your support and hard work on the board. Allen Roth, from Ellis County, and Kathie Rondeau, from Barton County, were re-elected to another term on the Executive board. Tatum Kimsey, from Ellis County, and Dick Dougherty, from Barton County, were elected on Nov. 5 and will begin their 4 year terms in January 2020. Four additional board members will continue to serve through 2021. They include: Nathan Leiker and Ramie Wasinger, from Ellis County and Deanna Essmiller and Natalie Fullerton, from Barton County. The Cottonwood Extension District includes a staff of seven agents and two office professionals. Our goals include providing research based information to help improve the quality of life of the individuals we serve. I hope you have had an opportunity to utilize our services. Perhaps you have worked with one of our Agriculture agents, Alicia Boor or Stacy Campbell, to learn about wheat varieties that do well in our region or about details of the Farm Bill. If your family is involved in 4-H or after school programs, you have two experienced agents, Susan Schlichting and Michelle Beran, leading the youth development program in our district. Take time to introduce yourself to our Horticulture Agent, Lauren Fick. Lauren divides her time between the two counties and is excited to provide leadership to a successful Master Gardener program and answer yard, garden and tree questions you may have. And finally, Berny Unruh and I are committed to bringing Extension educational programming related to nutrition, health and wellness, food safety, family resource management, aging issues, and family life in general. I also want to mention our two experienced office professionals. Brenda Walton, in the Great Bend office, takes the lead with the finances for the district while Theresa Meis, in the Hays office, focuses on communicating our efforts through newsletters and our web site. Both Brenda and Theresa handle a multitude of other duties thatkeep our offices running smoothly. We’ve also appreciated having Kory Ridnour, our intern, help us with media and the marketing of our programs. It is great news that K-State Research and Extension has answers to many of lifes’ questions, typically at no or low cost. Unlike what you might find through a Google search, the answers we provide are research based and non-biased. I hope you will take a look at our Cottonwood web site. We have tried a different format for our newsletter that I think you will like. We hope to see you at some of ourupcoming programs. Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.

Cottonwood Extension District thanks out-going board members

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575650994387.jpeg">Michelle Beran written by Michelle Beran A credit card company ran a series of commercials a few years ago that listed the cost of several activities and ended with the related experience as “priceless”. 4-H Youth Development could not function without volunteers. We often think of the county fair as the culmination of 4-H projects and volunteers are certainly visible serving as superintendents, setting up and cleaning up, distributing flyers and so much more. Volunteers also serve extremely important roles as club and project leaders. A club or project leader has a day-to-day impact on youth by teaching life skills, setting examples and helping them practice responsibility and communication. Volunteers are also needed for short-term commitments such as helping with the Style Revue or club days. Another option is assisting with a SPIN (Special Interest) Club which are six hours of instruction over several days or weeks. Program Development Committees (PDC) are made up of six volunteers from each county who provide ideas and an understanding of the needs of each county for youth development. As with most youth organizations, 4-H has specific requirements to be a registered volunteer. The goal of 4-H Youth Development is to provide positive learning experiences with positive relationships in a positive environment. Across the Cottonwood District (Barton and Ellis) over 120 individuals are registered 4-H volunteers which means that they have completed an application, an onlineorientation, successfully passed two background checks and received approval by the Cottonwood District Extension Board. As a volunteer, you can reinforce the Kansas 4-H Mission which states “With unique strategies and opportunities, Kansas 4-H Youth Development engages youth in reaching their full potential through partnerships with caring adults." One of the Essential Elements of 4-H is belonging and research shows that it is important for youth to have opportunities for long-term relationships with adults other than their parents. Would you like to give back to your community and have a positive impact on youth development? 4-H Youth Development Volunteers, no matter the size of your contribution of time and talents, are priceless! It’s not for the money,It’s not for the fame,It’s not for only personal gain,It’s not for the love of fellow man,It’s just to lend a helping hand,It’s just to give a little of selfThat’s something you can’t buy with wealth,It’s not for medals worn with pride,But it’s the feeling deep inside,It’s that reward deep in your heart,It’s that feeling you’ve been a part,Of helping others far and near,That makes you a volunteer!-Author Unknown Michelle Beran is the 4-H and Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District-Barton County. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth and Development related questions email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or 620-793-1910.

4-H gives youth opportunities for long-term relationships

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574802720194.jpeg">written by: Donna Krug Tuesday, Dec. 3, is a special day designated as “Dining In Day.” Research has shown that the whole family benefits from family mealtime by having better nutrition, improving family communication, fostering family traditions, and teaching life skills, such as meal planning, budgeting, and food preparation. Encouraging families to prepare simple, healthy meals and eat together supports the essence of my job as a family and consumer sciences educator: “Creating Healthy and Sustainable Families” is my goal. I know how challenging it can be for busy families to actually sit down together for a meal that is prepared at home. Work schedules and kids who need to be shuttled to sports or activities interrupt plans to prepare a healthy meal at home. When our three kids were growing up, my middle child, Adam, would call me every day when he arrived home from school and ask what was for supper. As a 6th grader, I believe he prepared as many skillet meals and spaghetti and meatballs as I did. And to his credit, he often prepares the evening meal for his busy family now. Revisiting a popular program from a couple of years ago titled, “Freezer Ready Slow Cooker Meals” can be a great way to make “Dining In Day” a success at your house. Twelve recipes, complete with a shopping list, takes a lot of the guess work out of meal preparation. Pulling one of the prepared meals out of the freezer in the evening and thawing in the fridge, makes this an easy prep. Cooking the ingredients in a slow cooker while you are at work the next day, means supper is ready when you walk in the door! I’ll be happy to share the Freezer-Ready Slow Cooker meals recipes and handout. Just give me a call or send me an e-mail. With my busy work schedule, I am blessed to have my husband John plan and prepare most of our evening meals. I’m not sure what is on our menu for December 3 rd , but I’m betting we will be “Dining In.” I would love to hear your “Dining In” stories! Donna Krug is the Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent and District Director for the Cottonwood Extension District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.

“Dining In” for healthy families

HAYS -- Women involved in agriculture should make plans to attend the “Surviving to Thriving: Care for Yourself to Care for the Farm – Women in Ag Workshop” to be held on Dec. 9 at the K-State Agricultural Research Center in Hays.&nbsp; Registration and supper begins at 5:30 p.m. and the program will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Come listen to Will Stutterheim with the Fort Hay State University Kelly Center talk about his experiences with the farm crisis and mental health; Kaley Conner with High Plains Mental Health will give tips on nurturing your mental health; Berny Unruh with Cottonwood Extension will discuss healthy eating for the busy farm family; and Meagan Cramer with Kansas Farm Bureau will finish out the evening sharing organizational tips on bullet journaling and organizing your brain. Advance registration is requested by Dec. 4 to the Ellis County Conservation District at 785-628-3081, extension 3. A $5 fee for the meal can be made payable in advance to the Conservation District at 2715 Canterbury, Hays, Kansas 67601, or at the event. A meal cannot be guaranteed for those who don’t register in advance. The workshop is sponsored by Ellis Co. Farm Bureau, Ellis Co. Conservation District, Farm Service Agency, High Plains Mental Health, K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.