his time of year as an extension agent is filled with a variety of tasks because summer is here and the fair is coming! June has been spent wrapping up a Level 2 Stay Strong Stay Healthy Class, finding judges, preparing binders for my volunteers, assisting with sewing camp, financial presentations and the most exciting being the first meeting toward a healthier Labette County.
Over the last year family and consumer science agents have been given the charge of doing for health what extension has done for agriculture over the last 100 years. Crawford, Montgomery and Wilson counties all have some sort of health coalition going in their communities. Labette County has had nothing. Extension is here to change that. So what is Extension role in this healthy initiative?
Extension role could be:
• Nutrition and physical activity education
• Community zoning or guidelines
• Safe and adequate water supply
• Connections to help relieve farm stress,
drug addiction, anxiety, etc.
• Social and emotional development to improve relations
Out of 103 participating counties in Kansas, the county health rankings have Labette County ranking 96 to 102 in four of the five following categories; Length of life, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.
Our first meeting had a great variety of individuals at the table. We invited Live Well Crawford County to show us the good they have been doing in their county and give Labette County some ideas on a direction to go. We followed up with a list of “who’s missing” from the table and assigned tasks to individuals to reach out to other champions in the county. As we strive to have healthy environments in which to live, learn and play we will create a culture of health in our county and region to enjoy and thrive in.
Our next meeting is August 23, at noon at the area office in Parsons. Please feel free to come and be a part of our healthy movement!
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Additional information on health initiatives in Labette County can be found here:
http://www.parsonssun.com/news/article_e82a569a-7691-11e8-b4d2-572a3056a2fb.html