The end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 is being celebrated around the world.

It is a tradition.

Traditions are one of those things that connect us all . . . in our families, across our country, and around the world. These traditions almost always include food and resolutions.

Did your New Year’s food traditions include legumes?

This is a good thing.  : - )

Eating legumes is nutritionally sound and can probably help with at least one of the most common resolutions around the world!

In the South we eat black-eyed peas for good luck.

It is called Setsubun no Hi (節分の日) in Japan and China.

So, to cover my bases, I ate my southern black-eyed peas on January 1st and will have roasted soybeans ready to throw and eat on February 3rd!

As 2022 begins I say good-bye on January 31st to my 31-year career with the University of Arkansas; 21-years spent with the UA System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. I will forever treasure my time with the Extension Service and the incredible colleagues I worked with, respect greatly, and learned from.

I don’t have a resolution for 2022.

However, this is my field of dreams; using existing assets in the Delta for the creation of an expanded soy value chain, including partnerships for specialized variety production, product development, local processing and distribution.   

It is a simple dream.

It’s all about the details.

Isn’t that true about everything?

How hard can it be?  : - )

As we all begin 2022 together, I look forward to working with many of you to make this happen!

Don’t forget . . .

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

                                                                                                -C.S. Lewis

~Karen