I love change. My husband is not a fan. Perhaps it is because in a matter of three months,I designed and implemented a remodel plan of our two-story home that touched every single room.

Just so you understand his aversion to the word, here is a list of his items to modify:

• Knock out two walls.
• Reroute electrical in dining room.
• Repaint entire home.
• Lay flooring in dining room.
• Carpet — OK, we hired that one out.
• Redo staircase
• Build new stair landing — OK, he had a friend help.
• Install posts, banister — friend help here, too.
• Install new light fixtures
• Hang window blinds.
• Hang curtains
• Frame new door.

 So, when I mention change, my husband now runs upstairs — the new stairs. Still, change is good. It means that there are things you are willing to improve.

The same is happening with Missouri Ruralist. In January, you will be seeing two new features and the return of an old favorite.

New to you
The first new feature is “Focus on Soil Health.” Every month, we will look at farming practices to help improve the productivity of your soil. It will feature farmers, industry and university specialists who are using or researching some of these methods in their fields or labs. You can find this feature in the Crops section.

The second feature is a fun one. I’m calling it the “Missouri Mile.” Here I will share some points of interest I encounter while traveling the state in pursuit of agriculture stories. It may be a local eatery, rural shop or even roadside attraction — like a tiny church replica in the middle of northwest Missouri farm country. You can find this feature in the Show-Me Lifestyle section every month.

He’s back
If you are like me, you have missed reading the “Dailey Discussions” commentary. Our beloved Duane Dailey spent much of last year recovering from heart surgery. He is ready to slowly get back to bringing you his views on cattle, forage and MU Extension research. You can find his commentary in the Livestock section.

Change is something everyone encounters. How we react to it defines us. For Duane, taking time off and getting into cardiac rehab restored his stamina to start working. For you, reading these new features may spark an interest in a new farming practice, or prompt you to call me with a story idea from your small town. As for my husband, well, he may need a rest from all the change — I figure a month. After all, there is still the garage overhaul.