The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 10, No. 5   December 9, 2003

IN THIS ISSUE...

...LTIO Statements for New K-State Research & Extension Five-Year Plan
...Invitation to Open House for Pratt County Extension Office
...Kansas Rural Development Council Short-Line Railroad Meetings
...Agricultural and Agriculture-Related Value-Added Businesses in Kansas
...Do You Need a New Name Badge Before Annual Conference?
...Kansas Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Friendship Night
...Gardening with Older Adults for Health and Nutrition
...News' News
...Communications Reviewed by USDA-CSREES
...Opportunity to Order New Purple Table Covers
...Master Schedule

...Tuesday Letter Archives

LTIO STATEMENTS FOR NEW K-STATE RESEARCH & EXTENSION FIVE-YEAR PLAN
Long Term Intended Outcome (LTIO) writing groups have continued to refine their LTIO statements for the new K-State Research and Extension Five-year Plan. These statements include strategies, tactics, resource needs, indicators, and other information to help with implementation of the plans. In preparation for Annual Conference discussion sessions, the most recent revisions are being printed for distribution and also continue to be posted on the Intranet 5-year plan Web site, http://intranet.oznet.ksu.edu/5yp04_08/draft.htm . Please check the Web site for updates. --Randy Higgins rhiggins@oznet.ksu.edu and Forrest Chumley fchumley@oznet.ksu.edu 

INVITATION TO OPEN HOUSE FOR PRATT COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE
The Pratt County Extension Council wishes to invite everyone to attend the Open House and Chamber After Hours at our new office location. The Open House will be Wednesday, December 10, from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at the new location, 824 W. First, Pratt. --Jean Clarkson-Frisbie jcfrisbi@oznet.ksu.edu 

KANSAS RURAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL SHORT-LINE RAILROAD MEETINGS
Since 1965, Kansas has lost 30 percent of its rail lines to abandonment. The impact of additional lost rail service will be costly, not only to producers, but to all Kansans. A recent K-State study reported that, if Kansas would lose its short-line service, it could cost taxpayers an additional $57.8 million per year in road maintenance costs and another $20.7 million in grain handling costs, which would be shouldered by Kansas farmers.

Given the potential negative effects of short-line railroad abandonment on rural Kansas communities, it is important that Kansas policymakers know the effects of rail abandonment in order to develop a state rural transportation plan that effectively deals with the potential impacts. Rural Kansas counties need to know the impacts related to the loss of short-line rail service.

The Kansas Rural Development Council will be conducting a series of public meetings to discuss county specific road maintenance costs and solicit public input for future policy recommendations. Transportation experts and elected officials will be on hand to provide information and listen to your concerns and recommendations. Public and written testimony is encouraged at these forums. Representatives from producer groups, feed and grain handlers, city and county government, freight haulers, legislators and state officials are urged to attend. All testimony will be recorded, compiled and presented to state officials.

The public meeting schedule is:

Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Beloit: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
North Central Planning Commission Conference Room
109 N. Mill Street

Colby: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Holiday Inn Express
I 70 at exit 53

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Garden City: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Plaza Inn
1911 E. Kansas

Hutchinson: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Holiday Inn Express
1601 Super Plaza

Please direct your questions to Steve Bittel, Executive Director of the Kansas Rural Development Council at ksrdc@ksrdc.org  or call 785-271-2770. --Steven Graham sgraham@oznet.ksu.edu 

AGRICULTURAL AND AGRICULTURE-RELATED VALUE-ADDED BUSINESSES IN KANSAS
The Value-Added Business Development Program and the Kansas Cooperative Development Program in the Department of Agricultural Economics are in the process of developing an inventory of agricultural and agriculture-related value-added businesses in Kansas. This inventory is aimed at facilitating program development and delivery to enhance the success and competitiveness of these businesses.

We define value-added businesses as all those businesses that are being rewarded for performing tasks that have traditionally been performed by downstream supply chain firms or have been ignored by the supply chain despite their inherent value to customers. They are diverse; from the individual farmers organizing U-pick and agritourism activities to group-action initiatives for ethanol production or beef processing. These initiatives may be organized as sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, cooperatives or even corporations.

Please help identify these value-added initiatives and those involved with them in Kansas. 

Please consider giving the contact information listed below to those  you know are associated with value-added initiatives and encourage them to contact us with information about the initiative (entity name, contact person, telephone number, e-mail, postal address, business description).

It would be most helpful if we had this information by December 22, 2003.

Contact us at:

E-mail: coltrain@ksu.edu 

Telephone: 785-532-1523

Fax: 785-532-6925 (Attn: David Coltrain)

Snail mail:
Value-Added Business Initiative, (Attn: David Coltrain)
Department of Agricultural Economics
303 Waters Hall, KSU
Manhattan, KS 66506

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact David Coltrain using any of the contact information above. Also, please feel free to copy and pass this message to others who might have information about value-adding businesses. Thank you in advance for the information you provide. --David Coltrain coltrain@ksu.edu 

DO YOU NEED A NEW NAME BADGE BEFORE ANNUAL CONFERENCE?
Last year we started working with a new local vendor for our K-State Research and Extension name badges.  Due to budget considerations, we are unable to provide new name badges for all employees.  The policy is that any new employee receives his/her first name badge free of charge.  Any replacement badges will need to be paid for by either the person, or by their department, county, area, research center, etc.

The cost of the new badges is:

$5.00 for magnets
$4.50 for clips
$4.00 for pins

If you wish to take advantage of this offer, you must send your order by e-mail to Sue Robinson at srobinso@oznet.ksu.edu , by December 23, and they need to be picked up at Annual Conference.  Make sure you specify the kind of backing you want - magnet, clip, or pin - and specify how you want your name on the name badge.  Some people prefer a formal name while others prefer a more informal name.

KANSAS EXTENSION ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES FRIENDSHIP NIGHT
KEAFCS Friendship Night will be held during Annual Conference on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Ramada Inn, Landon Room.

All KEAFCS members should receive an e-mail invitation soon. Please RSVP to Joann Paschal by Tuesday, December 23. --Joann Paschal jpaschal@oznet.ksu.edu 

GARDENING WITH OLDER ADULTS FOR HEALTH AND NUTRITION
A leader training workshop will be offered January 5, from 12:15 to 6 p.m. (supper is included and will feature recipes from the program), just prior to the KSRE Annual Conference, to explain a new 10-week FNP educational program that combines instruction in gardening, nutrition, and physical activity for the older adult audience. The training is open to anyone interested in educational programs for the low-income older adult audience. The first 12 FNP staff to register will receive funding for Monday night hotel costs. For more information and a registration form, go to http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/humannutrition/gardening.pdf . --Candice A. Shoemaker cshoemak@oznet.ksu.edu 

NEWS' NEWS
The News Unit in the Department of Communications has been making headlines in Kansas City lately for K-State Research and Extension. The News team - Mary Lou Peter, coordinator; Kathleen Ward, Nancy Peterson and Pat Melgares, writers; and Sarah Rice, student writer - have placed several news releases in the Kansas City Star recently.

This past week, four news release were used by the Kansas City Star, including one prepared with family systems specialist, Charlotte Shoup Olsen, entitled "Life Changes Prompt Holiday Adjustments," was used in its entirety and illustrated by Knight Ridder. In addition, "Holiday Grocery Shopping" with nutrition specialist Sandy Procter, "Holiday Challenge" with child development specialist Chuck Smith, and financial management specialist Esther Maddux also ran.

When The Star recently illustrated another release (with Karen Blakeslee, Rapid Response Coordinator, on mailing gifts) with a tempting photo of cookies, News even had a request for the recipe.

Watch for a display of News' efforts on the bulletin board in the Umberger Hall lobby. --Kristina Boone kboone@oznet.ksu.edu 

COMMUNICATIONS REVIEWED BY USDA-CSREES
The Department of Communications wishes to thank everyone who participated in its recent departmental review by USDA-CSREES, including those who were able to meet with the team and those who provided input through the customer service questionnaire.

One of the recommendations by the team was name a permanent news unit coordinator. As a result, Mary Lou Peter no longer has "interim" in front of her title. Please share congratulations with Mary Lou.

The external review team will be providing its review document to the department and administrators in January. --Kristina Boone kboone@oznet.ksu.edu 

OPPORTUNITY TO ORDER NEW PURPLE TABLE COVERS
A few years ago, we ordered a lot of 60" X 156" Purple Table Covers with the K-State Research and Extension logo in white. We have had some recent requests to order more. These table covers are fairly expensive and it is best if we have an order of 25 or more.

6-11 Table Covers cost $120.00 each
12-24 Table Covers cost $107.50 each
25+ Table Covers cost $90.35 each

We will see if we can put together a large enough order to get a good price break. Please let me know if you are interested in ordering one or more table covers and your price range, by e-mailing me at sgraham@oznet.ksu.edu . If you have questions, please call 785-532-5729. --Steven Graham

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS . 

Submit corrections to previously submitted items to jzarger@oznet.ksu.edu .

DATES TAKEN FROM THE MASTER SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER 17, 2003, THROUGH DECEMBER 23, 2003:

Wednesday, December 17
.... Weed Management School, Norton, NW Area Counties, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Brian Olson bolson@oznet.ksu.edu

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