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Vol. 11, No. 19 March 22, 2005
IN THIS ISSUE...
...Word
from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Status of Faculty Positions
...Registration for Regional Food Systems Workshop
is March 24
...Ray Weil to Deliver Roscoe Ellis, Jr. Soil Science
Lecture
...Spring Action Conference Agenda on Web
...Kansas Ag Statistics Weekly Crop Weather Reporting
...Kansas 4-H Ambassador Tee-Shirts
...Publications/Production Services Update
...The Kansas Association of County Agricultural
Agents
...Master Schedule
...Tuesday
Letter Archives
WORD FROM
THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
How does one value the extension work that goes on across the state? Is
the investment in the salaries and wages, along with all the other
direct costs worth that investment? In the fall of each year K-State
Research & Extension prepares the
"Informal Report to the Kansas
Legislature," which details a select group of brief impact reports. I
hope you will find opportunity to discuss the contents of that report
with your interested stakeholders.I was alerted
to a report developed for The Ohio State University Extension through a
special contract with Battelle
- a global science and technology company
headquartered in Columbus, Ohio - reviewing the economic and social
benefits of OSU Extension. The
full report is available at
http://extension.osu.edu/about/econimpact.php . I would encourage
you to take a look at the study that was done, and the data that was
necessary to complete it. Some of the impacts cited in the OSU Extension
report include:
- Every 1% increase in
agricultural output achieved through Extension programming brings $149
million in direct and indirect output to Ohio, $29 million in personal
income for Ohioans, and 2,712 jobs.
- Extension's nutrition programs reach
thousands of youth, low-income households and families with young
children with information on healthy eating habits. In surveys, more
than 90% report a positive change in food choices and serving size,
and 98% report an increased knowledge of nutrition.
- Every 1% decrease in food-borne
illnesses as a result of Extension programming results in a $2.6
million to $5.3 million savings in Ohio, as a result of reductions to
health costs and missing work.
- The 4-H Youth Development Program's
focus on leadership and integrity reaches 11.7% of youth in Ohio. If
the program encourages just 5% of those members to receive a
bachelor's degree, more than 11,000 degrees would be earned, bringing
those graduates $19,000 more annually than their counterparts who only
finished high school.
- The 4-H experience also may keep
students from dropping out of high school. Again, if 5% of Ohio 4-H
members received their high school diplomas rather than dropping out
of high school, the gain in their annual personal earnings would
amount to $106.1 million.
- The Business Retention and Expansion
Initiative has assisted more than 120 Ohio communities. In Putnam
County, the program encouraged a company with more than 2,000
employees to commit to staying in the community for 10 years. Another
effort resulted in attracting a business that created 130 new jobs.
- In addition to these effects as a
result of specific programs, OSU Extension brings $159 million into
Ohio through economic ripple effects of its work and its employees.
"This report illustrates how
Extension has made and continues to make a difference in Ohio's
communities," Smith said. "We have a presence in all 88 counties,
ideally positioning us to improve lives, businesses and communities
across our great state. We have helped farmers and other agri-businesses
for more than 90 years. Although our roots are in agriculture, this
report demonstrates we are much more than that."
Deborah Cummings, Battelle's
project manager for the report, said the findings surprised even her.
"Before I started on this project, I was not aware of the myriad of
activities that Extension is involved in," Cummings said. "The concept
of what Extension was even 50 years ago has completely changed in
comparison to what Extension means for the economy today."
"Extension is involved in a wide range of
information-dissemination activities that have a significant economic
impact, and that's considering just our conservative estimates,"
Cummings continued. "Extension empowers people to solve problems
and improve their quality of life, and its substantial track record in
impacting the economy of the state tells me it will continue to play a
role as a driver of economic force in the future."
When engaging in studies to express the
value of our work, many of those seemingly mundane reports and data
become vital to providing some evidence to our stakeholders. While these
findings come through an Ohio study, the impact is around initiatives
and programs familiar to our focus in Kansas. Thanks to each of you for
taking the reporting requests and requirements seriously in helping us
to convey the work and its value to Kansas Legislature and others.
--Daryl Buchholz
dbuchhol@oznet.ksu.edu
STATUS OF FACULTY POSITIONS
To check the status of faculty positions that are currently in the
search process, see the K-State Research and Extension Job Opportunities
website at
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/main/jobs.asp . Click on "Employment Status
of KSRE Faculty Positions." Search committee chairs - contact Dorothy
Ireland in the Extension Operations Office at
direland@oznet.ksu.edu
or 532-5787 to keep the information updated. --Stacey M. Warner
swarner@oznet.ksu.edu
REGISTRATION FOR REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS WORKSHOP IS MARCH 24
The Regional Food Systems and Marketing Opportunities Workshop is
scheduled for March 29 and 30, in Lindsborg, KS. These workshops
showcase opportunities and explain resources to extension professionals
and community/county based teams seeking new markets built through
direct sales, agri-tourism, and building community food systems. The
agenda and registration information is linked from
http://www.kansassustainableag.org/ .
Travel and registration scholarships are
available for K-State Research and Extension staff, as well as
community/county based organizations such as chamber of commerce,
economic development and visitor and convention bureau staff. For more
information, contact Jana Beckman,
beckman@oznet.ksu.edu or
785-532-1440. --Jana Beckman
RAY WEIL TO DELIVER
ROSCOE ELLIS, JR. SOIL SCIENCE LECTURE
"Want Amidst Waste: Agroecosystems in Ethiopian Highland Landscapes"
is the title of the 2005 Ellis Lecture. Dr. Ray R. Weil is
Professor of Soil Science in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences
and Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland. The
lecture, sponsored by the Department of Agronomy, is scheduled for 4
p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, in 1014 Throckmorton Hall.
Refreshments will be served at 3:30 p.m. For more information,
contact Gerard Kluitenberg, Department of Agronomy, 532-7215, or
gjk@ksu.edu .
Dr. Weil will also present a technical seminar entitled "Can a Routine
Labile C Test Predict Soil Functional Response to Management?"
This seminar is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 31, in 2002
Throckmorton Hall. --Gerard Kluitenberg
SPRING ACTION
CONFERENCE AGENDA ON WEB
The Agenda for the K-State Research and Extension Spring Action
Conference has been updated and is on the web at
http://intranet.oznet.ksu.edu/springactionconference/ . --Margaret
Phillips Margaret@oznet.ksu.edu
KANSAS AG
STATISTICS WEEKLY CROP WEATHER REPORTING
The Weekly Crop Weather reports have begun for another year. Kansas
Agricultural Statistics Service (KASS), in cooperation with the National
Agricultural Statistics Service and K-State Research and Extension, have
signed a cooperative agreement to produce the weekly crop progress and
condition reports.
An individual within each county/district
office must be assigned to provide this report. Your individual reports
are the backbone for the crop weather reports from KASS. I encourage you
to be faithful in completing the weekly reports on a timely basis. Some
offices identify a person to be responsible for the report, plus a
calendar check person to assure the reports are submitted on time. If
you have any technical questions about the process, please contact
Akilah Nicks at KASS 1-800-258-4564. --Daryl Buchholz
dbuchhol@oznet.ksu.edu
and Pat Murphy jmurphy@ksu.edu
KANSAS 4-H
AMBASSADOR TEE-SHIRTS
The Kansas 4-H Ambassador Action Team is making the tee-shirts from the
2005 Ambassador Workshop available to any county who would like them.
They are very attractive and will market 4-H effectively. The tee-shirts
are light blue with Kansas (4-H Clover) Ambassador printed in white and
green across the chest on the front, and on the back are kids on a
roller coaster with the wording "Ride into the Future" with 4-H and
State Ambassador Training. The back printing is in green, yellow, white
and black.
Cost of the shirts will be $10 per shirt.
Orders will be taken until April 8. To order, please e-mail: Rod
Buchele, rbuchele@oznet.ksu.edu
, with the number of shirts and the sizes you want. --Rod Buchele
PUBLICATIONS/PRODUCTION SERVICES UPDATE
Hold Orders for 4-H VIP
4-H Youth Development has announced the revision of publication 4-H667
"Volunteer Information Profile: Policies and Procedures." Although the
item appears on the 3rd Quarter Order Form, we will not be accepting
orders at this time. The revision will appear on an upcoming monthly
order form.
Deadfile These Publications
The following items have been deadfiled both as printed and electronic
publications, which means they should no longer be used:
4H812 (CCS: Ordered from Minnesota) Moving Ahead Notebook
4H187 4H Secretary Record Book
4H473 So You Are Secretary of Your Group
4H476 Ideas for Using 4H Officer Materials
4H142 4H Recreation Leader
L833 Developing a Community Forestry Program
Reminder
Order forms are due April 1 for CCS materials, June publications and 3rd
Quarter publications. --Nancy Zimmerli
nancyz@ksu.edu
THE KANSAS
ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AGENTS
KACAA Spring Meeting will be held May 4 - 6 in Garden City. Watch for
registration information coming soon. Mark your calendars and plan to
join us. If you are not a member of the Association, you can still
attend our Spring Meeting to find out what KACAA is all about. --Andrea
Burns aburns@oznet.ksu.edu
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 MARCH 30,
2005, THROUGH APRIL 5, 2005:
Tuesday, March 29, through Friday, April 1
.... Nutrition, Food Safety, Health Extension, Baltimore, MD, Mary
Meck Higgins
mhiggins@humec.ksu.edu
Thursday, March 31
.... K-State Leadership Seminar, Manhattan-KSU, Statewide, 8:30
a.m., Dan Kahl
dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu
Friday, April 1
.... 4-H Blue Ribbon Training, Manhattan and
surrounding area, NE, Justin Wiebers
jwiebers@oznet.ksu.edu
.... Alfalfa Profit Seminar, Beloit/MC, Multi-county, NW, Stu Duncan
sduncan@oznet.ksu.edu
Friday, April 1, through Sunday, April 3
.... Shooting Sports Spring Instructor
Certification, Rock Springs 4-H Center, Statewide, Gary Gerhard
ggerhard@oznet.ksu.edu
Friday, April 1, through Wednesday, April 6
.... National 4-H Conference, Chevy Chase, MD,
Beth Hinshaw
bhinshaw@oznet.ksu.edu
Saturday, April 2
.... Better Beef Day Show, Horton/BR,
Statewide, 7:00 a.m., Carol Strahm
cbauerle@oznet.ksu.edu
.... Miami County Spring Beef Show, Paola and surrounding area, SE,
8:00 a.m., Leanne Stevenson
lcoxbill@oznet.ksu.edu
.... Wilson County Spring Beef Show, Fredonia, Statewide, 8:00 a.m.,
Cheri Nelsen
cnelsen@oznet.ksu.edu
.... Shawnee County Spring Rabbit Show, Auburn/SN, Statewide, Leroy
Russell lrussell@oznet.ksu.edu
Sunday, April 3
.... Shawnee County Photography Workshop,
Auburn, Statewide, Leroy Russell
lrussell@oznet.ksu.edu
Tuesday, April 5, through Wednesday, April 6
.... Spring Action Conference, Salina Holidome, Statewide, Paula
Peters peters@humec.ksu.edu
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