The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 12, No. 12  January 31, 2006

IN THIS ISSUE...

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...First Aid & CPR Training
...USDA Rural Development to Host Value-Added and Renewable Energy Grant Information Meetings
...State Soybean Extension Agronomist Coming to K-State
...4-H Livestock Ear Tags
...Eta Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta Seeking Nominees
...Miami County 4-H Senior Horse Quiz Bowl Team Takes 5th in the Nation
...Master Schedule

...Tuesday Letter Archives

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Thanks to everyone involved in the 2006 Partnership Meetings around the state. We sincerely appreciate the Board members in attendance of that meeting. It is the one opportunity in the year to come together with Board members from other local Extension units to learn about and discuss important issues for consideration in the coming year. We came away with a great deal of input from Board members and agents at each of the meetings. We will summarize that information and utilize it as we set goals for this coming year.

I would remind you of one of the more informative aspects of the Partnership meetings. That being the unveiling of the new Board Leadership website. You can access this website at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/boardleadership/ . The information it contains should prove useful in numerous ways to local Board members. In addition to the learning modules being developed to help Boards in conducting their business, the website will also be a great resource for history, background information, policies, and other reference materials and forms of interest in the conduct of business related to Cooperative Extension. I hope you will bookmark this website and come back to it often to see the changes and additions being made.

Now for something a little different. I got one of those messages forwarded to me this past week that has no identified author, but I think it contains some very thoughtful wisdom. So, respectfully from an anonymous source,

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, but the quality of life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

So please, don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee. Have a great week. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

February 3, 2006    
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.    
Waters 106    
Cost - $22 per person

USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT TO HOST VALUE-ADDED AND RENEWABLE ENERGY GRANT INFORMATION MEETINGS
USDA Rural Development State Director Chuck Banks announced that the Agency will host four informational meetings covering the USDA's Value-Added Producer Grant Program and Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Program. The presentations, which will explain the details of these two important programs, will be held in Dodge City, Salina, Iola, and Topeka.

USDA Rural Development has announced the availability of $19.475 million in Fiscal Year 2006 competitive grant funds to support the development of renewable energy and value-added agricultural business ventures.

Each workshop will consist of two sessions: Session #1 will discuss the Value-Added Producer Grant Program. Session #2 will cover the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Program. The four USDA Rural Development program information meetings will be held:

Dodge City - February 7, 2006
Session #1 - 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Session #2 - 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Conference Room, High Plains Journal, 1500 East Wyatt Earp

Salina - February 8, 2006
Session #1 - 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Session #2 - 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
4-H Building, Saline County Livestock & Expo Center, 900 Greeley

Iola - February 9, 2006
Session #1 - 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Session #2 - 3:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m.
Lecture Hall, Administration Building, Allen County Community College,1801 N. Cottonwood

Topeka - February 10, 2006
Session #1 - 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Session #2 - 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Extension Meeting Room, Shawnee County Extension Office, 1740 SW Western

Registration will begin 30 minutes prior to each session at all locations.

Awards under the Value-Added Producer Grant Program will be made on a competitive basis, and applications must be received no later than March 31, 2006. Detailed information and program requirements and the application process can be found in the December 21, 2005, publication of the Federal Register, on the Kansas USDA Rural Development website at www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks , or by calling the Agency in Topeka at 785-271-2744.

Details for grants, loans, and loan/grant combination applications under the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Program are expected to be announced soon. Applications should be in the process of being developed now to maximize the opportunity for funding. --Steven Graham sgraham@oznet.ksu.edu

Current research of Dr. Pedersen’s program is focused on soybean yield potential, replant decision, SCN-pH interactions, long-term rotation, seed-treatment studies, soil pH management, hail-injury studies, inoculants and seed treatments, herbicide-pest complexes, and a soybean aphid project.

Come join the K-State Department of Agronomy and the Agronomy Graduate Student Association for Dr. Pedersen’s presentation, “Producing a good soybean crop can be challenging – how do we get around it?”  The seminar is free and open to the general public.  Agronomists and producers are welcome to attend this informative presentation on February 15 at 4 p.m. in Throckmorton Plant Science Center, Room 1016.  --Corey Rozenboom ctroze@ksu.edu

4-H LIVESTOCK EAR TAGS
All counties/districts (except pilot counties) should continue to use the traditional Kansas 4-H ear tags purchased from the Kansas 4-H Foundation via Extension Distribution for 2006.

Only the pilot units of Butler, Central Kansas District #3, Wilson, Morris, Stanton, Jackson, Dickinson, Rooks, Miami and Finney will be allowed to use a special Kansas 4-H EID Tag for beef and sheep for State Show purposes. Even these counties will use regular tags for swine. --Jim Adams jadams@oznet.ksu.edu

ETA CHAPTER OF GAMMA SIGMA DELTA SEEKING NOMINEES
Kansas State's Eta Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta is seeking nominees for 2006 awards:

Distinguished Alumni Award
Distinguished Faculty Award
Outstanding Teaching Award
Outstanding Advising Award
Excellence in Extension Award
Outstanding Research Award
Early Career Award

You are encouraged to nominate deserving candidates. Nomination forms are available from departmental Gamma Sigma Delta representatives and department heads. Nominations must be received by February 24, 2006. Send to Jack Fry, Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources, 2021 Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Manhattan, KS 66506. --Jack Fry jfry@ksu.edu

MIAMI COUNTY 4-H SENIOR HORSE QUIZ BOWL TEAM TAKES 5TH IN THE NATION
Members of the Miami County 4-H Senior Horse Quiz Bowl Team represented the State of Kansas in the Horse Classic at the Western National 4-H Round-Up in Denver, Colorado, January 5 – 8, 2006.

Competing in the Horse Quiz Bowl competition, the five-member team composed of Christina Stabler, Ashley Goul, Joey Scalet, Emily Walls and Alicia Wood, showcased their knowledge of horses and the equine industry as they competed against 4-H teams from across the country, answering questions relating to many different areas of equine care and maintenance.  Rebounding from a first round defeat, the team persevered through the double-elimination tournament to finish fifth in the nation in this competition.

Miami County Coach Kathy Goul said, “It has been wonderful to watch this team of five members unite, set goals for themselves and work hard to achieve each and every one of those goals.  I couldn’t be more proud of them than I am today.  Months of study, hard work and dedication have paid off. Through the entire process, each team member has gained skills that will help him or her in life, no matter what career path they choose.”

In addition to the Horse Quiz Bowl team from Miami County, several individuals and teams from other parts of the state represented Kansas in Western National 4-H Round-Up Horse Class events, including Hippology, Horse Judging, Public Speaking and Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks.  The combined scores from each of these events and the Miami County Horse Quiz Bowl Team pushed the State of Kansas to second place in the nation, based on overall points scored in the Horse Classic.

Teams representing the State of Kansas at the Western National 4-H Round-Up had to qualify at the state level to compete.  The Miami County 4-H Senior Horse Quiz Bowl Team qualified at the State Horse Panorama competition in February 2005. --Crystal Coffman ccoffman@oznet.ksu.edu

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS. 

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