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The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 13, No. 22  April 10, 2007

IN THIS ISSUE...

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Changing Tax Withholding
...Award for Excellence in Extension
...K-State Spouse/Dependent Grant
...Engaging Community Through Service-Learning
...KEAFCS Members Encouraged to Apply for Scholarships and Awards
...Marie's Pick of the Week
...Manage Risk with Walk Kansas
...Speaker on Agricultural History
...Planning and Developing Landscapes
...Wichita FNP/Junior Master Gardener Workshop
...Marketing Minute: What is 'Branding'?
...Coming Attractions
...Master Schedule

                                                                                                           ...Tuesday Letter Archives

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
I wrote the following article early last week, before the weather deteriorated and temperatures tumbled. I first thought of doing something different since there aren't many colors on the landscape now, but decided otherwise since this is such a good resource for identifying the wildflowers and grasses of Kansas. I appreciate having seen several excellent references and resources being identified for educational use with the record low temps and likely damage on wheat, early planted corn, and on a wide number of horticultural plants, shrubs, and trees. So, after reading the following, you may need to close your eyes and imagine the beauty had the freezing temps not happened.

Spring is the season of colors on the landscape as so many plants come into bloom. Michael Haddock, chair of the sciences department for Kansas State University library, was recently highlighted as author of a new book entitled, "Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas: A Field Guide." The book was published in 2005 by the University Press of Kansas, and provides a comprehensive guide documenting more that 250 different wildflowers and more than 50 different grasses from across Kansas.

I know many of you have interests, or passions might be a better description, for the outdoors and all of its splendor and beauty. In addition to his book, Haddock has a website that he continues to update and support on the wildflowers and diverse plant life of Kansas. You can access the over 1000 photos and information at http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/ .

Springtime is the perfect time to focus on the beauty of new life on our landscapes and the wonders of creation. Just maybe not quite so lasting in 2007? --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

 

CHANGING TAX WITHHOLDING
This is the time of year that individuals may want to change their tax withholding. That can be done electronically. From the K-State Research and Extension home page, www.oznet.ksu.edu , click on Employee Resources in the bottom right hand corner, then Benefits on the left, then Change W4 on the right. --Stacey M. Warner swarner@ksu.edu

 

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EXTENSION
The Cooperative Extension Section Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) has announced a request for nominations for the "Award for Excellence in Extension." This award recognizes a select group of Cooperative Extension System educators who excel at Extension programming, make a positive impact on constituents served, and provide visionary leadership for the System. It is designed to focus national attention on the role of Extension - one that is fundamental to the lifelong education and development of residents in communities around the nation.

You can find information on this and future opportunities for award nominations through the Employee Resources website. At this website, simply click on nominations for awards in the center section of the web page.

I believe Kansas needs at least one nomination for this prestigious award. If you have someone in mind you would like to see nominated, please contact me, dbuchhol@ksu.edu , and we can work together to organize the nomination. Deadline for nominations is June 1, 2007.

If you'd like to post additional award nomination opportunities on this website, send your information to Martha Monihen, mmonihen@ksu.edu ,in our office. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

 

K-STATE SPOUSE/DEPENDENT GRANT
The Office of Student Financial Assistance has announced that the Grant for Spouses and Dependents of full-time K-State employees will continue for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Employees whose spouse, son, or daughter participated in this program during the 2006-2007 academic year, will need to re-apply for the 2007-2008 academic year. Information about this grant and the application form may be found at http://www.k-state.edu/sfa/grants/sdg.htm , or by calling the Student Financial Assistance office at 785-532-6420. --Division of Human Resources

 

ENGAGING COMMUNITY THROUGH SERVICE-LEARNING

K-State Union – Flint Hills Room
April 19, 2007 - 2 – 4:30 p.m.

Please join us to discuss the benefits of taking research and learning outside of the laboratory or classroom. This symposium is designed to foster discourse among faculty and extension educators impacting future engagement activities of Kansas communities and beyond. Dr. Joe Underhill, associate professor of Political Science at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN, will offer the keynote talk.

Participants will also learn of funding opportunities on campus to support engagement and service-learning.  

Coffee and refreshments will be available. An agenda can be found at
http://www.k-state.edu/waterlink/engagement.html . This event is sponsored by the KSU Center for Engagement and Community Development, Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (KCARE), and Kansas Campus Compact.

Questions should be directed to Christopher Lavergne at lavergne@ksu.edu , or 785-532-2732. --Christopher Lavergne

 

KEAFCS MEMBERS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
KEAFCS members are encouraged to apply for scholarships and awards including the Elinor Anderson Scholarship, KEAFCS Scholarship and the First Timer Award for members attending their first annual NEAFCS conference. Members are also invited to submit names to be considered for the Friends of Extension FCS Award. More information and applications can be founds on the FCS website at www.oznet.ksu.edu/fcs . Then go to KEAFCS scholarships. The deadline for submitting applications is May 31, 2007. If you wish to receive an application by mail or have questions, please contact Lisa Long at llong@ksu.edu , or 620.532.5131. --Lisa Long

 

MARIE'S PICK OF THE WEEK
While continuing to review the Project Accomplishments database for items especially effective at helping us understand how our work can be highlighted to share outcomes, impacts, and success stories, this week’s selection comes from Evelyn Neier’s Extension Nutrition Program.

As a result of the Kansas Centennial Community Service project, more than 3,500 Kansas 4-Hers in 36 local Extension Units donated 3,539 volunteer hours for local food programs (a value of more than $50,000), collected 10,679 cans of food, 2,118 pounds of fresh produce and $3,513 in cash. --Marie Blythe  mblythe@ksu.edu

 

MANAGE RISK WITH WALK KANSAS
Many counties are now involved in Walk Kansas. The Risk Management document has a checklist on pages 4 & 5 and supporting information you may find helpful as you plan group walks. For example, have you planned for first aid stations? Who can administer first aid or CPR?

Do you have phone numbers with you to call emergency personnel? Do you have a plan for severe weather?

When K-State Research and Extension sponsors an event, the public looks to us for leadership. Being prepared helps us handle the unexpected. Information in the Risk Management document on First Aid and Severe Weather can provide you additional information. Click on the link to download the document,  http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/misc2/riskmgmt.pdf . --Cindy Evans cevans@oznet.ksu.edu

 

SPEAKER ON AGRICULTURAL HISTORY
Professor Shane Hamilton, an assistant professor of history at the University of Georgia, will present a public talk in the K-State Union Little Theater next Wednesday, April 11, at 4 p.m. The title of his talk (on truck drivers, agricultural policy, and the 1970s conservative revival in the U.S.) is: "The Neo-Populist Moment: Capitalism and Country Trucking Culture."

Here is a bit more detail on next Wednesday's talk:
Beholden neither to union leaders nor to corporate employers, the independent truck driver was celebrated in 1970s country music songs and Hollywood films as the "last American cowboy." But according to the tens of thousands of truckers who armed themselves with shotguns and bricks as they shut down the nation's highways in the summer of 1979, the independent trucker was not in fact the "king of the open road."

Government regulations in place since the early years of the New Deal discouraged competition in the freight trucking industry, ensnaring the truck-driving man in the grip of federal bureaucrats and the Teamsters Union. The drivers who violently refused to haul food and freight in the summer of 1979 were the ground troops in a larger battle to overthrow New Deal economic liberalism and set the nation on a new course. Independent truck drivers were a militant vanguard of the free-market revolution that characterized the Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan years—but as this paper argues, such a revolution had long been quietly underway on America's rural highways, where independent truckers, encouraged by agribusinesses and farm policymakers, challenged the regulatory structures and labor policies of New Deal political economy from the onset. A special breed of trucker was born in the 1920s and 1930s, as industrialized agriculture forced many farmers off the land and onto the roads to seek a living. These rural truckers developed a culture of fierce independence, encouraged by farm-friendly policies that shielded them from federal regulations and discouraged unionization. The seeds of 1970s low-price, low-wage, deregulatory capitalism were planted in rural soil decades before Richard Nixon entered the White House. --Derek Hoff (K-State Department of History) dhoff@ksu.edu

 

PLANNING AND DEVELOPING LANDSCAPES
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn more about landscape planning and designing. Emily Nolting is the K-State Research and Extension Northeast Area Extension Horticulture Specialist, and has lots to offer. She will be covering some information on plant materials, examples of how to use different plants, and the elements for design. She will include accents in the landscapes, engaging the senses and developing and maintaining areas in the landscape.

This program will be offered in Washington, Belleville, Concordia and Clay Center. Here are the program dates, times and locations. There is no registration cost, but we would like you to register by April 23, and indicate which location you plan to attend. Please register at your local Extension Office or e-mail David Lott at dlott@ksu.edu  to register.

April 23 - 6 p.m.
Washington, KS
First National Bank - 101 "C" Street

April 25 - Noon
Belleville, KS
Public Library - 1327 19th Street

April 25 - 6 p.m.
Concordia, KS
Courthouse Basement Meeting Room - 811 Washington Street

April 26 - 6 p.m.
Clay Center, KS
Clay County Fairgrounds 4-H Meeting Room - 12th and Bridge Streets

If you have any questions about this program, please contact your local Extension Office, or e-mail David Lott, District Horticulture Agent, at dlott@ksu.edu , for more information. --David Lott

 

WICHITA FNP/JUNIOR MASTER GARDENER WORKSHOP
A FNP/Junior Master Gardener workshop will be offered on May 16 by the Department of 4-H Youth Development in Wichita at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center, 7001 W. 21st Street North. This workshop replaces the workshop that was previously scheduled for Chanute on March 8. The workshop will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m., opening remarks at 10 a.m., and conclude at 3 p.m. The registration fee of $15 will cover lunch and materials. Register online at http://www.4-h.ksu.edu . Click on the green "Register for 4-H Events" button. Registration deadline for all the FNP/JMG workshop is May 11, 2007.

This workshop will focus on using the Junior Master Gardener curriculum as well as how to develop and sustain a youth gardening program. Participants will gain hands-on experience using lessons from the Junior Master Gardener curriculum, including a newly released nutrition lesson on My Pyramid. The workshop will include JMG lessons previously not covered in JMG workshops, and new material on coordinating a gardening program with education standards and nutrition programs.

For more information, contact Evelyn Neier, Kansas JMG Coordinator, at 316-722-0932 or eneier@ksu.edu . --Evelyn Neier

 

MARKETING MINUTE: WHAT IS 'BRANDING'?
Branding is defined as every prospect or customer interaction with your company that creates an impression. It's more than just a logo. It's the personality and soul of your company, including how your phone is answered, how someone is greeted in your lobby, the quality of your customer service, and more. A brand is a promise about the level of service and professionalism customers can expect from a company.

Here are some tips on how to capitalize on K-State Research and Extension's brand promise:

* Use the organization's full name -- "K-State Research and Extension" - on all references, especially printed materials.

* When using the K-State Research and Extension logo, never change its proportions. It should always be scaled in a way that keeps the graphic's original dimensions.

* Follow the guidelines in the K-State Research and Extension Communications and Style Guide.

For more information on this or any marketing communications related topic, please contact Pat Melgares, melgares@ksu.edu , or Linda Sleichter, lsleicht@ksu.edu . --Linda Sleichter

 

COMING ATTRACTIONS
In my next to the last installment from my Mexico journal, please read next week as I talk about the Autonoumous University at Chapingo. The following week, I will conclude with the art of Mexico.

If you want me to speak to your group about Mexico, I have a variety of topics that range from History, the people, the farming practices, and the social systems. I've spoken to three groups to date, and I have four scheduled.

Thank you for reading. --Debra Bolton dbolton@oznet.ksu.edu

 

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

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

DATES TAKEN FROM THE MASTER SCHEDULE FOR APRIL 18, 2007, THROUGH APRIL 24, 2007:

Wednesday, April 18
.... Canola Field Tour for Agricultural Agents, Hutchinson/RN, Statewide, 9:00 a.m., Vic Martin vmartin@oznet.ksu.edu

Thursday, April 19
.... SE Area KAFCE Spring Council Meeting, Chanute, SE FCE Counties, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Gayle Price gprice@oznet.ksu.edu

Saturday, April 21
.... Spring State 4-H Shooting Sports Match, Great Bend/BT, Statewide, Gary Gerhard ggerhard@ksu.edu

 

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