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The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 13, No. 23  April 17, 2007


IN THIS ISSUE...

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Special Announcement: FY2007 Federal Formula Funds Mini-Grants
...Register by April 18 for the Third Annual Extension "Healthfest!"
...Retirement Reception for Rita Dawson
...Open House for Bruce Chladny
...Workers Needed for KSRE Booth at the 3i Show in Garden City
...Marie's Pick of the Week
...Thank You from Carol Young
...KAE4-HA Award Winners Announced
...Planning Ahead for Risk Management
...4-H Geology Field Trips -- June 8-10, 2007
...About Mexico's Research University
...Diversity Programs Office Update
...Master Schedule

                                                                                                           ...Tuesday Letter Archives


WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
This past week, I had the great opportunity to participate in several conferences going on here at K-State. Just to highlight one speaker is probably not enough, but I will do so to keep this relatively brief.

The speaker was John Molinaro, Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group from Washington DC. He was a keynote speaker at the Community Economic Development Conference in Lindsborg. John spoke on "Regionalism and the Rural Economy." His primary points were in a definition for regionalism, which he says means, "a contiguous area coming together across traditional geographic boundaries to achieve a mutually beneficial economic purpose that cannot be effectively achieved acting alone." Throughout his presentation he used examples of where towns and/or counties came together to mutually identify strengths that can be achieved through creating a regional network, and how those successful processes have increased economic activity and improved the overall well being of the region. Obviously, the greatest hurdle to jump in such a process is in agreeing on the key elements to making the regional approach work, and then believing "what benefits you will ultimately benefit me."

These are difficult discussions, and require shared values and a shared vision across a region. Yet, with the examples he used, you could see the benefits of developing the shared values and vision. In the spirit of Jim Collins in his book, "Good to Great," working to locate that sweet spot where "passions," "being best at," and an "economic engine" all come together, is critical for the future of many communities and counties across the Great Plains. I believe K-State Research and Extension can play a key role in helping people create a vision across traditional geographical, sociological, and political boundaries. Obviously, a vision is not automatic success, but without such vision, history can pretty well predict the future.

Henry Ford offered a thoughtful quote when he said, "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success."  --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: FY2007 FEDERAL FORMULA FUNDS MINI-GRANTS

Background

The federal budget process for FY2007 concluded with passage of a Continuing Resolution that included a large one-time increase in research and extension formula funds for land-grant universities. This one-time increase was to make up for the absence of "earmarks" or "special grants" from the FY2007 USDA-CSREES budget. K-State Research and Extension received enough money to cover all our commitments on special-grant projects. After covering these commitments, a pool of funds remains. These funds must be spent by September 30, 2008. The Director has decided to invest a large part of this reserve in a competitive, one-time mini-grants program.

Important Facts

  • Funds available: $500,000 integrated pool; includes research and extension funds (Hatch $400,000; Smith-Lever $100,000)

  • Size of awards: no set lower or upper limit; several awards will probably be made

  • Funds must be spent by September 30, 2008

  • Deadline for application: 5 p.m. Monday May 14

  • Submit applications to Director Fred A. Cholick, 113 Waters Hall

  • Application format: proposals should be very brief, no more than two pages long, including a budget

  • Eligible Principal Investigators: tenure-track faculty serving on KAES or KCES appointments

  • Proposal must contain:

  • Name(s) of principal investigator(s) and collaborator(s)

  • Statement of problem to be addressed, including significance

  • Description of plan of work

  • Statement of anticipated outcomes and impacts

  • Discussion of how the proposed work will add value to existing programs and create future opportunities

  • Budget: must conform to Federal CircularA-21 and guidelines for spending Hatch and Smith-Lever funds. The following will not be allowed: faculty salaries, vehicle purchases, capital improvements or renovation of facilities

  • Evaluation process

  • Proposals will be evaluated by the Director and Associate Directors

  • Criteria for selecting winning proposals

  • Scientific merit

  • Potential for achieving broader impact (preference will be shown to projects with integrated research and education objectives)

  • Potential for obtaining extramural funding for future related work

  • Awards will be announced May 18

If you have further questions, please contact Dr. Forrest Chumley, fchumley@ksu.edu ; or Dr. Daryl Buchholz, dbuchhol@ksu.edu . --Daryl Buchholz

 

REGISTER BY APRIL 18 FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL EXTENSION "HEALTHFEST!"
Extension "HealthFest!" will take place April 27- 28, 2007 at Rock Springs 4-H Center and you're invited! "HealthFest!" is open to all Extension professionals and community partners (e.g., Coordinated School Health programs).

On April 27, 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., lunch provided, Health Rocks!, the National 4-H Council's health promotion program, will be featured. Trainer, Dr. Susan Holder, from Mississippi State University Extension, will be leading us in the basics of the community youth development program for health. Kansas Coordinated School Health programs are invited to attend too.

On April 28, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Bobbie Harris, Friends University faculty member and originator of the acclaimed "Physical Extensions" health promotion project for afterschool, will be training teens and adults in afterschool group management and physical activity promotion. Bobbie is also the author of Physical Focus and Physical Essentials, which are both Kansas Health Foundation programs that are currently used in many Kansas schools.

Extension Health Fest! is supported by the USDA/CYFAR "Kansas Teen Leadership for Physically Active Lifestyles" project.

Register, no later than April 18, by contacting Carol Fink, cfink@ksu.edu , 785-532-1705; or Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu , 785-532-7720.

There is no charge for HealthFest! Just come learn, enjoy and get active! --Elaine Johannes ejohanne@ksu.edu

 

RETIREMENT RECEPTION FOR RITA DAWSON
Please join us for a celebration in honor of Rita Dawson, Coffey County FCS Agent. Rita will be retiring after 36 years of outstanding service to Kansas Extension and the citizens of Coffey County. The Coffey County Extension Council will be hosting a retirement reception on Monday, April 23, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Coffey County Courthouse located at 110 S. 6th in Burlington.

Cards and letters can be sent to: Coffey County Extension Office, PO Box 269, Burlington, KS 66839.

For more information, contact Cade or Jessica at 620-364-5313. --Cade Rensink crensink@oznet.ksu.edu

 

OPEN HOUSE FOR BRUCE CHLADNY
The Douglas County Extension Council and the Douglas County Master Gardeners, are hosting an open house to honor Bruce Chladny, Douglas County Extension Horticulture Agent.  Bruce has been in Douglas County for seven years and will become the director in Wyandotte County on May 5, 2007.

The open house will be from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, at the Douglas County Extension Office in Deal Six Auditorium.  The Extension office is located at 2110 Harper Street, Lawrence, Kansas. Please come and express your appreciation to him for his dedication to Douglas County. --Emily Morehouse morehous@oznet.ksu.edu

 

THANK YOU FROM CAROL YOUNG
I received so many thoughtful sympathy cards and notes after the recent loss of my only brother. They were especially comforting during this sad time. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know you were thinking of me. --Carol Young cyoung@oznet.ksu.edu

 

WORKERS NEEDED FOR KSRE BOOTH AT THE 3i SHOW IN GARDEN CITY
The 3i Show (3i stands for Irrigation, Implements, and Industry) takes place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, MAY 10, 11, and 12, at the Garden City airport. (This is the second year for having the show in May). The show is open each day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our booth (I-119) is in Building A (the big middle exhibit building), along the north wall in the same spot where we have been before.

Steven Graham will bring the display, handout materials from campus, and be present during all three days of the show. If you would like to attend the 3i Show and also assist in the booth for an hour or more, that would be great. There is no entrance or parking fee.

The 3i Show is a huge farm machinery show which also has some daily programming aimed at spouses. These programs are coordinated by K-State Research and Extension and are located in the SE room, under the Stadium. Our booth will have information from our Core Mission Themes, plus we will be joined by some of the Watershed Specialists.

Please e-mail and let me know which day(s) and what time(s) you would like to work in the booth. Thanks for your assistance. --Steven Graham sgraham@oznet.ksu.edu

 

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 is an impact statement from Dan Fung. He reported on a program designed to reduce food borne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 Salmonella, Listeria, and spoilage bacteria.

The project, when successfully completed, should have a direct impact on the safety and quality of many raw meat products. Many meat cuts can be treated, packaged, stored, and shipped to various places in refrigerated containers with no additional contamination since the meat cut will be protected by the vacuum bag. The impact may be millions of dollars saved by less spoilage of products and, more importantly, will reduce the chance of contamination by food borne pathogens.

Since this is at the early stage of development, no direct economic impact has been evaluated. Eventually, when all the conditions have been defined, a team of specialists, which will include microbiologists, food scientists, food technologist, agriculture engineers, and meat processors will need to be assembled to develop logistics of meat cutting operation, hot acid dipping operation, vacuum packaging operation, microwave operation, and finally storage and distribution operations. Once the process is successful, the impact could be substantial for meat safety and preservation, nationally and internationally. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu

 

KAE4-HA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The following awards were presented at the KAE4-HA Spring Conference recently. Please help us congratulate our award winners for their dedication and service to 4-H Youth Development.

Achievement In Service Award - Sarah Maass, Central Kansas District; and Evelyn Neier, Junior Master Gardener Coordinator;

Distinguished Service Award - Berny Unruh, Barton County; and Gary Gerhard, State 4-H Specialist;

Meritorious Service Award - Pam Van Horn, State 4-H Specialist;

Communicator Awards: Feature Story, News Story, and Published Photo Awards - Phyllis Kriesel, Cherokee County;

Promotional Piece Team- 4-H Marketing Action Team - Jodi Besthorn, Andrea Karcher, Keri Liddeke, Andrea Schmidt, Aliesa Woods and Diane Mack;

Speciality Awards: Search for Excellence in Teen Programming Award - Beth Hecht, Leavenworth County; 

Educational Technology Team Award - VIP On Line Orientation - Diane Mack, Rod Buchele, Beth Hinshaw,  Gerry Snyder and Brandon Cummins;

Air Force Recruiting Salute Award - Pat McNally, State 4-H Leader.

--KAE4-HA Recognition Committee

 

PLANNING AHEAD FOR RISK MANAGEMENT
Are you prepared to help if someone is injured at work or during a program?  Do you have first aid kits available where you do your work and programming?  Some places to consider include: vehicles, tractors, combines, meeting rooms, offices, barns, workshops and buildings at the fairgrounds.  Also consider having kits that can be checked out from your office for staff to take to meetings or First aid kits can be purchased on the state of Kansas bid list. On campus they are available from the Division of Facilities, Dykstra Hall.  To see what is needed in a first aid kit; please go to the K-State Research and Extension Risk Management Publication, http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/misc2/riskmgmt.pdf . This would also be a good time to check your current first aid kits to see that all components have been restocked, and that nothing in the kit is out of date. --Beth Hinshaw bhinshaw@ksu.edu

 

4-H GEOLOGY FIELD TRIPS -- JUNE 8-10, 2007
The Geology Action Team has finalized the registration information for this year's field trips. Registrations are due to Dave Goldak, 1303 East Hwy. 54, Andover, Kansas 67002-7876, by May 21, 2007, with payment if you want preference on a T-shirt. Final deadline without a T-Shirt guarantee is May 31. Registration sheet and location information is on the State 4-H Website, www.Kansas4h.org , under "What's Hot". --Jim Adams  jadams@oznet.ksu.edu

 

ABOUT MEXICO'S RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
Hopefully, you are not tired of my journal of the study trip to Mexico this past February. Next week will be my final installment concentrating on the arts of Mexico. Today, it is a university not unlike our own land-grants, Universidad Autónoma de Chapingo.

Early one morning, we loaded the yellow Mercedes bus belonging to the Cemanahuac (Sem-men-now-wok) Educational Community (Cemanahuac Comunidad Educativa), our hosts. We headed to the northeast part of the valley Mexico City crossing over the causeway that once connected the embryonic Mexico City (Tenochtitlán) to Texcoco (Tesh-co-co) across Lake Texcoco. In the municipality of Texcoco is Universidad Autónoma de Chapingo.

The university was founded in 1854 as the National School of Agriculture. Its first home was near the heart of Mexico City. After the Mexican Revolution, it was moved to its present site in the municipio (county) of Texcoco at Chapingo, an old hacienda. Until 1968, it was a military installation. Then the name was changed to Autonomous University at Chapingo, UACh. Autonomous was put in the name to reflect a total ban on firearms on the campus.

We met with the president of the university in the world famous, President’s Office, which was named the World Cultural Heritage and National Museum of Agriculture. In the Director’s Room, on the wall, are portraits of former directors of the National School of Agriculture and past presidents of the UACh. El Presidente told us about the history of Chapingo as his predecessors looked on from the wall. The portraits were painted by the national artists during the time of each director or president’s terms. Artists included Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Clemente Orozco. Remember those names. The erstwhile president is painted as he appeared before us: without a necktie. He said he wants all students to see him as approachable, so he does not wear a tie.

The school is both research university and preparatory school. Seven-thousand students attend the University. The preparatory high school boasts 2,000 students who focus on agricultural studies. Three-thousand people sleep and eat on campus including many faculty. Six-thousand meals are prepared everyday by the food service provider.

Eighty-three percent of the students at UACh are full-time. Seventeen percent of the student population is indigenous, and they are allowed, indeed, encouraged to speak their own languages. There are 33 Aztec indigenous groups on campus. The indigenous students are known for their high academic skills. Thirty-six percent of the student population is female.

The University president, who also acts as principal and superintendent of the preparatory high school, is elected by the UACh educational community. Faculty and students have equal voting power. If the University president is seen as inadequate, he (there has never been a female president) can be removed through a plebiscite.

The UACh remains the National School of Agriculture and has been Autonomous for the past 30 years. There are 21 departments of study with 20 post graduate programs focusing on agriculture, forestry, plants, vegetables, animal sciences, sociology, economics, commerce, water, rural development, geography, and horticulture. Four-hundred out of the 1,006 professors are dedicated to research. Students and faculty focus on research projects that link to the agricultural sector of society.

The campus is beautifully landscaped, and a common site was the students’ laundry hanging from their dormitory windows. Of the many wondrous sites on campus, the chapel houses a very important work of art by muralist, Diego Rivera. I will talk more of Mexico’s art next week.

My participation of this important trip was made possible by Daryl Buchholz, Epsilon Sigma Phi, and S.A.R.E. --Debra Bolton dbolton@ksu.edu

 

DIVERSITY PROGRAMS OFFICE UPDATE
The Annual Diversity Summit was a success and we thank all of you who participated. Congratulations to K-State Research and Extension who were recently selected as a change agent. You should be proud of this distinction for this will provide us an opportunity to understand and appreciate differences as we move the KSRE agenda forward. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Paula Peters or Dr. Zelia Wiley who will serve as our coordinators.

We are very excited to announce a tremendous success at the 2007 MANRRS National Conference in Birmingham, AL. K-State was represented by16 students. That representation included the National Graduate Vice President, Jael Jackson, and last year’s National President-Elect, Dr. Zelia Wiley, who at the close of the conference took over the reigns as the 2007-2008 National President.

While in Birmingham, our students had the opportunity to network with several professionals from various corporations in the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences field. There was a Career Fair that housed over 80 companies and graduate schools, including three K-State booths. Several people commented on how well represented K-State was at the Career Fair. The conference also hosted several career building workshops.

I believe our students found the opportunity to attend this conference very beneficial to their development. I also believe it was a chance for them to have an enjoyable time and meet professionals and their peers from many other parts of the country and even the world. --Zelia Wiley zwh@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 25, 2007, THROUGH MAY 1, 2007:

Wednesday, April 25
.... Canola Field Tour, Hutchinson/RN, South Central Kansas, 9:00 a.m., Vic Martin
vmartin@oznet.ksu.edu

Wednesday, April 25, through Friday, April 27
.... KACAA Spring Workshop, Colby, Statewide, Doug Musick
dmusick@oznet.ksu.edu

Friday, April 27, through Saturday, April 28
.... K-State Extension 3rd Annual HealthFest, Rock Springs 4-H Center, Statewide, Elaine Johannes
ejohanne@ksu.edu

Tuesday, May 1
.... SE Area KAFCE Recognition, Girard/CR, SE FCE Counties, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Gayle Price
gprice@oznet.ksu.edu

Tuesday, May 1, through Friday, May 4
.... CYFAR Conference, Chicago, IL, Elaine Johannes
ejohanne@ksu.edu

 

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