The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 13, No. 36  July 17, 2007

IN THIS ISSUE...

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Networking Problem Affecting Teleconferencing Campus-wide
...Housing Offered by USDA Rural Development to Individuals Impacted by Floods - USDA Housing Relief Program Enacted for Kansas
...Kansas Wheat Conference
...You are Invited!
...Save the Date
...Marie's Pick of the Week
...Five Counties Introduce New Websites
...Professional Development Opportunity: Working with Multicultural Audiences
...Conducting Public Issues Education
...eXtension News
...Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals
...Master Schedule

                                                                                                           ...Tuesday Letter Archives

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Why plan? Recently, I was asked what expectations were with regards to "action plans"? I thought for a moment. My first notion was to say, action plans are located on the web, within our long term intended outcome documents. Then, I thought about how agents had those catalogued within the RETORIC system. But my answer was, "everyone should be operating from a plan for which they take ownership."

I certainly hope every Extension educator (recall that if you have Extension responsibility, YOU ARE AN EDUCATOR) has an action plan. Simply put, it is some form of guidance in programming, target audiences, and educational resources that clearly sets out a plan to achieve the long term intended outcomes. In 2005, we created a set of outcomes for the K-State Research and Extension system to work towards, and those documents can be found at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/prev/5-YP2005-2009/05-09Index.htm . With them created in 2005, we've been working against those plans for nearly 3 years. How is your action plan contributing towards helping our system to achieve those intended outcomes? Do you have action plans that are driving your priorities? Is your work contributing positively to the needs and desires that were outlined through development of those long term intended outcomes? If so, thank you, and I hope you are communicating those evidences towards the intended outcomes. If not, how can we help you to get on track? --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

NETWORKING PROBLEM AFFECTING TELECONFERENCING CAMPUS-WIDE
A networking problem is affecting teleconferencing campus-wide, including the KSRE Polycom units. Campus telecommunications technicians are working to find the source of the problem, which we hope to have resolved in just a few days. --Larry Jackson ljackson@ksu.edu

HOUSING OFFERED BY USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT TO INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY FLOODS - USDA HOUSING RELIEF PROGRAM ENACTED FOR KANSAS
USDA Rural Development announced that the Agency will offer housing assistance to eligible Kansans impacted by the recent flooding that struck the State. The housing assistance, subject to availability, will utilize USDA-financed rental housing facilities located in rural communities across Kansas.

USDA Rural Development is working with the Rural Rental Housing Association of Kansas to place eligible Kansans in housing that will meet their individual and family needs. The Agency also offers homeownership financing assistance to eligible Kansans. During Fiscal Year 2006, USDA Rural Development provided $100 million of housing assistance funding for Kansans.

Individuals interested in learning more about USDA Rural Development's housing programs may contact the Agency's Iola office at 620-365-2901 or the State Office in Topeka at 785-271-2702. --Steven M. Graham sgraham@k-state.edu

KANSAS WHEAT CONFERENCE
The 2007 Kansas Wheat Conference, "Wheat at a Crossroads," will be held July 31 - August 1, 2007 in Wichita.

Early registration for the conference is $100 until July 20, and then increases to $110 after July 20 and at the door. Registration forms are available at www.kswheat.com .

The conference begins at 6 p.m. on July 31 with a Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper. The main event will begin on Wednesday, August 1, at 9 a.m., with registration beginning at 8 a.m.

KSU wheat breeders Joe Martin and Allan Fritz and Extension Agronomist Jim Shroyer will present "Red, White . . . and Blue?" a panel discussion and review of the recently completed harvest, how white wheat fared, and the final verdict on the April freeze.

Then Kellye Eversole, of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, will present "More Complex than You and I - Decoding the Mysteries of the Wheat Genome."

Afternoon topics include "A Different Perspective - the view of the U.S. wheat industry from a major competing country" and "Bread or BTUs - the latest on using wheat for ethanol or cattle feed." The conference will conclude by 4 p.m.

The 2007 Kansas Wheat Conference will be held at the Best Western North Hotel and Suites, which is a completely remodeled and updated facility that is easy to find and conveniently located on the north side of Wichita. A block of sleeping rooms has been reserved for the rate of $69 per night. Reservations can be made by calling 316-832-9387 and asking for the Kansas Wheat room block.

For more information, visit www.kswheat.com . --Steven Graham sgraham@ksu.edu

YOU ARE INVITED!
As mentioned in the previous Tuesday Newsletter; Marilyn Toellner, with the Sedgwick County Extension Office, will be retiring soon. We will be holding a retirement party for her on Wednesday, August 8, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Sunflower Room at the Sedgwick County Extension Office, 7001 W 21st St North, Wichita, KS 67205.

Everyone is welcome to join us during this celebration. There will be no need to R.S.V.P. if you do decide to join us. However, if you should happen to need directions to our office, feel free to call or e-mail for directions. We hope to see as many of you who can make it.  --Rachel Serrano rserrano@ksu.edu

SAVE THE DATE
Dr. Cliff Spaeth, Extension Sheep Specialist, has announced his retirement effective August 1, 2007. A retirement dinner is being planned for Friday, September 14, at Pottorf Hall in Manhattan. Mark the date on your calendar. --Lois Schreiner lschrein@ksu.edu

Larry Crouse reported that the Butler County 4-H horticulture judging team that won the state contest and represented Kansas 4-H at the 2005 National Horticulture Judging Contest decided to stay active. Those team members were instrumental in conducting the 2006 Butler County Horticulture Judging contest at the County 4-H Fair. They then decided to pay their own way to return to the National Horticulture Judging contest and compete again—this time in the Open Division. Their efforts paid off with a first place finish and individuals on the team placed 1st, 6th and 8th!!! --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu

FIVE COUNTIES INTRODUCE NEW WEBSITES
Congratulations to the five counties who have "gone live" recently with their CMS-driven Websites. I encourage you all to take a few minutes and check out their new sites:

Barber County http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/barber 
Comanche County http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/comanche
Elk County http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/elk 
Harvey County http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/harvey 
Labette County http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/labette

This brings our total public CMS sites to 23, with three more set to go live very soon. Thank you all for the work you have put into your Websites, and thank you to the programmers and designers who continue to improve the "guts" of our content management system.

If you need additional help with your sites or need to attend a training, please contact Linda Sleichter at lsleicht@ksu.edu . --Linda Sleichter

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY: WORKING WITH MULTICULTURAL AUDIENCES
Kansas State University and Iowa State University are teaming up to host an exciting training for extension, state and federal agencies, and NGO educators/staff on working with multi- cultural audiences, especially Latinos. A workshop under the grant "Building Capacity to Engage Latinos in Local Food Systems in the Heartland" will be held at K-State on October 18 and 19. Plan now to stay after the annual conference for this educational activity.

The workshop will provide an opportunity to share success stories and hear from leading practitioners from other states that are building effective relationships and programs with Latino audiences. Workshop activities will focus on successful strategies for working with Latinos and Latino farm families. We invite anyone in K- State Research and Extension to consider participating in this two-day training event. Most of the costs of the training will be covered by the grant. The participants will be responsible only for their travel to and from Manhattan. We will limit the number of participants to 40 for this first training, but if we have sufficient demand, we will possibly offer additional events.

To register for the first training in October or for more information, please e-mail Bill Hargrove at KCARE, bhargrov@ksu.edu . --Dan Kahl, dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu

1. move sequentially from problem definition to problem resolution

2. define and agree on the problem to be solved,  and (tie)
2. engage in collaborative decision-making

3. separate their interests from their positions on a public issue

4. incorporate diverse viewpoints about public issues into their own decisions, and

5. interact with diverse stakeholders,
5. evaluate and apply scientific data to resolve a public issue, and
5. understand methods for evaluating P.I.E. program impacts. (tie)

These 8 skills are important to extension professionals regardless of  your area of specialization. The Center for Engagement and Community Development (CECD) is an important resource for Extension to enhance these skill sets. In addition to the annual Facilitating Public Issues Forums workshop held each June, CECD is also working with the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy to publish a guide to facilitating public issue forums handbook that will be available this fall.

For these and other resources on public issues education, contact Dan Kahl, dkahl@oznet.ksu.edu .--Dan Kahl

eXtension NEWS
The News Unit in the Department of Communications learned some very good news recently. Editors of eXtension announced at a national meeting of land grant communicators in June that K-State led all universities in the number of news releases that had been posted on the eXtension Website. As of early June, eXtension editors (based at Iowa State University) had selected 25 K-State news releases to use on its national Website.

EXtension is a national educational partnership of more than 70 universities designed to help Americans improve their lives every day with access to objective, research- based information and educational opportunities.  More information about eXtension is available at http://www.extension.org/ . The News Unit's writers are grateful to all specialists, agents, researchers and administrators who work with us to get science-based information to the public! --Mary Lou Peter-Blecha mlpeter@oznet.ksu.edu

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORE COMPETENCIES FOR EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS
All Extension professionals who work at a local level—whether it be with youth, families, agriculture, natural resources or community—need to understand the components and dynamics of communities in order to provide educational programs that make a difference.

The Foundations of Practice workshop is a distance education program hosted through the NC Center for Rural Development consisting of a series of seven, one and one-half hour sessions. The focus is on understanding community, the dynamic components of community, Principles of Practice, community demographics, community economics, power structures, situational analyses and roles of Extension, community sustainability, and community development processes.  This is an exceptional introduction to community development offered in a user-friendly format. Sessions this fall will be hosted: 

Tuesdays, September 18 to October 30, 2007 -- 1:30 to 3 p.m. CST, or

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