The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

Vol. 14, No. 20  April 1, 2008

IN THIS ISSUE... 

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Horticulture Pest of the Week Results Available to Extension Agents
...Last Call for 4-H Photo Camp
...2008 State KAA and Scholarship Winner Notification
...Adobe Connect Web Videoconferencing Training
...Get Ready for the Summer Livestock Season!
...Kansas 4-H Portfolio Premiere - Bonus Opportunity
...Opportunities for Building Stronger Communities
...Retirement Reception for Phil Sell
...Correction!!! 4-H Dog Obedience - Pre-Novice Scoresheet
...ServSafe Food Safety Train-The-Trainer Workshop
...Cultural Capital
...Extra Session for Communicating Impact Training
...4-H Dog Care and Training Project Updates
...4-H Enrollment Software - What's Happening
...Marketing Minute: Signage for Offices and Trade Shows
...March Extension Agent Personnel Changes
...Master Schedule

                                                                                                           ...Tuesday Letter Archives

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Beginning with the work of a special task force from across K-State Research and Extension in 2000, the K-State Research and Extension organization adopted a set of five organizational core values. Here are those core values taken verbatim from an 8 X 10 inch frameable bond paper that we have available in our office if you would like to have them on your desk or wall in your office. Just call us.

Integrity, including honesty, trust, credibility, responsibility, stewardship, and accountability.

Communication, including cooperation and unity, which include listening as well as speaking and writing, sharing information and working together in a spirit of one organization.

Scholarship, involving lifelong learning, which includes excellence in the discovery, integration, and synthesis of knowledge and its dissemination and use.

Leadership, involving collaboration and service, which include vision, teamwork, customer-focused service, innovation, effective education, shared goals and resources.

Inclusion, involving diversity, which includes incorporating respect and appreciation for clientele, co-workers and stakeholders in decision-making and in developing and promoting culturally responsible and responsive research, educational materials and programs.

"Knowledge for Life"

Organizational core values are only effective when each of us takes responsibility to uphold them professionally. It's not about pointing out how others within the organization may or may not be upholding them, but rather to look in the mirror and take personal responsibility to strive to uphold those core values. If every person in the organization will do that, the organization will be recognized by others as having those core values.

Its not about telling others what we hold as our core values, but for others to recognize through our actions and culture that we obviously hold those five words as our core values. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

HORTICULTURE PEST OF THE WEEK RESULTS AVAILABLE TO EXTENSION AGENTS
Many of our Extension Agents receive the Horticulture Newsletter each week. What you may not realize is that during the growing season (April - September), we poll our horticulture agents and certain specialists weekly asking for a summarized listing of questions they have received within the past week. We also ask for a "pest of the week" nomination. This helps determine the subjects of articles included in the newsletter as well as identify our official "Pest of the Week."

We send our poll request each Friday and then compile a list of all responses on Monday. This compiled list is then sent back to the "Pest of the Week" subscribers. Many find this list helpful in determining potential problems or identifying present problems that haven’t been recognized.

If you are associated with K-State Research and Extension and would like to be added to this list, let me know. You are not required to respond to our poll in order to receive our compiled list. --Ward Upham wupham@ksu.edu

LAST CALL FOR 4-H PHOTO CAMP
Registrations are due now for 4-H Photo Adventure Camp. The decision to hold camp will be made this week. If you know of a youth who wants to attend, please have them get their registration in now. After the registration information is put in the mail, please e-mail their name and information to Rita Dome, rsdome@ksu.edu , so they can be added to the list immediately.

For camp information, see http://4-h.k-state.edu/Events/Photo/PhotoAdventureCamp.htm , click on the flyer for the registration form. --Rod Buchele rbuchele@ksu.edu

2008 STATE KAA AND SCHOLARSHIP WINNER NOTIFICATION
Whew, March has indeed flown by with Easter, Spring Break, and Award Application Deadline being a week later. The 2008 State Project Winners, as determined by the KAAs, have been determined. The announcement either went out on March 31 or today, April 1.

Due to the lateness of scholarship judging (March 25) and other program commitments I had last week, the scholarship award winners are not quite ready to release. We will have the scholarship announcement to counties on Monday, April 7, 2008. Thank you for your understanding and patience. --Gary W. Gerhard ggerhard@ksu.edu

ADOBE CONNECT WEB VIDEOCONFERENCING TRAINING
Save time, travel and get your message out by using a simple Web browser as your communication tool. K-State Research and Extension is using Adobe Connect for live meetings, eLearning, on-line presentation and seminars (Webinars). Connect allows you  to use live video, audio, the ability to view PowerPoint presentations, post agendas, documents, and use interactive features such as polls, whiteboards and active chat.

IET is offering Connect training for this amazing communication tool on Wednesday, April 2, at 9 a.m.; and on Wednesday, April 9, at 9 a.m. There will be a 30 minute overview of Connect with the opportunity to test (and play) with the program. No registration is necessary. Simply go to  http://connect.oznet.ksu.edu/medialab/   during the training time. This is a good chance to test your Webcam and interact with many of Connect's features.

For more information on Connect, go to https://www.oznet.ksu.edu/techweb/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=658 . 
For scheduling Connect meetings, contact Gerry Snyder, gsnyder@ksu.edu , or call IET at 785-532-6270. --Gerry Snyder

GET READY FOR THE SUMMER LIVESTOCK SEASON!
Nationally known speaker, Dr. Jeff Goodwin, Colorado State 4-H Program Leader, will be presenting a seminar on "Effective Livestock Programs" on Wednesday, April 9, from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. at the Grand Prairie Convention Center, Hutchinson, KS.

Anyone involved in youth livestock programming is encouraged to attend this presentation to learn more about ethics, sportsmanship, and best management practices. Registration for this seminar is only $10 and may be sent to Shawna Mitchell, McPherson County, smitchel@ksu.edu by Friday, April 4. Checks should be made payable to KAE4HA. Please note that this is following the KAE4HA Spring meeting, but you do not have to be a member or attend the spring meeting to be able to attend this special afternoon seminar.

AND.......

KANSAS 4-H PORTFOLIO PREMIERE - BONUS OPPORTUNITY
Just a reminder --- there is a Kansas Portfolio Premiere (KAP) on Thursday,  April 10, in Hutchinson at Trinity United Methodist Church. So you can take advantage of attending both events - without having to travel to two separate events. Registration for the KAP is available on the on-line registration system at www.kansas4-H.org .

Additional KAP trainings are available in other sites during April and May. --Jodi Besthorn Besthorn@ksu.edu

RETIREMENT RECEPTION FOR PHIL SELL
Please join us for a celebration in honor of Phil Sell, Shawnee County Horticulture Agent. Phil will be retiring after 30 years of outstanding service to K-State Research and Extension and the citizens of Shawnee County. The Shawnee County Extension Council, Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners, and Extension staff invite you to a reception honoring Phil on Friday, May 2, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Reynolds Lodge at Lake Shawnee, 3315 SE Tinman Circle, in Topeka.

Cards and letters for a scrapbook can be sent to Shawnee County Extension office, 1740 SW Western, Topeka, KS 66604.

For more information, contact Alice Brooks, at 785 232-0062 or abrooks@ksu.edu . --Laurie R. Chandler lchandle@ksu.edu

CORRECTION!!! 4-H DOG OBEDIENCE -- PRE-NOVICE SCORESHEET
This is found in the Kansas 4-H Dog Show Judge's Guidelines (S82 Rev. January 2008). The Long Down exercise at the very bottom of the Scoresheet should be "ON" leash (3 minutes). We will change this scoresheet that is on the web for downloading, but will have to wait until the next printing of the manual.

Please make this small but important correction in you supply of S82 manuals. --Jim Adams jadams@ksu.edu

SERVSAFE FOOD SAFETY TRAIN-THE-TRAINER WORKSHOP
The 2008 Train-the-Trainer ServSafe Manager Certification Workshop is scheduled for Thursday, May 29, at the Sedgwick County Education Center.

This all day training is for Extension Agents and Family and Consumer Sciences teachers who wish to be ServSafe certified or for those who need to re-new their certification. Contact Gayle Price at gprice@ksu.edu , or call 620-431-1530 for complete details. --Gayle Price, gprice@ksu.edu

CULTURAL CAPITAL
As promised, this is the continuation of a discussion about community capitals. I am excited to be part of the discussion while representing the Community/Economic Development Focus Team (CED/PFT). Thank you for responding to my submission on March 18.

Capital, of any kind, is a resource we invest to create new resources down the road. Our cultural capital begins at birth. In childhood, we learn how to act, how to speak, what to value, and we acquire certain symbols that partly define us. That is our cultural capital. It belongs to us individually and as part of a group.

Regional language is one example of our cultural capital. For instance, I had the good fortune to attend the National S.A.R.E. (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Conference last week. I met a woman who is Navajo and farms in Arizona on the Reservation. I am Pueblo Indian, and we have similar food systems, but we have different names for the same food item. For example, the Dineh (Navajo) call steamed, dried sweet corn, "neeshjishi" (neesh-gee-shi). The Pueblos of northern New Mexico had more Spanish influence, and we call it, "chicos". Natives use the dried corn in our stews and soups.

An important part of cultural capital is that different heritages are maintained and valued, and cultural differences are recognized and valued. The opposite of that is when one social group imposes its symbols and folkways on another social group. That is called, hegemony. A great example of that would have been when American Indians children were sent to White boarding schools and punished when their native languages were spoken.

I have always seen Kansas as a great example of a melting pot with a population that mostly embraces cultural differences. Various celebrations abound, and the respective towns grow by the hundreds and sometime thousands for such events. Wilson has its Czech Festival. Nicodemus has its Homecoming. The Little Balkans in Southeast Kansas has its various celebrations to honor the immigrant populations that came to work in coal mines years ago. Southwest Kansas has Beef Empire Days to honor the beef industry and fiestas as part of the Hispanic culture. There are many more examples. How does your community value and maintain its various cultures?

This week, think about your cultural capital. What are your ways of knowing? How do you see the world? What are the filters you use in social interactions? What are the symbols on which you place value?

Once again, I thank Flora, Flora, and Fey for providing wonderful stories to illustrate the community capitals. Next time, we will discuss Human Capital. --Debra Bolton dbolton@ksu.edu

4-H DOG CARE AND TRAINING PROJECT UPDATES
State Fair Dog Show -- September 13, 2008

State 4-H Dog Conference -- November 1-2, 2008

The team is beginning to develop 4-H rules for Rally Obedience. The plan is to incorporate this fun event into the State level contests in 2010. Exhibition Rally O will be part of the next two state dog conferences.

Decision to keep the rule to use slip collars in obedience.

Will be revising the Dog Immunization Card for 2009 and adding Bordatella as a required vaccination for 2009.

State 4-H Dog Judge Certification Training -- January 31-February 1, 2009 at Johnson County Fairgrounds in  Gardner.

For further details, read the last Action Team minutes posted on the Dog Care and Training Project Page at  www.kansas4h.org . --Jim Adams jadams@ksu.edu

4-H ENROLLMENT SOFTWARE - WHAT'S HAPPENING
For some time we have seen that MarTech Systems, the company responsible for the Blue Ribbon Youth Enrollment software, has been scaling back on the development of Blue Ribbon. Recently MarTech indicated that future improvements to Blue Ribbon will be very limited due to the decreasing number of states using the program and diminishing financial return. They are not considering development of a web-based system for data management.

Discussions have been taking place between states, including Kansas, that use Blue Ribbon regarding possible alternatives. Some factors being considered include:  Ease of use, migration of data from Blue Ribbon, integrating with existing fair management software, a web based system that would eliminate the need for installing software upgrades or patches as well as automated data backups, security, start up and ongoing costs, etc.

In mid-March, Iowa invited state 4-H staff members from Kansas, Colorado, Washington, and Florida to join them on a fact finding trip to Texas to discuss the detailed capabilities of  “4hOnline” with programmers and the Texas 4-H staff.  “4hOnline” was developed as a partnership between Texas 4-H and an independent programming company. “4hOnline” was designed to handle project enrollment (replacing Blue Ribbon) and event registrations (like our on-line registration system) through a web-based system which is stored and administered on the company’s servers. Information from this fact finding mission will be brought back to Kansas for further consideration. If you are interested in seeing this system, you may go to their website at http://www.4honline.com .

Another option would be the development of our own system as many other states have done. This would have a much higher initial cost and a much longer development and testing period. It could allow us to integrate 4-H project enrollment and club management with on-line events registration, and possibly our KSFAIR system for state fair entries and Horse Levels testing.

We are in the beginning stages of exploring the options. A committee will be convened to determine the best choice for all levels of the Kansas 4-H program. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact Justin Wiebers. --Justin Wiebers jwiebers@ksu.edu

MARKETING MINUTE: SIGNAGE FOR OFFICES AND TRADE SHOWS
First impressions are critical when it comes to reaching new customers, and often your signage is the first thing people see. People often form an impression based on your signage: expectations of quality, accessibility, what type of service is provided, and cost. This applies not only to your storefront, but also trade shows and exhibitions. When you consider how many potential customers walk past your booth at a fair or trade show, think about what they perceive from your booth's contents. Does it look dated? Does it look thrown together? Or does it look modern, top-quality, and thorough? Does it tell them what you offer and how to reach you?

One quick way to update your trade show presence is by purchasing a new display. Roller-shade displays are gaining in popularity. They are compact, easy to set up, affordable to update, and look more 'hip' than the traditional trifold booth display. There are two K-State Research and Extension banner displays available through Steven Graham, and a few counties have also purchased them individually. We encourage those of you who have purchased and/or used this type of display to comment about them on our blog at http://ksremarketingminute.blogspot.com/ . Specifically, please post about the vendor you used, the cost, and benefits or negatives of this type of display.

And, if it's your office or storefront that needs the update, consider applying for a signage mini-grant, now available from K-State Research and Extension's Department of Communications. Details are available at www.communications.ksu.edu/marketing . If you have any questions about signage or any other marketing-related topic, please contact Pat Melgares or Linda Sleichter at 785-532-5804. --Linda Sleichter lsleicht@ksu.edu

MARCH EXTENSION AGENT PERSONNEL CHANGES
Melissa Thomas, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Logan County, began employment on March 9, 2008. Her e-mail address is mdthomas@ksu.edu .

Robin Eubank, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in Barber County, transferred from River Valley District on March 9, 2008.

Amanda Lott, 4-H Youth Development Agent in River Valley District, resigned on March 11, 2008. --Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS