Tuesday Letter

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
I have some good news for those counties and districts where Extension agent vacancies exist. We requested approval, through Provost Ruth Dyer, to reduce the number of Extension agent vacancies to 16 positions across the state. Currently, we have 25 positions vacant. Dr. Dyer has approved this action. Over the next couple weeks we will be communicating with those Counties and Districts who have had vacancies for the longest time during this freeze to determine their desire to fill those vacancies at this time. Announcements advertising those positions should begin to show up around October 1.

As long as the fiscal condition of the state remains stable such that the Board of Regents do not request any budget call backs, we will continue to fill positions as any additional positions vacate, remaining with a minimum of 16 vacant positions at any given time. The chronological order for filling local unit vacancies has been provided to the Area Extension Directors.

PERSONAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR KSRE EMPLOYEES
There is still time to complete the Personal Health Assessment survey, which is open to all KSRE employees. The original message, which includes your identification number, is titled "Welcome to Wellstream PHA." You can also e-mail Sharolyn Jackson, sharolyn@ksu.edu , and request the information. Please complete the survey by Friday, September 18. --Sharolyn Jackson, on behalf of the KSRE Wellness Leadership Team

FLU SURVEY
Flu season is here. There have been a number of H1N1 or Influenza Like Illnesses (ILI) reported among K-State faculty, staff and students. Because of this, the K-State Division of Public Safety is initiating data collection of flu incidents.

If you have the flu, do not come to work. Stay home, consult with your physician and do not return to work until your fever is below 100 F for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications. If you have the flu, please notify your supervisor that you are home sick with the flu. Each area or department office will be completing an on-line flu survey each pay period. The incidences of flu will be reported in general and not connected personally to the employee. This reporting applies to all K-State employees whether located on or off campus.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. If you have questions, please contact your department or the K-State Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 785-532-5856. --K-State Office of Environmental Health and Safety

STATE FAIR 4-H HORSE SHOW -- START TIMES
The 2009 State Fair 4-H Horse Show will begin at 8:30 a.m. on both Friday, September 18, and Saturday, September 19. The show will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 20, with the roping beginning at 11 a.m.

Please contact Sarah Dick, Kansas 4-H Horse Program Coordinator, sarahdd@ksu.edu , with any questions. --Sarah Dick

Mike Erhart is the CEO/General Manager of Prairie Horizon Agri Energy LLC in Phillipsburg, Kansas. He was the owner’s representative for the construction of two ethanol plants in Kansas and developed both companies from the ground up. Mr. Erhart is actively involved in the renewable fuel industry; his passion for this industry has led him to be involved in development of new processes adding value to bottom line margins of the industry. His visionary approach to renewable fuels manufacturing and company operations will assist those interested in the development of these types of projects. He is a Kansas native and has spent his career in agricultural based industry.

How To Connect: On September 25, start connecting 5 minutes prior to the start time of 11 CDT. Copy and paste this URL into your browser to enter the meeting: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/unl/ . For questions, contact Ed Brokesh in Bio and Ag Engineering at ebrokesh@ksu.edu . --Dan Kahl dankahl@ksu.edu

4TH FRIDAY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CONVERSATIONS RETURN WITH REVIEW OF ACTION PLANS Since most Extension agents are including youth development in some portion of their local action plans, it's appropriate to launch this school year's 4th Friday Youth Development conversation with a discussion of the plans and how they contribute to Youth Development in Kansas.

Join the conversation on Connect web-conferencing through the Youth Development PFT site. The informal conversation is scheduled for 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Friday, September 25, and will be facilitated by Elaine Johannes along with Jim Adams and Gary Gerhard. The Connect site is http://connect.ksre.ksu.edu/pftyd .

Remember, be sure to test your computer's connection to the Connect site prior to September 25. Also, try out your head-phones to assure that you'll be able to hear and contribute to the conversation.

For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu . --Elaine Johannes

ACTION PLAN PROCESS
Note: It is highly recommended that you create your action plan in Word or WordPerfect and then cut and paste into the on-line system to prevent accidental loss and aggravation!!!!

One more reminder of the deadline (October 1) for your local action plans (2-3 focused proactive plans per agent) to be posted to the Action Plan System!! You can access the system and various other resources that can help you on the Program Development and Reporting website. What you will find there:

1. The Strategic Opportunities (remember, that is how we are organizing our plans now) and all of the state level/team action plans that fall under each of the seven opportunities.

6. The Reporting System is linked from here, too. When you enter an action plan into the action plan system, it will come up on your reporting home page for you to report against in the next program year.

Contact: Paula Peters, ppeters@ksu.edu , 785-532-1562; or Marie Blythe, mblythe@ksu.edu , 785-532-6775; for content. For technical help with the online system, contact Gamage, gamage@ksu.edu . --Paula Peters

Intentional Harmony: Managing Work and Life was developed by University of Illinois Extension to help people balance their work and personal lives. Intentional Harmony is based in family theory and interdisciplinary research, and teaches individuals how to create harmony in their lives, reduce stress, and balance competing demands. Any KSRE professional interested in bringing Intentional Harmony to their county is invited to attend the training to be held as part of Annual Conference in Manhattan, KS on October 22, 2009 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. at the Student Union.

The cost of the program is $75. For this fee, you will be provided with lunch, and receive the training, which certifies you to provide the program to local audiences. You also will have access to the Intentional Harmony website for one year, which includes downloadable facilitator’s guides, PowerPoint presentations, video clips, activity sheets, handouts, research reference sheets, news commentaries, press releases, publicity brochures, and other materials that are updated periodically.

To register, indicate that you will attend the Intentional Harmony training on the registration form for Annual Conference and include the $75 fee. The training will be conducted by Deb Sellers, PhD; and Sharolyn Flaming Jackson, master trainers for Intentional Harmony.

For more information, contact: Debra M. Sellers, 785-532-5773, dsellers@ksu.edu . --Deb Sellers

USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT VALUE-ADDED PRODUCER GRANTS PROGRAM
USDA Rural Development urges farmers and business owners to apply for $18 million in grants from the Agency's Value-Added Producer Grants Program, to help them add value to the commodities they produce. It is suggested that producers file their applications promptly so they can potentially take advantage of this important program.

USDA plans to award planning grants of up to $100,000 and working capital grants of up to $300,000 to successful applicants. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that use existing agricultural products in non-traditional ways or merge agricultural products with technology in creative ways. Businesses of all sizes may apply, but priority will be given to operators of small to medium-sized farms operating as a family farm - those with average annual gross sales of less than $700,000.

Applicants must provide matching funds equal to the amount of the grant requested. Ten percent of the funding being made available is reserved for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. An additional 10 percent is reserved for projects involving local and regional supply networks that link independent producers with businesses, and cooperatives that market value-added products.

The national application period for USDA Rural Development Value Added Producer Grants closes on November 30, 2009. For more information on how to apply, producers should visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm , or see page 45165 of the September 1 Federal Register.

For additional information regarding USDA Rural Development and its programs, log onto the Agency's website at www.rurdev.usda.gov/ks or call the USDA Rural Development state office at 785-271-2700. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu

BEST OF LUCK TO JOE LEIBBRANDT
Joe Leibbrandt, Sunflower District Extension Agent, Cheyenne County, has resigned from his position effective September 18, 2009. We want to thank Joe for his dedication and hard work in Extension these past few years. Best of luck in your future endeavors. --Chris Onstad constad@ksu.edu

MARIE'S PICK/REMINDER
With September winding up the 2008-09 program year, agents are working on Performance Review documents . . . . which means you’ve completed your Program Impact/Outcome Report(s). After numerous reminders that the Impact/Outcome Reports are about your clientele (knowledge gain, skills developed, behavior/practice change, and the long term change in condition), the Performance Review is your opportunity to "toot your own horn" for all the work you’ve done over the past year - that led to the clientele changes you’ve reported in your Impact/Outcome Report. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu

COMMUNICATION MINUTE: EASY E-MAIL ORGANIZATION WITH TAGS
Keeping track of all the e-mail an average person receives can be quite a hassle, and for many professionals it can be several times as daunting. Thankfully, most e-mail clients (K-State Zimbra, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Pegasus Mail) provide a quick and easy way to categorize the e-mail within a folder using Tags.

K-State Zimbra:
To tag a message, right click on it in the list of messages, then select Tag Message from the menu, and finally choose the tag you would like to use (you can choose New Tag to make a new tag). You can apply multiple tags to a message. To view all the messages tagged with a certain tag, in the left hand pane with the list of e-mail folders, expand the section for Tags (you may have to scroll down to see it) and click any of the tags listed. You can also do custom searches based on tags.

Mozilla Thunderbird:
To tag a message, right click on it in the list of messages, then select Tag from the menu, and finally choose the tag you would like to use. You can also press the number key for the tag (shown before the tag name in the menu) to quickly tag messages with your keyboard. To edit the available tags, go to the Tools menu, select Options, then the Display section, and finally the Tags tab. To search for messages with a specific tag, right click on either a folder or your mailbox in the list on the left side of the screen, and choose Search. Then, choose the criteria for your search and click Search.

Pegasus Mail:
Pegasus Mail does this a little differently. You can assign a color to a message (much like a tag) and then search and sort using those colors. To assign a color to a message, right click it in the list of messages, then choose Set Color, and finally pick a color. The message will be shown with that color in the messages list. You can also select messages with the same color by pressing the Select button from the toolbar at the top of the messages list and selecting that option.

There is much more you can do with Tags in your e-mail client. Feel free to read the help documentation for your client to find out more (you can find it on the Help menu), or go to http://www.k-state.edu/infotech/e-mail/ for help on K-State Zimbra (try the Zimbra Help link at the upper right of the page). If you have any questions or get stuck, feel free to contact IET Tech Support at 785-532-6270 or support@ksre.ksu.edu . --Russ Feldhausen russfeld@ksu.edu