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The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

Vol. 16, No. 5  December 1, 2009


IN THIS ISSUE... 

 

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...4-H Program Updates - December 1 (Today) Registration Deadline
...Last Chance to Order Legislative Reports
...Poinsettia Cultivar Trials Activities This Week
...IET Media Lab / Training
...Webinar: Industrial Stormwater BMPs
...Janice Buchman Retirement Reception
...Design for Learning
..."Keeping the Family Farming" Workshops
...November Extension Agent Personnel Changes
...Communication Minute: Social Media and You

...KSRE Master Calendar
 
                                                                                        

                                                                                                ...Tuesday Letter Archives

 


WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH

Hope each of you had a good holiday time with family and friends, and a little time to relax a bit and reflect on all to which you are thankful.

 

In November I began making the rounds to meet with faculty who have interest, passion, or responsibility for Extension work across K-State Research and Extension. Thus far I've met with faculty in Human Ecology, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreational Resources, 4-H Youth Development, and Communications. Meetings are also set for December with faculty in Grain Science and Industry, Agricultural Economics, Animal Science and Industry, Kansas Forest Service, Plant Pathology, Agronomy, and in early January with Entomology. I've enjoyed the discussions with focus on rollout of the Strategic Opportunities for K-State Research and Extension. I remained convinced of the commitment we have towards listening to stakeholders and clientele. I appreciate hearing the plans and commitment to designing the engaged research and educational programs that effectively address critical and relevant issues of our clientele. Teamwork continues to be one of our strengths and I hope continues to develop across the system.

 

Final planning details are in the works for Extension Partnership Meetings, which are administrative meetings held in late January around the state with local Extension Board leadership. These meetings will focus on KSRE being RELEVANT at the local level. Board members will be asked to think broadly and strategize ways for the KSRE system to ever increase the relevance of local programs, initiatives, and structures that will exceed expectations and needs of stakeholders, opinion leaders, and ultimately the clientele we serve. We'll be in Southeast on January 20, Northeast on January 21, Northwest on January 27, and Southwest on January 28. Each year we look forward to this opportunity to engage local Extension Board leadership in topics of interest to strengthen local Extension programs.

 

And, finally, I've seen reference to the following You Tube video entitled "Some Food for Thought." I encourage you to watch and reflect on the importance of farmers to this nation and the world.

 

 

Have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

 

 

 

4-H PROGRAM UPDATES - DECEMBER 1 (TODAY) REGISTRATION DEADLINE

Register online, https://4hyp-ts.oznet.ksu.edu/wconnect/ace/home.htm  , by Tuesday, December 1, for either of the 4-H Program Updates; two sites are available. Gathering time for both days will be 9:30 a.m. and the wrap up will be at 3:30 p.m. 
 
EAST 4-H Update - Emporia  
Tuesday, December 8, 2009  
Location: Emporia Public Schools Central Offices  
1700 W. 7th, Emporia, KS  
 
WEST 4-H Update - Scott City  
Thursday, December 10, 2009  
Location: Carpenter Building  
608 N Fairground Rd, Scott City  
 
The cost for the update is $15 and includes lunch. Checks should be made to the Kansas 4-H Foundation and are due at the update. The theme is “Going Green,” so plan to wear a 4-H shirt that day. It could be a camp shirt, a 4-H event shirt or any other 4-H shirt.
 
As part of the background for 4-H Updates we will be producing a slide show featuring 4-H in action. To do this, we (the Update planning committee and the Photo Action Team) are requesting from each Extension Unit, up to five photos of 4-Hers and/or your 4-H Program in action. Please send the photo files to   rbuchele@ksu.edu . Please make sure you have participation forms with signed photo releases in your office. We also plan to post the slide show to the web for counties/districts to use. Please send the files by Wednesday, December. 2, (deadline extended for photos).
 
This year's update committee includes Diane Nielsen, Bill Haney, Brian Swisher, Melinda Daily, Glenn Brunkow, Pam Van Horn, Diane Mack, Beth Hinshaw, Rod Buchele and Deryl Waldren. --Beth Hinshaw bhinshaw@ksu.edu and Rod Buchele rbuchele@ksu.edu
 
 
 

LAST CHANCE TO ORDER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS

The K-State Research and Extension Informal Report to the Kansas Legislature (UNN24) will be available in January. The 32-page, 2-color report will include 12 feature articles and about 30 additional short stories that cover the breadth of the organization. Each county and district will receive 1-2 copies at no charge. The report was listed on the October order form. If you need additional copies of UNN24, go to orderpub@ksre.ksu.edu  by December 3. The reports are $1.25 each. --Gloria Holcombe gloria@ksu.edu

 

 

 

POINSETTIA CULTIVAR TRIALS ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK

The annual Poinsettia Open House will be held Wednesday, December 2, from 11 - 3 in the crosshouse of the Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center greenhouses. Several poinsettia pans will be given away via a drawing to participants who complete a very short consumer preferences survey. On Saturday, December 5, Kim Williams will present a short talk about the 'Culture and Care of the Christmas Flower' in 2414 Throckmorton (enter through the KSU Gardens Visitors' Center). Visit www.ksre.ksu.edu/poinsettias/openhouse  for more information about these activities and poinsettia sales. --Kimberly Williams

 

 

 

IET MEDIA LAB / TRAINING
When you need communications help, think of the KSRE and Department of Communications Media Lab. Located in Umberger 212, they offer numerous digital media services. The staff provides expert assistance with website graphics, digital imaging for presentations, creating online videos such as podcasts, production of DVDs, and support for online courses and digital educational materials. Visit the KSRE Media Lab site for more details.

IET is also offering several upcoming training opportunities on Connect web conferencing and CMS website authoring. Connect training is scheduled for December 2 (9 a.m.) and CMS training is available by reservation on December 2 and December 3. Look for details and additional technology information at the TechWeb website, www.ksre.ksu.edu/techweb . For further information contact Gerry Snyder, gsnyder@ksu.edu . --Gerry Snyder

 

 

 

WEBINAR: INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER BMPs
The K-State Pollution Prevention Institute, housed in Engineering Extension, will be hosting a free webinar on Friday, December 4, 2009 at 1 p.m. CST. This one-hour webinar will feature information about how stormwater quality can be improved with modest changes to routine operations and maintenance practices. Attend this webinar to learn how to incorporate stormwater best management practices (BMPs) at facilities in your watershed.

 

Pre-registration is required. To register and for more information, please visit www.sbeap.org and look for the yellow box, or to register by phone, call 1-800-578-8898 or 785-532-6501. Please contact Ryan Hamel, rhamel@ksu.edu , if you have any questions. --Ryan Hamel

 

 

 

JANICE BUCHMAN RETIREMENT RECEPTION

You are invited to join Riley County Extension staff in celebrating the work of Janice Buchman, 4-H Office Professional, during a reception in her honor on Thursday, December 17; 4-6 p.m. at the Riley County Extension Office. The reception is a come and go format, with a special presentation at 5:30 p.m. We will be recognizing Janice for her 21 years of service to Riley County K-State Research and Extension. --Andrea Schmidt aschmidt@ksu.edu

 

 

 

DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Registration for Design for Learning is due December 15. Design for Learning is a distance learning opportunity that will help you develop educational experiences for your audiences.

 

North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas are cooperating to offer Design for Learning to extension professionals in the four states. The January 22 - March 19, 2010 class will be facilitated by Kansas. We are also holding April 4 in case we need to make up a class.

 

While the preference is for participants who can engage in all 5 sessions, we are creating a waiting list of individuals who are interested but may have to miss one session. If the class doesn't fill with full time participants, we will accept individuals from the waiting list in a first come for serve order to be in the class.

 

Course description and registration form are located on the Employee Resources Web site: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/employee_resources . Select Registrations from the purple boxes in the center of the page. Please register prior to December 15, 2009.

 

The five sessions will be conducted via conference call and Adobe Connect. Participants need to have a computer to participate. The schedule is:

* January 22 - Understanding Learners and Their Needs

* February 5 - Selecting appropriate teaching tools and creating an effective learning environment

* February 19 - Examining and Organizing Content and Using the Logic Model to Organize

* March 5 - Current Concepts in Education

* March 19 - Assessing learning outcomes

* April 4 - Hold for make-up session in case of weather or for technical reasons
 

--Margaret Phillips margaret@ksu.edu

 

 

 

"KEEPING THE FAMILY FARMING" WORKSHOPS
The 2009-10 “Keeping the Family Farming” workshops are coming up soon. Two two-day workshops are planned across the state. These workshops are designed to help farms and ranches with their succession planning. They are more than just estate planning, but go through the whole process of succession planning. We’ll start by focusing on what each individual family member’s needs and fears are and move on to communicating among the family of what’s going to happen with the legacy of their family farm or ranch and eventually help the families understand their choices in estate planning, and much more. 

 

You may have received an e-mail with a brochure and poster. If not, log onto www.agmanager.info for the brochure. Please hang the poster and pass out brochures to families you think would find this workshop helpful in their operation.

 

Schedule of workshops:

 

Zion Lutheran Church, 621 N. Mill Street, Beloit, Kansas

Session 1:  January 9, 2010

            Session 2:  January 23, 2010
 

Fisher Community Center, 201 E. Iowa Street, Hiawatha, Kansas

Session 1:  January 16, 2010

            Session 2:  January 30, 2010

 

Thank you for your support of this valuable workshop. If you have further questions, feel free to contact LaVell Winsor, Farm Analyst, at lwinsor@ksu.edu or 785-313-4974. --LaVell Winsor

 

 

 

NOVEMBER EXTENSION AGENT PERSONNEL CHANGES

Mike Epler, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Miami County, transferred from Leavenworth County effective November 15, 2009.

 

Tressie Mitzner, County Extension Director in Gove County, resigned effective November 17, 2009.

 

Dan Lekie, County Extension Director in Johnson County, transferred from Johnson County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent on November 30, 2009.

 

Barbara Lilyhorn, County Extension Director in Reno County, retired effective November 30, 2009.

 

Rick Miller, Extension Agent in Johnson County, transferred from Johnson County Extension Director effective December 1, 2009.

--Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu

 

 

 

COMMUNICATION MINUTE: SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOU

At a recent meeting in Kansas City, a Virginia Tech professor reported that a farmer in his state told him that if a banker won't communicate by e-mail or text messaging, the farmer won't do business with him.

 

It's clear that technology and social media affect every industry. In the same talk, the Virginia Tech professor reported that:

  • 1/3 of small businesses have a presence on Facebook;
  • Social networking has quadrupled in 3 years - 8 percent to 35 percent;
  • 75 percent of men age 18-40 spend most of their time in front of a computer, compared to 18 percent who spend most of their time in front of a TV;
  • Social networking is now more popular then e-mail.

The implication for K-State Research and Extension is that various forms of social media allow us to

  • add customers quickly,
  • capitalize on word-of-mouth marketing,
  • enhance customer service (you are there 24/7),
  • speak directly to the consumer.

While it's helpful to be proficient in many areas of social media, it's more important that you are using the technology efficiently. Even if you connect with customers in just one way, make sure you know how to use it at a high level and are committed to keeping the information fresh.

 

Some things that apply to all forms of communication, including social media, are:

  • Maintain current information;
  • Use proper grammar;
  • Be concise;
  • Know your audience;
  • Be accurate (know your facts).

For more communication and marketing tips, visit our blog at www.ksremarketingminute.blogspot.com . --Pat Melgares melgares@ksu.edu

 

 

 

KSRE MASTER CALENDAR
Go to: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/MasterCalendar

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