The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
(Vol. 16 No. 39)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
State Extension Advisory Council (SEAC)
will be meeting in Wichita on August 19-20. As a reminder, the SEAC
is an elected body of current and past Extension Board Chairs from across the
state. This advisory group includes the following individuals: Jerry Dreher
(Southwind), serving as chair; Brad Fuller (Kearny), vice-chair; Tresa Jones
(Meadowlark), secretary; Andy Sramek (Rawlins), treasurer; Kevin Journagan
(Shawnee), past chair. Additional members include Aaron Wolff (Pawnee), Steve
Long (Greeley), Bryan Brauer (Ford), Susan Bloom (Extension District 12), Kelly
Overmiller (Smith), Dan Johnson (Ellsworth), Mary Bernhardt (Central Kansas), Janell Harman (McPherson), John Kramer
(Geary), Larry Dolci (Johnson), Carolyn Harms (Sedgwick), Gary Price (Douglas),
Larry Turner (Sedgwick), Tim Dainty (Crawford), Jerry Hall (Montgomery), and
Jay Weseloh (Woodson).
Our meeting with SEAC will include an afternoon and
evening of tours and showcasing some of the K-State Research & Extension
programs and facilities of the Sedgwick County Office. This meeting in Wichita will also be attended by
Provost April Mason and Vice President Jeff Morris on Thursday evening. It will be a great opportunity to look at
some of the innovative programming in a more urban county and interaction with
military families.
Some discussions we
will be having with the SEAC will include a report from the SEAC members who attended the
Public Issues Leadership Development Conference in Washington DC back in
April, an overview of our progress on implementing the Extension Strategic
Plan, approaches to declining budgets, discussions around organizing districts,
plans being worked on towards improving the work of our local Boards, and
review of selected administrative policies. This dialog is valuable as we
formulate key decisions and approaches to keeping the partnership and programs
strong locally.
We also provide
updates from the area and assistant directors on timely topics. And, we offer a
time for the SEAC members to raise issues and ideas with your Extension
administrative team.
The SEAC meets twice annually. We will
be meeting again in February 2011 in Topeka.
If you have a SEAC delegate from your District or
County, I hope you will touch base with that individual and thank them for
their attendance at the upcoming meeting in Wichita.
Have a great week!
--Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
P.S. Check out the new map that now includes all the the Extension Districts as of July 1, 2010! You can access it from the KSRE Home Page, or by clicking this link.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
K-State
faculty and staff are doing great work for which we would like to
recognize them. Each of you can be a part of that recognition by
nominating your peers for awards that will be presented at the KSRE
Annual Conference Awards lunch on Tuesday, October 19.
Friday,
August 6, is the extended deadline for nominations for the Builder, Diversity,
Team, Mentor, County/District Office Professional and Unclassified
Employee recognition. Nominations should include the name, title,
address, e-mail and phone numbers of both the nominee and nominator
along with a maximum of a two page justification for the award.
Nominations can be sent via e-mail to Dorothy Doan at ddoan@ksu.edu or hard copy nominations can be mailed to Dean and Director Gary Pierzynski at 114 Waters Hall, Manhattan KS 66506.
Additional
information about the awards as well as a list of former recipients can
be found on the Employee Resources website at www.ksre.ksu.edu/employee_resources. Click on Nominations for Awards. --Gary Pierzynski
TEFF FIELD DAY - AUGUST 5TH
On August 5, the Solomon Valley Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Area, Inc. and the Kansas Black Farmers Association (KBFA) will host a Teff Field Day at the Mike and Teresa Webb farm at the corner of 30 and R Roads, north of Natoma/south of Woodston. The Field Day will begin at 9 a. m. by visiting the Webb's teff field and conclude with a light lunch including teff products to sample.
Speakers will present information on Teff as a Forage, Controlling Weeds in Teff, and Available Teff Varieties. Producers will be available to answer questions about their experience with this specialty crop.
The free noon lunch is sponsored by Allied Genetics, Star Seed of Osborne and Beloit, and Ochampaugh Farms Pioneer Seed. Samples of foods made with teff will be available.
Teff, a grain native to Ethiopia, has been grown in Graham County since 2005. In 2007 the Solomon Valley RC&D was awarded a three-year U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) to grow and market teff. There are currently more than 150 acres of teff being grown in Osborne, Rooks, Graham, and Phillips Counties. Teff is gluten free and known to be both flood and drought tolerant. The grant is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency of USDA.
The public is welcome to attend the Field Day. Please RSVP to the RC&D at 785-425-6647, or teresa.webb@ks.nacdnet.net if you plan to join the group for lunch. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
FUNDING NOW AVAILABLE TO RENOVATE SHELTERBELTS AND RESTORE FORESTED RIPARIAN AREAS
Agriculture producers in Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska are now eligible to renovate shelterbelts and restore forested riparian buffers under two Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) proposals. The Central Great Plains Shelterbelt Renovation and the Central Great Plains Forested Riparian Buffer CCPI proposals will target shelterbelt renovations in all four states. Sign-up begins July 26 and the deadline to be considered for this year’s funding is August 11, 2010. Producers need to contact their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office to sign up.
The two CCPI proposals are part of a pool of 26 projects in 15 states approved by the NRCS in Washington, D.C., on July 14, 2010. CCPI helps agricultural producers achieve natural resource benefits such as clean air, clean water, productive soils, and abundant wildlife.
“Through CCPI, NRCS is able to utilize the resources and capabilities of non-federal partners along with USDA technical and financial resources to implement conservation on working farms, ranches, and forest lands,” said Eric B. Banks, Kansas NRCS State Conservationist, Salina.
“With these initiatives, the Kansas Forest Service, in partnership with NRCS, will be able to address two areas of critical need in Kansas,” said Larry Biles, State Forester. “Many shelterbelts in Kansas and throughout the central Great Plains are old and are no longer providing the benefits that they used to. CCPI will provide landowners with a valuable tool to restore the functions of these shelterbelts,” added Biles.
Forests along rivers and streams were historically important forest types in the Great Plains. “These forest areas are in decline due to human-caused changes to river channels and stream flows,” said Biles. “Many groups have focused on restoring forested riparian areas and CCPI will fit nicely into those efforts.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide $817,140 in financial assistance in Fiscal Year 2010 for the CCPI projects in Kansas. These CCPI projects will work through the existing Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to leverage additional services and resources from the state forestry agencies in the four states and other non-federal partners to implement conservation on working farms, ranches, and forest lands. CCPI is administered by NRCS.
Both CCPI proposals apply to all agricultural lands in the four states. Any producers eligible for EQIP funding can participate in the program. In Kansas, socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers will receive a higher payment rate for conservation practices related to CCPI.
Additional information specific to CCPI projects is available from your local USDA Service Center from the NRCS staff or at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/programs. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
EPSILON SIGMA PHI GRANTS DUE AUGUST 15
The purpose of ESP Endowment grants is to improve
the quality of educational programs offered by Extension by encouraging professional
development experiences and special projects. Grant funds are available as a
result of contributions made by Extension faculty, friends and supporters of
the Alpha Rho Chapter, Epsilon Sigma Phi.
Consider projects related to your Program Focus Team, your work unit or as an
individual. Grants funded in the past include:
• attendance
at an ESP professional meeting
• graduate
studies
• projects
targeted to extension professionals and/or clientele
Details for applying are located on the Epsilon Sigma Phi Website. Go
to Endowment > Endowment Grant Application Process.
There is also information about what to include in your application and some examples
of projects. Also check out past grants awarded right below the Application
process link.
Applications are due August 15 or anytime prior to that. Applicants must be
members of Epsilon Sigma Phi.
Grant recipients will be announced at the ESP annual award event during KSRE
Annual Conference. --Margaret Phillips margaret@ksu.edu
4-H MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
It’s ready! Click on www.JoinKansas4-H.org to view the new Join 4-H website which includes the 30 second Join 4-H PSA. All items are now ready for your fall 4-H Membership Campaign to inspire others to join 4-H. Take time to explore the site.
Marketing blitz - 10,000 hits! Yes, that’s the goal. Help us reach 10,000 hits on the Join 4-H PSA on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1od5SJgTZk or search Join Kansas 4-H. Help us reach 10,000 hits during the month of August by spreading the word through e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, word of mouth… whatever it takes. Ready, set, go…
Marketing Action Team members want to thank the Kansas 4-H Foundation for their support through a Grow 4-H Grant. We also appreciate the support of your local Extension groups, for their $50 donations. With these additional funds, we were able to develop a more comprehensive campaign. --4-H Marketing Action Team Members – Jodi Besthorn, Andrea Feldkamp, Jessica Milliman, Nancy Pihl, Amy Taylor, Kelly Terrell, Aliesa Woods and Diane Mack
NEW MEMBERS INVITED TO JOIN EPSILON SIGMA PHI
On behalf of the Recruitment
and Retention Committee, we would like to invite K-State Research and Extension
faculty to become new annual members of the Alpha Rho (Kansas) Chapter of
Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Extension Professional’s organization. Membership is
open to faculty who work in local, county, district, area or campus offices.
Epsilon Sigma Phi is the National
Cooperative Extension Professional’s Organization, dedicated to fostering standards
of excellence in the Extension system, developing the extension profession and
the professional.
Local chapter projects and
activities include:
* Extension personnel
recognition
* Grants for study
* Professional development
workshops
* Grants for innovative
programming
A letter with details and a
membership form can be found at
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/esp-AlphaRho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=16.
We need responses from new members by September 1, 2010. If you have questions, please contact Beth Hinshaw, bhinshaw@ksu.edu --Beth Hinshaw
VOLUNTEERS REQUESTED TO HELP IN OUR BOOTHS AT THE KANSAS STATE FAIR
The College of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension will once again have booths in the Pride of Kansas building at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. The Kansas State Fair runs from Friday, September 10, through Sunday, September 19, 2010.
We would appreciate faculty and staff from campus, area offices, counties/districts, Agronomy Fields, and Research-Extension Centers coming to the fair and working a few hours in one or both of the booths. Also, we would really appreciate agents and/or faculty, who are coming to the fair anyway, signing up to work a couple of hours in the booth before or after your activities.
Days and times that our KSRE/COA fair booths are open are:
Friday, September 10 - 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday, September 11 (KFMA taking this entire day)
Sunday, September 12 - 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Monday, September 13 - 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Tuesday, September 14 (Sedgwick County taking this entire day)
Wednesday, September 15 - 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Thursday, September 16 - 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday, September 17 - 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Saturday, September 18 - 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sunday, September 19 - 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
If you would like to work in the K-State Research and Extension booth, please contact Maria Sweet, marswe@ksu.edu, by August 27.
If you would like to work in the College of Agriculture booth, please contact Sandy Klein, sandy@ksu.edu, by August 27.
We will be in touch in late August/early September to finalize days, times, entrance tickets, etc. -- Sandy Klein and Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
OUT-OF-SCHOOL PROGRAM IDEA CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 4
The “Out-of-School Program Idea Conference” has been set for Monday, October 4, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center, 7001 W. 21st. Street N., Wichita. The “Out-of School Program Idea Conference” provides an excellent opportunity for sharing and networking with professionals that are planning, organizing and facilitating educational activities for out-of-school youth participants.
This one-day event highlights hands-on curricula that adapts easily for any out-of-school setting whether its an organized afterschool program, camp setting or summer recreation the idea sharing with other youth serving professionals. Registration form available on the Kansas 4-H Web Site at http://www.kansas4h.org/DesktopDefault.aspx under “What’s Hot.” Cost for the one-day workshop is $15.
For more information on the Out-of-School Program Idea Conference, contact Pam Van Horn, pvanhorn@ksu.edu. --Pam Van Horn
JULY EXTENSION AGENT PERSONNEL CHANGES
Sheryl Carson, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in Kearny County, began employment on July 11, 2010. Her e-mail address is scarson@ksu.edu.
Melinda Young, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Doniphan County, began employment on July 11, 2010. Her e-mail address is myoung5@ksu.edu.
Charles L. Miller, Jr., Horticulture Agent in Central Kansas Extension District, retired effective July 31, 2010.
-–Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu
|