The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
(Vol. 16 No. 48)
IN THIS ISSUE...
KCARE DIRECTOR ANNOUNCEMENT
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Daniel Devlin has accepted the position of Director of the Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (KCARE). Dan brings a wealth of experience to the KCARE Director position based on his very successful service as Professor and Extension Specialist and Coordinator for Environmental Quality in the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University.
He will begin his new duties on November 1, 2010. We are looking forward to Dan's leadership of KCARE. At this time I would also like to thank the search committee for their efforts in conducting a very competitive national search for this important position.
Please help me in congratulating Dan on his appointment as Director of KCARE. --Gary Pierzynski gmp@ksu.edu
ENHANCING EXTENSION’S VALUE AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
I, Trudy Rice, am serving for one year as the 21st Ralph L. Tabor Extension Fellow with the National Association of Counties in Washington D. C. in cooperation with USDA/NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) and APLU (Association of Public and Land Grant Universities). The purpose of the fellowship is to identify ways in which Extension and County Government can work together for mutual benefit in addressing emerging issues at the local, state, and federal level. This incredible experience has been made possible through the generous support of KSRE administration. To allow the entire KSRE system to benefit from what I have learned during my first 3 months in Washington D. C. I will be presenting a workshop at Extension Annual Conference on Tuesday afternoon.
The following “issue areas” have been identified by the National Association of Counties as high priority areas to be addressed at the local level:
Governance, management and service delivery in tough times
Community and economic development
Leadership training and development
Public health promotion and obesity prevention
Food safety and local food systems
Climate change, energy policy and sustainability
Emergency preparedness
These match closely with the priority areas of KSRE that as extension professionals we are all doing research and/or providing educational programs related to the issues. This session will explore ways that KSRE is currently working directly with elected officials and department heads at the county level to identify areas of need and resources available to assist in addressing those needs. However, to ride the wave of change it cannot stop there.
In addition to this, information will be shared from the Kansas Association of Counties on what their member counties have identified as priority areas. Then, finally, ideas from other states will be shared on how they have worked closely with county government to identify ways in which Cooperative Extension could provide the educational resources to assist county government in addressing local issues as we all “survive the waves of change” together! Plan now to attend this session on Tuesday afternoon of Annual Extension Conference to learn more about how we can enhance the value of KSRE as an educational resource to county officials. --Trudy Rice trice@ksu.edu
ANNUAL CONFERENCE - INTERNET CAFE, COMPUTER REPAIR & MEET KSRE SUPPORT STAFF
Annual conference is coming fast, and KSRE Support will be there. We are planning quite a few things this year, including:
- Internet Cafe - check your e-mail or surf the web between sessions. Open Monday afternoon, all day Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. We will also be available in the Poster Session on Monday evening.
- Staff Q&A - Stop by anytime and ask KSRE Support staff all the burning computer and technology questions you have.
- New Tech Gadgets - Learn about new technology, including mobile devices, audience response systems, storage devices, and the latest in laptops and desktops.
- Meet the Staff - Staff from IET, including the Area Support Staff and Student Helpdesk Technicians will be hanging around the Internet Cafe. Feel free to come and meet the folks who keep your computer systems up and running.
- Laptop Tune-up - Bring your laptop computer by the Internet Cafe to get a quick tune-up from one of our staff. We'll make sure you are up to date and free of any major issues, plus provide advice on what your computer needs to run at its best.
- Computer Repair / Rebuild - If you are having major issues now, we'd be glad to work on your computer while you are at annual conference. Please contact our office at 785-532-6270 or support@ksre.ksu.edu to get a diagnosis and schedule a time. We appreciate any advance notice we can get about computers coming in for repair during annual conference.
If you have any great ideas about other things you'd like to see from us at Annual Conference, please drop me a line at 785-532-6270 or russfeld@ksu.edu. --Russ Feldhausen
TRAINING: CONNECT WEB CONFERENCING - OCTOBER 13
Want to do on-line meetings, conduct Webinars, share and
collaborate information, reduce travel, save money and time? Connect is a FREE tool for KSRE and College of Agriculture use.
IET is offering Adobe Connect web conferencing training on
Wednesday, October 13 at 10 a.m.
This one hour session covers the basics of the KSRE Connect interface with
many of its interactive features. You will also have an opportunity
to test (and play) with the program. No registration is necessary.
Simply go to http://connect.ksre.ksu.edu/connecttraining/
during the training time.
For more information on Connect, go to our TechWeb site, and select the Adobe Connect link on the right side of the
page.
For scheduling Connect meetings, contact Gerry Snyder, gsnyder@ksu.edu, or call IET,
785-532-6270. --Gerry Snyder
CANCER RESEARCH CENTER HAVING BREAST CANCER AWARENESS LUNCHEON OCTOBER 15
Ladies are invited to enjoy lunch with friends as
they learn about breast health and breast cancer at the Pink Power
Luncheon for Breast Cancer Awareness from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday, October 15, in the Landon Room at Manhattan's Holiday Inn at
the Campus, 1641 Anderson Avenue.
The featured speaker will be Suzanne Mayo-Theus, a cancer
survivor and former Manhattan resident who is a doctoral candidate
in Kansas State University's College of Human Ecology. She will
present "Cancer and Families: Up Close and Personal."
Mayo-Theus is now an assistant professor at Southern University
at New Orleans, Louisiana, in the department of child development and
family studies. She also is CEO of Mynette Management Company, a
consulting firm specializing in government relations, fundraising,
association management, marketing, public relations and event
management. She previously served as national director of Black
America Saves and as graduate coordinator of K-State Students Save,
in conjunction with the America Saves national campaign.
Mayo-Theus has been an advocate for cancer patients and their
families. She is the author of "Cancer and Families: Up Close and
Personal," an account of her tips for family members and friends of
people who have cancer. A survivor herself, she provides audiences
with sensitive and enlightening stories about cancer.
The event is free and includes a soup-and-salad lunch, souvenir
goody bag and door prizes. Advance registration is required by
Friday, October 8, and can be made by contacting Marcia Locke at
marcia@k-state.edu or
785-532-6705.K-State's Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research is
coordinating this event with support from a small grant from Susan
G. Komen for a Cure and assistance from American Cancer Society and
the Kansas Early Detection Works program.
The cancer research center works to further the understanding of
cancer by funding basic cancer research and supporting higher
education and public outreach. Its programs are made possible
through private donations. --Marcia Locke www.cancer.k-state.edu
WATER AND THE FUTURE OF KANSAS CONFERENCE
Register now to attend the 27th Annual Water and the Future of Kansas Conference on October 26 in Topeka, Kansas. “Sustainable Water Resource Management: Assuring the Future” is the theme for this year’s conference, which will be held in the Maner Conference Center of the Capitol Plaza Hotel.
Keynote speakers:
Mike Hayden, Secretary, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
“Sustaining Kansas Water Resources – How are We Doing?”
Tracy Streeter, Director, Kansas Water Office
“Kansas Reservoirs as Sustainable Infrastructure”
Josh Svaty, Secretary of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Agriculture
“The Structure of Sustainability”
Karl Brooks, Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7
“National Perspective on Water Sustainability”
Lawrie Kirk, Visiting Fellow, Center for Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University
“Taking a More Strategic Approach to Science Communication”
Breakout sessions will focus on the ABCs of watershed sedimentation, defining sustainability for the High Plains Aquifer, water quality, watershed conservation effects assessment, municipal water sustainability, sustainable nutrient management, reservoir sustainability, and implementing sustainability policies and practices.
The conference registration fee is $65. A special $25 fee is available for students. Detailed conference information and online registration are available at www.dce.k-state.edu/conf/waterfuture. Early registration deadline is October 12.
The Water and the Future of Kansas Conference is made possible due to support from the following sponsors:
Kansas Water Resources Institute
Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment
K-State Research and Extension
U.S. Geological Survey --Steven Graham sgraham@ksu.edu
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY - MILITARY FAMILIES
If you live in the Manhattan area and are working with military families, here is an opportunity to learn more about actual military family experiences.
Combat Stress: Redefining the "Wounded" Warrior and Family
Thursday October 14, 2010 1-3 p.m.
Hemisphere Room, 5th Floor, Hale Library, Kansas State University
The lecture will be presented by MAJ Jeff Hall and Sheri Hall, who have faced suicide,
traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, and will share the
"noninjury" side of military trauma; and CPT
Josh Mantz, who while deployed to Iraq in 2007 was shot by a sniper,
flatlined for 15 minutes and returned 5 months later to finish his tour. The
presenters are currently stationed at the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley,
Kansas and will share their personal journey of trauma and resilience. --Charlotte Shoup Olsen colsen@ksu.edu
KANSAS EXTENSION CONFERENCE ON VOLUNTEERISM
Engaging Volunteers in New Ways - November 9 - 10, 2010, Rock Springs 4-H Center
Conference website: http://www.southwest.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=94
This Conference is for all Extension Personnel; program costs are sponsored by an ESP Endowment Grant and the KSRE Volunteer Development PFT.
Extension staff in (or considering forming) a district will find this conference especially valuable as they consider how to work with volunteers in a larger geographic area. District programing gives us the opportunity to engage volunteers in new ways to expand the size and scope of our programs in all Extension program areas.
Master Gardeners, Master Food Volunteers, Family and Community Education Clubs, 4-H Leaders and 4-H Master Volunteers are just some of the volunteers Extension Agents work with to expand our educational programming. Volunteers have a long history and tradition of being involved with Extension programming. As our communities and Extension Units change, the value of finding, training and keeping quality volunteers is critical.
The conference will provide insights into organizational and personal readiness for developing and supporting an effective volunteer delivery system, recruiting, selecting, training and retaining volunteers and provide the insights into today’s volunteers and how they can connect with our quality Extension programs. You will leave with a plan, tools, and resources to make a difference in your local program.
Registration is due October 15, 2010 to:
KECV, KSRE Southwest Area Office, 4500 E. Mary St., Garden City KS 67846.
Registration and information flyer is at http://www.southwest.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=94.
Cost is $125 and includes all costs. Early arrival lodging and breakfast (November 8-9) is available for $40. If you need time to get the check approved and sent, please register now and say when you expect the payment to be made. --Rod Buchele rbuchele@ksu.edu
EIGHTEEN COMPLETE 2010 KSRE GRANT WRITERS COURSE - DATES SET FOR 2011
Congratulations to the eighteen research and extension professionals who recently completed the "2010 KSRE Grant Writers" class. The eighteen join the fourteen participants of the original 2009 KSRE Grant Writers class in building our system's capacity to develop, write and manage grants.
The 2010 KSRE Grant Writers are: Alli Burns, David Coltrain, Joe Becker, Katie Morris, Laura Marks, Jill Martinson, Sara Mietzner, Andrea Burns, Becky O'Donnell, Char Henton, Gina Aurand, John Forshee, Jamie Rathbun, Linda Gilmore, Elizabeth Grunscheen-Cartagena, Lori Shoemaker, Mark Stadtlander and Scott Chapman.
Mark the dates September 20 and 26 on your calendars now for the 2011 KSRE Grant Writers courses. For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu, or ask one of the KSRE Grant Writers what they have learned and how they'll use that knowledge for grant development. --Elaine Johannes
FAMILY OF YEAR AWARD DISCONTINUED
The families of Kansas 4-H members have been the backbone of
our program for more than 100 years. We
believe positive family environments are vital for 4-H’s commitment to positive
youth development. Our wish would be to
have a way to honor all families for their contributions.
During the past thirty five years, the Department of 4-H
Youth Development, K-State Research and Extension, has honored one family each
year for their contributions and impact to 4-H and named them the Kansas 4-H
Family of the Year. In recent years;
however, the number of applications has continuously declined and now
represents much less than 0.01 % of families of 4-H members in Kansas. This low level of participation has lead to a
re-evaluation of the 4-H Family of the Year recognition program.
Beginning in 2011, the Department of 4-H Youth Development,
KSRE, is discontinuing the Kansas 4-H Family of the Year award program. We encourage Extension Units to recognize
families for their contributions toward successful 4-H Programs across
Kansas. --Pam Van Horn pvanhorn@ksu.edu and Gary Gerhard ggerhard@ksu.edu
EQIP/WHIP APPLICATION CUTOFF DATE - NOVEMBER 15, 2010
Eric B. Banks, state conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), announced that the application evaluation cutoff date will be November 15, 2010, for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). These programs were authorized under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill).
“These two programs are very popular with producers in Kansas, and the NRCS wants to give producers time to get a conservation plan developed and get an application submitted in a timely manner,” said Banks.
“I know fall crops will need to be harvested and everyone will be busy. Setting the cutoff date now, should allow producers to get a plan and sign an application. “Stop by the NRCS office at your first opportunity and get the process started,” said Banks.
Applications may be submitted anytime; however, applications submitted by the November 15 cutoff date will be evaluated for Fiscal Year 2011 funding.
Apply at Local NRCS Office
Landowners and/or operators with eligible cropland, rangeland, or forestland with any EQIP/WHIP natural resource concerns should apply at their local NRCS field office and work with them on a conservation plan. The office is located at your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center (listed in the telephone book under United States Government or on the Internet at (offices.usda.gov).
Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
“EQIP and WHIP are available to help address the unique circumstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers, who have natural resource concerns that need to be addressed on their land," said Banks.
Producers in Kansas who qualify as socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers will be ranked in a separate ranking pool.
Organic
EQIP is available for treating natural resource concerns on organic systems. Organic producers, or those transitioning to organic, may apply for the EQIP to address their natural resource concerns during this period.
Information Available
As information becomes available, it will be placed on the Kansas NRCS Website, www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/ and www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip or be available at your local USDA Service Center from the NRCS or conservation district staff. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
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