The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
(Vol. 17 No. 6)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Greetings, and hoping your December work schedule is manageable with the semester wrapping, the year wrapping, and probably some Christmas gift wrapping. Doesn't feel like the commitments are lightening up just yet though.
I want to update you on a couple 4-H items. First, the search committee for the 4-H Youth Development Department Head/Assistant Director/Program Leader has begun its process of candidate reviews and sending forth recommendations for interviews. As you are well aware, this stage with the candidate list is held in strict confidence on behalf of the applicant pool. I hope to be able to share in the next two weeks the candidates being invited for interviews. Contacts should be made by that time. And, the interviews are targeted for the week of January 31 - February 4, 2011.
Additionally, some may be aware of the changing rules with respect to the way in which all 4-H clubs and affiliated organizations receive their federal tax exemption. The group exemption number (GEN) that had been provided through National 4-H Headquarters within USDA-NIFA is going away. We, along with every other Extension Service across the nation, are currently looking at various options that are available to our local 4-H clubs and affiliates. We have our University legal counsel engaged in this discussion. Our goal is to make this transition as simple as possible. I hope within the next few weeks to be getting communication out to you regarding how we will continue to provide our clubs and affiliated organizations their federal tax exemption. If you have questions, please let us know.
Looking forward to upcoming Partnership Meetings around the state in January, as we continue on our theme of relevance, value, and sustainability. And, have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
WEBINAR: A BETTER PLACE FOR PHARMACY WASTE
The K-State Pollution Prevention Institute, housed in Engineering Extension, will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, December 8, at 10 a.m. CST. This webinar will highlight proper disposal methods for unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. Join to learn about different collection and disposal options for communities and the obstacles to finding a better place for pharmacy waste.
Guest speakers include Nancy Larson (K-State Pollution Prevention Institute), Scott Collier (DEA St. Louis Division), Sheriff Glen Kochanowski (Saline County), Carl Hayes (Cherokee County and regional WRAPS), and Caroline Hosford (Sedgwick County Household Hazardous Waste program).
Registration is required to receive log-in instructions. To register and for more information, please visit www.sbeap.org (look in the gold box) or call 1-800-578-8898 or 785-532-6501. Please contact Ryan Hamel, rhamel@ksu.edu, if you have any questions. --Ryan Hamel
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
This week my picks are outcomes and success stories reported by Darl Henson, Coffey County; Bill Wood, Douglas County; and David Key, Meadowlark Extension District #7.
Of the three Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) projects affecting Coffey County, two have completed the planning phase and entered the implementation phase. Producers are encouraged to take advantage of available funding and implement water quality enhancement agronomic practices on their farms.
Two farmers participated in the Cover Crop Demonstration Project in our first year. One farmer grazed his two plots. We utilized exclusion cages in those plots to find out how much forage was produced for his cattle. One provided 2700 pounds of dry forage matter in the "Brassica" only plot, and the other 6550 pounds of forage in the "shotgun mix" plot. The costs per ton figured out to be $22.77 in the "Brassica" plot, and $17.15 in the "shotgun mix." These costs are considerably less than current hay prices of $50 per ton. In addition, I know of four producers who are planting cover crops to utilize for grazing cattle this winter, and another six are trying cover crops without grazing.
Thirty-four livestock producers attended the “Eastern Kansas Management Intensive Grazing (MIG) School” we hosted and cooperatively sponsored with the Kansas Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Kansas Rural Center, and several neighboring Extension Councils. Of the twenty-three evaluations completed, 22 producers indicated they increased their “knowledge of MIG” at least one level. When asked “How will you use the information learned?,” more than half indicated they would work on plans and get started using MIG; the rest indicated they would start applying some of the management practices to improve their operations.
As a result of Meadowlark Extension District hosting an informational meeting on the benefits and use of the Facilities Conservation Improvement Program (FCIP) in December of 2008, the USD #442 School District was able to utilize the program to upgrade their lighting, heating, and air systems at their High School. The district will save an estimated $24,733.00 in utility expenses over the life of the FCIP contract with those savings paying for the improvements. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
GET IT - DO IT! APPLICATIONS FOR 2011 ANNOUNCED ON DECEMBER 15, 2010 AND ARE DUE FEBRUARY 1, 2011
On
December 15, Get It - Do It! begins its fourth year of supporting youth and
adult partnerships to promote health. Applications for the 2011 round
of funding will be available on December 15 through the Kansas PRIDE website
and will be e-mailed to Kansas PRIDE contacts as well as all Kansas
Extension offices. Applications are due February 1, 2011.
Since
2008, Get It - Do It! has provided PRIDE communities with $3,000 grants
to engage youth in local health promotion planning and projects. In
order to successfully compete for funds in 2011, PRIDE community groups
will need to:
* work with local Extension agents and youth to prepare their applications,
* submit their applications by February 1, 2011, and
* meet with Get It - Do It! staff between February 15 -25 for a pre-funding visit to their community.
Special
consideration will be given to applications that involve schools or
youth organizations (e.g, 4-H clubs, FFA, Scouts, FCCLA) in their
partnerships.
Selection of the 2011 Get It - Do It! communities will be announced March 1, 2011.
For
more information about Get It - Do It! 2011, contact Jamie Menon in the
Kansas PRIDE office, 785-532-5840; Nadine Sigle, nsigle@ksu.edu; or Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu, 785-532-7720.
Get
It - Do It! is a program of Kansas PRIDE, K-State Research and
Extension and the K-State School of Family Studies and Human Services.--Elaine Johannes
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