The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
(Vol. 17 No. 7)
IN THIS ISSUE...
IET AND TECH SUPPORT CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The IET Tech Support office will be closed December 24 through January 2, and resume normal operation on January 3. During the break, phone support at 785-532-6270 will not be available, but all KSRE IT services should be up and running throughout most of the period, including e-mail lists, web pages and departmental file servers, with the following exceptions the week of December 27:
1) There will be a 2 hour outage for each KSRE server to allow for a full backup of the system, which requires the machine to be shut down briefly.
2) The fileservers will be upgraded, which will require a day for each to be down. The W: drives will not be available at that time. The upgrades will occur on December 27 and 28.
If you have a technical issue during the break, please send an e-mail to support@ksre.ksu.edu and we will try and assist you. If you have any questions or concerns about available services during break, please feel free to contact IET at 785-532-6270 or e-mail us at support@ksre.ksu.edu. --Larry Jackson ljackson@ksu.edu
KANSAS GRAZIER'S ASSOCIATION WINTER CONFERENCE
The Kansas Grazier's Association (KGA) Winter
Conference is 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, January 15, 2011 at the Geary County 4H/Senior
Citizen's Center, 1025 South Spring Valley Road, Junction City.
The primary topic will be Mob Grazing with
keynote speaker Greg Judy of Clark, MO who operates a
grazing operation on 1400 acres of leased land using Holistic High Density
Planned Grazing. He has developed a successful system of leasing land, employing high density grazing, and
grazing other people's livestock. In addition to "Introduction to Mob Grazing," Judy will
discuss animal performance and multi-species grazing with cattle
and sheep.
Registration is $35 for the day and
includes lunch. The conference flyer and a mail in registration form can be
downloaded and printed from the Calendar page on the Kansas Rural Center's website, http://www.kansasruralcenter.org/calendar.html#KGA.
For more information, contact Mary Howell at
785-292-4955 or the KRC office at 785-873-3431. Conference sponsors include KSRE's Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops. --Kerri Ebert kebert@ksu.edu
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR KANSAS NATURAL RESOURCES CONFERENCE
Registration is now open for the Fourth Annual Kansas Natural Resources Conference on January 20-21, 2011 in Wichita. The theme for this year's conference is "Through the Haze--The Role of Fire on the Prairie."
Speakers include:
* Michael Simkus, iCORPS Professional Services, Inc., discussing the use of prescribed fire by landowners and land managers.
* Doug Rigdon, Ridgon & Associates, discussing potential liability issues and insurance considerations.
* Susan O’Neill, USDA NRCS, discussing how to integrate smoke management into planning efforts.
* A panel discussion focusing on the Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan.
More information and registration is available at www.kaws.org/whats-new. --Robert Wilson rmwilson@ksu.edu
DECEMBER DIVERSITY PROGRAMS OFFICE UPDATE
Happy Holidays! I hope that the semester went well for everyone and you have a pleasant holiday season. The Diversity Programs Office has had a very exciting semester and is ready to carry our excitement into the New Year!
Over the semester the Diversity Programs Office has participated in many events over the course of the semester. We have recruited at the Unexpected Destinations in Kansas City and Wichita. Another major recruiting tool we use is Cargill College for a Day, where students from Topeka and Wyandotte County come to K-State and learn bout this great University. The office also sent students to participate in the MANRRS Region 4 Workshop at Monsanto Company Headquarters, St. Louis, MO and we have improved on the number of MANRRS members by setting up booths and recruiting people to join.
In the month of December the Giving Tree will be standing outside the Diversity Programs Office. The items donated to the Giving Tree benefit children attending the Kansas State University Center for Child Development. Many of the Center's students are children of Kansas State undergraduate and graduate students and community families of limited means. Donations provide the children with spare clothes, critical supplies, new books, and toys. If you would like to donate simply get a snowflake and an item and return the unwrapped gift to one of the collection centers before December 17. The College of Agriculture Diversity Programs office is a drop off location.
To start the new year, the Diversity Programs office has many upcoming events which include celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. week. We hope pick up where we left off in the fall with great attendance at all events. The following events will be taking place. MLK Day is Monday, January 17. On the 18th, the spring semester begins and classes resume. The Diversity Programs Office is excited to host the MLK Jr. Diversity Student Leadership luncheon also sponsored by MANRRS and Cargill. The speaker is Rodney O. Somerville and admission will be open to the public.
For more information you may visit the COA Diversity Programs Website at www.ag.ksu.edu/diversity. If you have any questions or would like to participate in any of these events, please do not hesitate to contact your Diversity Programs Office.
Again, best wishes for the New Year! As usual, you may get more information from your Diversity Programs Office or contact Dr. Zelia Z. Wiley, Assistant Dean for Diversity, at zwiley@ksu.edu or 785-532-5793. Have a great semester! --Zelia Wiley
KSRE CONNECT WEBCONFERENCING UPGRADE
The KSRE Connect webinar/online meeting system is being updated to a new version (Connect Pro 8).
We plan the upgrade during the
Holiday break (December 27-31). There will be a short down time for a
few hours during this period. If you plan on using Connect during
that week, please contact Gerry Snyder, gsnyder@ksu.edu, to make accommodations.
** New features in Connect - new and simplified interface,
enhancements to sharing, chat, video, notes and whiteboard, better
integration of live audio and video, and a more stable and secure
system.
** Connect Training - There will be several online Connect
training classes offered. This will be a good opportunity for people who
haven't used Connect very often as well as a hands-on chance for
anyone wanting to learn many of the new Connect features. Connect
training is offered: 10 a.m. - January 12, 13, 19, 20 at...http://connect.ksre.ksu.edu/connecttraining/.
More information will be available at our Connect help/support
website...http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/techweb/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=658.
For more information, contact Gerry Snyder, gsnyder@ksu.edu. --Gerry Snyder
2011 4-H HORSE INFORMATION
-Panorama (January 29-30, Rock Springs 4-H Center, Junction City, Kansas)
The entries are open and additional information is available on the 4-H website, http://www.kansas4h.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=193. Please note, registration will close on January 1.
Please note the following information/updates for the 2011 Panorama:
Open Hippology: In addition to the Intermediate and Senior division of Hippology, there will be an Open division. The Open Hippology will be open to any 4-H member 7-18 years of age.
Junior Presentation contest: 4-H members 7-8 years of age will have the opportunity to deliver a talk or demonstration on an equine related topic.
Horse Poster Learning Activity: This activity is open to any 4-H member 7-18 years of age. The posters need to be horse-related and created by the 4-H member.
Exhibition Model Horse Show: Adults and youth can display a model horse at Panorama of any age and it can be ready to go with tack and rider or just bring your horse. This is a fun way to involve youth and adults of all ages in some friendly competition. The Model Horses will be on display during the first part of the dance.
Beginning with the 2012 Panorama, there will be a Model Horse contest for the 4-H members.
Adult Session: During the adult session on Saturday, January 29, from 7:00-8:00 PM, there will be a presentation on Model Horse Shows. Sign up for this informational session is not required. Please refer to the 4-H website, http://www.kansas4h.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=193, for additional information on this session.
-State Horse Judging Contest (March 26, Manhattan area—exact location TBD).
The exact location for the 2011 State Horse Judging Contest to be held in the Manhattan area will be determined soon. Additional information on the contest will be updated through the Tipsheets and 4-H website, http://www.kansas4h.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=43.
-Horse Action Team/Horse Board
In spring 2011, positions for the Horse Action Team and Horse Board will be re-appointed. Applications will be accepted for both groups. Updated guidelines/applications will be posted on the 4-H website by January 15. The deadline for applications will be March 15 and members will be appointed by April 15. Please see the 4-H website, http://www.kansas4h.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=136, for information on the Horse Action Team and Horse Board.
Please contact Sarah Dick, Kansas 4-H Horse Events Coordinator, sarahdd@ksu.edu, with any questions. --Sarah Dick
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