The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
(Vol. 17 No. 21)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
This Tuesday Letter seems to be loaded with lots of announcements of upcoming conferences and workshops. I encourage you to get signed up for the 2011 Spring Action Conference. This annual planning conference will build on the work of the program focus teams, and further design the evaluation components for the important program work of the coming year. Planning is critical in carrying out programs that make a difference, and in gathering the evidence to tell stakeholders how these Extension programs are making a difference with clientele. Now more than ever, making certain our story is relevant, responsive, and loaded with impact is critical. See the announcement below to get signed up for Spring Action Conference. I look forward to seeing you in Salina on April 13 and 14!
At the 2011 USDA National Agricultural Outlook Forum in Washington DC, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke on the initiative of increasing agricultural production worldwide to provide for the ever growing world population. About 40 seconds into this video clip, Secretary Vilsack speaks of the important role of Extension in this effort. Then there is a break in the video with the University of Vermont Extension brand for about 15 seconds. That is followed by a question raised by Dr. Doug Lantagne, Vermont Extension Director and current chair of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP). Secretary Vilsack responds on the importance of our work. And, Secretary Vilsack challenges us to keep from being misunderstood or unknown. And there is then another break after which former President Bill Clinton speaks to the need for a global agricultural Extension service. I think you will enjoy this discourse.
Now again, I tell you how important Spring Action Conference is to carry forward the work of the Program Focus Teams in laying out the program initiatives and an evaluation plan so that we are able to tell our story and be better understood and known for the value we bring to this great state. Have a great week! - Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
REGISTER TODAY FOR THE 7TH ANNUAL EXTENSION HEALTHFEST! APRIL 1-2 AT ROCK SPRINGS 4-H CENTER
Groups of youth and adults (e.g., Get It - Do It! teams and others) are invited to attend the 7th Annual Extension HealthFest! at Rock Springs 4-H Center (Hwy K-157 south of Junction City). Registration and refreshments will begin at 6:30 p.m., Friday, April 1, in the Weidemann Dining Center.
This year's HealthFest! highlights:
a) activities that strengthen youth-adult partnerships,
b) "old time" activity games from Bocce Ball to King Octopus,
c) hands-on Community Park audits with K-State's Department of Kinesiology,
d) One Health Kansas demonstration, and
e) fun!
Community partners and Extension agents will learn more about Healthy Living programs and activities that can be introduced with local Walk Kansas teams, 4-H clubs and youth groups.
For a fee of $68 per person HealthFest! participants receive materials, refreshments Friday evening, lodging, Saturday breakfast and lunch and fun! Invoices will be sent for payment after registrations are received.
REGISTER AT 7th Annual Extension HealthFest! registration.
REGISTRATIONS ARE DUE TODAY, MARCH 29. More details will be sent when your registration is received.
For more information contact:
Elaine Johannes, ejohannne@ksu.edu, 785-532-7720
Nadine Sigle, nsigle@ksu.edu, 785-532-5840
Paula Seele, pseele@ksu.edu, 785-532-5773
--Elaine Johannes
KANSAS WHEAT YIELD CONTEST DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 8
Extreme weather conditions throughout Kansas have
prompted the Kansas Wheat Commission to postpone the entry deadline of the
Kansas Wheat Yield Contest to April 8.
Justin Gilpin, chief executive officer of the KWC,
says the extra time will allow farmers to evaluate their wheat stands and give
the crop a chance to thrive, and thus make important management decisions to
maximize yield.
Three $1,000 cash prizes and several potential bonus
awards are at stake for wheat growers who enter the 2011 Kansas Wheat Yield
Contest, sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission and Kansas Association of
Wheat Growers.
Producers achieving the top yield receive a $1,000
cash prize and plaque. Contest winners will be announced next summer. The
contest includes three regions: Region 1 (Western Kansas), Region 2 (Central
Kansas) and Region 3 (Eastern Kansas). Entry deadline for the 2011 Wheat Yield
Contest is April 8.
Corporate sponsors of the Yield Contest include:
BASF, Syngenta, SFP, Kansas Wheat Alliance and the Kansas Grain Inspection
Service. Many of these partners are offering special rewards for qualified
entrants. For example:
The first 20 farmers who sign up for the Contest
receive a 2 gallon container of BASF's TwinLine fungicide, the frontline
defense against aggressive wheat diseases. Twinline helps wheat producers
achieve maximum yields, by offering both disease control and plant health
benefits. TwinLine's dual mode of action protects wheat against stripe and leaf
rust, blotch, tan spot and more. For more,
log onto www.basf.com.
Syngenta will pay an additional $500 to winners
using AgriPro wheat in the winning contest field. If growers use a blend
containing an AgriPro variety, the payment is $250. Wheat varieties become
AgriPro varieties only when they meet six important criteria: high yield
potential, good test weight, disease protection, regional adaptation,
consistent performance and quality. The AgriPro breeding program is
headquartered in Junction City. For more,
log onto www.agriprowheat.com.
- Winning
farmers who use SFP's AVAIL Phosphorus Fertilizer Enhancer and/or
NutriSphere-N Nitrogen Fertilizer Manager as part of their fertility
program will receive $500 per product used. SFP's mission is to give
plants the nutrients they need so they have the potential to increase
yields and boost a farmer's return on investment. For more, log onto www.sfp.com.
The Kansas Wheat Alliance will award $500 to
winners using varieties from Kansas State University's wheat breeding program. The
Kansas Wheat Alliance was founded by Kansas wheat producers, seedsmen, and researchers
to create a variety delivery system that provides new funds for wheat research,
and ensures availability of improved wheat varieties to benefit farmers and
consumers. For more, log
onto www.kswheatalliance.org.
New for 2011, farmers
will be eligible to participate in a Quality Initiative of the Wheat Yield
Contest. Each contest participant will be asked to submit a 5-pound sample of
wheat from the contest field. The quality of that sample will be evaluated by
the Kansas Grain Inspection Service for dockage, test weight and protein. Top
scoring samples will be further tested at the Kansas State University Wheat
Quality Laboratory, where milling and baking attributes will be evaluated. The
sample with the top quality score will receive a $250 cash prize.
"High yields may capture the spotlight, but
high quality captures the market," Harries says. "As we learned from
the 2010 contest, good yields and quality can go hand in hand with the right
management practices. Ultimately, good quality is what can differentiate U.S.
wheat in a competitive global marketplace."
Folks who enter the contest will be asked to share
management information about their farm, including details about tillage and
agronomic practices, crop protection products usage and more. A third party
verifier will be employed at harvest to ensure the integrity of the contest.
Wheat farmers who are 18 years or older from
throughout Kansas are eligible to participate by enrolling a plot at least five
acres in size. The fee is $50 per entry. Producers may enter more than once,
but each entry must be submitted on a separate entry form. Kansas Wheat
directors, employees and spouses are prohibited from entering the contest. Contestants must use certified seed. The
contest is open only to dryland fields.
For those who are interested in accepting the
challenge, more details about the 2011 Kansas Wheat Yield Contest can be found
online at www.kansaswheat.org, by requesting an information packet via e-mail
at kswheat@kswheat.com, or by writing to Kansas Wheat, 217 Southwind Place,
Manhattan, KS 66503. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
DR. GALICHIA KEYNOTES 2011 FULL CIRCLE: AN AGING EXPO IN PHILLIPSBURG
Dr. Joseph Galichia, M.D., an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of interventional cardiology, will be the keynote speaker April 29 in Phillipsburg at 2011 Full Circle...an Aging Expo. The native Kansan studied medicine in the U.S., Germany, England, Sweden and Switzerland. He has a weekly syndicated radio show, "Take Your Health to Heart."
New Sessions-- New Speakers
This premier program is not a repeat of previous Full Circle... an Aging Expo events.
Register Now and Plan to Attend
Early bird registration (a savings of $10 per 2 family members) is due by Friday, April 15. Registration information is available at the Northwest Research & Extension Center’s website at http://www.northwest.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx.
For Additional Information
Contact Tranda Watts, twwatts@ksu.edu; Libby Curry, lcurry@ksu.edu; or Anna Muir, amuir@ksu.edu; for more information. --Byron Hale bhale@ksu.edu
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
My picks this week include medium- and long-term outcomes and success stories from
Andrea Wood, Edwards County; Brent Goss, Ellsworth County; and Carol Young, Extension Specialist, Family Financial Management:
***“Book in a Bag” is a program that was created to encourage young children's interest in foods,
nutrition, and reading in the family or a small group setting. Children
learn about nutrition by having age-appropriate storybooks with
food-related themes read to them, then participating in hands-on food
and nutrition activities. Children learn, at an early age, how to make
healthy food choices while developing a love for reading.
***Kansas data
have shown an increase in the percentage of children and adults who are
overweight or obese. In the past three decades, childhood obesity rates have increased from 5.0% to 13.9% for children ages 2 to 5; 6.5% to 18.8% for children
6 to 11 years; and 5.0% to 17.4% for youth ages 12 to 19. Emphasis
needs to be put on encouraging people of all ages to eat more fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
Working with the school district, as well as the City of Ellsworth, we sustained another year of our after school program. Cats In Action has been going on for six years now. We helped with snacks and games and attracted 45 kids on average. We have had
participants start as youth in the program and become leaders once they get into high
school. Every session was filled with evidence-based physical activity, (i.e., games from SPARK and CATCH). The games use very little equipment and require very little space. Youths got a healthy snack twice a week for sixty-four weeks--one that they could then make by themselves!
Here's what some of the youths have said about the program:
"This
was the greatest program I could have participated in. It taught me a
lot about dealing with kids and inspired me to focus on education."
"I love the after school program games. They are a lot of fun and I really look forward to the snack."
"I love Dragon Tail, my brother and I play it all the time."
"I wish Cats In Action could be everyday so I have somewhere to go after school and not be bored."
***In early 2010, thirteen (13) agents who are fully certified SHICK Counselors reported counseling 3105 Medicare beneficiaries in re-evaluating their Medicare Prescription Drug coverage. The new coverage choices resulted in $1.3 million saved for Kansas beneficiaries overall, or a savings of $343 per person who switched to another Part D plan. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SPECIALTY CROP GRANTS
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2011
Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Funds for the program are awarded to the
agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
The funds are in turn granted to projects and organizations that promote the
competitiveness of specialty crops.
The application may be downloaded by
clicking on this link: 2011 KDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Application.
The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant program is to solely enhance
the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined by the USDA
as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops
(including floriculture).”
Each state that submits an application that is
reviewed and approved by the Agricultural Marketing Service is to receive at
least an amount that is equal to the higher of $100,000, or 1/3 of 1 percent of
the total amount of funding made available for that fiscal year. In addition,
the Agricultural Marketing Service will allocate the remainder of the grant
funds based on the value of specialty crop production in each state in relation
to the national value of specialty crop production using the latest available
cash receipt data. In 2010, Kansas received $214,055.68.
The exact amount of funds available and final dates for application is
unclear for the 2011 grant cycle, as Congress has not yet appropriated the funds
for the block grant. The Kansas Department of Agriculture will work to keep
applicants informed through its Specialty Crop e-mail list, as well as through
other outlets, of any news as it becomes available.
Applications must have all of the information requested to be considered by a
team of KDA reviewers. The team will rate proposals on their ability to
successfully promote specialty crops in Kansas, and submit those recommendations
to the Secretary of Agriculture, who will make the final awards.
The
following topics for proposals are among those that are especially encouraged by
the USDA:
• Increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of
specialty crops;
• Improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution
systems;
• Assisting all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain
in developing “Good Agricultural Practices,” “Good Handling Practices,” “Good
Manufacturing Practices,” and in cost-share arrangements for funding audits of
such systems for small farmers, packers and processors;
• Investing in
specialty crop research, including research to focus on conservation and
environmental outcomes;
• Enhancing food safety; developing new and improved
seed varieties and specialty crops;
• Pest and disease control; and
• Development of organic and sustainable production practices.
The
USDA has made available several sample proposals, based on actual, successful
grant requests. Those are posted to our website and may be accessed by clicking
here.
Applications are due to KDA no later than May 27,
2011. For more information or other assistance with this application or this
program, please contact Sarah Green at sarah.green@kda.ks.gov or 785-296-4172. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
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