The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
(Vol. 17 No. 22)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
I am getting more excited about Spring Action Conference as I prepare for that time together as a total organization. You know, much effort has been put forth to prepare logic models that guide how we do programming. But, I will continue to ask program focus teams if that logic model has truly captured what will involve the MOST IMPORTANT work to be done in that knowledge area over the next year, 2 years, or 5 years. If you were to take that logic model and discuss its content with the clientele and stakeholders, do you think they would say, "yes, indeed, that is what I would hope K-State Research and Extension is about in the coming years?" If you as an individual don't believe that to be true, then I suggest you come prepared to re-identify the priorities and significant work that needs to be done.
Secondly, Spring Action Conference is about laying forth a plan by which you will be able to collectively gather feedback, evidence, and information from your clientele and stakeholders on how the educational programs, information, events, and activities are making a difference for them. Developing appropriate and powerful questions to give feedback on improving the educational program and on the impact your programs are having is what you'll be about.
Out of this work, I envision K-State Research and Extension signature programs emerging. And, if you listened to the entire video in my Tuesday message last week, you heard Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasize "you can't assume everyone knows what you are doing in Extension, because they don't." And, he went on to say, "Make sure people know what Extension does and why it is important."
Folks, in very simple terms, that is all Spring Action Conference is about. It is up to each and every one of you to think deeply and draw from your understanding as to what the people of Kansas would most benefit from through the great work of K-State Research and Extension, and then go about laying out that logic model to get you there, and the powerful questions we've got to be asking those engaged in our programs to provide for our ability to continuously improve on our work, and gain the evidence to be able to share our story with stakeholders in every local community. Working together as program focus teams, we will achieve!
I look forward to seeing you all in Salina on April 13 and 14. And, that is my story, and I am sticking to it!! Have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
COMMUNITY GARDEN WORKSHOPS
Community gardens help individuals and families, kids as well as adults, come together, learn from each other, and grow their own fresh produce. Three workshops are scheduled to help you learn how different community gardens are structured, how to move through the planning process to the gardening phase, and how to make sure the garden can be sustainable. Representatives from local community gardens will be on hand to discuss their gardens and take your questions. We’ll also tour one or two gardens in the area.
Dates and Locations are as follows:
Monday, May 23 Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce,
117 N. Walnut, Hutchinson
Register through Reno County Extension Office,
620-662-2371
Tuesday, May 24 Pottorf Hall, Riley County Fairgrounds, Manhattan
Register through Riley County Extension Office,
785-537-6350
Thursday, May 26 Allen County Courthouse, 1 North Washington, Iola
Register through Southwind Extension District Office, Iola
620-365-2242
A fee of $10 will cover the resource packet. Lunch is on your own. Please register through the site you wish to attend by May 18. Make checks payable to Kansas 4-H Foundation. For questions, contact Evelyn Neier at 785-410-3760 or eneier @ksu.edu. --Evelyn Neier
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@ksu.edu
|