The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
(Vol. 17 No. 26)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Take a moment and welcome Dr. Barbara Stone, our new state 4-H program leader, into her new role as she officially started yesterday, May 2! Her email is bjstone@ksu.edu.
And on a different note, the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Extension has just come out, and in the commentary section is an article on regionalization, or in Kansas terms, districting. That article calls for the need to understand how different Extension regionalization and specialization models are working. I've already sent the author an email, encouraging him to become familiar with our state statute in developing Extension Districts and how that model is unique in requiring local stakeholder input into the reorganization of County Extension Councils. I believe the author raises some critical questions that do need study in how well any of our delivery models work in delivering on our core mission of improving the quality of life and standard of living for those we serve in the public interest. I do note that in this author's mind it isn't about whether or not to move to a more regional approach as much as it is about the effectiveness in moving Extension agents towards areas of expertise in the interest of better serving clientele educational needs.
As you review the articles, you will see a couple articles focused on public value. And, several articles are reports that have come from gathering evidence of program effectiveness. Both those topics were central to the work of Program Focus Teams most recently at Spring Action Conference. I hope you will take some time to read the articles and understand the processes used to gather feedback and evidence of program impact.
Thanks for all you do! Have a great week. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
4-H MARKETING NEWS: UPCOMING WEBINARS AND COUNTY FAIR MATERIALS
Mark your calendars to attend a 4-H Marketing Update webinar this month. The 4-H Marketing Action Team will cover their recent (and insightful) findings about why people AREN'T joining 4-H, and the plan to help you overcome those hurdles. Plus they have new recruitment materials for you to use at your county fairs, which will automatically be sent to you (no ordering).
Webinar times (your choice):
*May 17, 10 a.m.
*May 18, 10 a.m.
To register, please sign up on the doodle poll at http://doodle.com/64356fc3y45h78p8, and select the date that works for you. If you want to learn more, but neither date works for you, please make a notation in the comment section. Details to connect will then be emailed to you.
The team has been working with Lori Bower, Strategy Chief at BowerComm Marketing Communications. Lori, a former McPherson County 4-H member and former Butler County 4-H Agent, is now volunteering her time to help us develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for Kansas 4-H. --Diane Mack and 4-H Marketing Team Members
ACCESS 4-H - ADVANCED TRAINING
We have confirmed the locations for the Access 4-H Advanced training sessions to be conducted by the national team!
Tuesday, May 17 - Manhattan
Wednesday, May 18 - Hays
Thursday, May 19 – Hutchinson
The cost will be $10 per person with checks payable to “Kansas 4-H Foundation.” Registration is open to all staff and includes lunch and training materials.
For the benefit of all participants, you must have completed a basic Access 4-H training before attending the advanced training. Any of the previous 17 sessions or the session coming up in Hays on Friday, May 6, or a national staff webinar along with some experience would qualify. These sessions are intended to focus more on use of the system (enrollment/re-enrollment, reports, etc) and not configuring your system (mapping projects/activities/certifications, importing data, etc.)
To register for any of these training sessions, please go to http://www.Kansas4-H.org/Enrollment. --Justin Wiebers jwiebers@ksu.edu
TURNING LAND INTO A FAMILY LEGACY
Reality 1.) Families
across Kansas take enormous pride
in their generational ties to the family farm.
Reality 2.) As the years pass,
fewer and fewer families have a next generation responsible for day-to-day farm
management.
When ag land transfers to the next generation due to death,
the land is often sold, and the proceeds move out-of-town, maybe out-of-state. The family’s community ties – and support -- are
over.
There is another option.
Creating an endowed fund that supports the community – and maybe the
family – is an estate planning tool often overlooked by retired landowners.
The endowment keeps the family’s name alive in the community
supporting local people and programs. And,
using land to create a gift IS NOT an all-or-nothing process. With today’s ag land market, 80 acres can
preserve the family’s pride while providing important support for local
scholarships, research or Extension.
To help a family create a legacy in your community, contact Gordon
Dowell, KSU Foundation
Gift Planning Officer for Extension and Real Estate, 800-432-1578 or gordond@found.ksu.edu. Services are free; conversations are
confidential. --Gordon Dowell
SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE BY JUNE 1
Do you have an interesting project, program results,
experiences, or educational materials to share with your colleagues? Consider
submitting a breakout session proposal for annual conference. The submission
form has been posted to the annual conference website, www.ksre.ksu.edu/annconf,
or go to www.ksre.ksu.edu
and click on the Intranet/Staff Page link. Proposals must be received by June 1.
Remember that the conference is Tuesday, October 18, through Thursday, October
20. The breakout sessions would be on Wednesday afternoon.
The draft schedule and information about keynote speaker Ed
O'Malley, president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center, are posted to the site. --Stu Warren, Conference Committee Chair slwarren@ksu.edu
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