The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
(Vol. 17 No. 48)
IN THIS ISSUE...
LAPTOP PIT STOP AT KSRE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Once again, KSRE Tech Support will be hosting a Laptop Pit Stop at Annual Conference. Our support staff will be available 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday, and 8 a.m. - 12 noon, Thursday, to answer any technology questions you have. In addition, feel free to drop off your laptop for a quick update and tune-up. We will make sure all your software is up to date, turn off any unneeded programs that are slowing you down, and get you connected to K-State's new wireless network. Please plan to bring your laptops as early as possible in order to give us enough time to make sure everyone gets fully updated. We can also answer any questions about mobile devices and help connect them to K-State's Zimbra Webmail if requested.
If your computer needs major help or you would like to schedule some one-on-one time with our support staff to discuss in-depth technology questions, please email support@ksre.ksu.edu or call us at 785-532-6270 before the conference so we can get you on our schedule.
Due to our commitments at Annual Conference, our Tech Support office will not be fully staffed while the Laptop Pit Stop is open. If you need assistance during that time, you can still email support@ksre.ksu.edu or call us at 785-532-6270 as always and the first available person will help you with any problems you have. --Russ Feldhausen russfeld@ksu.edu
2012 NATIONAL EXTENSION LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT-NORTH CENTRAL (NELD-NC) PROGRAM
We are
extremely late receiving the information from Minnesota regarding the
2012 NELD-NC Program. Consequently, we are asking that you immediately let us know of your interest . . . then submit your applications by
October 17, for the 2012 class.
The purpose of NELD-NC is to provide current and future Extension leaders with
the vision, courage, and tools to lead in a changing world. The NELD-NC program
consists of four sessions and is sponsored by Cooperative Extension in the 12
North Central States. The 2012 program will be delivered by the University of
Minnesota Extension.
Session themes, dates, and locations:
Session
One: Understanding My Role as Leader - January 18-21; Colorado Springs, CO
Session
Two: Entering the Realm of the Other - April 14-21; Costa Rica
Session
Three: Leading in a Shared Power World – July 8-12; Washington, D.C.
Session
Four: Integrating Leadership for Change - September 9-22; St. Paul, MN
Information
about the current program is
available at http://www.neld.extension.umn.edu/.
If you have questions or desire additional information, call Marie Blythe at
785-532-3066.
Current
class members would be happy to visit with you about their recent experiences: Amy
Jordan, 620-341-3220, ajordan@ksu.edu; Brian Olson,
785-462-6281, bolson@ksu.edu; Gayle Price, 620-431-1530,
gprice@ksu.edu;
and Sandra Wick, 785-282-6823, swick@ksu.edu.
You
can view materials developed by previous class members on our Website, http://tinyurl.com/2363nh, as well as
viewing a list of previous participants by clicking on Leadership Programs
Participant Directory.
Participation
costs for county faculty will be fully funded through the Leadership budget. Tuition
for specialists will be covered through the Leadership budget and all
travel-related expenses will be the responsibility of their departmental or
area unit. Applicants must be able to fully
participate in all four sessions.
If
you would like to submit an application for the 2012 program, the form is
available on our Website, http://tinyurl.com/2363nh.
Under Resources, select NELD-NC Application. Completed application forms should
be returned to Marie Blythe, 104 Umberger Hall, by October 17, 2011. Selected
agents/faculty members will be notified by October 21. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
REQUEST FOR CORE COMPETENCY TEAM, VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT
A
core competency is what an organization “does best” and helps define and
distinguish an organization from other organizations. Core competencies are
often an organization’s greatest areas of expertise and critical to their
strategic advantage. We are forming a Core Competency Team for Volunteer
Development. The Core Competency Team will:
Identify key
capabilities, practices and skills needed to increase volunteerism and
strengthen the delivery of KSRE educational programs, and
Recommend and
plan professional development opportunities related to volunteerism that will
help KSRE better serve its constituencies by developing partnerships with youth
and adult volunteers.
The
Core Competency Team is open to all program units. Please see the link for the Role Description and send your nominations or your own interest in
serving to Barbara Stone by November 1. --Barbara Stone bjstone@ksu.edu
NEW KSRE IMAGE LIBRARY
Looking for a photo for a flyer, presentation or newsletter? KSRE has a new photo database containing non-copyright images for your use. Several of the library categories cover animals,
community, crops, insects, lawn and garden, Kansas scenic and other topics.
The Image Library contains thousands of KSRE images. If you have nice photos of your work or related to any of our categories, we encourage you to submit them.
Access to the Image Library is through the TechWeb site, www.ksre.ksu.edu/techweb. Click on the link located on the navigation bar or under Popular Links.
Look for our booth on the Image Library at the KSRE Annual Conference. The Image Library was also recently featured in Comm Tips series, http://connect.ksre.ksu.edu/p22832168/.
For more information and to submit images, contact Gerry Snyder, gsnyder@ksu.edu. --Gerry Snyder
MENTOR WORKSHOP REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW
All of you - current, former and future mentors, new agents, long-tenured agents, and area faculty - are invited to attend an upcoming mentor workshop.
Workshops will be held:
- Wednesday, November 2, in Scott City
- Thursday, November 3, in Great Bend
- Tuesday, November 8, in El Dorado
- Thursday, November 10, in Topeka
These workshops will focus on the role that various partners in K-State Research and Extension play in the success and professional development of new agents.
For additional information and registration information, go to the Employee Resources website at www.ksre.ksu.edu/employee_resources. Click on Registrations in one of the purple boxes in the lower center of the page.
For questions, contact Stacey Warner, swarner@ksu.edu ; or Margaret Phillips, margaret@ksu.edu.
--Stacey Warner
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
This week my pick is a success story from the 2010-11 database submitted by Robin Slattery, River Valley District:
Working directly with one individual
can promote good livestock management and conservation practices to many
producers; that is the success in this story. Last year an area farm wife
tragically lost her husband and his brother and was left with a farm and cattle
operation to manage with her sister-in-law and children. She was determined to keep
the farm operating and manage the cowherd. She was seen at many K-State
Research and Extension events as she gained knowledge of cattle management,
grazing practices, and general farm operation. She also contacted a group of
advisors to evaluate the farm and draft plans for changes to follow best management practices of conservation and animal husbandry. The
advisors included Will Boyer, K-State
Watershed Specialist; Mary Howell, Kansas Rural Center; and Robin Slattery, River Valley District Livestock Agent.
She took the plans and wasted no time in developing and implementing
better practices for the operation. A waterline was installed with geotextile
pads around the waterers to reduce mud formation. The winter feeding site
was relocated to reduce runoff and livestock waste from entering a nearby
stream. Geotextile was again used to create a feed pad and grass filter strip
planted to slow runoff and catch nutrients from animal waste. Cover crops were
planted for use for livestock grazing, reducing the need for hay this winter
while also dispersing waste throughout the field. New fencing was installed to
increase rotational grazing and take CRP land back into utilization. She also
has future plans developing wildlife and riparian areas as well as trees for
windbreaks and shade.
All
of these projects are exemplary in themselves, but she also brought up
the idea to host a field day and promote these conservation practices to other
producers. Tuttle Creek WRAPS, Kansas Rural Center, and River Valley District all took part in
the planning of the upcoming October 11 tour and educational program.
All of her recent conservation accomplishments, as well as previous water
quality projects, will be featured and discussed by local experts. This lady’s
determination is the key to her success, and with the help of River Valley District,
improved conservation practices and better cattle management are expected to spread throughout the
district. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
|