The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
(Vol. 18 No. 16)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
As an update, House Bill 2654 amending the process by which a county could withdraw from an Extension district will not come out of committee in this session of legislature. Author of the bill, Representative Bob Brookens, has indicated interest in bringing it forward next year for consideration. We will be in communication with Representative Brookens regarding this bill after the legislative session is completed in 2012.
One other bill, House Bill 2715, relating to Extension and drainage districts, will require candidates for extension district governing boards to pay a $5 candidate filing fee to the county election office. Within that bill, the same action occurs with drainage districts, and also changes the candidate filing deadline date for drainage districts. Filing deadlines for election to Extension districts does not change. Be reminded that legislature did change the candidate filing date for Extension districts last year. The first election for Extension districts under that change will be in 2013. The filing deadline for candidates in Extension districts will be 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 23, 2013.
Our State Extension Advisory Council made visits to state legislators on all of our behalf this past Tuesday. Advisory council members shared success stories and impacts with their legislators. They reported that the visits are very well received and positive. A primary message for legislators is in thanking them for the support they provide to K-State Research and Extension in so many ways. And, that KSRE is making a difference across Kansas.
On the federal level, the President's budget is out and our committees representing extension, experiment station, and academic programs are working through those numbers to reaffirm our priorities as it moves through Congress. You can see the budget information, and the one-page impact sheets being developed for use by our Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) representatives at http://www.land-grant.org/documents.html. CARET representatives will be visiting Congressional offices next week. K-State Research and Extension has 2 CARET representatives in Steve Irsik Jr., Ingalls; and Connie Pelton Kays, Weir. Both have been our representatives since their appointment to this important role in 2005. They provide citizen leadership and advocacy on key issues and opportunities on the national level with Council members from all across the nation. With the federal budget in such early stages, it is difficult to predict how it will turn out in Congress. Our advocacy across the nation is vital to reminding Congress of the impacts of research, extension, and teaching through the federal funding formulas and initiatives.
Thanks for all you do, and have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
UPDATE ON PROPOSED FARM LABOR LAWS FOR YOUTH
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has announced that it will re-propose the "parental exemption" portion of its proposed regulation on child labor in agriculture. The decision is in response to requests from the public and members of Congress. The re-proposal is expected to be published for public comment by early summer according to the USDOL Wage and Hour Division. For counties and districts that offer Hazardous Occupations Training, this means it is highly unlikely the Hazardous Orders for Agriculture will change during the calendar year of 2012 and we should proceed as usual with tractor safety training for youth in Kansas. We believe the training resources currently available through KSRE are still of value to youth, their parents, and employers.
For those interested in learning more about the proposed changes, Purdue University Hazardous Occupations Safety Training in Agriculture (HOSTA) team will conduct a second webinar to address changes in the Ag Hazardous Orders (AgHOs). The webinar is scheduled from 2-3 p.m., Wednesday, February 29, 2012. The webinar will provide background on the AgHOs, training requirements, available curricula, and key changes to employment of youth in agriculture proposed by the USDOL. The webinar will be broadcast at https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/hosta/ and you will be asked to sign in with your name. Prior to February 29 you may direct questions about the webinar to 765-494-1210. If you need assistance during the webinar, please call 765-412-4200 for assistance. --Kerri Ebert kebert@ksu.edu
COUNTY FAIR MEDIA TEMPLATES AVAILABLE
County Fair is the time when 4-H is most visible to the public, and we want to use this opportunity to get the right word out about our program:
4-H is the network of families that grows great kids
4-H is for city/town families, too
We need your help in telling this story, and there are a several ways you can help:
o Templates and artwork has been created for you to use that reinforces this message. These templates are available at http://www.kansas4h.org/p.aspx?tabid=56.
Templates include:
§ Fair guide cover template
§ Ad templates for the fair schedule and supporter appreciation
o Templates are available as Acrobat PDFs. If you need the files as InDesign, Adobe Illustrator or .EPS, contact Bob Holcombe, K-State Research and Extension Graphic Designer, at Holcombe@ksu.edu or call 785-532-1143. --Diane Mack and 4-H Marketing Team Members
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
This week my picks are outcomes of smoke management programming reported for 2010-2011 by Walt Fick, Agronomy; Jeff Davidson, Greenwood County; Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County; and Mike Holder, Flint Hills District.
Thirteen state and local organizations were involved in writing and implementing the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan released by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in December 2010. The plan debuted in spring 2011.
Participants at prescribed burning workshops increased their knowledge of reasons for burning, fire behavior, safety issues including smoke management, weather, and how to plan and conduct a burn. These workshops were a cooperative effort between K-State Research and Extension, the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.
In Greenwood County, 90% of land managers were aware of the Flint Hill Smoke Management plan, and 80% of survey respondents indicated they used the website and information just prior to conducting prescribed burns.
Producers in Pottawatomie County are aware of the concerns the smoke from prescribed burns are causing in metropolitan areas. Different timing of burns and consideration to wind direction are being considered when deciding when to burn.
Mike says Chase County has the cleanest grasslands in the Flint Hills because producers pay attention to following grazing and burning practices correctly. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
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