The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
(Vol. 18 No. 26)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
I share with you a couple thoughts this morning. The first coming
from the message conveyed in the sermon on Sunday morning, and the
second a quote from a noted American educator, Benjamin Elijah Mays. The
message from the sermon extends well beyond any religious beliefs, and
rather a way in which to look at your daily work towards its
fulfillment.
Simply stated, "focus on the trip, and
less on the destination." Another common quote is "stop and take time to
smell the roses." And yet another image is one of taking the back roads
and staying off the interstate highway. Those educators who focus on the
excitement of and passion for the journey and all that can be seen,
heard, smelled, tasted or touched, in a learning process will convey
that excitement to those learning with them. We affectionately call this
experiential learning. People are naturally attracted to persons who are
passionate in their quest to learn and understand, to observe and ask
questions, to allow their curiosity to instill learning along the way. I
sincerely hope for each of you that you take the time to focus on the
trip, enjoy what's happening around you, observe, seek understanding,
and allow your enthusiasm and passion to become a part of your daily
life as an educator.
And, I love this series of quotes from a
great American educator, teacher, preacher, scholar, and activist in the
civil rights movement.
"The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not
reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It
isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled. It is a calamity not
to dream.... It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars. It is a
disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is
sin." --Benjamin Elijah Mays,
American educator and president of Morehouse College (1895-1984)
Have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz
dbuchhol@ksu.edu
2012 AGROFORESTRY WATER & WILDLIFE FIELD DAY
On Thursday, May 10, Kansas Forest Service
is sponsoring an Agroforestry Water & Wildlife Field Day at Flat Rock Ranch in Hamilton.
The purpose of the field day is to provide landowners, farmers, ranchers and natural resource professionals the opportunity to learn science-based information regarding design, function, management, and benefits of trees and shrubs within contemporary agricultural systems for a variety of purposes. Topics
include: An overview of Flat Rock Ranch and West Creek Recreation,
proper tree planting methods, limiting cattle's access to ponds, oak
savannah management, quail habitat management, quality food plots for
deer, and managing transition zones between crop and woodlands.
Registration
is $10, lunch provided. Registration is due May 7, and can be mailed to
Leslye Haller, Kansas Forest Service, 2610 Claflin Rd., Manhattan, KS 66502.
Call 785-532-3300, or email lahaller@ksu.edu if you have questions or need more information. Or you can visit our website to see a copy of the brochure at http://www.kansasforests.org/calendar/Agroforestry%20Brochure%202012.pdf.
Hope to see you all there! --Leslye Haller lahaller@ksu.edu
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
Today my pick is from the 2011 Kansas Farm Management Association Report. Submitted by Kevin Herbel, the report provides a summary of the work of the 21 KFMA Economists with 2,413 KFMA members.
**Through one-on-one consultations, 3,232 Kansas producers have increased awareness of their current financial position and their financial performance during the past year. Of these producers 1,975 are able to benchmark their performance against other farms in their region, farms of similar type, as well as the most economically profitable farms. This allows these producers to identify strengths and weakness in their operations and to take action to build on the strengths, and address the weaknesses, vastly increasing the operation’s sustainability and profitability for the future.
Through enterprise analysis these operations have also identified those enterprises that are the most profitable and they clearly understand their cost of production for each enterprise allowing them the opportunity to make informed marketing decisions when selling the products they have produced. Additionally, more than 100 producers in poor financial condition, or with family conflict, gained an improved understanding of how to address their situation in a sustainable manner. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
APRIL EXTENSION AGENT PERSONNEL CHANGES
Anna Curry, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Greenwood County, began employment effective April 1, 2012. Her email address is akcurry@ksu.edu.
Amanda Davis, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in Greenwood County, began employment effective April 1, 2012. Her email address is amanda79@ksu.edu.
Austin Sexten, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Pottawatomie County, transferred from Central Kansas District effective April 1, 2012.
Jessica Milliman, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Twin Creeks District, resigned effective April 6, 2012.
Allison “Alli” Burns, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in Finney County, transferred from Dickinson County effective April 15, 2012.
Dean Whitehill, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Finney County, retired effective April 28, 2012.
Andrea Feldkamp, 4-H Youth Development Agent in Riley County, transferred to Assistant Coordinator, Nutrition Education Program on campus effective April 29, 2012.
Steve McNorton, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Leavenworth County, began employment effective April 29, 2012. His email address is smcnorton@ksu.edu.
Lisa Newman, Family Development Agent in Central Kansas District, began employment effective April 29, 2012. Her email address is lmnewman@ksu.edu.
--Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu
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