The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
(Vol. 18 No. 34)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Is this July 26??? Hope you are able to withstand the heat and doing whatever it takes to break this intense heat and bring much needed rain to our Kansas high plains region! Wow... not needed in June!
Couple things I want to highlight with you today.... KSRE Annual Conference calls for proposals and nominations, and the Kansas State University Day at the Kansas State Fair.
We are seeking proposals for training sessions at annual conference. This year, we'd like to structure them in subject matter/discipline tracks as much as possible. That is to say, if we want to have a training on new technologies, it would be great if there were proposals coming from a group that might cover 3 topics all related to using new technologies for effective delivery of information or education. Another example might be from one of our program focus teams where they would offer 3 training modules all related to outcomes desired of the PFT. That's the vision, and the annual conference planning team is hoping it stacks that way. It doesn't require that you go to all 3 sessions, but it gives you such an opportunity if it meets your desired learning outcomes. Please see that article below, and get your training proposals together!
A call for nominations for the awards presented at Annual Conference is also announced in this issue of the Tuesday Letter. Please think about who should be recognized and get those nominations submitted! This is a great opportunity for recognition of the great people and the great work that is indicative of K-State Research and Extension. No finer way to be recognized than amongst your colleagues and friends! Please see that a colleague and friend are among the nominees for these awards!
And, I want you to be aware of a very recent communication that came from Jackie Hartman in the President's office regarding K-State Day at the 2012 Kansas State Fair. President Schulz had such an impressionable experience at the State Fair in 2011 that he decided he wanted one day where Kansas State University would enhance its presence beyond the commitments of K-State Research and Extension, College of Vet Medicine, and others from K-State to involve the entire university at the Kansas State Fair.
Excerpts of that letter to the Deans follows: The first Sunday of
the Kansas State Fair, Sept 9, is designated as K-State Day with the university
being recognized as the official sponsor for the day. President Schulz wants to enhance our
presence at the Fair in Hutchinson. Therefore, special outdoor exhibits will be
set up south of the 4-H Centennial Hall and performances will showcase
university musical groups on the adjacent Lake Talbott Stage. In addition, pep rallies will feature members
of the K-State Marching Band, Willie the Wildcat and cheerleaders.
Each college will have an exhibit area. Details of what is needed from your college
are specified below.
Requested attire is K-State polo shirts representing your college/group, khaki
shorts/pants and comfortable shoes. A hospitality tent for K-State Fair volunteers
will be provided by the University and Alumni Association, with water and
snacks available throughout the day.
Obviously, the goal is to paint the Kansas State Fair purple on Sunday, September 9! Should be a great day at the Kansas State Fair. And, my thanks to all of you who through your involvement with the Kansas State Fair created such a positive impression for President Schulz at the 2011 fair, that he had to come back in 2012 in a much bigger way!!
Stay cool and have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
BIOMASS TO ENERGY WEBINAR
There is much interest in developing ways to harvest, collect, and transport biomass for use as energy. Once this material is collected, a number of ways to utilize it for energy exist. A webinar series has been put together to explain some of ways the biomass can be utilized for energy.
The third presentation in this “Biomass to Energy” will be presented by representatives of Konza Renewable Fuels of Meriden, Kansas. The topic for this presentation will be on Torrefaction. This presentation will be Friday, June 29, 10 to 11 a.m. CDT. The torrefcation process is a thermochemical process that reduces biomass to a more biologically stable and energy dense product. Konza Renewable Fuels is a company that is working on processes related to torrefying biomass materials for co-firing and other applications. The company provides torrefaction systems equipment for US and European clients. The company has the in house capacity to develop technology, provide equipment design, and fabrication services for torrefaction systems. Konza Renewable Fuels will also provide facility startup, maintenance, and operator training services.
How To Connect:
Start connecting 5 minutes prior to the start time. You need a computer with Internet access and speakers. At the meeting time, copy and paste this URL into your browser to enter the meeting: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/agenergy/.
At that URL you will find a login page. "Enter as a Guest" with your name, and business or institution and click "Enter Room." The audio portion of the meeting will come through your computer speakers.
Any time before the meeting you can visit the following URL to confirm your ability to connect: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/testconnect/.
If you missed the first two installment of this web series, they have been archived and are available for viewing at your convenience. The first webinar, "Biomass for Commercial Heating," can be viewed at http://learn.extension.org/events/510. The second webinar, "Thermochemical Conversion to Biomass Fuel," can be viewed at https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p28gqm69z9z/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal. --Ed Brokesh ebrokesh@ksu.edu
PROPOSALS SOUGHT FOR KSRE ANNUAL CONFERENCE TRAINING SESSIONS
Land-Grant Universities: Advancing
the Legacy is the theme for the 2012 K-State Research and Extension Annual
Conference.
The committee would like to create
tracks in various subject areas as part of the program. Do you have an
interesting project, program results, experiences, or educational materials to
share with your colleagues? Consider submitting a breakout session, poster
presentation, or both.
To fill out the submission form, click
on the proposal link on the annual conference website, www.ksre.ksu.edu/annconf,
or go to www.ksre.ksu.edu and click on the Intranet/Staff Page link then the annual
conference link. Proposals must be received by August 1.
The poster session will be 5 to 6:30
p.m. Tuesday, October 16, in the Union Ballroom. Breakout sessions will be
after the awards luncheon on Wednesday, October 17.
The draft schedule, objectives, committee list, and information about keynote
speaker Waded Cruzado, President of Montana State University, are now available
on the site. --J.D. McNutt, Conference Committee Chair, jdmcnutt@ksu.edu
KSRE AWARD NOMINATIONS SOUGHT
The K-State Research and Extension Awards Lunch will be on Wednesday, October 17, during Annual Conference.
This
is our annual opportunity to recognize outstanding colleagues. I
encourage you to review the award categories below and nominate someone
by Tuesday, August 7.
The
nomination should include a maximum of two pages of information
summarizing the criteria for which the individual is being nominated.
Include the name, title, address, phone number and email of both the
nominee as well as the nominator(s).
Previous recipients of the awards are listed on the Employee Resources website. Go to www.ksre.ksu.edu/employee_resources. Click on Nominations for Awards in the center of the page.
BUILDER AWARDS - These awards recognize individuals who have exhibited extra energy and creativity over a number of years in building new programs, audiences or institutions within K-State Research and Extension.
DIVERSITY AWARD - K-State Research and Extension is committed to diversity in programming, workforce and relationships with other organizations. Nominees for this award will be individuals who have embraced and demonstrated this vision.
TEAM AWARD - The Team Award acknowledges outstanding efforts by a group of individuals addressing one of the Strategic Opportunities of K-State Research and Extension.
MENTORING AWARD - K-State Research and Extension faculty are encouraged to nominate a mentor who has helped them and others achieve higher performance and productivity. One award will be presented to an extension agent mentor and one to an area or campus-based faculty mentor.
LOCAL UNIT OFFICE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
County and district offices are encouraged to nominate an office professional who demonstrates initiative, productivity, creativity, adaptability, teamwork, and service.
UNCLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR (for the College of Agriculture and all divisions of K-State Research and Extension on and off-campus). This award recognizes individuals
who are in unclassified non-tenure track positions. The nomination
should include information about special efforts and accomplishments.
For questions about the nominations or awards contact Stacey Warner, Awards Lunch Chair, at 785-532-3080, or swarner@ksu.edu.
I look forward to receiving the nominations by August 7.
Send all nominations electronically to Dorothy M. Doan, ddoan@ksu.edu, and include in the subject line: KSRE Award Nomination: <and name of award>.
Thanks! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
KANSAS YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS NEEDED
It is time to recruit workshop
instructors/presenters for the 13th Annual Kansas Youth Leadership Forum to be
held in November at Rock Springs 4-H Center. This conference, designed for
youth, ages 14-18, will include speakers, workshops, consulting groups and the
election of the next Kansas State 4-H Youth Leadership Council.
We are recruiting proposals for workshop session instructors/presenters for
Saturday, November 17. Topics should center on leadership. Some ideas might
include, but are not limited to, community service, citizenship,
communications, conflict management, ethics, motivation, decision making,
leading by example, time management, international citizenship, multi-cultural
studies, diversity, business etiquette and getting involved after high school.
The Kansas State 4-H Youth Council members hope that you will be interested in
sharing your expertise or talent with this opportunity.
The letter and proposal submission information are both on the State 4-H
Website, on the KYLF page. Proposals
are due by July 16, and will be submitted online.
Questions can be directed to Beth Hinshaw, bhinshaw@ksu.edu. --Beth Hinshaw or Sarah Laib slaib@ksu.edu
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
This week my picks are outcomes of Farmers' Markets from Rebecca McMahon, Sedgwick County:
**As
part of the Our Local Food program, we conducted a "Rapid Market Assessment" at
the Kansas Grown! Farmers Market on Saturday, July 16, 2011. The assessment
combined an attendance count with a "dot" survey. We estimated that the
attendance was 4,482 adults. Using the data collected, we were able to
calculate a conservative estimate of total sales of $49,868. This
Saturday is traditionally one of the peaks of the market each year, but the
information we collected can provide a good baseline for customer demand of
local foods.
Extension
helped start the Kansas Grown! Farmers Market 20 years ago, and it has grown
from a small market with only a few vendors to more than 100 members, and
thousands in attendance each week. By continuing to provide education and assistance to
producers, they will continue to become more profitable and increase their
sales throughout the growing season, with the market as an effective sales
outlet. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
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