The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
(Vol. 19 No. 24)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
I am reminded of our need for constant
communication and marketing. That job is
never done. Be proud of the great work you do, and recognize that we must continue to market and communicate the work of Extension and its impact on the people we reach.
This past week the Dean’s
advisory for the College of Agriculture met with a primary focus on providing
thoughts and insight into the Vision 2025 strategic plan for the College and
Research and Extension. With this group,
I was again reminded by their comments and questions about elements of
Extension that are mysterious or misunderstood.
Small group discussions raised several questions related to Extension. Some examples include: Can Extension function without
research and vice versa; can Extension do research and vice versa; with
technology and communication like it is, how much of a local presence is needed; how well connected are Extension agents to Kansas State; how do
Extension agents relate to the faculty members, or do they; are local
programs expected to be aligned with the grand challenges discussed in the
strategic plan. This was just a sample
of the questions raised around small group discussions as the
advisory reviewed the strategic plan.
The advisory's thoughts and direction reflected on where they
thought the College and Research and Extension should be in 10 to 15 years. For our purpose, where do you believe Extension should be in
10 to 15 years? What challenges and
opportunities must we pursue if we are to be locally valued, relevant, connected, strongly supported, and world class?
I reflect on our Partnership meeting discussions where
we had broad agreement that Extension must be highly sought as a resource. Our public must believe we are fully engaged
in pursuit of solutions to the grand challenges in Kansas. We must add educational value in a highly
digitally-connected society. We must be
seen as bringing the science, discovery, and knowledge of KSU and the
land-grant university system to the people.
We’ve got to be a connector, local knowledge resource, with a great
understanding of the true issues and challenges of the people of Kansas. We must be leaders in our communities,
capable of bringing people together around tough issues. We have to wrap our work around
the grand challenges. And, for Extension today, our public seems to embrace thinking of the grand challenges as water, health, feeding the future, vitalizing communities, and growing tomorrow's leaders.
Through all of that, Extension must be ready to change, adapt, and
reinvent itself for tomorrow’s world. Extension must continue to exemplify attributes of excellence in being
friendly, caring, trusted, committed, approachable, down-to-earth, practical,
informed, and knowledgeable. Much work
is ahead for continuously improving our value
to the people we must serve. I can’t
help but believe we’ve got exciting times ahead! Have an exciting and great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION CEREMONY THIS WEDNESDAY
This Wednesday afternoon, April 24, at 2 p.m. in the K-State Student Union Ballroom, we will be celebrating Classified Employee Recognition. Years of service will be highlighted and the Classified Employees of the Year, chosen from the various colleges and units, will be recognized.
We received 10 nominations from our Departments/Units and were asked to choose 4 to forward to Classified Senate. This year, representing the College of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension, will be the following:
Frank Jennings, Animal Sciences
Alka Kapil, HFRR
Theresa Mangiaracino, Grain Science
LuAnn Ward, COA/KSRE Budget/Fiscal Office
Please join us Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. and help us recognize our many long serving and excellent Classified Employees. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
2013 AGROFORESTRY FIELD DAY
On Wednesday, May 8, Kansas Forest Service
is sponsoring an Agroforestry Field Day at Dave and Mary Hendrick's Farm in WaKeeney. 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. This year's field day focuses upon practices that improve wildlife habitat. Topics
include: an Overview of Hendrick's Farm and Wildlife Conservation; Tree Health Threats; Creating Mule Deer Habitat; Lesser Prairie Chicken Habitat; Water Quality Concerns in Western Kansas; Managing for Upland Birds from the Landowner's Perspective; Windbreak renovation, Assessment & Funding Projects; Creating a Burn Plan for Prairie.
Registration
is $10, lunch provided. Registration is due May 3, 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 https://www.kansasforests.org/news/calendar.shtml.
Hope to see you all there! --Leslye Haller lahaller@ksu.edu
MONEY SMART MONTH ACROSS KANSAS
April is Money Smart Month Across Kansas! Money
Smart Kansas, is an annual community outreach initiative to promote and encourage
financial awareness for all ages, kicked off next at the beginning of April with a series of classes
and workshops designed to help consumers make positive financial decisions.
Among the topics
covered in Money Smart Kansas events are savings tips, credit and debt
management, budgeting and financial planning, tips to maximize insurance and
health benefits, valuable tools for small businesses and much more.
Held each year
in
conjunction with Financial Literacy Month, Money Smart Kansas is
coordinated by
financial education providers throughout the state. For more information
and to look for events in your area go to http://www.moneysmartkansas.org/.
Money Smart
Month can also be a good opportunity to reach people through social
media for those unable to attend events or classes. Try posting Money
Smart Month Tips of the Day on Facebook or Twitter and track how many
people you reach. If you're looking for content ideas check out some of
the links below.
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/FinancialManagement/p.aspx?tabid=35
http://www.twincreeks.ksu.edu/p.aspx?tabid=83
http://www.kansassaves.org/
http://www.americasaves.org/
Money
Smart Kansas is a community initiative led in part by Capital City Bank,
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas
City, Kansas State Department of Education, Kansas State
Treasurer’s Office, K-State Research and Extension, Mazuma Credit
Union, Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner, Stan Webb
Inc., Quest Credit Union and Wichita State University – Center
for Community Support/Research. --Julianne Shoup jshoup@ksu.edu
KSRE REPRESENTED AT NATIONAL HEALTH CONFERENCE
K-State Research and Extension was well represented last
week at the Priester National Extension Health Conference in Corvallis,
OR. Presenters representing KSRE
included:
Jodi Drake, Pratt County, presented on a successful effort
to mobilize a grass-roots social network movement to improve the food and
physical activity environment. Her
presentation, Strong Women Across America:
Extension Changes One Life at a Time, discussed successful work results in
Kansas.
Sharolyn Jackson and Joan Kahl, both representing Family and
Consumer Sciences, spoke of the successful design and implementation of an
evidence based chronic disease self-management program called the Kansans Optimizing
Health Program in a presentation called Delivery
of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program through Kansas State Research
and Extension.
Dan Kahl, Extension Community Development, co-presented with
three representatives from other states working on the Communities Preventing
Childhood Obesity project. The presentation, Community Coaching to Prevent Rural Childhood Obesity, introduced
the work of this seven state project to implement the Ecological Model of
addressing health issues.
Roberta Riportella, Community Health, Family Studies and
Human Services, spoke on the implications of recent health policy changes to
local businesses and communities in a presentation called, Understanding the Affordable Care Act.
Extending the positive outcomes of KSRE research and
practice through scholarly presentations is a key element of effective
scholarly engagement. --Dan
Kahl, Center for Engagement and Community Development. dankahl@ksu.edu
KARL CLASS XI TRIP TO PERU #5
Oops! I said I’d talk about the jungle this time, but another big day happened before we traveled north from the coast. It was day #4, and my 56th birthday. Never mind that my birthday began with a toss into the swimming pool! I have it on “film” if you’re interested. We visited the farm of Italo Giribaldi, who grew table grapes, pomegranates, asparagus, nine varieties of citrus, and the wonderful, lucuma. I will describe that in a moment. Mr. Giribaldi works to specialize his labor pool, and he keeps his employees loyal by having the best facilities and year round work. He considers himself lucky because all of his production is exported, and it all goes through Lima on its way in and outside of Peru. He noted that one of his great challenges is security, which was obvious by the armed guards that stood at entrances of production plots.
As we walked through the varying production plots, I was intrigued by the bases of the citrus trees. Where the tree meets the soil, there was a great change in the trunk. It’s called the elephant foot, which indicated that the main part of the tree was grafted onto more vigorous plant. I was told that it’s a common practice for fruit growers. My great discovery of the day was lucuma. I think I will dedicate a whole submission to the wonderful food I ate in Peru, but first I must tell you about lucuma. Lucuma, or pouteria lucuma, is a fruit about the size, but a little more round, of a papaya. It is not juicy like a papaya. Lucuma’s flesh is yellow and surrounds two brown, shiny, round, flattened seeds the size of quarters. The flavor is sweet, and the pulp is very dry. It has the texture of, perhaps, a green banana. It is delicious! I noticed in the grocery stores (my favorite place to study the culture of a people) that lucuma was mostly found in quart bottles of liquid yogurt…so scrumptious, and ice cream…delectable. At the Lima Airport “food court”, lucuma was offered as one of the many flavors of gelato. Our tour guide’s helper, Alejandro, was only too happy to find several pieces of lucuma as gifts for my birthday. I’d received many gifts of fruit that day.
Table grapes were being harvested and prepared for shipment at Giribaldi’s farms. We were treated to great bunches of grapes and sodas. For my birthday, Raphael presented me with what appeared to be a full branch of great, turbid, red, sweet table grapes and two ruby red pomegranates. Birthdays are really a special day to Peruvians! They were the best red grapes I have ever eaten. When preparing the grapes for shipping to markets, the ladies, who placed them ever-so-gently in the boxes, first dusted each little globe with a clean paint brush. They looked like pieces of art. This is Raphael, Italo’s plant manager, presenting a branch of
grapes to me. Note the soda in Raphael’s hand. It’s Fanta lucuma soda.
Next week, I will report on a grape and wine producer before we headed north to the jungle region. If I may repeat, this international trip was the next to the last culminating experience for Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership program members. As of this writing, we are now, officially, graduates. KARL, Inc., is a non-profit leadership program with its office based in Umberger Hall on our K-State campus. My thanks go to, then Dean, Gary Pierzynski and the Finnup Scholarship fund at my Church in Garden City for supporting my KARL tuition. --Debra Bolton dbolton@ksu.edu
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
This week
my pick is from Diann Gerstner, Thomas County:
Full Circle . . . an aging expo –
In preparation for the expo, we collected contact
information of personnel and facilities that work with the elderly to form a
current mailing (and if possible email) list for the professional track of the
conference. As we looked for presenters for the professional track, I came
across Kim Eichinger, Executive Director of Fitness, Country Meadows Retirement
Communities in Hershey, PA who had presented at an international aging conference.
Much to our surprise, she agreed to present “Use your noodle, have a ball, get
your residents moving” for our expo!
Wanting
to increase the value of her experience, the other Area FCS Specialists in KS
were informed of this opportunity. When nothing happened, I contacted another
agent in the SW and again nothing worked out. Seeing a newsletter and thinking
about the travel route from the airport, I decided to contact the agents in NE
Colorado. They were excited to have this opportunity. Kim presented to 19 at
Brush and 6 in Burlington before presenting in Hill City at the Full Circle
Expo where we had 26 participants in the Professional Track. All three presentations
were very well received. All participants gave us very positive feedback - happy with
the information and ideas that they had gained. Persistence paid off in the
effort to share Kim’s expertise more broadly and increase the value of her
travel. -–Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
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