The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
(Vol. 20 No. 14)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Our thanks go out to Kansas Farm Bureau for sending letters to leaders of the key legislative committees conveying support for restoring the funding to K-State Research and Extension. Please express thanks to your local Farm Bureau leaders for making this a priority message on our behalf to the Kansas legislature!
From a few years back, I ran this message. I believe so strongly in professionalism and sharing among professionals for continuous improvement, that I am running it again.
This
time of the year it seems like everyone is asking for dues! Whether it
be a civic club, non-governmental organization, professional fraternity,
or professional organization, it seems they all are asking you to pay
up your annual dues which are likely already past due. So why should I
pay the dues and be a member? What's in it for me?
In
orientation for extension agents, Dr. Richard Wootton, former Associate
Director for Extension, would emphasize getting involved within your
community beyond your assigned work duties. He emphasized finding a
civic, religious, or community organization for which to become
involved so that you get to know the community and the community gets to
know you beyond your professional role. That is very savvy advice for
us all, and hopefully you are doing that.
What about all the
professional societies, fraternities, and organizations? A professional
organization brings together individuals with similar professional
interests and varied experiences to share with each other. Paying your
dues is not about what the society or organization brings to you, but
what you contribute to the profession. As a new employee in the
profession, the professional organization offers the opportunity to
learn from others. It moves you out of isolation into a support network
of professionals, if you let it. As a more seasoned employee, your
organization offers contemporary review and renewal along with the
leadership roles you can and must take. It keeps you from becoming
stagnant and stale in your professional work. You will get new ideas of
ways to do your work. It offers a means to be involved with other
professionals seeking to improve their knowledge and skills within your
profession.
I am an advocate for a professional to be active in
at least one professional society. I also advocate for an extension
professional to be a part of Epsilon Sigma Phi. If you believe yourself
to be a professional, you are obligated to seek ways to continue your
professional development and growth. As an extension professional, being
a part of your professional society should be an automatic; being a
part of Epsilon Sigma Phi should be your goal.
If you aren't
getting the worth out of your dues, make a commitment to do so. It's
really up to you to get out of your professional organizations what you
are putting into them. As a professional, you have that obligation. So,
pay those past-due dues and have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
BEV DUNNING RETIREMENT CELEBRATION
Bev Dunning, Sedgwick County Extension Director, is retiring after 50 years of service to K-State Research and Extension. Join us in honoring her at an open house and reception on Sunday, February 23, 2-4 pm in 4-H Hall, Sedgwick County Extension Education Center.
A short program will be held at 3 p.m.
In lieu of gifts, donations to honor Bev may be made to the Extension Education Foundation, Inc. Cards, letters of appreciation, and donations should be sent by February 17 to Anita Monarez, Sedgwick County Extension Center, 7001 W 21st N., Wichita, Ks 67205. --Jodi Besthorn besthorn@ksu.edu
K-STATE TO HOST 'TEKKIES IN THE LITTLE APPLE,' MAY 19-22
Kansas State University will be hosting the National
Extension Technology Conference (NETC) on May 19-22 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan.
The annual meeting – dubbed ‘Tekkies in the Little Apple’ --
brings together information technology professionals from across the United
States. The conference is open to all
interested.
Speakers for this year’s meeting include:- Bill Snyder, K-State football coach, who will
talk about leadership;
- John Floros, dean of K-State’s College of
Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension;
- Michael Wesch, a K-State associate professor and
cultural anthropologist known for exploring the effects of new media on society
and culture;
- Ken Stafford, K-State’s chief information
officer; and
- Nathan Bean, coordinator of computer and
information science at K-State, whose research includes games development and
programming.
Proposals are now being accepted for breakout sessions.
Interested persons are encouraged to submit a proposal online at www.netc2014.org/presentations.html.
More information about the conference is available at netc2014.org. --learj@ksu.edu
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
This week my picks are success stories reported
by Jason Graves, Central Kansas District; and John Forshee, River Valley
District:
- In Extension work it is
necessary to seek and strive to provide outreach to new audiences who have
very little exposure to what Extension is and how it can help them. This
summer we had the chance to do just that and were able to work with Kansas
Kids (a partially federally funded grant program the helps limited income
and foster care children prepare for post-secondary education) on their
summer gardening series. Time was spent with teens planning and
planting a potted vegetable garden. Although most of them hadn't done much
gardening, they were (for the most part) eager to learn about soil mixes,
different types of seed, and how to plant and care for plants in pots. This
project seemed to open doors for the kids and especially for one girl who
wanted more seeds to take home and plant with her family.
- There is a strong connection between
gardening and eating fresh local foods. This connection was realized this year
by our Master Gardeners. We decided to begin thinking of ways to offer
education on food preservation and storage to local folks during the garden
tour. We invited Leah Robinson to have a booth during the garden tour to answer
questions on food preservation and techniques. The response was overwhelming. The
booth was busy all day as many local gardeners stopped to ask questions, get
their pressure canner tested for safety and even sign up for a future workshop.
The booth was located at one of the busiest gardens that tracked between
700-800 people coming through.
- A group in Belleville was looking to start a
community garden but had missed the grant deadline. In the true spirit of
community, and with permission of all parties involved, the Washington PRIDE
Community Grant was shared and a garden was successfully implemented in both
communities, complete with all the tools and equipment needed. Eight gardeners
worked together in a communal fashion in Washington while nine local residents
gardened individually in Belleville. The gardeners utilized produce throughout
the summer, canned for winter consumption, and shared with elderly and needy in
the community through personal giving and sharing at the local food bank.
--Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
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