The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
(Vol. 20 No. 21)
IN THIS ISSUE...
LAST CALL FOR 2014 4-H SPRING DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
The 2014 4-H Spring Development Conference - “Personal & Professional Leadership” - is being co-sponsored by the Kansas Association of Extension 4-H Agents and the K-State Research and Extension Youth Development Program Focus Team, April 14-16, 2014. This exciting three-day, two night program is open to any KSRE staff person.
Registration closes Wednesday, April 2nd.
Visit http://tinyurl.com/4-HSpringDevelopmentConference. Please submit your payment to Beth Hinshaw, 2000 N Poplar, Hutchinson, KS, 67502. Checks are to be made payable to the KAE4-HA and are due postmarked by April 1, 2014.
To see the 2014 program schedule, visit http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/agent_association/p.aspx?tabid=59. For more questions about registering, contact Deryl Waldren, 785-462-6281, or email dwaldren@ksu.edu. --Deryl Waldren
AGRONOMY SEMINAR: AGRICULTURAL APPS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR UNIVERSITIES
KSU Department of Agronomy is hosting a special seminar on "Agricultural Apps and the Opportunity for Universities."
Smart phones and tablets are now common place devices in the agronomic sector. The majority of producers, consultants and agronomists all carry some type of mobile smart device. Besides the obvious use as a method of communication, smart phones and tablets are becoming very useful tools, largely due to the wide variety of applications (apps). With more than 130 Agronomic apps available, this discussion will break the group down into nine categories providing more details on some of the preferred apps. Universities are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the rapid adoption of mobile devices in the Agricultural Sector. Some of the most popular apps available are Extension Field Guides converted into mobile applications. The process of “Apping” an extension fact sheet is much easier than many first imagine.
Presented by Dr. Brian Arnall, Assistant Professor of Precision Nutrient Management at Oklahoma State University, there will be a "live" video stream of the presentation on Wednesday, April 2, at 4 p.m. The KSU location is Throckmorton, Room 1018. This seminar will also be recorded for later viewing.
For more information and a link to the live video presentation, go to http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/seminars/. --Gerry Snyder gsnyder@ksu.edu
THE FLINT HILLS FRONTIERS PROJECT TOOLBOX MEETINGS
The
Flint Hills Frontiers Project is reaching out to their community partners, including K-State Research and Extension, to participate in this unique opportunity to develop innovative tools
that can provide solutions for the future of governments, businesses,
organizations and communities in the Flint Hills Region. These diverse
partnerships can collaborate locally and regionally to advance the frontiers of
economic sustainability, cultural and natural resource preservation and
national defense.
Through
public engagement, online forums, and community meetings, a regional vision has
been formed:
The
people of the Flint Hills will work together to
' Conserve
the tall grass prairie for its scenic beauty and valuable environmental
services,
' Encourage
growth and new opportunities in our existing communities,
' Foster
the health, well-being and education of our residents, and
' Welcome
visitors to share the beauty and great stories of our homeland.
The
project looks to citizens and stakeholders to weigh in on the proposed tools,
which are specific projects, programs, and policies that can impact the future
of communities and the region. The draft toolbox can be viewed online at http://flinthillsfrontiers.org/resources/community-toolbox.
Flint
Hills Frontiers Toolbox meetings will be held throughout the region during the
month of April. These meetings build on the visioning meetings held throughout
the region the Spring of 2013, and will form goals to move the region forward.
' El
Dorado, KS on Thursday, April 3, at 6 p.m. - El Dorado Civic Center
' Emporia,
KS on Tuesday, April 15, at 6 p.m. - USD 253 Mary Herbert Education Center
' Council
Grove, KS on Tuesday, April 22, at 6 p.m. - Kansas National Guard Armory
' Manhattan,
KS on Thursday, April 24th at 6 p.m. - Manhattan Sunset Zoo
Please consider participating in
your regional meeting and promoting the Flint Hills Frontiers Toolbox
meetings to key community partners that you work with. This has a direct correlation to K-State Research and Extension's 5 Grand Challenges of Health, Water, Global Food Systems, Growing Tomorrow's Leaders, and Community Vitality! --Trudy Rice trice@ksu.edu
MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE NAVIGATING DIFFERENCE TRAINING
You have two more opportunities this year to register for Navigating
Difference training to learn more about these cultural competences:
awareness, understanding, knowledge, interaction, and sensitivity. KSRE
is offering this training at no costs, other
than your transportation to and from, to ALL KSRE employees. This includes office professionals, program and nutrition assistants,
all faculty including specialists, and agents.
The two remaining 2014 trainings
are: Hays on May 21-22, and Ft. Scott on November 12-13. Please register at
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/employee_resources/p.aspx?tabid=206. --Charlotte Shoup Olsen colsen@ksu.edu
"MAKING A DIFFERENCE" TEMPLATE TO HELP LOCAL UNITS COMMUNICATE IMPACT
A new resource has been developed for local units to use in reporting program impact. "Making a Difference" is a template that helps local units prepare monthly impact reports for local decision makers (county commissioners, legislators, extension board members, media, etc).
Although the template is designed to report on a different program each month, it also provides flexibility to adapt the report to better fit the needs of the local unit. The template was modeled after the PFT Making a Difference report and incorporates the Grand Challenges.
The report includes three key questions: - “Why is this issue important?” helps agents share “why” the program/issue is important for their community.
- "How did Extension address this issue?” tells what Extension did to address the issue through programs, workshops, media, etc.
- "What was the impact?” reports the knowledge gained and/or changes that participants made as a result of participating in extension programs.
The template was created using Microsoft Publisher - a program within the Microsoft Office suite - and is designed to be a one-page (one-sided) report for local decision makers. The template and instructions for using the template are available on the "Forms" page on the Employee Resources web page under the Extension Council/Governing Body section.
The data used in the sample report was taken from a statewide PFT report. Agents are encouraged to use local data whenever possible.
For questions or additional information, contact Laurie Chandler, lchandle@ksu.edu. --Laurie Chandler
MARIE'S PICKS . . .
This week's picks include outcomes and a success story from the Horticulture PFT submitted by Ward Upham, State Extension Master Gardener Coordinator:
Extension
Master Gardeners (EMGs) provide information through a number of activities including:
Response lines, demonstration
gardens, garden shows, public presentations,
garden tours, community events, and vegetable research trials. Each unit
tailors its activities to the specific needs of the local population. The keys to a successful program are adequate training and an atmosphere that encourages volunteering. Extension
Master Gardeners must donate at least 40 hours during their first year. After
that, EMGs must continue volunteering to retain their Master Gardener status.
In
2012, EMGs went well beyond the minimum, with an average of more than
80 hours each. During 2012, 1,165 EMGs donated a total of 94,136 hours for a
total value of $1.7 million.
One participant shared, "This class will be a life-changing experience, as I didn't realize so much important information was contained on the label. I used to read only the front placard on the product container." --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
MARCH EXTENSION AGENT PERSONNEL CHANGES
Beverly Dunning, Director in Sedgwick County, retired effective March 1, 2014.
Karol Lohman, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Leavenworth County, began employment effective March 2, 2014. Her email address is klohman@ksu.edu.
Tressie Mitzner, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Graham County, began employment effective March 30, 2014. Her email address is tmitzner@ksu.edu.
Laurie Chandler, County Director in Shawnee County, returned from sabbatical leave effective March 30, 2014.
–-Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu
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