The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
(Vol. 20 No. 39)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Primary Election Day! Exercise your right to vote.
Faculty positions beginning to be advertised. I want to make you aware that there are a
number of positions that were approved recently to be announced, search
committees formed, recruiting, and eventually filling these positions, and
several have some responsibility for Extension programming. I am pleased that we have finally reached a
point where we felt comfortable announcing these positions. Following is a list of positions that do have
primary Extension appointments that are currently announced and/or are in cue
to be rolling out later this summer/fall. Most of these position announcements can be found at on the Job Opportunities website.
- Extension Specialist, Agricultural Economics – Southwest
Research Extension Center.
- Assistant Professor, Extension Specialist, Agronomy –
Southwest Research Extension Center.
- Assistant Professor, Extension Specialist, Beef Veterinarian
– Animal Science and Industry Department.
- Assistant Professor, Extension Specialist, Wheat, &
Forage – Agronomy Department.
Positions yet to be announced:
- Assistant Professor, Extension Specialist, New Youth and
Adult Audiences – 4-H Youth Development Department.
- Assistant Professor, Extension Specialist, Adult Development
and Aging – School of Family Studies and Human Development.
- Extension Specialist, Community Vitality – Extension Agriculture,
Natural Resources and Community Development.
- Assistant Professor, Extension Specialist, Agricultural
Economics – Agricultural Economics Department.
Keep in mind that I’ve only listed positions that had
Extension responsibilities and source of funding. You will see several other positions in
research and teaching that will play a vital role in creating that
research-based educational programming that is signature to the strength of the
land-grant university. Please keep
coming back to the Job Opportunities website and look for these additional
announcements in the coming weeks and months.
Anything you can do to attract strong candidates for these positions is
most appreciated.
Have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT PROFILES FROM THE AGRICULTURE CENSUS PROVIDE NEW DECISION-MAKING TOOLS FOR LEADERS
The U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the 2012 Census of Agriculture Congressional District Profiles
for the 113th Congress on July 28th. NASS conducts the Agriculture Census once every five
years.
“The congressional district profiles paint a picture of agriculture at the
local level by providing data on farms and ranches and the people who operate
them in each district,” said Kansas State Statistician Jason Lamprecht. “As our
congressional leaders leave our nation’s capital and return home to Kansas for
summer recess, this information serves as a timely data tool to help them
assess agriculture and rural community issues in their area.”
A variety of
data points are published in the congressional district profiles including:
- Number
of farms, land in farms, average size of farm
- Market
value of products sold, average per farm
- Crop
sales, livestock sales
- Government
payments, average per farm receiving payments
- Value
of sales by commodity group
- Top
crop and livestock items
- Economic
characteristics
- Operator
characteristics
The
congressional district profiles continue the series of products NASS has
published following the May release of the 2012 Census of Agriculture results.
NASS will release new products throughout the year to highlight census data on
the more than 3.2 million U.S. farmers providing food, fuel, feed and fiber to
the world.
“NASS is
committed to providing timely, accurate and useful statistics and part of that
is ensuring that data are available to leaders to make informed policy
decisions on behalf of the constituents they represent in their districts,”
said Lamprecht. “These profiles show quickly how important agriculture is in
Kansas, and how important Kansas agriculture is to our country, with the 1st
District leading the nation in the value of cattle and calves sold in 2012,
along with the number of acres of winter wheat and sorghum harvested for grain.”
For access
to the 2012 Census of Agriculture Congressional District Profiles and all the
other Census data and tools, call Jason Lamprecht at his office in Topeka at 785-233-2230, or visit www.agcensus.usda.gov. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
TRANSITION FROM ACCESS 4-H TO 4HONLINE
National 4-H Council will discontinue ACCESS 4-H
effective March 2015. Kansas will move to 4HOnline, an enrollment management
system: https://www.4honline.com/.
While we are optimistic about what 4HOnline has to offer, we are also sensitive
to the workload demands this transition will create for local units.
We have prepared a summary
of the key points including what you should know about 4HOnline, what you can
plan on for your local unit and the 4-H families you serve, and what our staff
is doing to make the transition as smooth as possible. The key points are
attached or you can view them here: http://www.kansas4-h.org/p.aspx?tabid=602.
Join us for a webinar/conference call that will discuss the key points
above and provide time for an open forum. The webinar call in
information and content will be the same for both dates. The calls will be
recorded.
Wednesday, August 6,
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Wednesday, August 13,
10:30 – 11:30 am
Adobe Connect: http://connect.ksre.ksu.edu/ks4h/
Sign in as a Guest
Conference Call Line: 866-620-7326
Passcode: 479-963-8009
--Barbara Stone bjstone@ksu.edu
UPCOMING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Ranch Management for Successful Winter and Year Round Grazing of Beef Cattle, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., August 13-14, Topeka Ramada, 420 SE 6th Street, Topeka, KS.
Dr.Jim Gerrish, rancher, researcher, grazing educator and co-founder of the Missouri Grazing School, is the featured speaker. Register online at Amazing Grazing II: for ruminants both great and small. Cost is $60 for both days. Amazing Grazing II is sponsored by the Kansas Graziers Association and the Kansas Farmers Union with funding from the USDA North Central Risk Management Education Center. For more information, contact Mary Howell at 785-562-8726, kfu.mary@gmail.com.
Management of Sheep and Goats for Grazing, Herd Health, Performance and Profitability, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., August15-16, Four Points by Sheraton, Manhattan, KS.
This workshop is specifically for small ruminant producers. Featured speakers include Dr. Jim Gerrish, co-founder of the Missouri Grazing School; and Dr. Brian Faris, KSRE Sheep and Goat Specialist. Register online at Amazing Grazing II: for ruminants great and small. Cost is $60 for both days. This workshop is also part of Amazing Grazing II. For more information, contact Mary Howell at 785-562-8726, kfu.mary@gmail.com.
2014 Extension Energy and Environment Summit, September 23-25, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.
The Summit will provide a forum for the exchange of biorenewables and sustainability research findings and educational ideas, methods, and techniques for Extension educators, NGOs and outreach and policy professionals with agriculture, energy ,and natural resource interests and/or appointments. Registration is limited. Registration cost is $120. For more information, visit http://www.2014e3.org/.
The Kansas SARE Professional Development Program offers travel scholarships for Kansas Extension professionals to attend any of these educational workshops. Contact Kerri Ebert at kebert@ksu.edu for more information. --Kerri Ebert
NUTRITION, FOOD SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM FOCUS TEAM HOSTING GMOS AND FOOD VIDEO SEMINAR
Join the Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health Program Focus Team’s (PFT) hour-long seminar, The Sustainable American Dinner Plate, on Tuesday, August 26, 2014. The seminar is a part of the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Update held at the Kansas State University Alumni Center and will be available free by live video stream from 8 – 9 a.m. The speaker, Mary Lee Chin, is a nationally recognized expert who specializes in significant food issues and nutrition trends, working with commodity food groups and the food industry on nutrition education initiatives. She speaks on some of the most provocative food topics of today, including genetically modified foods, environmental and sustainability issues and organic foods, exploring the science while respecting individual philosophies.
To learn more about the seminar and to view it on the day of the presentation link here.
Please contact Dr. Londa Nwadike at 913-307-7391, lnwadike@ksu.edu; or Gayle Price, 620-496-9967, gprice@ksu.edu; for additional information. --Gayle Price
INCREASE 4-H RECRUITMENT EFFORTS DURING BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIME FRAME
Based on our market research, Moms are looking for
activities for their kids during the back-to-school time frame. Be sure to
increase 4-H recruitment efforts and share the message that:
4-H is the network of families that grows great
kids
4-H is for city/town families, too
"Life's Little Questions" campaign items are available
from the KSRE bookstore. Items include a flier with space to add local club
information, a display to use at back-to-school fairs, plus bookmarks and
stickers. There is also a flier written
in English on one side and Spanish on the other. --Diane Mack dmack@ksu.edu
LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD – K-STATE TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF AG RESEARCH IN NW KANSAS
We’ve come a long way since it took 40 to 50 hours of labor to produce 100 bushels of wheat. To celebrate its role in 100 years of agricultural research and outreach, Kansas State University’s Northwest Research-Extension Center in Colby will host a special field day, plus an evening meal and program on Thursday, September 4.
The public is invited to both events. Presentations at the field day will include a historical perspective, but also focus on current topics and those on the horizon. Registration for the field day, to be held at the center, 105 Experiment Farm Road, begins at 2 p.m., with field tours running from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
A free meal begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by a program from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Cooper Barn at the Prairie Museum of Art and History, 1905 S. Franklin in Colby. Preregistration for the evening program is required by calling 785-462-6281 or online at www.northwest.ksu.edu to ensure enough food is available. --Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu
4-H PROGRAM EXPANSION GRANTS AVAILABLE
We are pleased to announce the Growing Kansas Leaders: 4-H
Program Expansion Grants for 2014-2015, in which we will partner with an
additional 5 local units (district or county) to increase 4-H membership over
the next 3 years. Funding is available through a partnership with the Kansas
4-H Foundation. Local units currently receiving funds through the pilot
include: Edwards, Ford, Grant, Johnson, Reno, Riley, Seward and Wildcat
District.
The goals of the project include recruiting more volunteers
and increasing 4-H membership, with a focus on reaching new and underserved
audiences. Pilot sites will receive $5,000 for their program expansion efforts
over 3 years. An additional $3,000 will be available for supporting the
volunteer screening process background
checks. There will also be funds available for professional development for
Extension professionals and volunteers leading the pilot, technical assistance,
and program evaluation resources.
Deadline for application is October 1, 2014. The Request for
Application (RFA) is available on the Kansas 4-H website: http://www.kansas4h.org/p.aspx?tabid=574.
Please contact Diane Mack, project coordinator, at dmack@ksu.edu, if you have
questions. --Diane Mack
2014 KANSAS OUT-OF-SCHOOL CONFERENCE
Want to engage youth in long-term, structured
learning-environments that address their interests and help develop their
physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills and abilities? Are you interested in expanding your youth programming into the after-school hours?
This
one-day conference, sponsored by K-State Research and Extension 4-H, Kansas 21st
Century Community Learning Centers, and the Kansas Enrichment Network, highlights
hands-on curricula that adapt easily for out-of-school settings. The conference
is open to anyone, including certified teachers, afterschool program directors,
community or faith-based afterschool providers, summer recreation providers and
extension agents.
Date:
October 7, 2014, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Sedgwick County Extension Office in Wichita, Kansas
Cost:
$15 per person (includes catered lunch)
Register online at https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=QTOHNlEkzef0jUuQZqBCVA#. For questions, please contact Beth
Drescher, drescher@ksu.edu. --Beth Drescher
JULY EXTENSION AGENT PERSONNEL CHANGES
Nancy Pihl, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent in Marion County, resigned effective July 3, 2014.
Darren Busick, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Reno County, began employment on July 6, 2014. His email address is darrenbusick@ksu.edu.
Chaquetta “Chuckie” Hessong, Family and Child Development Agent in Wildcat District, began employment on July 6, 2014. Her email address is chuckiehessong@ksu.edu.
Nicolette Unruh, 4-H Youth Development Agent in Midway District, began employment on July 6, 2014. Her email address is nunruh@ksu.edu.
JoAnn Long, Nutrition, Food Safety and Health Agent in Marais des Cygnes District, began employment on July 20, 2014. Her email address is joannlong@ksu.edu.
Jenae Skelton, Horticulture and Natural Resources Agent in Post Rock District, began employment on July 20, 2014. Her email address is jenaes@ksu.edu.
--Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu
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