Monday, March 31, 2014

ECOP Monday Minute 3.31.14


ECOP Meets in Sacramento – ECOP Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, facilitated a face-to-face meeting of ECOP following the National Extension Directors and Administrators meeting in Sacramento last week. Among action highlights were the acceptance of the ECOP Task Force on Health report and plans for an implementation team, establishment of the 4-H National Leadership Committee, approval of funding recommendations for the Agriculture Act of 2014 Title I requirement for crop insurance education, and acceptance of the ECOP 2013 financial report.

Board on Human Sciences Awards (BHS) Competition (by Linda Kirk Fox, University of Georgia, BHS liaison to ECOP) -- The purpose of the BHS Outstanding Engagement Award is to recognize an individual "campus based" or "state level faculty member" for exceptional creativity and scholarship in the development, application, and evaluation of outreach, extension, and public service programs http://www.thebohs.org/outstanding_engagement_award0.aspx. Nominations are due 5.21.14 to Carol Kellett, Executive Director, BOHS, Carol.Kellett@TheBoHS.org or (785) 760-7134. Instructions for the awards  nomination packet can be found at the BOHS web site www.thebohs.org.

Extension Award Nominations Due 5.30.14 – The deadline for Extension in Excellence and Diversity awards was reported incorrectly in the last ECOP Monday Minute. The deadline is 5.30.14.  ECOP Program Subcommittee Chair, Jon Boren, New Mexico State University, and ECOP Personnel Subcommittee Co-Chairs, James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska, together with Sandy Ruble in the ECOP National Office, have developed an electronic submission, review, and notification process. To prepare a nomination for submission, use the pdf version found at https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5116 which includes criteria. Then submit the nomination at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ECOPAwards2014. 

JCEP to Consider National Meeting – ECOP approved Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska, to serve on a Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) exploratory committee to consider options for a system-wide Cooperative Extension conference. The JCEP Board voted against a fifth Galaxy Conference in 2018. Hibberd serves as the ECOP liaison to ECOP.

Extension Centennial Convocation Update – This is a reminder that the Extension Centennial Convocation May 7-8, 2014 in Washington, DC, values participation from every institution in order to make this the celebration event of the century. Here’s how to participate –

      1) Register at http://www.cvent.com/d/g4qqj5 by 4.18.14. Hotel reservations are due 4.15.14.
2)      Nominate a poster by 4.4.14 (deadline extended). Click Here to download Poster Nomination Details.
3)      Name a representative to carry the state/territory/DC flag in the Centennial Opening Ceremony by 4.15.14. Send name, title and contact information to extensioncentennial@gmail.com.

News About APLU 2014 Annual Meeting -- APLU is seeking proposals for a series of three Sunday afternoon sessions at the 2014 Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. Proposals must be submitted by April 12, 2014. For details, see the APLU 2014 Annual Meeting Request For Proposals.  Register at http://www.aplu.org/page.aspx?pid=1462.

Engaging for Impact – Oregon State University Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement Scott Reed shares a new flier developed as an insert to the alumni association’s periodical, the Oregon Stater. Check it out at www.osualum.com/s/359/file_lib/1/47/OutreachAndEngagement_201312_635223737675796847.pdf.  

ECOP Monday Minute 3.24.14 - Health Task Force Report



NEDA to Discuss Health Task Force Recommendations – ECOP National Task Force on Health, Michelle Rodgers, chair, University of Delaware, reminds colleagues that the United States continues to spend more on health care than any nation in the world but has among the worst health outcomes of any developed nation. The task force believes that our existing Cooperative Extension System can play an important role in increasing health in America. Please review the executive summary at https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5115 in preparation for discussion at the National Extension Directors and Administrators Meeting this week in Sacramento.  

Extension Award Nominations Due 5.30.14 – Take time now to submit nominations for the Excellence in Extension and Diversity Awards. ECOP Program Subcommittee Chair, Jon Boren, New Mexico State University, and ECOP Personnel Subcommittee Co-Chairs, James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska, together with Sandy Ruble in the ECOP National Office, have developed an electronic submission, review, and notification process. To prepare a nomination for submission, use the handy pdf version which includes criteria found https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5116. Then submit the nomination at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ECOPAwards2014.

Knapp Lecture Nominations Due 5.2.14 -- Each year the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) joins with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to sponsor a lecture presented at the APLU annual meeting. The lecture honors one of the three most important historical figures of the Land-grant University System, William Henry Hatch for research, Seaman A. Knapp for Extension, and Justin Smith Morrill for whom the Morrill Act which created the Land-grant University system is named.  Since 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act passage, the Knapp Lecture will be delivered this year at the APLU annual meeting in Orlando, FL, November 2-4. Nominations should include the name of the nominee, title, address, telephone number, and e-mail address and topic that could be discussed. Send to Kimberly Whittet at kwhittet@nifa.usda.gov by 5.2.14.

Celebrate Centennial Via Social Media --There are many ways to connect with the Cooperative Extension Centennial through social media.  Please encourage faculty, staff, students, and volunteers to engage in the process and share their stories. The 100 Days of Tweets leading up to the Centennial Convocation is underway. Twitter followers can use #Ext100Years on all Cooperative Extension related posts. You can find Cooperative Extension at the following addresses: Centennial Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Extension100Years; Centennial Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/Ext100Years; Centennial Pinterest page: http://www.pinterest.com/ext100years, and YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9GyqMs0FKlUKBTxtcyg04w/videos.

Honoring Borlaug’s 100th – Cathann Kress, Iowa State University, encourages celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, famous agricultural scientist and humanitarian and founder of the World Food Prize. On 3.25.14, the State of Iowa will install a bronze statue of Borlaug, an Iowa native, as part of the prestigious National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington, DC. The statue unveiling ceremony at the U.S. Capitol will be webcast live at 11 a.m. ET at www.speaker.gov/live. Further information is at www.iowaborlaugstatue.org. In addition, the Secretary of Agriculture will host a Borlaug symposium 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. ET on 3.25.14. Watch the symposium live at www.usda.gov/live.

FY 2015 Federal Budget Request (by Paula Geiger, USDA-NIFA Budget Officer) -- The President submitted the FY 2015 Budget request to Congress on March 4, 2014. The Budget includes discretionary funding of $1.34 billion, which is $58.4 million above the FY 2014 appropriations level.  Highlights of the NIFA budget include:
·       An increase of $9 million above 2014 for a total of $325 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative;
·       Continued support for capacity funding, minority-serving, and other programs;
·       A new investment creating public-private partnership of Innovation Institutes focused on emerging challenges to agriculture;
·       A new program to engage Veterans in the agricultural sector;
·       A new program to support training and outreach activities in food safety to assist small producers, processors, and vendors; and
·       An Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative to provide investments in competitive research including an additional $60 million for AFRI and an additional $20 million for competitive grants under Hatch Act ($15 million) and Evans-Allen ($5 million).
Additional details can be found in the NIFA Budget Brochure and the NIFA Congressional Budget Justifications at: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/about/offices/pdfs/fy2015_pres_budget_pro.pdf. The NIFA Congressional Budget Justifications (Explanatory Notes) can be found here:   http://www.obpa.usda.gov/19nifa2015notes.pdf. Other useful links are as follows:

Health and Wellness Summit 4.7.14 – The National Coalition of Food and Agriculture Research, of which Cooperative Extension/ECOP is a member, announces a half-day summit Monday morning 4.7.14 at the Capitol Visitor’s Center in Washington, DC. To register for the summit, called Cultivating a Healthy Future: Agriculture’s Role in Improving Health and Wellness, go to www.cvent.com/d/x4q2c5/1Q.  Linda Kirk Fox, University of Georgia, Board on Human Sciences liaison to ECOP, is on the planning committee. The purpose of the summit is to bring together leaders from the health care and agriculture communities to offer an innovative look at how U.S. food systems impact human health. Agency and industry leaders will exhibit case studies that highlight the links between agriculture and human health and how agriculture research programs can support healthy outcomes in people, plants and animals. 

Agritourism Liability Webinar 3.26.14 – Larry Katz, New Jersey (Rutgers) Extension Director, encourages participation in the webinar Managing Agritourism Liability on March 26, 2014 (1:00pm ET). This webinar, the second in a series, is part of a multi-state project funded by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NESARE) Program designed to support agricultural educators working in the area of agritourism development.  Liability risks associated with agritourism can never be fully eliminated, but they can be managed. This webinar provides an overview of the types of visitors you may receive on your farm, and your legal obligations for their safety. Proactive measures to protect your personal and business assets from legal exposure will be discussed. Connect to the webinar at https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=783&password=M.42DF88C02D1B254AD2B7699FF73E6C.

Monday, March 17, 2014

ECOP Monday Minute 3.17.14



See You in Sacramento! – Nearly 100 representatives from most of the 75 institutions of the Cooperative Extension Section have registered for the NeXConf/NEDA meeting next week in Sacramento. Plan to join the pre-session on social networking at Monday afternoon, check out the Extension Centennial exhibit at the reception Monday evening, and engage with colleagues on robust discussions of national interest to Cooperative Extension throughout the week. Daryl Buchholz, ECOP immediate past chair, Kansas State University, and the ECOP Executive Committee, have framed a program that encourages Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators to participate with the National eXtension Conference main events while retaining the focus of the National Extension Directors and Administrators meeting. In addition, Jimmy Henning, ECOP Chair, University of Kentucky, will conduct the annual Cooperative Extension Section business meeting. For any details, see http://muconf.missouri.edu/nexc-neda2014/.

JOE Extension Centennial Series – ECOP liaison to the Journal of Extension, Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, announces the first in a series of articles celebrating the Extension Centennial. The article Cooperative Extension: A Century of Innovation appeared in the February 2014 issue of the Journal of Extension (JOE) http://www.joe.org/journal-current-issue.php and was authored by ECOP Centennial Task Force co-chairs Frankie Gould and Doug Steele, and task force member Bill Woodrum.

Videos Celebrate 100 Years -- The Cooperative Extension Centennial team has established a YouTube Channel to display and publicly archive videos related to the Centennial. Videos from institutions across the country can be shared here in one place. The newest post is the video that was used at Ag Outlook in February.  It is a montage of celebration videos across the country including a special happy birthday wish from Reba McEntire.   Check it out here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaOS-47VrJY&feature=c4-overview&list=UU9GyqMs0FKlUKBTxtcyg04w.  If you have videos that you would like to be posted, please contact the Centennial team at extensioncentennial@gmail.com.

Extension Directors/Administrators to Meet with OMB – Impacts of federal funds obtained by Cooperative Extension with a special emphasis on capacity lines will be the focus of a one-hour meeting at 4:15 p.m., Tuesday, 4.8.14 with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in the PILD hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. Check the PILD program for location. Participants are encouraged to bring impact reports.

4-H Congressional Breakfast --In alignment with PILD, National 4-H Council is hosting a Congressional Breakfast on Wednesday, 4.9.14 from 8:30-9:30am in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.  Extension Directors and 1890 Extension Administrators received email invitations to attend and are asked to invite one or more of your members of Congress to attend the breakfast with you. In addition Directors and Administrators are encouraged to invite one 4-H youth who will be attending National 4-H Conference in DC that week to accompany you and your member of Congress to the breakfast. The purpose is to thank Congress for their support for 4-H and recognize 4-H alumni on the Hill. Due to space limitations, we must limit attendance by Cooperative Extension to those who have a Representative or Senator from their state attending the event. Please RSVP your participation at www.4HRSVP.org.  If you have any questions, you may contact Kelly Baird at kbaird@4-H.org or 301-961-2852. Additional information was emailed to Extension Directors and Administrators as well as State 4-H Program Leaders.

FY 2015 Budget Proposals – For USDA Budget Summary, see http://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/FY15budsum.pdf; NIFA Congressional Budget Justifications see  
http://www.obpa.usda.gov/19nifa2015notes.pdf, and for the US Government Budget Material – posted by OMB -  Agriculture Chapter, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2015/assets/agriculture.pdf.

CARET Names Liaison to ECOP – The Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) has named Susan Crowell as the new liaison to ECOP. Crowell, editor of Farm and Dairy, Salem, OH, replaces Madeline Mellinger whose term expired.
New Climate Communications Initiative -- Climate Voices Science Speakers Network launches this spring as an initiative of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and the United Nations Foundation. The goal is to bring scientists and their local communities together for dialogue on climate science. Materials for context-setting presentations will be offered as will coaching regarding how to begin conversations about climate change with fellow citizens. Volunteers can go to www.climatevoices.org and create a profile. Once you create a profile, you will be kept up to date on Climate Voices progress including construction of the full web site, availability of presentation materials, webinar coaching, and plans for project launch. Questions can be directed to Cindy Schmidt cschmidt@ucar.edu.

Monday, March 10, 2014

ECOP Monday Minute 3.10.14



ACTION: Centennial Opening Ceremony -- Each state, U.S. Territory and the District of Columbia has an opportunity to present their flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Cooperative Extension Centennial Convocation on May 8. Please send the following information to Bill Woodrum at extensioncentennial@gmail.com by 3.14.14 -- 
  1. Whether or not you are able to send a representative (every effort will be made to have your flag presented even if a representative from your state is unavailable).
  2. If yes, include their name, title, and contact information. To register for the convocation, go to http://www.cvent.com/d/g4qqj5.
eXtension Launches Disruptive e-nnovation -- During the March 4-5, 2014 work session in Washington, DC, Cooperative Extension leaders representing all regions worked to present a plan for increasing eXtension's value. Called “disruptive e-nnovation,” efforts are being placed on defining a new business model, confirming priority audiences, and exploring additional private and public partners for mutual gain. eXtension Disruptive e-nnovation will allow it to grow at the pace of technology change and increase its usability with Extension's needs. Directors and administrators will be asked to contribute input during the Sacramento NEDA meeting at the end of March. eXtension is aggressively seeking to develop an innovative plan that will be presented this summer.

Extension to Meet with OMB – Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators are encouraged to attend a special session in conjunction with PILD on 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, 4.23.14 with Noah Engelberg, Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Engelberg will discuss the federal budget process and ways that Extension might be more effective in telling its story. Engelberg’s responsibilities in OMB include the USDA-REE portfolio. The session will be facilitated by ECOP Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky. The location will be identified in the PILD program.

FY 2015 Budget – Explanatory notes for the USDA portion of the President’s FY 2015 budget, released last week, are at http://www.obpa.usda.gov/explan_notes.html.  For the handouts specifying the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly FY 2015 budget priorities, including an overview document, and budget requests for Smith-Lever, 1890s Extension, AFRI and others, see www.land-grant.org.

ECOP Releases New Handout – ECOP focuses on the “why” of Cooperative Extension for this year’s handout https://www.aplu.org/view.image?id=1648 used by the chair, Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, at meetings, primarily in Washington, DC. The impact reports used in the document are pulled from the new ECOP/ESCOP web site, now at www.excellenceinextension.org and soon to be released as www.land-grantimpacts.org. Impacts from the site will be used for quick reference by the ECOP National Office, CARET, USDA-NIFA and others.   

National 4-H GalaECOP member Charlotte Eberlein encourages Cooperative Extension directors and administrators to make a tax deductible donation of $200 or more to help cover the cost of sponsoring a table for the Youth in Action Award winner and his/her family at National 4-H Council’s Legacy Awards Gala to be held in Washington DC on April 3, 2014. Donate online at https://secure3.convio.net/n4h/site/Donation2idb=1473633255&df_id=2420&2420.donation=form1&2420.donation=root&DONATION_LEVEL_ID_SELECTED=1&idb=[[S76:idb]]&df_id=2420. To be acknowledged in the Gala program your donation must be received by March 12, 2014.

Extension Reconsidered - As part of an initiative called Extension Reconsidered, teams in 13 states are planning events that are timed to mark the centennial of the Smith-Lever Act.  Inspired by Ernest Boyer's book, Scholarship Reconsidered, the events will invite people to imagine new ways for Extension to serve as a vital resource for communities in the 21st century.  Events will feature discussion of the roles Extension can play in facilitating and organizing public problem solving and community development, with a special focus on how and what leaders from arts, humanities, and design fields can contribute. Participating states include Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Wisconsin.  For more information, contact Scott Peters at sjpeters@syr.edu, or visit the website at www.extensionreconsidered.org.