Board on Agriculture Assembly Launches Farm Bill Planning

Jane Schuchardt, ECOP National Office; Albert Essell-Lincoln University,
Ron Brown-Assoc. of Southern Region Extension Directors; Rick Klemme,
University of Wisconsin; L. Washington Lyons, Assoc. of Extension Administrators;
James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Sandy Ruble, ECOP National Office.

The Extension Farm Bill Coordinating Committee co-chaired by James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Albert Essel, Lincoln University, appreciates participation by Cooperative Extension directors and administrators in a recent farm bill survey. Results were contributed to the work of the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) Committee on Legislation and Policy (CLP), Greg Bohach, Chair, Mississippi State University, last week in Washington, DC. In preparation for the next farm bill, expected in 2018, CLP reports to the BAA Policy Board of Directors chaired by Jay Akridge, Purdue University, on reauthorizations as is or with change, plus any new ideas. The PBD makes decisions about the direction of BAA advocacy on behalf of all members, including Cooperative Extension, Experiment Stations, insular universities, non-land grant agriculture programs, academic programs, international programs, veterinary medicine, and human sciences. Consistent with advocacy for appropriations, Cooperative Extension’s primary platform is expansion of capacity funds along with support for competitive funds. Discussions about funding infrastructure for science and education (e.g. deferred maintenance) also is supported as long as there is no negative effect on capacity and competitive funds. 

Scott Reed, Oregon State University

Private Resource Mobilization Discussion Continues – ECOP Private Resource Mobilization Chair, Scott Reed, Oregon State University, welcomes your participation in a webinar 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 2, 2016. Connect either at https://extension.zoom.us/j/879208803. The purpose of the session is to continue discussion about ECOP’s leadership for private fund raising to complement public funding. During electronic voting at the Cooperative Extension Section meeting in mid-September in Wyoming, more than 90 percent of respondents (41 states represented) voted in support of seeking private resources as long as the effort is not in competition with specific active efforts at universities, and does not require additional assessments in the first year. On the webinar, the task force will seek your opinion on a case statement, a three-year development plan, membership and responsibilities of a coordinating committee, an “institutional home,” and estimated start-up costs. 

eXtension Announces Web Meeting on Proposed Changes to Ask an Expert – Recently eXtension led an assessment of Ask an Expert, the question and answer system which allows Cooperative Extension professionals (referred to as experts within the application) to engage with the public through the ask.extension.org website. Over the last eight years Ask an Expert has been an important client-serving application for some Extension groups and institutions. On Wednesday, October 12, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. ET, eXtension will host a web meeting to discuss the findings and seek get feedback on the recommended changes found at Recommendation for Ask an Expert Changes. For more information, to register for this web meeting, and to add this event to your calendar, visit learn.extension.org/events/2853. 

New 4-H National Mentoring Program Funding Announced – The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has awarded National 4-H Council $7 million for the 4-H National Mentoring Program, which comes as a direct result of Cooperative Extension’s success in providing youth mentoring services through local 4-H programs. Council is now formalizing the process with OJJDP and scaling the pre-award land-grant university applications to the amount of the award. Letters of Intent will be distributed to each awarded applicant in late October 2016. Contact Nina Lovelace nlovelace@fourhcouncil.edu with questions. 

Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky

Henning Named Liaison to ESCOP – Former ECOP Chair, Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, has been named liaison to the Experiment Station Committee on Legislation and Policy (ESCOP). Henning will attend ESCOP meetings as needed, report on ECOP national leadership on behalf of Cooperative Extension state and local programming, and strengthen the strategic alliance between the Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Sections of the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly. Henning replaces Tony Windham, former Extension Director, University of Arkansas.