Extension Health Expert on USDA Ag Outlook Forum Panel

David Buys, Mississippi State University

David Buys, Mississippi State University, chair of the ECOP Health Action Team on Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, is a panelist for a session on Nutritional Security through Agricultural Production at the USDA 2017 Agricultural Outlook Forum February 23-24 in the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, Arlington, VA www.usda.gov/oce/forum. Early registration USDA 2017 Agricultural Outlook Forum Registration ends January 26. The forum is USDA’s largest annual meeting, attracting 1,800 attendees. It offers 30 sessions with more than 80 speakers and a host of agriculture-related exhibitors. 

USDA-NIFA Releases Report on 1994-1862 Cooperation Meeting – See https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/1994-and-1862-land-grant-cooperation-progress-report for a summary of the September 22-23, 2016 meeting in Jackson Hole, WY on Engagement and Success of Land-Grant Universities and Colleges - Respecting Sovereignty, Serving the People and the Land. According to NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy, the meeting resulted in six action items with identified champions for each. Ten current 1862 Extension directors attended, plus two former directors who have transitioned to roles as a university president and a dean of agriculture at land-grant universities. 

Brian Higginbotham, Utah State
University

Nominations Due for Extension Family Life Awards – Brian Higginbotham, Utah State University, and chair of the National Awards Committee for Family Life and Human Development State Specialists, asks your assistance in submitting nominations by the December 20th deadline to recognize state Extension specialists who have made important contributions to the work of Cooperative Extension and who provide clear evidence of program impacts. Awards will be presented during a NIFA/USDA sponsored national webinar. Details are available at https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/2016-family-life-and-human-development-state-specialists-awards. 

eXtension Issues call for Proposals for 2017 Innovation Projects – The eXtension Foundation has issued a Call for Prescreening Proposals for its 2017 Innovation Projects initiative. Innovation Projects are part of eXtension’s mission to support experimental projects that will drive opportunities to adopt innovation in the Cooperative Extension System. In 2017, grants of up to $10,000 each will be awarded for up to 10 projects to be completed over a one-year period. Recipients will also receive support of their project from eXtension’s Innovation Lab. Applicants must be a faculty member, Extension specialist, educator or agent of an eXtension Foundation premium member institution. The prescreening proposal deadline is December 19th. For complete details, visit https://extension.org/innovation-lab/announcing-call-for-2017-innovation-projects/. 

CYFAR 2015 Report Available – The 2015 Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Annual Report is a compilation of funded sustainable community sites across the United States and its territories, plus a summary of CYFAR’s professional development and technical assistance and work with 4-H military efforts. See the report at https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/2015-cyfar-annual-report. 

Foundation Offers Matching Funds for Rapid Response to Agricultural Emergencies – The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports innovative science, invites groups to self-organize around a commodity or commodities to take advantage of matching funds for emergency research and outreach through the Foundation’s Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) program. ROAR provides nimble deployment of funds to support one-year grants in the event of emerging or unanticipated threats to the nation’s food supply or agricultural systems. If and when a threat arises, ROAR consortia will be able to apply for FFAR matching funds and receive a decision within one week. Consortia members may include researchers, Extension agents, institutions, commodity and industry representatives, diagnostic laboratories, and relevant state and local government representatives. Pre-establishing expert teams for research and outreach will accelerate first response to agricultural emergencies. When emergency situations arise, response time is critical. ROAR fills the gap until traditional, longer-term funding sources can be secured. Learn more at www.foundationfar.org/ROAR.