Monday, October 15, 2018

Save the Date for 2019 Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting - September 23-26, 2019



ECOP thanks members of the Cooperative Extension Section, USDA-NIFA, eXtension Foundation, National 4-H Council, Joint Council of Extension Professionals, and National Urban Extension Leaders for participating in the 2018 NEDA conference. Participants are invited to complete an anonymous survey by Monday, October 22. There are several exciting and useful additions to the archive from this meeting found at www.bit.ly/CESpioneer.


  • A large photo library
  • The approved 2019 CES/ECOP Budget 
  • Extension Program Evaluation References 
  • Evaluating Engagement NEDA Participant Input 
  • PowerPoint presentations are listed in the order they occurred during the meeting   
Please reserve September 23-26, 2019 on your calendar for the Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting in Indianapolis [changed to Nashville]. ~Thank you.



APLU Annual Meeting Update - Directors and Administrators who plan to attend the APLU Annual meeting at the New Orleans Marriott, November 11-13 may still register at the higher rate. There are a number of interesting opportunities for engagement during the conference on behalf of Extension and to learn more about the Board on Agriculture Assembly and its work throughout the country. CLICK HERE to view and download the latest "Cooperative Extension Section" version of the schedule including awards program, November 10-11 and two collaborative Sessions at 1:45 p.m. on both November 11 and 12. 


USDA-NIFA Listening Sessions - The Extension Director and Administrator (EDA) team and ECOP Executive Committee have developed talking points, highlighted below, for written and verbal testimony for the 2018 USDA-NIFA Listening Sessions (4). CLICK HERE to view/download complete set.
  1. NIFA is a valued partner 
  2. Extension’s strategic priorities reflect the broad-based issues facing rural and urban America
    • Nutrition/health/wellness
    • 4-H positive youth development
    • Water quality and use
    • Food production and food security
    • Community and economic development 
  3. Capacity funds are vitally important to leverage state and local investments in supporting the locally-based, national network.

Thanks Cooperative Extension - A USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) press release to thank producers for their participation in the 2017 Census of Agriculture and a Partner Thank You Toolkit is now available to use in State and Local programming. The press release includes the 71.5 percent national Census response rate; information about the Census being conducted this winter in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories; details about Census data release starting on February 21, 2019; an announcement about the upcoming Census Special Studies in Irrigation and Aquaculture being conducted this winter; and the debut of the newly merged NASS/Ag Census website at www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. In addition to the press release, NASS also sent a stakeholder update that thanked all who helped promote Census response over the last year. NASS is grateful for the Cooperative Extension partnership!