As noted in last week’s blog, ECOP met this past week in Park City, Utah in conjunction with the Joint COPs meeting. Actions include:
- Executive Director, Cooperative Extension System, ECOP, search process and position description were approved. Position will be advertised soon.
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded, Well-Connected Communities initiative enhancements were endorsed as part of Cooperative Extension Section’s Strategic Agenda.
- An ECOP Budget Legislative Committee sub-committee will be identified to develop strategies for 4-H and others to engage in capacity funding advocacy.
- SNAP-Ed Professional Development Team’s report was received, and the National Office will continue to provide support for the Team’s financial transactions.
- Beverly Durgan, University of Minnesota, was appointed Chair of the ECOP International Extension Committee.
For more information contact Rick Klemme,
rickklemme@extension.org.
Accessing eXtension Membership Benefits through Engage & Empower Online - Engage & Empower Online (EEO) is a one-stop-shop for continuing professional development beyond face-to-face events. Within EEO, Extension professionals from eXtension members institutions have access to exclusive publications, presentations, and eFieldbook content to fuel program and project development. Professional development opportunities (webinars and Learning Circles) centered upon strategically themed topics are provided regularly, bringing together a national cohort of Extension professionals to co-create solutions for community impact. Members also have access to an online version of our Innovation Skill Builder tool to help develop impactful programs. External partners contribute to EEO professional development offerings, providing unique insights into developing strategic partnership opportunities. Additionally, the EEO platform is a social intranet designed to connect Extension professionals across states to share experiences, resources, and collaborate on similar projects. Learn more and register at
https://impact.extension.org/engage-empower-online/
Western Rural Development Center and Regional Extension Faculty Deliver - Economic Development Strategies Throughout Western U.S. - The four Regional Rural Development Centers work collaboratively on national Extension initiatives and these efforts serve the regional work of each Center. One example from the West comes from the Western Rural Development Center’s award-winning, economic development program, Area Sector Analysis Process (ASAP). ASAP has now been applied in over 40 rural, western communities across Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, and over 750 citizens have served on ASAP community committees. ASAP recently launched in new communities in Kauai, Hawaii, and Parachute and Silt, Colorado. ASAP is managed by the Western Rural Development Center at Utah State University and is comprised of western Extension faculty/professionals from the University of Idaho, University of Nevada-Reno, University of Arizona, and Utah State University. For ASAP details, visit
http://wrdc.usu.edu/programs/asap.
Latest Census of Agriculture Product - USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) just released the 2017 Census of Agriculture Watersheds Report. Produced in service to agricultural and environmental data users, this publication compiles Census data at the water basin, or watershed, level according to boundaries set by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A supplement to the Census of Agriculture, the Watersheds Report can be used by farmers, community planners, conservation districts, environmental engineers, researchers, and others interested in how land and water resources are being used and how these uses are changing. Data are available for each of the 20 USGS watersheds and 381 water basins in the United States. Information from the 2012 Census of Agriculture Watersheds Report is published alongside the 2017 Census results to show changes in land use, production practices, and livestock distribution in these geographic areas over the past five years. Other 2017 Census of Agriculture products recently released include
the full report,
State and County Profiles, and
Congressional District Profiles. For more information about the 2017 Census of Agriculture and to access the Watersheds Report and other Census products, visit
www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
