Monday, February 10, 2020

1890 and 1862 Extension Leaders Applaud 1994 Colleagues

Doug Steele, APLU VP, (right) presented the ECOP resolution on behalf of Chair Mark Latimore, Jr., Fort Valley State University, who was unable to be present. Dr. David Yarlott, Jr. (left), President, Little Big Horn College, Chair, AIHEC Board of Directors and Carrie L. Billy (center), AIHEC President were the recipients. 
On February 4, 2020, leaders of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) who had gathered in Washington for a Legislative Summit received a resolution from ECOP. ECOP arranged for Brian Kowalkowski, College of Menominee Nation, to serve in an important advisory role representing the 37 tribal institutions, AIHEC and First Americans Land-grant Consortium (FALCON) in 2017. The wording of the resolution (Click Here to view) was sparked by Brian's faithful engagement with the Cooperative Extension System/ECOP and the feedback received from members of the Cooperative Extension Section to the announcement of the recent hallmark anniversary of the 1994 legislation that started USDA's Tribal Extension Program.


Input from Stakeholders on the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) Ends 2/15/2020 - Extension Directors and Administrators should know that USDA-NIFA is accepting stakeholder input until Wednesday this week through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NIFA-2020-0001. For more information contact Erin Riley at 816-926-2131 or email at erin.riley@usda.gov. Click here to view the full Federal Register Notice online.


Impact Collaborative Virtual Innovation Facilitator Training - The eXtension Foundation's Impact Collaborative program is hosting a national Innovation Facilitator Training virtually from February 18th - 20th. The registration deadline is February 13, 2020. This training is included with eXtension membership and institutions are invited to register as many faculty/staff members as they'd like to participate. This training will provide individuals with a new way of looking at program and project development (new or existing) to help identify gaps in planning, ensure readiness for implementation, and explore all considerations to maximize local impact. Learn more and register here.


State Ag Departments Comment on USDA Hemp Regulations - Industrial hemp production and processing is growing at a rapid pace across the country. There are a myriad of state and tribal regulations, and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is in the process of the Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program interim final rule. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has long been active in promoting the legalization of hemp production across the country and very engaged with AMS in the rule development. NASDA recently released a press release noting the need for state level flexibility in assisting the development in hemp production. See https://www.nasda.org/news/flexibility-for-the-states-is-key-to-hemps-future-says-state-ag-officials for details.


Producers Assistance Program Sign-Up Deadline Approaching - USDA Farm Service Agency's (FSA) enrollment deadline for the Agriculture Risk (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2019 crop year is March 16, 2020. ARC and PLC provide financial/economic protections to farmers/producers. Extension Directors and Administrator are encouraged to promptly spread the word for producers to call their FSA county office and make an appointment soon to ensure their elections are made and contracts are signed well ahead of the deadlines. For more information on ARC and PLC, view the program fact sheet or the 2014-2018 farm bills comparison fact sheet. Online ARC and PLC election decision tools are available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.