First Friday Recap: Assessments Ballot Overview and Budget and Legislative Matters - Last Friday, Extension Directors and Administrators from over 30 land-grant institutions joined ECOP Chair Damona Doye for an informative briefing on an upcoming vote by the Cooperative Extension Section. Consultant Christina Laridaen, Lewis-Burke Associates, shared what was happening with Federal Budgets and the next Farm Bill. Links from land-grant.org shared during the briefing:
--> Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Request aka "2025 Unified Ask"
The concise 30-minute recording is available below.
Registration for USDA’s 100th Agricultural Outlook Forum (REMOTE PARTICIPATION AVAILABLE) - The Agricultural Outlook Forum, USDA’s largest and premier annual gathering, will take place February 15-16. The breadth and timeliness of the forum’s programs have consistently drawn a diverse group of participants. The 2024 Program will feature a keynote address by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a presentation on the outlook for agricultural markets and trade, and 30 breakout sessions covering a wide range of agricultural, food market and environmental issues. This is a hybrid event.
Health and Human Sciences Leadership Fellows Program - Applications are being accepted here for the third iteration of the Board on Health and Human Sciences (BHHS) Leadership Fellows program now through February 16, 2024. Faculty and Extension Specialists with interest in becoming administrative leaders in the health and human sciences field are encouraged to apply. Information on the program can be found in the 2024 Leadership Fellows Brochure. Selected fellows will receive up to $3,000 to support their projects and assigned mentors to support their activities. Project funds (including travel stipends) will be awarded to the fellows for a period of one year, to begin immediately following the BHHS annual meeting and to culminate in attending and presenting at the following BHHS annual meeting. Questions may be directed to bhhs@aplu.org.
MyPlate Helps Make Every Bite Count - MyPlate.gov is the Federal symbol for healthy eating, and it offers a collection of easy-to-use tools and resources that promote healthy eating habits for people of all ages, budgets, and cultural backgrounds. The MyPlate Quiz (available in English and Spanish) provides resources that fit any need, and the MyPlate Plan (also available in English and Spanish) can be personalized for age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. There are also tools for on-the-go lifestyles: Shop Simple with MyPlate offers money-saving tips for grocery shopping and new ideas for preparing those foods, while the Start Simple mobile app helps set food group goals and track progress.
Registration Open for 2024 National 4-H Conference - Registration for the 2024 National 4-H Conference opened February 1. National 4-H Conference, the flagship youth development opportunity of USDA and hosted by NIFA, will be April 19 through 24. Read more about National 4-H Conference including registration details here.
