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.

NEW eXtension Conference Proposals Due 12.20.15

The NEW eXtension is a knowledge-to-action service that is an integral part of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. It is designed to help Extension professionals increase program visibility and measurable impact locally and system wide. eXtension’s i-Three Event (formerly the National eXtension Conference) in San Antonio, Texas, March 22-25, 2016 will bring together Cooperative Extension educators, communicators, and communities with eXtension’s i-Three Corps members for an exciting co-learning and co-creating adventure. The i-Three Event will focus on the NEW eXtension’s three pillars--Issues, Innovation, Impact—and will equip attendees with the ability to tackle emerging issues with innovative approaches that deliver measurable impact. Proposals for workshops and presentations for the professional development track are due 12.20.15. For details, see https://extension.org/extension-i-three-event-2016. 

Climate Hubs Webinar This Week – For an update on how USDA Climate Hubs are collaborating with research and Cooperative Extension, join a webinar 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET, 12.10.15 at http://nifa-connect.nifa.usda.gov/climatehubs/ or by phone at 888-844-9904, code 3964989. Speakers are Randy Johnson, National Program Leader, USDA Regional Climate Hubs; David Hollinger, Lead, Northeast Regional Climate Hub, and Michael Hoffman, Executive Director, Cornell Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture. See http://climatehubs.oce.usda.gov/ for details about the climate hubs and http://bit.ly/ClimateHUBMOU for the Memorandum of Understanding signed by USDA and the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Cooperative Extension and Experiment Station Sections.

Fred Schlutt, ECOP Chair-elect,
University of Alaska

Schlutt Contributes to Urban Agenda – ECOP Chair-elect Fred Schlutt, University of Alaska, discussed strategy and policies of urban Extension programming at a Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research workshop last week in Sacramento, CA. Amongst ECOP’s goals for 2016 is to engage with the National Urban Extension Leaders www.nuelaction.org to assist in advancing Cooperative Extension urban programming while maintaining critical rural presence. For all 2016 ECOP goals, see http://www.aplu.org/members/commissions/food-environment-and-renewable-resources/CFERR_Library/ecop-goals/file.

Michelle Rodgers, ECOP Chair,
University of Delaware

Rodgers at Pesticide Safety Summit – ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, represents the APLU Cooperative Extension Section at a December 9, 2015 Pesticide Safety Education National Stakeholder meeting in Washington, DC. The dialogue is designed to chart the future for pesticide safety education. She joins critical stakeholders from USDA-NIFA, the APLU Experiment Station Section, private companies, and others to engage in this critical discussion.

Cooperative Extension Book Available on Demand – Education Through Cooperative Extension is available as print on demand through the University of Arkansas bookstore. To place an order, go to http://shop.uofastore.com/p-32983-education-through-cooperative-extension-156502107x.aspx. For assistance or to place a mass order, Kathleen Smoot at 479-575-4495 or at ksmoot@uark.edu. 

Call for Nominations: Family Life and Human Development Awards – The National Awards Committee for Family Life and Human Development State Specialists is now accepting nominations for awards to state Extension specialists who have made important contributions to the work of Cooperative Extension and who provide clear evidence of program impacts. Nominations will be accepted for awards in two categories. The Early Achievement Award is for persons with 6 or fewer years as a state specialist with Cooperative Extension. The Career Impact Award is for persons with 7 or more years. Awards will be presented during a USDA-NIFA national webinar. Send nominations to Jean Edwards Jean.Edwards@usu.edu by 12.15.15. For additional information, see Link to Information and Nomination Forms. 

Call for Nominations: 2015 Jeanne M. Priester Awards – Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 Jeanne M. Priester Award. The awards will be presented at the 2016 National Health Outreach Conference Priester Award Luncheon, April 8, 2016 in Roanoke, Virginia. Nominations are due 12.11.15. For details, see http://www.nationalhealthoutreach.org/. The purpose of the award is to honor Extension programs and professionals that positively impact the health and wellness of people across the United States and provide leadership to expand Extension’s capacity to increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life.