Preview of Joint agInnovation/Cooperative Extension Meeting in St. Louis

Navigating changes in national priorities, using AI in research and Cooperative Extension, food and health are three of the topics that will be addressed at this year’s agInnovation and Cooperative Extension Joint Meeting in St. Louis, September 15 to 18. Additionally, this year’s Excellence in Extension Awards will be presented at this meeting rather than the APLU annual meeting in November. Please make sure to book your hotel room and register by August 25.

National Digital Extension Education Team (NDEET) Update

The Extension Foundation hosted 27 leaders from 17 states in Denver for the National Digital Extension Education Team (NDEET) Strategic Planning Convening. Leaders set priorities in Economic Development, Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technology, and Cybersecurity to advance digital opportunity. Plans include mapping AI hubs, building a tech-ready workforce, expanding safe AI use, creating local cybersecurity networks, launching a national cyber curriculum, developing workforce training guides, and releasing a tool to assess local digital gaps. Learn More.

Bill Directs FCC to Incorporate USDA Farm Field Location Data into the National Broadband Map

Last week, Republican Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09) introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4950 – the Data BRIDGE Act – to improve how the FCC’s broadband map accounts for agricultural lands.

Today, barns and other farming structures located across the rural countryside are included in the FCC’s broadband map, but the surrounding cropland, pastures, and acreage where farming happens are not.

The Data BRIDGE Act directs the FCC to integrate USDA’s existing cultivated land data layer into its broadband map, with no new cost or mandates, ensuring federal broadband funding “reaches the fields that power America’s food supply.” 

Here is a link to the proposed bill at Congress.gov. The bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. It would need to be voted on and passed by both the House and the Senate before making its way to President Donald Trump’s desk. The president could then veto the bill or sign it into law.

The bill currently has seven cosponsors, including four House Democrats and three Republicans. One of the Republicans is Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson.

Extension Focused AFRI Commodity Board Projects

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has invested more than $10.6 million in research projects co-funded by commodity boards that aim to improve crop production efficiency and advance solutions to critically important problems in U.S. agriculture, thereby increasing farmer profitability and sustainability. In FY2024, boards that submitted topics for co-funding support included the American Egg Board, California Prune Board, The Cotton Board, Dairy Management, National Peanut Board, National Pork Board, United Sorghum Checkoff Program and United Soybean Board.

Notable among these projects:

• TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION PORK PROGRAM: Increasing Consumer’s Understanding of Pork Production and Its Role as Nutritious Protein Source
• ARKANSAS: The Role of Dietary Protein in Healthy Dietary Patterns Across the Lifespan

2023 NEDA Meeting Resources

The experience of 2023 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting in Tucson on October 10-12 keeps on giving. Check out the links to the informative presentations that are captured at neda.extension.org/presentations such as:

• The Massive Transformative Power of 4-H to Create Opportunity4All – by Richard Maltsbarger, President & CEO of Pet Valu

• Extension Foundation: Fulfilling Our Mission to Help CES Make a Greater Local Impact
  
  
• Tackling Extension’s Workforce Challenges – by Rob Russell, University of Missouri

Plus, all members of the Section are invited to join the LinkedIn® 2023 NEDA Meeting Group, www.linkedin.com/groups/12906033, to connect with each other and continue the national leadership dialogue. A post-meeting survey will inform the 2024 NEDA Planning Committee’s effort. 

Save The Date!! - September 16-19, are the dates for the 2024 NEDA Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

Awards: Think and Do - As a follow on to last week's announcement of the winners of 2023 National Awards Program, autumn is the right time to make a plan for nominating for the 2024 National Awards. Take 2 minutes starting at 3:04 of this recent video recording by Extension Foundation to gain a few valuable tips from the spokesperson for the winning 2022 Excellence in Extension Team Award, Geb Bastian, South Dakota State University. Experts agree, for a competitive edge, visit awards.extension.org to have a thorough understanding of the 3 distinctive awards and begin well before the official request for nominations February 1. 

• Individual Excellence in Extension Awards
• Team Excellence in Extension Award 
• Diversity in Extension Award (either an individual or a team) 

Also, alert leadership teams to start thinking of potential nominees. 

Invitation Broadband Navigator Event to Empower Data-Driven Local Projects - Penn State Extension and the Rockefeller Foundation invite Extension Directors and Associate Directors to a special in-person meeting on November 13, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Rockefeller Foundation Office in New York, NY. The meeting will showcase new spatial analysis tools that can help local communities improve their broadband connectivity and development projects, and that have already been used by Pennsylvania to secure $500M in broadband funding. Participants will have the opportunity to explore innovative technologies and strategies to advance broadband expansion and digital inclusion, learn from successful initiatives using these new tools, and explore funding and collaboration possibilities. This is a unique chance to leverage the power of data and the land-grant mission to bridge the digital divide in rural areas. Please register as soon as possible, as space is limited: https://extension.psu.edu/bead-broadband.

Advancing Digital Access-Registration Now Open

Digital access is vital to community wellbeing. Yet many communities struggle with the divide. In partnership with Extension Foundation, Southern Rural Development Center, USDA NIFA, the National Digital Extension Education Team (NDEET)/ECOP Broadband Program Action Team is offering a three-day in-person train-the-trainer workshop October 16-18, 2023, for teams of Extension professionals interested in helping close the digital divide in their state. Extension can play two key roles including: (1) community organizing and planning, and (2) educating on digital skills needed to access available broadband. This workshop will equip participants with both training and tools to guide efforts to close these critical gaps. Tools include a step-by-step planning process and the new national Digital Volunteer Initiative. Learn more: https://srdc.msstate.edu/ecommerce/advancing-digital-access-2023.html




ACTION BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS AUGUST 4: Answers to Institutional Trends and Salary Questions - In June, Members of the Cooperative Extension Section were invited to contribute to an ECOP salary questionnaire to assess overall funding trends for Extension at the institutional level and to collect salary data from local agents/educators. In true system fashion, the 1994 Extension Directors are being consulted to collect similar data in the near future. The data will be aggregated for "external” messaging. Current, reliable, defensible numbers to answer straightforward will help to answer questions posed several times each year by federal agencies and other interested parties. Some of the Extension Directors and Administrators who have already completed the questionnaire are reporting that the exercise was valuable to them. Contributing institutions will have access to the resulting report. The last of the submissions by 1890 and 1862 institutions is expected to wrap-up by the end of this week.

New Extension Community of Practice on Mental Health - A new subgroup of Connect Extension focused on Mental Health and Well-Being is now open to receive members! To join, visit https://connect.extension.org/...ealth-and-well-being and click “Join.” If you are not already a member of Connect Extension, you’ll be prompted to create a free account. If you are already a member and logged in, you can simply add this subgroup to the list of subgroups to which you belong.

The purpose of this subgroup is to highlight non-clinical, prevention-based work being done in the allied areas of mental health and well-being, facilitate the sharing of resources, inform members of upcoming events, and explore ways that Extension professionals can collaborate more effectively. For the purposes of this group mental mental health and well-being includes such topics as loneliness, chronic anxiety, depression, mindfulness, suicide, dementia, substance use disorders, recovery, and youth mental health. For more information, contact Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director at rogerrennekamp@extension.org.

Urban Ag and Food Systems PAT Request

Bill Miller, University of Massachusetts, is currently serving as Cooperative Extension Section Leader for the ECOP Program Action Team (PAT) on Urban Agriculture and Food Systems. He invites his fellow Extension Directors and Administrators to 1) check out the latest at https://pats.extension.org/urban/ and 2) encourage state/county/tribal personnel with urban ag professional interest to respond to 2-minute survey to at https://registry.extension.org/223214332872046 to say how they might like to be involved to move forward with a national program. Please submit responses by the end of the day Thursday, December 15, 2022.

Opportunity to Review/Update FCC National Broadband Map – Impacts State Funding - On November 18, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) shared its new draft National Broadband Map. The new map shows broadband availability at a more granular level, compared with the FCC’s prior map at the Census block level. This map is important in that it will be used to help determine each state’s share of the Broadband Equity, Access Deployment’s $42.45 billion program funds. Please share the following steps widely throughout regional/county/tribal listservs to review the map for accuracy and submit challenges to the data. Deadline: January 13, 2023. Please pardon any duplication of effort to spread the word. Thank you.

1. View map https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home
2. Share outreach resources with stakeholders throughout state/county/community https://www.fcc.gov/national-broadband-map-outreach-toolkit
3. Aid/encourage submission of challenges where relevant (especially for those without service) https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/bdc-challenge-overview.pdf
4. View video on how to submit an availability challenge at https://youtu.be/fiFoxZKywv4

Public Health AmeriCorps Funding Opportunity - AmeriCorps and the CDC are seeking proposals to grow the nation’s public health workforce. Learn more about the grant criteria and technical assistance opportunities here. The deadline for applications to the 2023 AmeriCorps State and National Public Health AmeriCorps Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is Wednesday, January 4, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. ET. Please contact AmeriCorpsGrants@cns.gov for additional guidance. AmeriCorps State and National expects that successful applicants will be notified by mid April 2023. Land-grant Health Contacts, FCS and 4-H Youth Development Specialists may have already received information through other resources.

Census of Agriculture Response by June 30

From the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Extension Directors and Administrators are reminded that the 2022 Census of Agriculture is about people. Every survey response is essential by June 30, 2022. Ag census data informs policy, research, assistance programs, ag education, community development, and countless more decisions that ultimately affect farms and communities. From cattle ranchers to greenhouse and backyard growers and urban farmers to producers working thousands of acres, every ag producer needs to be represented. The ag census is a producers' voice, future, and opportunity. Find Partner Tools (i.e. brochures, FAQs, flyers, ads, website banners, etc.) for this Sign-Up to Be Counted phase and more on the NASS census page. Please check there regularly for additional/updated products. Contact: Jodi.halvorson@usda.gov.



Affordable Connectivity Program - As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden and Vice President Harris worked with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to create the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households $30/month off their internet bills, or $75/month on Tribal lands. To deliver maximum cost savings to families, the current administration has secured commitments from 20 leading internet providers to offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. Eligible families who pair their ACP benefit with one of these plans can receive high-speed internet at no cost. Fact sheet is available here and outreach materials are available at GetInternet.Gov



Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments Proposed Rule - Almost a year ago USDA announced that it would begin work on three proposed rules to support enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act, the law that protects poultry and hog farmers and cattle ranchers from unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive practices in livestock markets. Recently, Secretary Vilsack announced that the first of the three priority regulatory initiatives, the Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments proposed rule will be released. The proposed rule would revise the list of disclosures and information live poultry dealers (integrators) must furnish to contract poultry growers. The proposal would establish additional disclosure requirements in connection with the use of poultry grower ranking systems (tournaments) by live poultry dealers to determine settlement payments for poultry growers. The proposed rule is intended to promote transparency in poultry production contracting and to give poultry growers and prospective poultry growers relevant information with which to make business decisions. One of the disclosures in the proposed rule requires live poultry dealers to supply the contact information for the state university Extension service office or the county farm advisor’s office that can provide relevant information to the current or prospective poultry grower about grower costs and poultry farm financial management in the grower’s geographic area. A link to the proposed rule can be found here on the USDA website: Poultry Transparency proposed rule.



Food Supply Chain and Food System News from USDA - USDA announced details of a framework to transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers. The announcement also provides additional details on the June 2021 announcement to strengthen critical supply chains and address longstanding structural challenges that were revealed and intensified by the pandemic.



Free Online Social Justice Courses and Discussions Available - The 2022 Military Family Readiness Academy series focuses on individuals’ understanding of social justice and equity, including their own understanding of privilege and oppression. Three asynchronous courses and two panel discussions will equip family service providers with the skills to identify barriers that impact a family’s health and well-being and identify opportunities for social justice advocacy in their work. The Academy series will address the intersections between engaging a social justice mindset as a family service professional and the ability to support the well-being of diverse military families. Enrollment information can be found here.

FY23 Federal Funding Unified Ask

During the recent CARET/AHS Meeting, the Unified Request for NIFA Funding FY 2023, also referred to as the Unified Ask, was released by the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Policy Board of Directors. All Extension Directors and Administrators are encouraged to remain familiar with this important document that is available with federal budget and advocacy materials at www.land-grant.org and engage with their regional representatives on the ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC), if they have any questions or concerns. The next meeting of the ECOP BLC is slated for Tuesday, May 10, 2022, 4:00 p.m. ET.

Advancing Digital Access-Registration Now Open - Digital access is vital to community wellbeing. Yet many communities and individuals lacking access struggle with navigating the divide. In partnership with Extension Foundation and NIFA, the National Digital Extension Education Team (NDEET) is offering a three-day in-person intensive train-the-trainer workshop from May 3-5, 2022 for teams of Extension professionals interested in helping close the digital divide in their state. Key roles Extension can play in this process include two key arenas: (1) community organizing and planning, and (2) educating on digital skills needed to make use of available broadband access. This workshop will equip participants with both training and tools to guide efforts to close these critical gaps that greatly impact quality of life and economic recovery. Learn more and register here. For more information, contact Rachel Welborn, Associate Director, Southern Rural Development Center.




Opportunities to Serve on USDA NIFA Peer Review Panels - USDA NIFA convenes peer review panels comprised of research, education, extension, and other subject matter experts to review competitive grant proposals. Panelist duties include reviewing proposals; drafting and submitting individual scores and written reviews; attending and participating in a panel meeting. During the panel meeting panelists discuss and reach a group consensus on proposal rankings. Panels may be conducted via teleconference or at in-person meeting spaces. Persons interested in serving on a peer-review panel can provide their contact information by visiting NIFA Peer Review System and clicking on the “Panelist Recruitment” link in the “Volunteer” section.




Secretary Vilsack Releases USDA’s Blueprint for Nutrition Security - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced a report detailing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Actions on Nutrition Security. This report highlights USDA's commitment to advancing nutrition security, and the consistent access to safe, nutritious food that supports optimal health and well-being for all Americans. On May 17th, Secretary Vilsack showcased USDA's robust efforts to tackle nutrition insecurity. The address underscored USDA's commitment under the Biden-Harris Administration to prioritize bold nutrition security efforts that will help ensure all American children and families have consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food. See the speech here usda.gov/live. 

International Federation for Home Economics Congress - The International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) World Congress 2022 will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, September 6-10, 2022 (new dates). This Congress only occurs every four years and has not been held in the United States since 1988. The theme is Home Economics: Soaring Toward Sustainable Development. Gather on an international stage to share expertise, explore ideas and network with colleagues from around the globe. The in-person experience will include opening and closing cultural evenings, plenary sessions, workshops and symposiums, the EXPO (posters, textiles & design, and exhibitors), educational tours, and concurrent sessions. Early bird registration with lower fees closes on May 10. Click here to learn more and register.