Culture of Health Focus of Planning Grant

In recognition of President’s Day, ECOP Monday Minute will return 2.22.16. 

Efforts led by ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, and Jennifer Sirangelo, National 4-H Council Chief Executive Officer, on the planning grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) have shifted from a focus of eliminating childhood obesity to building a culture of health. RWJF requested this change, plus time to get better acquainted with the structure and reach of the Cooperative Extension System (CES). During a recent meeting of the planning grant’s National Leadership Advisory Team, RWJF asked attendees to generate ideas for what could be done in partnership in the next six months giving the CES an opportunity to demonstrate capacity for rapid response. Under exploration is a webinar in March to introduce the CES to the 2016 County Health Rankings released by RWJF, and feature ways CES has used the rankings to improve health. The planning grant is overseen by National 4-H Council. For further information, contact Bonnie Braun, Project manager, bbraun@umd.edu.

National System Survey Due 2.19.16 – Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Chair of the ECOP National System Task Force, expresses thanks to Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators for participating in a recent survey on Cooperative Extension as a National System and encourages further involvement. Forty-five responses were received. The purpose of this work is to identify common themes that describe the intent, the work and the results of Cooperative Extension. Common themes will assist in obtaining national resources and establishing programs important to our future. A new survey asks you to review and reflect on initial findings. Please respond by 2.19.16 by clicking on this link – Common Themes for Cooperative Extension - Reactions to Initial Survey Results. Other members of the task force are Mark Latimore, Fort Valley State University; Scott Reed, Oregon State University; Deb Sheely, University of Rhode Island; and Doug Steele, Texas A&M University.

eXtension Announces Speakers for March National Conference – The eXtension Foundation announces speakers for its National eXtension Conference: From Innovation to Impact March 22-25 in San Antonio, TX. John Stepper is author of Working Out Loud, widely heralded as the new roadmap for working more effectively in an increasingly digital environment. Paul Pangaro, Chair of the MFA Interaction Design program at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, focuses on how to apply “designing for conversation” to developing and implementing innovations, software and organizational processes. ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers and Keith Smith, Ohio State Extension Director (retired) and chair of the new ECOP Innovation Task Force, will spotlight the Cooperative Extension Innovation Inventory. The task force is charged with building on the findings of the inventory and developing guidelines to implement innovation strategies throughout the Extension system.

M. Ray McKinnie,
Virginia State University

USDA Event Features Extension – M. Ray McKinney, Interim Dean/Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Assistant Administrator of Extension Programs, at Virginia State University, will be part of a panel at USDA’s Tomorrow’s Table, a two-day event February 17-18 in Washington, DC. The purpose is to bring stakeholders together to discuss how beginning farmers can connect with new markets. USDA will highlight Cooperative Extension as an educational resource.


Volunteerism Conference Set for 2017 – The next National Extension Conference on Volunteerism will be April 10-13, 2017 in Asheville, NC. The conference is designed to focus on volunteer development and program management for all Extension priorities. Direct questions to Doug Swanson dswanson@nifa.usda.gov at USDA-NIFA. 

Awards Reminder - Nominate by 5.1.16 – ECOP in partnership with USDA-NIFA offers the 2016 nomination process for the national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is May 1, 2016 at 5:00p.m. Pacific Time. For details and to access the online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandy.ruble@extension.org, ECOP Staff Associate.

Water Seminar on Capitol Hill 2.8.16

Suat Irmak, University of Nebraska, and Steve Slack, The Ohio State University

ECOP and ESCOP are proud to co-sponsor a “science to application” water seminar next Monday, 2.8.16, as part of the National Council on Food and Agriculture Research (NC-FAR) Capitol Hill Lunch and Learn Series. Steve Slack, The Ohio State University (retired), and Suat Irmak, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will speak on the theme of More Crop Per Drop: Technology Implementation in Agriculture for Enhancing Crop Water Productivity. The seminar on the Senate side will be at 10:00 a.m. in 328 Russell Senate Office Building and will be repeated on the House side at Noon with lunch in 1300 Longworth House Office Building. Please encourage Congressional staffers to attend. 

eXtension Conference Registration Available – All Extension professionals—agents, educators, faculty and specialists as well as directors, administrators and other Extension leaders—are invited to attend the National eXtension Conference 2016 (#NeXC2016) March 22-25 at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk. Information and registration is available at conference.extension.org. The conference will focus on the priorities of eXtension’s new i-Three Initiative: Issues, Innovation, Impact and feature two tracks – professional development and i-Three Issue Corps. 

NDSU Winter Survival Kit Gets Media Attention – A prime example of effective competitive AND capacity funds is the new Winter Survival Kit free phone app https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension/apps developed by North Dakota State University Extension Service (NDSU) and Myriad Mobile. Funding was provided through a USDA-NIFA Special Needs Grant with NDSU matching funds. If stuck in a snowbank or slid into a ditch, the app helps users find their location, call 911, notify friends and family, and estimate how long they can run their vehicle to keep warm before running out of fuel. The app also alerts the user every 30 minutes as a reminder to turn off the vehicle’s engine and check the exhaust pipe for snow buildup to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. The Winter Survival Kit phone app has received rave reviews http://video.foxnews.com/v/4716621688001. 

ECOP Releases 2016 Handout – ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, encourages your use of the new ECOP handout http://www.aplu.org/members/commissions/food-environment-and-renewable-resources/CFERR_Library/ecop-handout/file. The handout is designed for external audiences and, among other points, summarizes ECOP goals for 2016. 

Become Employers of National Service – 4-H National Headquarters at USDA-NIFA encourages your institution to become an Employer of National Service. This is a Peace Corps partnership initiative with the Corporation for National Community Service that celebrates employers who actively recruit Return Peace Corps Volunteers and AmeriCorps Alumni. By signing on at http://www.nationalservice.gov/special-initiatives/employers-national-service/sign-now, you join more than 260 employers who recognize the unique value that these national service alumni bring to the workplace.

Nominations Due 5.1.16 for 2016 Extension Awards

ECOP and USDA-NIFA announces the 2016 nomination process for the national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is May 1, 2016 at 5:00p.m. Pacific Time.For details and to access the online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandy.ruble@extension.org, ECOP Staff Associate.

eXtension Launches 2016 i-Three Issue Corps – The NEW eXtension is pleased to name the first eXtension i-Three Issue Corps. These 127 individuals comprise 72 projects focused on either food systems or climate. In addition, they represent 31 states and 33 institutions. Over the coming weeks and months, the Corps will collaborate with eXtension staff, key subject matter informants, experts in project design, technology, marketing, and each other to enhance and improve their projects and experiments. During the National eXtension Conference in San Antonio, March 22-25, 2016, the Corps will meet as a group and move through a “design-a-thon” experience to further refine their projects or experiments. 

Subscribe to Get USDA-NIFA News – USDA-NIFA announces a new email subscription service to receive information from the agency. Topics include NIFA updates, press releases, announcements, programs, initiatives, research, education, and Extension projects, funding opportunities, grants awarded, budgetary and legislative updates, policy changes, blogs, significant NIFA-funded impacts or items of interest about and for land-grant universities and non-land grant colleges of agriculture. With this new service, you can select what information you wish to receive and the frequency. To subscribe, log in with your email address at http://bit.ly/NIFAsubscribe, save changes, and look for an email confirmation. Direct questions to Alexandra Wilson at 202.720.3137 or afwilson@nifa.usda.gov. 

Register for PILD 2016 – “Innovation: The Story of Extension” is the theme of the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, April 10–13, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, VA. The conference, designed by and for Extension professionals and volunteers, provides an intense learning experience about the legislative process, include visits to Capitol Hill. Early registration at a reduced fee ends 3.18.16. See www.jcep.org for details. 

APLU Annual Meeting Early Registration – January 31, 2016 is the early registration deadline for the 2016 APLU Annual Meeting, November 13-15 in Austin, TX. To register, go to http://www.cvent.com/d/yfqm7j/4W. The hotel room block will open in March.

In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday,
ECOP Monday Minute will return on 1.25.16. 

4-H Engagement Campaign Webinar 1.20.16 – The ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee, Ed Jones, Virginia Tech, and Renee McKee, Purdue University, invites you to a webinar 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET, January 20, 2016 to review and clarify aspects of the 4-H Engagement Campaign, including campaign deliverables and individual institution participation. Registration is required through Sarah Hunt shunt@fourhcouncil.edu. The meeting URL is https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ecop. You are encouraged to confirm connection capability in advance at www.extension.iastate.edu/testconnect. For the web browser, Firefox or Internet Explorer, not Chrome, is recommended. Audio is via phone through the call-back function in Adobe Connect. If this is not available to you, call directly at 866.433.4616, Code 882477. 

SNAP-ED, Rural Development Webinar 1.15.16 – The SNAP-ED Program Development Team, in partnership with the Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs), is offering a webinar 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET, January 15, 2016 on “Linking Community Development to Individual Choices: SNAP-ED and Community Development Working Together.” Presenters are Rachel Welborn, Program Manager, Southern Rural Development Center, and Don Albrecht, Director of the Western Rural Development Center. Participants will learn how positive changes in communities can affect individual food choices and physical activities. To connect, go to https://msues.adobeconnect.com/_a828402417/srdc/. 

Mary Jane Willis
(1948-2015)

Memorial Fund to Honor Mary Jane Willis – ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, calls your attention to an opportunity to honor the legacy of ECOP member Mary Jane Willis, Rutgers University, who passed away last month. Rutgers Extension Director Larry Katz says, “Mary Jane dedicated herself to Rutgers Cooperative Extension for nearly 40 years. She gave her heart and soul to the betterment of our communities on a state and national level. To honor her, efforts are now underway to raise $50,000 to create a memorial endowment to provide stipends to seed, expand, and enhance projects that serve urban and diverse populations. This endowment will ensure that Mary Jane’s legacy will forever serve as a guidepost to do more for our underserved communities.” Contributions may be made payable to “Rutgers University Foundation,” with the words “MJW Endowment” in the memo line. Mail checks to Rutgers Cooperative Extension c/o Rachel Karl, 88 Lipman Drive, 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Please direct additional questions to Rachel at (848) 932-3593, rachel.karl@rutgers.edu. 

NEW eXtension Completes Major 2015 Milestones – 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 completed 2015 having passed major milestones toward advancing innovation and professional development for the Cooperative Extension System. For more information see 2015 Reflections: Creating the NEW eXtension.

JCEP Leadership Conference Registration Due 1.15.16 – The Joint Council on Extension Professionals (JCEP) hosts the annual leadership conference, this year themed “Leading Across Generations” February 10-11, 2016 in Las Vegas. Early bird registration and the room block at the Tropicana Hotel ends January 15th. See www.jcep.org for details. 

Antimicrobial Stewardship Summit Next Week – A national summit highlighting policy, education and economic issues surrounding the stewardship of antimicrobial drug use in food-producing animals will take place January 20-21, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. A collaboration of Farm Foundation, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Association of American Veterinary Medicine Colleges (AAVMC) and USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), this summit will highlight the diverse issues involved in antimicrobial stewardship. Targeted to livestock producers, feed suppliers, veterinarians, academics and government agency staff, the summit is an opportunity to advance the conversation on the industry's adaptation to the changing landscape of antimicrobial drug use. Included in the program is a discussion of a report Addressing Antibiotic Resistance http://www.aplu.org/library/addressing-antibiotic-resistance/file issued in October 2015 by a joint task force of APLU and AAVMC. The agenda is available HERE. There is no fee to attend the summit. Registration is requested and can be completed online by CLICKING HERE. The summit is preceded by a Farm Foundation Forum on the topic: Antibiotic Use in Humans and Animals. 

FFAR Advisory Council Nominations Due 1.20.16 – The Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR) announces a call for nominations to inaugural Advisory Councils designed to advise programming decisions addressing today’s agricultural challenges. Expertise is needed in one or more of FFAR’s research focus areas: optimizing agricultural water use; transforming soil health; enhancing sustainable farm animal productivity, resilience, and health; improving plant efficiency; achieving a deeper understanding of nutrition and healthy food choices; managing food production systems to enhance human nutritional outcomes, and spurring food system innovation. Further directions are available at www.foundationfar.org/advisory-councils. Nominations are due January 20, 2016. 

FFAR New Innovator Award Nominations Due 1.20.16 – The Foundation of Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) announces a call for nominations for the “New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award.” This program seeks to support, through grants of up to $200,000 per year over three years, standout food and agriculture scientists within the first three years of their tenure-track career. Further directions are available at www.foundationfar.org/new-innovator. Nominations are due January 20, 2016. 

USDA Ag Outlook Forum Early Registration 1.20.16 – The USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum February 25-26 2016 in Arlington, VA carries the theme “Transforming Agriculture: Blending Technology and Tradition.” See http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/ for details. Registration at a reduced fee continues through January 20, 2016.