Turning Toward 2020

The ECOP Monday Minute returns on January 6, 2020.

Last Chance to Register - Use the last issue of the ECOP Monday Minute as the source for the links to register for 2 webinar interviews, 11AM and 2PM ET, 12/17/19 - tomorrow, with the candidates for Cooperative Extension/ECOP Executive Director. The ECOP Search Advisory Committee values the input into this key decision by the Cooperative Extension Section for 2020 and beyond. A Qualtrics survey will be released immediately following the candidate interviews. The Committee's recommendation is to be shared with the ECOP Executive Committee during their Zoom meeting on January 9, 2020, 11:00 a.m. ET. 

Save January Date - Positioning 4-H and Extension for Investment - Recently the ECOP Executive Committee rescheduled the popular Learning for Leader Series from Friday, January 3 to January 10, 2020, 3-4:00 p.m. ET. Please save the date and watch for a calendar invitation to all members of the Section with connection details. Andy Ferrin (National 4-H Council) will present a comprehensive overview of 4-H and its many assets, including a recent national survey of 4-H Alumni outcomes. The presentation will be followed by a conversation on how Cooperative Extension can position its high-quality 4-H programs for growth --and for increased investment from public and private sources.

eXtension Hosts 3^rd National Impact Collaborative Summit - 21 Project and Program teams across Cooperative Extension representing 24 institutions attended the Impact Collaborative in Atlanta for a unique opportunity to create impactful results by increasing Cooperative Extension's organizational readiness and capacity for innovation and change. Teams were connected with skills, tools, resources, Coaches, Facilitators, and Key Informants that helped expand and deepen their impact. Evaluation results demonstrate team growth, uncovered gaps, new ideas, and new or increased innovation for participants and teams. 93.2% of responding participants recommend the Impact Collaborative Summit to others. The 2020 Impact Collaborative Summits will be delivered virtually, removing the limit on the number of teams that eXtension members can send to participate. The full report is available at eXtension.org/success.



NIFA Highlights Research, Education, and Extension Successes of 2019 - One of the many ways USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture communicates the value of the science, education, and extension investments with our Land-Grant Universities to the general public and to Congress is through our year end success report. The 2019 accomplishment report can be found at https://nifa.usda.gov/blog/nifa-successes-2019
There are numerous ways to connect with NIFA including:
   • NIFA Programs: https://nifa.usda.gov/programs
   • NIFA Search for Funding Opportunities: https://nifa.usda.gov/page/search-grant
   • NIFA Grants (information for awardees): https://nifa.usda.gov/grants
   • NIFA Data Gateway: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/data
   • Sign up for Weekly Updates: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDANIFA/subscriber/new?qsp=USDANIFA_2

Extension Journal, Inc (EJI) Adopts New Strategic Plan - The Extension Journal, Inc (EJI) recently adopted a new strategic plan. The 5-year plan focuses on 4 main priority areas: 1) developing a more efficient, streamlined, and sustainable Journal of Extension editorial model; 2) improving the JOE website user experiences with new dynamic features; 3) expanding partnerships, collaboration and communications around both JOE and Extension Jobs; and 4) establishing financial stability. Since ratifying the new strategic plan in September, the board has focused considerable effort on development of the new editorial model, which includes volunteer associates and more closely aligns with the model used by most academic journals. EJI plans to unveil this new model in the coming months. Ami Smith, West Virginia State University, is the ECOP Liaison and President-elect to EJI Board of Directors.

Save the Date - Search Narrows for National Executive

All members of the Cooperative Extension Section, ECOP and leaders from Partnering Entities are invited to participate in webinars for the Search for an Executive on Tuesday, December 17. The new full-time Executive will facilitate national dialogue and partnerships, and be the voice of Cooperative Extension policy. The search process that launched in mid-August, is in the final phase to engage the System with candidates via a webinar. The format will be a prepared presentation on a certain topic and Q&A by the Search Advisory Committee. Registration is required for each session. Recordings will be shared by a similar message later the same day, plus a limited-time brief survey will capture reactions for the Search Committee to consider. Stay tuned to email to engage.

• Joy Moten-Thomas 11:00-11:45 a.m. Eastern Time
  Register at https://extension.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FQYAoPGsRruICx6o8ky-ZQ 
• Lindsey Shirley 2:00-2:45 p.m. Eastern Time
  Register at https://extension.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__15BYS65TceO9pEM3OIJvA 

NAE4-HA Board Votes to Change Association Name - The NAE4-HA Board of Trustees has been gathering feedback from members and partners over the last year and a half to determine if a name change was in order. At the board’s pre-conference meeting, November 2-3, 2019, trustees voted to change its name to National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP). The new name that includes youth development aligns with our own strategic plan and better aligns with many university titles as well as the association’s national partners.


Applications Now Open for 2020 True Leaders in Equity Institute - The True Leaders in Equity Institute, to be held on April 17-19, 2020, will prepare up to 20 youth-adult teams within Cooperative Extension to support equity-related projects that will grow 4-H in their communities. Teams should consist of 2 passionate youth, ages 15-19, 1 adult volunteer mentor, and 1 Cooperative Extension staff person appointed by the 4-H program leader/administrator. Applications are due January 17. For more information, visit the True Leaders in Equity page and download the True Leaders in Equity FAQ document. REGISTER HERE to attend a live information session this Friday, December 6 at 2 PM EST. Please direct all questions to Kristy Parker at kparker@fourhcouncil.edu.


Data Collection for Census of Agriculture Special Studies - USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) begins data collection this month for the 2019 Organic Survey and 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties. Each collected just once every five years, both will expand on the 2017 Census of Agriculture data. Survey codes for producers to respond online were mailed Dec. 6 for Organic (deadline Jan. 10, 2020) and will be mailed Dec. 16 for Horticulture (deadline Feb. 5, 2020). Results for both will be available fall of 2020. Promotional materials for helping to spread the word are available on the NASS Partner Tools webpage.

Welcome Florencia Drumwright

The ECOP Monday Minute will return on December 9, 2019 - Happy Thanksgiving!

On November 18, Florencia Drumwright joined Executive Director Rick Klemme and Assistant Director Sandy Ruble at the Cooperative Extension/ECOP Office. As the Program Associate, Florencia has begun to assist Sandy and Rick with an array of administrative support for special projects and meetings. In the Office of Food, Agriculture, & Natural Resources at APLU, the majority of her work will be with the Board on Human Sciences (BoHS) and Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET). Florencia graduated from Marymount University with a B.S. in Health Sciences and is currently a MPH student at the University of Vermont. Before joining APLU, Florencia worked as an agent of Medicaid serving high risk populations. Welcome Florencia - 202-478-6093, fdrumwright@aplu.org.


The Next Generation of eXtension Technology - eXtension has adopted new technologies to better support the Cooperative Extension System. With the success of its legacy tools such as Ask An Expert and Articles, eXtension is looking to the future by bringing in commercially available tools and technology services, and making those available to Cooperative Extension. These tools include a new social intranet and professional development platform, WordPress sites for multi-state and national projects, an online version of the Impact Collaborative's Innovation Skill-Building methodology for members, and several new eFieldbooks. Additionally, eXtension has launched a new national initiative, Ask Extension, that leverages AI and machine learning to serve as the next generation tool for connecting the public with Extension expertise and their local Extension professionals. Learn more here.

2017 Census of Agriculture Special Study Data Released - USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released the data from the first 2017 Census of Agriculture Special Study, the Irrigation and Water Management Survey. The full report, press release, and Highlights publication are available on the NASS website. Aquaculture is the next census special study to be released, scheduled for December 19. Census of Agriculture products continue to be made available. Currently online are State and County Profiles, Congressional District Profiles and Rankings, Ag Census Web Maps, Zip Code Tabulations, Watersheds, American Indian Reservations, and Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Profiles. The census Specialty Crops report will be available December 5.

Trust In Food Symposium - With a focus on helping farmers scale conservation agriculture, reconnecting the public to agriculture, or both, the 2020 Trust In Food Symposium will take place Jan. 29-30, 2020. at the Hilton Downtown Chicago Hotel. Extension Directors and Administrators are invited to join executives from across the agri-food value chain representing academia, farms, ranches, conservation NGOs, government agencies, agribusinesses, food companies, food retailers, technology firms and more. This year’s theme is Bridges Over Barriers and will focus on actionable steps we can be taking to accelerate positive economic, environmental and social outcomes for farmers and the public in conservation and natural resource stewardship. For more information or to register, visit www.TrustInFood.com/Symposium.

Welcome New ECOP Members

New ECOP Members, L-R - Debby Sheely, University of Rhode Island; John Lawrence,
Iowa State University; Nick Place, University of Florida

ECOP Chair Mark Latimore, Jr., Fort Valley State University, welcomes the newest members of ECOP. Deborah "Debby" Sheely, Associate Associate Director, Cooperative Extension, University of Rhode Island, was appointed by the Northeast Region Directors, John Lawrence, Vice President of Extension and Outreach, Iowa State University, by the North Central Region Directors, and Nick Place, Dean, Extension Director, University of Florida, by the Southern Region Directors. One term of office is four years. Click here to view/download the 2020 lists of Cooperative Extension/ECOP National leadership. Contact Assistant Director Sandy Ruble sandyruble@extension.org to provide updates.

National Impacts Database (NIDB) Opportunity - Steve Loring, Communications and Marketing Committee Chair, New Mexico State University, recently requested that impact statements be submitted by December 11, 2019, to the National Impacts Database https://landgrantimpacts.org. This database is a repository of the Extension and Research impacts that Land-Grant Universities associated with the Board on Agriculture Assembly. The database is used by NIFA and advocating stakeholders of the Land-Grant system to make the case for the value of and increased investment in capacity and competitive funding for institutions and colleagues across the country. Direct technical questions to Impact Team expert, Scott Cummings, Texas A&M University. Direct all other questions regarding the Communications and Marketing Committee to Extension Director colleague and Impact Team Co-chair Karla Trautman, South Dakota State University.

L-R: Class of 2022 - Jorge Atiles, Associate Dean, Extension and Engagement, Oklahoma State University
Class of 2021 - Shelly Nickols-Richardson, Associate Dean and Director of Extension, University of Illinois;
Ashley Stokes, Associate Vice President for Engagement and Extension, Colorado State University, and
Marshall Stewart, Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement, University of Missouri.

Cooperative Extension Leadership on APLU Commission - Earlier this month, Sheila Martin, Vice President for Economic Development and Community Engagement, APLU, proudly announced the latest update to the Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) Executive Committee; broadly representative of the chief economic and community engagement leaders across the diverse perspectives and missions of APLU member institutions. Shelia says, “We are confident that this Executive Committee will help APLU to demonstrate and elevate the importance of university efforts to strengthening our communities. We look forward to working with these talented leaders .” ECOP congratulates colleagues Jorge Atiles, Shelly Nickols-Richardson, Ashley Stokes, and Marshall Stewart and thanks them for communicating the Cooperative Extension, land-grant perspective to CECE!

NACo County News Available On Line - The National Association of Counties represents 3,069 county governments across the country. These county governments provide essential services for our nation’s residents, often including funding for our boots on the ground colleagues. County governments frequently partner on developing educational programs to address issues important to county clientele. One way to keep up with what the national organization (NACo) is doing to is to follow the bi-weekly publication, County News, available on line at https://www.naco.org/news.