Monday, November 18, 2024

USDA, Cooperative Extension & APLU Award Top Honors in Extension Excellence and Diversity

Recognizing visionary leadership and diversity in educational programming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Cooperative Extension, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) today announced the following 2024 national awards:
  • Excellence in Extension Award for an Individual: Daryl Jones, Mississippi State University
  • Excellence in Extension Team Award: University of Tennessee Turfgrass Team
  • National Extension Diversity Award: Michigan State University Extension Housing Policy Team
The awards were presented at the APLU Annual Meeting last week, which USDA-NIFA and Cooperative Extension have sponsored since 1991.

“Each year, these awards showcase the fundamental, transformative difference Cooperative Extension continues to make in our society,” said Dr. Manjit Misra, NIFA Director. “This important partnership and excellent programs like these are a testament to the true value of Cooperative Extension capacity funds more than a century after the Smith-Lever Act created this unparalleled system of outreach and education that enriches every community across the nation.”

The Excellence in Extension Award for an Individual is given annually to one Cooperative Extension professional who excels at science-based programming, provides visionary leadership, and makes a positive impact on constituents. Daryl Jones is an Extension Professor of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University. His programming involves innovative engagement with private landowners and producers to diversify incomes and enhance conservation on the land base. Nearly 12,000 landowners have attended his workshops. Using gained knowledge, they have initiated over 2,500 wildlife recreational enterprises on 3 million acres across 28 US states while earning $39 million annually.

National Excellence in Extension Team Award recognizes excellence of an Extension team in performing the work of Extension research, technical assistance, and outreach education. The University of Tennessee (UT) Turfgrass Team exemplifies the land-grant mission by integrating teaching, research, and Extension to serve the expansive turfgrass industry, which contributes over $5.8 billion annually to Tennessee’s economy. The team addresses the needs of the state’s golf courses, sports fields, home lawns, and parks. This includes an industry recognized the UT Certified Lawn Care Professional program, an online weed identification app, and TN Turf Tuesday.

National Diversity in Extension Award recognizes significant contributions and accomplishments in achieving and sustaining diversity and pluralism. The Michigan State Housing Policy Team is a group of Extension educators, specialists, and faculty who developed and delivered a suite of local housing policy learning opportunities that integrate issues of diversity, equity, and a legacy of discrimination into group discussions, scenario-based activities, and local examples.

Regional Awards for Individual Excellence in Extension

NIFA, Cooperative Extension, and APLU will also present five regional awards to individual professionals for excellence this year. The recipients are:1890s Region: Jason de Koff serves as a professor, statewide Extension specialist in agronomy and soil science, and Extension Program Leader at Tennessee State University. Throughout his career, he has worked to demonstrate new, agriculture-based technologies to farmers, Extension agents, and youth audiences.

  • Northeast Region: Claudia Schmidt, Penn State Assistant Professor of Marketing and Local/Regional Food Systems, has exemplary agritourism programming. This education explores practical strategies to enhance the sustainability and success of agritourism and direct sales ventures.
  • Southern Region: David Lalman, Professor and Extension Specialist – Beef Cattle, Oklahoma State University, conducts impactful beef cattle Extension programs, including Oklahoma Master Cattleman, Ranchers’ Thursday Lunchtime Series webinar, and the Cowculator beef cattle ration evaluation software.
  • North Central Region: Brian Wibby is an educator with Michigan State University Extension. He is a co-founder and co-director of the World Food Prize, Michigan Youth Institute, and the Michigan 4-H Spectacular Youth Leadership Institute, and is a certified Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid instructor.
  • Western Region: Michael Wierda, Extension Specialist and Director – Pesticide Safety Education Program, Utah State University, helps applicators understand health concerns related to pesticides and how pesticides move, work, persist, and break down in the applicators themselves, their families, their communities, and the environment.

“Congratulations to the outstanding Extension professionals who will be honored on November 10th” said the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Chair, Vonda Richardson, Director/Associate Administrator, Cooperative Extension, Florida A&M University. “These leaders are making a difference by connecting community needs and university resources to address critical issues across the nation.”

Monday, November 4, 2024

Call for Proposals - 2025 National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference

The planning committee for the 2025 National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference invites proposals for presentations, workshops, panels, and posters that explore innovative approaches to advancing health through collaboration and partnerships. The conference will be held April 29 – May 1 in Omaha, NE and is hosted by the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Important Dates:
  • December 15, 2024: Presentation proposals due by 11:59 PM CT
  • January 31, 2025: Notice of acceptance by 5:00 PM CT
  • March 1, 2025: All presenters and co-presenters must be registered for the conference by 5:00 PM CT to remain on the program
  • April 20, 2025: Accepted presentations uploaded to a designated digital location (to be announced) by 11:59 PM CT
More information and a link to the submission portal is available at https://go.unl.edu/nhoc2025. The deadline for submission is December 15


New Report Examines Land-Grant University Capacity to Support Outdoor Recreation Economies

A new report sheds light on the readiness of Land-Grant Universities (LGU) to support the development of outdoor recreation economies around U.S. national forests, and identifies the places best positioned to allocate resources for recreation economy programming. It was developed to gauge the extent to which the LGU system can respond to a USDA memorandum of understanding that positions the outdoor recreation economy as one of the agency’s top priorities. The report draws on an assessment conducted earlier this year by West Virginia University Rural Tourism Specialist Doug Arbogast in partnership with the National Extension Outdoor Recreation Working Group (NEORWG) and the Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs), with support from the Extension Foundation’s New Technologies for Ag Extension program. Learn more and access the report and related maps at: https://bit.ly/3NrZ2e8


New Family and Consumer Sciences Resources Available

The October 23 webinar (passcode: ?O0ts1L^), Relevance and Relationships: The Role of FCS in Improving the Nation's Health, on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, is now available for asynchronous replay. Further, a key related Board on Health and Human Sciences white paper, The Intersection of Health and Human Sciences: Today, Tomorrow and our Future Opportunities is also available.


National Impacts Database Training Webinar

A recording of the National Impacts Database (NIDB) training webinar, which took place on November 1, 2024, is now available online for asynchronous replay. The accompanying slide-set is also available.















Monday, October 21, 2024

LEAD 21 Call for Applications

The LEAD21 program is intended to meet the future needs for leadership development of faculty, specialists, district and regional directors, program and team leaders, research station and center directors, department heads and chairs, and others in the universities’ colleges of agricultural, environmental, natural resources, veterinary sciences, and human sciences and USDA/NIFA. Individuals from land-grant, NARRU institutions, and USDA are encouraged to participate. Read more here.



4-H Reputation Management 101 – October 30 (12:30-2 pm ET)

Effective reputation management is mission critical to responding to unexpected events and to preserving the integrity, reputation and trust that 4-H has worked hard to earn.

Join the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee and National 4-H Council for a training covering reputation management best practices for 4-H, including a refresher on the 4-H Crisis Communications Playbook, breakout sessions for scenario practice, and how to collaborate on reputational issues.

This training is intended for Extension Directors and Administrators, State 4-H Program Leaders, 4-H Foundation Executives and University/Extension Communication Professionals. Advanced registration is required. Register Here.



Nielsen to Deliver Morrill Lecture at National APLU Meeting

Dr. Larry Nielsen, Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University, will deliver the Justin Smith Morrill Memorial Lecture Nov. 10 at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) national meeting in Orlando.



New Journal of Extension Article Available

An excellent crop of Cooperative Extension scholarship is available at the Journal of Extension.


Monday, October 14, 2024

National Impacts Database (NIDB)

The National Impacts Database (NIDB) is an important platform for documenting and demonstrating the collective impacts of land-grant university teaching, research, and Extension.
 
NIDB Virtual Training: October 30, 2024 | 2:00-3:00pm ET
This training is for new and returning inputters to the National Impacts Database (NIDB), and will cover the basics of the NIDB, how submitted statements are used, and how to write effective impact statements. This webinar will be recorded. A copy will be sent to all registrants after the training.
2024 Priority Topic Areas:  public health, climate-smart solutions, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, workforce development/readiness, youth development/4-H, diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, water resilience/management
NIDB Improvements/Updates
Updating Authorized Inputters



The Growing Crisis in Our Communities: Can 4-H Answer the Call?

Consider giving the Farm Journal Article on 4-H a look today:

Gen Z’s challenges aren’t just academic; they’re personal, says Jill Bramble, president and CEO of 4-H. Many young people say they are falling short, unable to envision a successful future where they feel connected to their friends, families, and communities.


USDA Offers Resources, Adds Flexibilities to Disaster Assistance Programs to Help Hurricane Helene-Impacted Farmers, Foresters and Communities

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, USDA has deployed staff to assist with response and recovery efforts. USDA is also putting in place contingency plans and program flexibilities to ensure farmers, and foresters and communities are able to get the support they need. Read more about resources that may be available.