Dr. Paul Coreil to Deliver 2026 Seaman Knapp Memorial Lecture

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Director Dr. Jaye Hamby has announced that Dr. Paul Coreil, retired chancellor for the Louisiana State University of Alexandria, will deliver the 2026 Seaman Knapp Memorial Lecture Sunday, Nov. 15 at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) annual meeting in San Antonio, TX.  

The lecture is one of three rotating lectures presented by NIFA and APLU that honor three historic Land-grant University figures: William Henry Hatch, Seaman A. Knapp and Justin Smith Morrill.

Nominated by Adam Knapp, Knapp’s great-great grandson, Dr. Coreil is recognized and respected as a leader in Extension and higher education. This honor recognizes his outstanding career and his continuing vision for Extension’s future to serve the people, improve agriculture and enhance the lives and livelihoods of America’s farmers.

Coreil’s 43-year career in the Louisiana State University (LSU) system is marked by sustained leadership, collaboration and service to Louisiana’s communities. His work across LSU AgCenter, Louisiana 4-H and LSU Alexandria, strengthened education, youth development and natural resource stewardship statewide. 

Read the full release.

"Taking it to the Street” 2026: Showcasing Extension Action Toward Resilient Communities and Lands

Join Extension colleagues nationwide for a virtual convening to showcase the accomplishments of four national working groups focused on Resilient Communities and Lands. Explore new Extension tools and resources, share ideas with colleagues across the country, and help identify national gaps and priorities that will shape the next phase of this work.

Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CT (1-4 ET, 11-2 MT, 10-1 PT)
Location: Zoom
Format: Interactive Virtual Convening
Register here: https://extension.zoom.us/meet...8ql4ONSG-d7QRzfjP8zw

This convening is for: Anyone interested in what Cooperative Extension is doing to engage administrators, policymakers, and other decision-makers on a broad range of resilience issues. Anyone who would like to contribute their programs or ideas for supporting resilient communities and lands.

What you’ll gain:

• Fresh tools to use with your programs and communities
• Inspiration from colleagues in many Extension disciplines
• Opportunities to connect, co-create, and build momentum for the next steps

Can’t come for the whole time? That’s OK! Here are two parts from which you can choose:

• Part 1 (12-12:50 p.m. CT): If you are unfamiliar with this work and simply want an overview, we suggest you come for the first hour. If you’re interested in digging deeper, we encourage you to stay for Part 2.
• Part 2 (1-3 p.m. CT): We invite you to stay for the second half if you are interested in digging deeper. We will explore the collaborations, next steps, and national gaps.

Board on Health and Human Sciences (BHHS) Award Nominations Open

Nominations for the Board on Health and Human Sciences (BHHS) Awards are now open and will continue to be accepted until October 1, 2026. Recipients of these prestigious national awards will be recognized at a special luncheon at the BHHS Spring Meeting hosted by Florida State University in March 2027. 

See additional information on the awards and instructions for submitting a packet.

Growing Together: Conversations with CEOs

APLU’s Board of Agriculture’s interview series “Growing Together: Conversations with CEOs” showcases Presidents and CEOs of national agricultural associations, commodity groups, and other organizations and explores their powerful synergies with land-grant universities.

Terry Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Society of American Foresters

Terry Baker is the CEO of the Society of American Foresters (SAF). He oversees all of SAF’s programs and collaborates with his Board of Directors to establish a strategic vision committed to the scientific sustainable management of America’s forests. Prior to his selection as SAF CEO in September 2018, Baker served in various roles within the USDA Forest Service. His almost 20-year federal career started in his home state of Florida on the Apalachicola National Forest.

"The Society of American Foresters (SAF) accredits forestry, urban forestry, and natural resource programs. This relationship represents our four-way handshake with land-grant universities: Universities, students and their families, employers, and SAF. This handshake represents our commitment to each other, ensuring that students build the necessary skills during their studies to meet the ever-changing needs of our forests and communities." - Terry Baker

Funding Opportunity: Community Cooking Demonstrations

You may be asked to partner with or write a letter of support for a funding opportunity with an August 17 application deadline.  

The purpose of the Community Cooking Demonstrations cooperative agreement is to establish and implement a nationwide cooking and nutrition education initiative. Through a coordinated network of regional and local implementation partners, the initiative will deliver recurring community cooking demonstrations and hands-on nutrition education designed to help individuals and families develop practical skills for selecting, preparing, and enjoying nutritious meals aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Department of Health and Human Services plans to make three awards of $3 million each.

Through this cooperative agreement, OASH/ODPHP anticipates making three awards. Each recipient will establish and coordinate a network of regional and local implementation partners to conduct a minimum of 600 community cooking demonstrations during a 15-week national activation period by conducting one demonstration per week in each of at least 40 geographic locations. Collectively, recipients will conduct a minimum of 1,800 cooking demonstrations nationwide.

 Link to Application: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/363453

NAAAN Connect

Join the North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) from 10-11 a.m. MDT on Wednesday, August 19 for the CONVERSATION on NAAAN CONNECT! Laura Mock, Director of Cultivator Powered by Conexus and Mandy Harle, Senior Manager, Investment & Business Growth at Economic Development Regina, will share about how Regina is a hub for agricultural innovation. You’ll hear more about how Cultivator is helping accelerate ag-tech startups and innovations across Canada while also driving deeper into the 2027 NAAAN Convening in Regina. The meeting will be conducted in English with translation options in French and Spanish. Register to join!

Stopgap funding bill seeks delay of Trump’s science funding plan (from thehill.com)

Senate Republicans are supporting a provision in the stopgap funding bill that would delay the Trump administration’s controversial plan to put political appointees in charge of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants. 

The provision marks a rare rebuke of the Trump administration by congressional Republicans. But the government funding bill only runs through Dec. 11, and the proposed rule can still take effect after that time. 

Extension Foundation’s Karl Bradley to Keynote at Seattle NEDA Meeting

Navigating Uncertainty will be the keynote address at the National Extension Directors and Administrators meeting in Seattle, Washington, delivered by Karl Bradley. Karl connects with people through many roles—as a teacher, musician, football coach, yoga instructor, veteran, and leadership junkie. Originally from Branson, Missouri, Karl holds a bachelor’s in education from Arizona State University and a master’s in education from The University of Northern Colorado. Over his career, he has led teams ranging from 5 to 250 and held leadership positions in public relations, operations, fundraising, finance, human resources, corporate training, and procurement. He joined the Extension Foundation in 2020.

Register for the National Extension Director and Administrators meeting here. 

Making a Difference 4-H'ers Create Quilts for Display in Washington, D.C.

Young people in 4-H from Alaska, New Jersey, Utah and West Virginia collaborated with nationally known textile artist Susie Brandt to create two quilts. Brandt assembled quilt blocks made by the youths into large, finished pieces, now displayed at the American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery. The quilts are part of the “4-H Interaction of Color Quilts Project” and featured in the exhibition “State Fairs: Growing American Craft” through Sept. 7. 

Read more about this multistate 4-H project.

Secretary Rollins Announces Continued Growth of USDA’s Product of USA Label with Six Additional Companies Joining Initiative

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced six additional meat and poultry companies have adopted USDA’s voluntary Product of USA (POTUSA) label, continuing the strong momentum behind the Trump Administration’s efforts to help consumers easily identify products that are truly born, raised, harvested, and processed in the United States.

The newest companies to adopt USDA’s Product of USA label include:

• Creekstone Farms – Kansas
• Caviness Beef Packers
• CS Beef Packers – Texas
• Greener Pastures – Texas
• Lone Star Beef Processors – Texas
• Claxton Poultry Farms – Georgia

Senate finalizes funding patch that would block Trump’s grant overhaul

Senate appropriators released text Sunday of a stopgap funding bill to avert a shutdown come Oct. 1 and punt broader government funding negotiations until after the midterms. Language is included to delay the president’s move to put political appointees in charge of grant approval.

Under the bipartisan plan, federal agencies would be funded through Dec. 11 at current levels, with some exceptions. Senate leaders have set an initial procedural vote for Monday night and want to pass the bill by the end of the week — just before senators are scheduled to leave town for a five-week recess.

Read the full article here. 

Education Freedom Tax Credit

Beginning in 2027, taxpayers in many states will be eligible for a new federal tax credit of up to $1700 for contributions made to K-12 Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs).  SGOs are nonprofits that accept qualified contributions from individuals and use the funds to provide scholarships for education-related services at private or public schools, including tuition, fees, academic tutoring, and classroom supplies. Has your state opted-in to participate? Does your Cooperative Extension Service work with a non-profit organization that would qualify as an SGO through the US Treasury and is on your state’s participant list?

USDA Asks Partners to Develop AI Solutions to Accelerate Crop Innovation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking steps to speed up progress in plant science by calling on universities and stakeholders to help build new AI tools that can translate the huge amount of germplasm data the agency collects.

Through the Genesis Mission and the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA), USDA is expected to launch an Agricultural National Science & Technology Challenge later this year. The Challenge will ask innovators to create practical solutions that pull together different types of information—like images, field data, and lab results—so scientists can quickly spot important plant and seed traits and develop crops that are more resilient and productive.

More details on the Challenge are forthcoming. Proposing teams are encouraged to read the full Genesis Mission Executive Order and bring their best ideas to advance America’s future in germplasm innovation. Read the full release regarding this matter here. 

New Director & Administrator Training at National Extension and Administrator Orientation in Seattle

Arrive early to take advantage of the New Director & Administrator Training that will take place at the Sheraton Grand Seattle Hotel. More experienced Directors & Administrators attending the training will enrich the experience for the target audience. Please be ready to join the orientation at 3:30 – 5:00 Pacific Time.

Be sure to register for NEDA and book your hotel room before August 24, 2026!