Workforce PAT Opportunity

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus until January 9, 2023.

 

Workforce PAT Opportunity - ECOP Program Committee's Economic & Workforce Program Action Team (Workforce PAT) developed a new organizational structure designed to enhance their work and build Extension’s presence in workforce development. Learn more here. The new subcommittees are:

• National Oversight
• National Engagement
• Program Inventory
• Credentials

The Workforce PAT is looking for new members, especially from North Central, Northeast, and 1890s Regions and 1994 Extension Programs, who are ready to dig in and help move Extension’s efforts in workforce development forward. Please contact Brittain Avants at brittainavants@extension.org for more information. Over the past few months, the Workforce PAT created a Connect Extension group (join here) to share program ideas and answer questions about workforce development. The National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs & Assets found here is the collection point for Extension workforce programs.

National Impacts Database Update - Karla Trautman, South Dakota State University, is pleased to share with fellow Extension Directors and Administrators the informative presentation made to the new Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC) on November 17 about the National Impacts Database (NIDB) landgrantimpacts.org. In 2023 the CMC becomes a sub-committee of the Policy Board of Directors and NIDB becomes an important part of the CMC. The link to the presentation with live links to video training and talking points is found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CfqvwU2cbQatWFckgy4PA8CC6L5cAz8x/view?usp=sharing. All are encouraged to share the information with all communications staff. 

Consider the 2023 USDA Ag Outlook Forum - USDA says that the Ag Outlook Forum is its oldest and largest annual gathering that it hosts. The next event takes place at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott on February 23-24, 2023, and all sessions will be livestreamed on a virtual platform. To learn more and register, visit https://www.usda.gov/oce/ag-outlook-forum.

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.

ECOP & ESCOP Chairs Build Relationships Together in DC

This week, ECOP Chair Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota (pictured left), joined ESCOP Chair Matt Wilson, West Virginia University (pictured right) to bolster relationships with several partners in Washington D.C. The Chairs were accompanied by Rick Rhodes, NERA, and  EDA Team members Robin Shepard, NCCEA, and Sandy Ruble, National Office. This team met with a number of people and organizations including:

• Doug Steele, APLU VP, Food Ag & Natural Resources (FANR) and Lewis-Burke Associates
• Sanah Baig, Brand New Deputy Undersecretary of USDA-REE
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Breakfast
• National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research (NCFAR) – Laura Wood Peterson, Executive Director
• Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) – Saharah Moon Chapotin, Executive Director

Update: Health Framework Lightning Sessions 12/15 - Because of the interest expressed by Extension Directors and Administrators to learn how various LGUs are advancing health as a priority, twelve institutions have been invited to share their accomplishments in this area. The first webinar was held on November 15 with Penn State, Ohio State, Kansas State, and Universities of Georgia, Florida, and New Hampshire presenting. Roughly 100 individuals participated live. A recording of that session can be accessed at https://4-h-org.zoom.us/rec/share/zI9dunTwok0zQNEP7C9KHmjlbBDHgLBBHZ6cVgd5y4b_hKb-0dD8lrpsd6cZ9axb.XISPRM_ZKG2WvXpW using passcode t$b6Uy5B. To register for the second session scheduled for December 15, 1:00 PM ET to hear from University Kentucky, Clemson University, Tennessee State University, the University of Wisconsin, Colorado State University, and the University of Missouri, register at https://4-h-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtd-urqz8vHNI1I-TijtvhJjT3zzEvAq7I, The sessions are open to all Extension personnel.

 

 
Health Conference Call for Proposals - The planning committee for the 2023 National Health Outreach Conference is currently accepting presentation proposals. The conference to be held May 22-24, 2023 in Ithaca, NY is hosted by Cornell University. Interested Extension professionals may submit proposals for concurrent sessions of 60 or 20 minutes in length as well as poster presentations that will be staffed at a designated time. The central theme of the conference is Health Equity: Framing Our Work, ensuring that all people have a fair and just opportunity to experience lifelong health and well-being. Learn more and submit at https://bit.ly/NHOCproposal2023 no later than January 12, 2023.

2022 Census of Agriculture Underway - USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently sent a press release announcing the start of data collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture USDA invites ag producers to respond online to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Use the social media toolkit at the bottom of the release to get the message out to ‘respond now’ to every ag producer. Every voice counts. Collected just once every five years, the ag census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every county and state in the nation. Survey codes for producers to respond online at agcounts.usda.gov were mailed Nov. 22 and paper questionnaires will follow in December. Responses are due February 6, 2023. Additional promotional materials to encourage response are available on the NASS Partner Tools webpage.

AFRI Food and Agriculture Non-formal Education Program Webinar

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus until December 5, 2022.
Have a safe and pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. 

AFRI Food and Agriculture Non-formal Education Program Webinar - The USDA NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Food and Agriculture Non-formal Education (FANE) program area priority will support content development and activities for non-formal education to foster development of technology-savvy youth. Projects must develop activities that cultivate interest and competencies in STEM and in food and agricultural sciences supported by the six Farm Bill Priority areas of AFRI. Data science, including artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics as well as gene editing, and biotechnology will be supported in this program area priority. Register Here in advance for a webinar November 29, 2022, 2:00 p.m. ET. For more information visit https://www.nifa.usda.gov/afri-food-agriculture-non-formal-education-webinar and to review the RFA go to https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/FY22-AFRI-EWD-RFA-508-MOD1.pdf.

Report on Enhancing Relations Among Land-grants - On November 3, 2022, a consensus study report by the National Academies Press was released to the public. USDA-NIFA began the effort acting on a congressional directive. The study examined enhanced cooperation across the land-grant system could deepen and expand the impact of its agricultural work, which is critical to address evolving industry and environmental challenges, as well as demands from consumers. Past-chair of ECOP, Wendy Powers, Washington State University, represented Extension on the Blue Ribbon Panel as they explored the opportunities and limitations of inter-institutional projects by focusing on case studies chosen from the portfolio of past Multistate Research and Extension Activities, Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAP) of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), and other regional initiatives involving research, education, and extension. 

• Video Release of Report: https://youtu.be/UTyKEOrHvUk
• View/Download Document: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26640/chapter/1

Meet New Budget & Legislative Committee Members - ECOP is not the only 15-member decision-making body for the System. The Section also relies heavily on the Budget & Legislative Committee (BLC) to establish federal legislative, budget and advocacy agenda and strategies for the Cooperative Extension System. In October, Jason Henderson, Purdue University, took the helm as Chair the ECOP BLC and the at the same time the EDA Team was on-boarding 6 new members. For short-bios and photos of each leader go to https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IunhWCAq2hqxo9qSXQZauVvkb8_tTo8U/view?usp=sharing
The complete list of ECOP BLC Members if found on page five of the 2022-2023 ECOP Directory.

NIFA Listens Stakeholder Opportunity Ends Soon

Extension Directors and Administrators and others across the System are encouraged to submit written comment to NIFA to answer several questions posed by the agency to invest in science and transform lives. ECOP Members Vonda Richardson, Florida A&M University, Jason Henderson, Purdue University, Chair of the Budget & Legislative Committee, and folks from the 4-H Program Area gave NIFA their verbal answers live on November 2. ECOP Chair Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, is pleased to share the document she submitted and that Vonda and Jason used as guidance at the following link. The deadline NIFA has set to receive as many comments/answers as possible is 5:00 p.m. ET on November 30. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c2O1VJ4gj05eHyptI55TPUgmztCq6BhC/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117572418052990065789&rtpof=true&sd=true

Health Framework Lightning Sessions - Hear how twelve land-grant universities across the nation are utilizing Cooperative Extension's National Framework for Health Equity and Well-Being to ensure that all people have an equal opportunity to experience lifelong health. Presenting on Tuesday, November 15 beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET in a lightning round format (five slides in seven minutes) are the University of New Hampshire, University of Florida, The Ohio State University, Kansas State University, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Georgia. Six additional institutions will present in a similar format on Thursday, December 15. The sessions are open to all Extension personnel. Register for the November 15 session here.

DEI PAT Engages with Section - At ECOP's "First Friday" Zoom event on November 4, the Professional Development Committee organized an engaging session by the Program Committee's DEI Program Action Team (PAT). After and quick update, the delegation of 1994, 1890, and 1862 Extension leaders shared what was most needed in three areas of interest:

• Developing a Community of Practice/Resource Depository
• Establishing Metrics
• Fostering Collaboration Among 1890, 1994, and 1862 Institutions

A full report of what took place, including a collection of recommendations and who to contact for other ideas, is available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uFGAeAOFpr_CB7lMkQrYsGU87aSiUOiP/view?usp=sharing. The DEI PAT is always recruiting new members and is the primary source of information made available at advocacy.extension.org/#diversity. 

Top Honors in Extension Excellence and Diversity

Yesterday, ECOP Chair Dr. Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, and Dr. Dionne Toombs, Acting Director of USDA-NIFA presented 7 Cooperative Extension awards at the APLU Annual meeting in Denver. Congratulations to the following faculty for their hard work, positive impact for all, and visionary leadership for the Cooperative Extension System!

The Excellence in Extension Awards for Individuals recognize Cooperative Extension professionals who excel at science-based programming, provides visionary leadership, and makes a positive impact on their constituents.

The winner of the national award is Alison Davis (pictured left), University of Kentucky. Dr. Davis is Extension Professor of Agriculture Economics, and the Executive Director of the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK). She leads a team of  engagement and research staff to support for CEDIK’s five priority areas: economic development, leadership development, community health, arts engagement, and community design. Davis has attracted over $15 million in funding from federal agencies including USDA, Appalachian Regional Commission, Health and Human Services, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In 2020, Davis led a statewide Economic Recovery and Resiliency Program designed to support economic development professionals, small businesses, and communities as they rebound from COVID-19. She facilitated the distribution of nearly $1 million in grants to Kentucky businesses and communities to support their recovery from the loss of revenues resulting from COVID-19. She now leads similar efforts supporting disaster relief and recovery for businesses and communities that have been destroyed by extreme weather events.

The Regional Excellence Awards for Individuals

Winner are pictured L-R:

1890s - Angela Williams, 4-H Youth Development Specialist, Alabama A&M University, was awarded for exemplary leadership, community outreach, and positive impact with underserved youth. North Central - Christian Butzke, Extension Enologist and Professor, Purdue University, was awarded for exceptional national Extension leadership serving the wine industry.
Northeast - Nila Cobb, Associate Professor, West Virginia University, was awarded for exemplary commitments to effective engagement of underserved youth and families to help them thrive.
Southern - Paul Fisher, Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Florida, was awarded for excellence in providing science-based Extension education on controlled environment horticulture.

The National Excellence in Extension Team Award recognizes excellence and leadership of an Extension team in performing the work of Extension research, technical assistance, and outreach education.

The AES NC3169 Multi-state Research Group, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program’s (EFNEP) Related Research, Program Evaluation, and Outreach, picture above, received the brand new award. The team works to strengthen the evidence base of EFNEP, Extension’s flagship nutrition education program. The group is developing and testing critical and culturally relevant evaluation tools to assess EFNEP’s program effectiveness. Integrating the land-grant mission of Extension, research, and education, the team includes 23 university researchers, practitioners, and graduate students and represents 16 land-grant institutions. Membership reflects the diversity of expertise needed to address research needs including nutrition, physical activity, education, economics, food safety, public health, sociology, and statistics. The group engages 1862 and 1890 institutions in vital community based participatory research.

National Diversity in Extension Award recognizes significant contributions and accomplishments in achieving and sustaining diversity and pluralism.

The winner in 2022 is Latinx Agricultural Network (LAN), a Community of Practice at Pennsylvania State University that was created to address an increasing regional and national issue involving a growing underserved population, the Latinx community. LAN brings together members from across the College of Agricultural Sciences and Extension, industry, and Latinx community with the goal of ensuring Latinx operators, farmers, workers, and their families in Pennsylvania and beyond receive the best extension services that Penn State has to offer, and their needs are met using comprehensive strategies and science-based information. A multidisciplinary team of over 110 faculty, educators, administrators, students, and grassroots advisors are working hand-to-hand to assess, evaluate, adapt, and amplify future services, outreach and education efforts across disciplines spanning from plant science and farm safety to 4-H and family health and nutrition. 

To learn more about nominating Extension professionals and teams, go to www.aplu.org/CESawards and watch for the release of the 2023 request for nominations. 

EXCITE Design Phase Deadline Extended to November 30 - EXCITE is a nationwide local response by U.S. Cooperative Extension made possible through an interagency agreement between USDA-NIFA and the CDC. Cooperative Extension is positioned to continue to be a partner with CDC and other federal partners in adult immunization education because of the system's ability to collaborate, deliver whole-health educational programming, and is a trusted messenger to share science-based knowledge. We have extended the application deadline for the new EXCITE Design Phase opportunity to November 30, 2022 at 11:59 PM PST. All Land-grant universities are invited to participate. Learn more at this link.

Extension Leaders Sought by APLU

Please note that the ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus until November 7.

Extension Leaders Sought by APLU - The APLU’s Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) invites members of Cooperative Extension Section to join them. And CECE is seeking 8 new engaged faculty for their Executive Committee. The term is for 3-years. As a standing commission alongside CFERR, CECE strives to provide a national dialogue on universities and their impacts in community and economic engagement. Through conferences, initiatives, and by supporting grantsmanship of this office, CECE promotes best practices, connects colleagues on challenges/opportunities, and advocates for meaningful partnerships which empower communities, advance industry collaboration, and informs the scholarship of faculty and students. For members of the Section to learn more about CECE, click here. To become a member of the CECE, click here. Applications for the Executive Committee are being accepted through November 4. Click here to review the application form & apply.

EXCITE Project Shares Impact Infographics - Coordinators of the EXCITE Project want Extension Directors and Administrators to know that regional and national impact statements are now available.  The files are organized as 1890s Region, 1994s Tribal Institutions, North Central Region, Northeast Region, Southern Region, and Western Region. The data used to produce these infographic elements are from the EXCITE monthly reports as of the end of July 2022. There is space on back page where individual land-grants can brand and communicate their unique project information. Each downloadable zip file folder at this link contains images of the front and back design, an Adobe InDesign File, and a PDF version and ready for Extension professionals to share widely. Contact Melanie Pugsley if there are any questions.

NASS Data Users’ Meeting - USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will hold its biannual Data Users’ Meeting virtually November 15 from noon-3:30 p.m. ET. The Data Users’ Meeting is held to share recent and pending statistical program changes with the public and to solicit input on these and other programs important to agriculture. The event is organized in cooperation with the World Agricultural Outlook Board, Farm Service Agency, Economic Research Service, Agricultural Marketing Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, and U.S. Census Bureau. The meeting is free and open to the public. Visit the NASS webpage to review the 2022 Spring Data Users' Meeting Materials and/or contact NASS Public Affairs Director for more details for the November 15 Meeting. The link to register is anticipated to be released here by the end of this week.

ECOP Cooperative Extension Budget and Legislative Committee Update

Jason Henderson, Purdue University, (pictured left) is the new chair of the ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC). He is actively preparing for 3 national events with the support of the EDA Team. 

• Developing the agenda for the first 2022-2023 Zoom BLC meeting on November 1, 4-5:00 p.m. ET.
  
  
• Gathering input for a presentation for NIFA Listens: Investing in Science to Transform Lives on November 2. Members of the Section by Region will learn more about collective talking points in the very near future. 
  
  
• As Chair and latest voting member, on Sunday, November 6 in Denver, Jason will participate in his first APLU/BAA Policy Board of Directors' Budget and Advocacy Committee (BAC) meeting. 

Jason has served 1-term (4 years) as an ECOP Member with the Program Committee. The North Central Region recently appointed him to begin a second term. He started with ECOP BLC in 2016 and became vice-chair in September 2020. Stay tuned to the ECOP Monday Minute to meet the newest members of the ECOP BLC. 

Top 3 Cooperative Extension System Initiatives Explained - At their last meeting on September 26, ECOP officially released 3 documents for communicating with partners, decision-makers, and stakeholders. These handy 2-pagers include a powerful infographic to visualize the existing system to advance and apply science in communities. Developed through an iterative process for nearly a year, the following are currently available at www.extension.org/ecop and will soon become available at advocacy.extension.org.

• Climate Resiliency
• Health Equity and Well-Being
• Workforce Development

Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement Annual Report Available - The EXCITE annual report details the first year of the EXCITE program and was created by the EXCITE National Program Team and the Extension Foundation. The report describes the EXCITE project's goals, the unique strengths Extension brings to immunization education, the pivots the project had to make to adapt to the ever-changing pandemic, designing for system work, and the system solutions developed to support this project. This report exemplifies what EXCITE has accomplished in communities across the nation while also serving as a great model for a system work.

Meet the ECOP Chair-Elect

ECOP’s Chair-elect, Damona Doye (pictured left), is Associate Vice President of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and a Regents Professor in Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University (OSU). An OSU faculty member since June 1986, Dr. Doye served as an Extension farm management specialist for 32 years and held the Rainbolt Chair of Agricultural Finance in the Department of Agricultural Economics. She is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, the highest honor given by the organization in recognition of lifetime achievement. Before her AVP appointment, she received the 2017 Southern Region Excellence in Extension Award from USDA-NIFA and ECOP. The Southern Region Extension Directors appointed her to ECOP in the fall of 2021, and she has served until now on the Program Committee by taking leadership of the Broadband Program Action Team. Until taking the Chair's gavel in October 2023, Dr. Doye will serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee and as ECOP Liaison to ESCOP.




Welcome New ECOP Members

· Northeast Region – Roy Beckford, University of Vermont

Fitzroy B “Roy” Beckford spent over a decade with the University of Florida Extension as a County Extension director, managing work in the areas of agriculture, natural resources, horticultural sciences, marine and aquatic environments, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, food systems, small farms initiatives, and environmental sustainability. During his tenure as the state Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) program leader at North Carolina A&T State University's College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, he provided administrative, financial, marketing and communications leadership. Dr. Beckford began as associate dean and director of University of Vermont Extension on May 1, 2021, and brings a global perspective. He has worked in agricultural consulting around the world, including service with the government of the British Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, as well as in Qatar and Belize. His national role is that of Executive Committee of ECOP. 

· Western Region - Jon C. Boren, New Mexico State University

Dr. Boren, Associate Dean & Director of NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, returns to ECOP voting membership. He is highly familiar with the National scene as he has represented the System in various capacities since 2012. His extraordinary commitment to the System includes, ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee Chair and Vice-chair, Co-chair of the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee, Extension International Workgroup, Section Representative to the BAA/PBD Budget and Advocacy Committee, and ECOP Program Committee. In addition, Jon represents the Cooperative Extension System on the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees. 

USDA Regional Food Business Centers RFA - National Extension Webinar - Attention Extension Directors and Administrators (1994, 1890, 1862) and more importantly the extension practitioners from interested land-grant institutions! A national webinar for the Cooperative Extension System about funding for USDA Regional Food Business Centers will take place on Tuesday, October 18, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. The hour is intended to provide information on the AMS Regional Food Business Center RFA, share available resources, and answer questions that are most relevant to the Cooperative Extension System.
Here is the link to register: https://pages.extension.org/regional-food 

Educating Capitol Hill Staff on Adapting to Climate Change - Please share the following opportunity with congressional contacts: Join the National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) and Resources for the Future for a webinar featuring Margaret Walls, Ph.D, Senior Fellow with Resources for the Future on Adapting to Climate Change: Wildfire, Outdoor Recreation, and Rural Communities in the American West. Registration is required here to receive connection details for Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 11:00 AM ET.

Leadership Transition and New MOU

On September 27, 2022, during the Cooperative Extension Section Business Meeting portion of Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting in Baltimore, Members who were present witnessed the official passing of the Section/ECOP Chair's gavel from Wendy Powers, Dean, Washington State University, (right) to Beverly R. Durgan, University of Minnesota Extension (left). Bev's goal as Chair is to advance the ECOP Strategic Directions, by focusing on priorities identified by member institutions, and building on successes and recent lessons learned. The intended outcome is a cohesive Cooperative Extension System and stronger member programs, inclusive of all. Bev's Action Plan for the coming year can be found at www.aplu.org/cesgoals. Future editions of the ECOP Monday Minute will share more details regarding the year ahead. Members of the Section and 1994 Extension Directors are encouraged to save 3-4:00 p.m. ET every first Friday of the month for conversations with the ECOP Chair and occasional Learning for Leaders Sessions. Stay tuned to email for connection details. 

System MOU Aimed to Resource Development - On September 26, 2022, a new Memorandum of Understanding was established by ECOP, National 4-H Council, and the Extension Foundation. Please review the document here. Three members of the Section representing each partner in the agreement were the signers. Pictured L-R, Wendy Powers, Washington State University, ECOP Chair, Courtney Owens, Kentucky State University, Vice-chair of the Extension Foundation Board of Directors, and Jon Boren, New Mexico State University, Trustee of National 4-H Council.

2021-2022 Report and Celebration - Don't miss the Cooperative Extension Section's return on investment spelled out the interactive document version of the Annual Report available here and in this interactive slide presentation which includes Finance Update and notable expressions of appreciation to:

• Char Wenham (Michigan), CARET Liaison to ECOP;
• Edmund Buckner, Alcorn State University, and Arch Smith, University of Georgia for service on the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee;
• Chris Watkins, Cornell University, for service on ECOP;
• Karla Trautman, South Dakota State University, for leadership of National Impact Database Committee and Communications and Marketing Committee, and 
• Jon Boren, New Mexico State University, for chairing the ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee. 

Join ECOP and the EDA Team to celebrate the outstanding leadership and commitment to the mission of Extension over the past year by Wendy Powers, Washington State University, and for the dedication by Caroline Henney (Crocoll) as Executive Director of the National Office who retired on September 30, 2022. 

National Leadership 101 Recording and Slides Available - On September 9, 2022 26 Extension Directors, joined ECOP's latest monthly Friday Zoom event. All 5 regions and the 1994 Tribal Universities participated in the Learning for Leaders Program developed by the ECOP Professional Development Committee. To share and experience the 45-minute session, which included presentation by Brent Elrod, USDA-NIFA and Doug Steele, APLU, use https://youtu.be/MuwwSxu_kMc.Slides from the presentation are available here.

Extension Foundation Selected by USDA-NIFA as Technical Provider for NEXTGEN Funding Opportunity - The primary goal of the From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NEXTGEN) is to enable 1890 LGUs, 1994 LGUs, Alaska Native-serving and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, and insular area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. territories to engage, recruit, retain, train, and support students to help build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) workforce including the future USDA workforce. The Foundation will raise awareness of the NEXTGEN program and provide technical assistance for eligible institutions to develop teams, partners, program strategies and to connect with USDA and other career opportunities. The APLU will support the Foundation in their role to help connect potential institutional partners to one another. Read more here.

2022 Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting Begins

Today at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, at least 67 Extension Directors and Administrators plus some member of leadership teams from a total of 56 Land-grant Institutions located in 43 states, plus Territories and Tribes, begin participating in the Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting, Building Trust. Through dialogue and discovery, the delegation of 170+ people will cover 4 topic areas including the future of land-grant universities. The Cooperative Extension Section and the Experiment Station Sections of the Board on Agriculture Assembly will conduct respective business, too. Next week's release will include highlights and resources for the good of all. Check out what is happening here.

Executive Director Search Reminder - The ECOP Executive Director Search Advisory Committee would like to remind members of the Section that the Executive Director position headquartered at APLU in Washington, DC described here will remain open until filled. The Committee recently enhanced their process by asking the EDA Team to solicit topics for System seminars and questions to interview finalist candidates. Members of AEA, ASRED, NEED, NCCEA, and WEDA should send their ideas directly to their Executive Director or Administrator by the end of the week. 

Annual ECOP Meeting Calendar Released - ECOP is pleased to release their 2022-2023 Meeting Calendar. Members of the Cooperative Extension Section are most welcome to ECOP Meetings and should inquire with their EDA Team and/or the National Office to obtain details. Agenda items are typically established in two ways. 1) Contact with ECOP Standing Committees (Executive, Professional Development, Program, 4-H Leadership, Budget & Legislative), and 2) by the 20+Appointees and Liaisons, for example, Extension Foundation, LEAD21, Board on Human Sciences (BoHS), Journal of Extension, Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP), and Council on Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET), working through their EDA Team point of contact listed here. ECOP solicits agenda items and written reports 3 times annually by Appointees and Liaisons. All Members of the Section and 1994 Extension Directors - save the dates for the First Friday events, monthly national conversations, and the week of 2023 NEDA, October 9-12, and watch for more details.

National Leadership 101 and EXCITE Update Recording Available - On September 9, 26 Extension Directors, joined ECOP's latest monthly Friday Zoom event. All 5 regions and the 1994 Tribal Universities were present. To experience the entire 1-hour session, use https://youtu.be/qQT3UaQqNIE. The 15-minute update on EXCITE starts here, and Orientation to the National Extension Leadership and Where Do We Fit in the Scheme of Things? featuring 3 panelists starts here. Check out the Orientation slides here.

Connecting With Amish and Other Plain Communities Conference - Purdue Extension, Penn State Extension, and Elizabethtown College are presenting Working with Amish and Other Plain Communities for Extension and related agency professionals November 1-3, 2022. Participants will learn directly from a panel of Amish leaders about the industry, family life and agriculture in a Q&A session. Attendees will have the opportunity to view Amish life firsthand on tours including furniture manufacturing, agriculture, and family life. To conclude the conference, three local Amish leaders will share their valuable perspectives and summarize the conference’s key messages. Topics covered in the conference include:
· Overview of Amish, Mennonite, and other plain groups across the country
· Relations with the state and the wider English world
· Amish community organization, work, and social change
Registration is found at https://puext.in/AmishConference. 

APLU’s New President Mark Becker

On September 1, Mark P. Becker began his first day at APLU stating, "APLU is poised to do great things in the years ahead as we continue to innovate in new or expanded areas and double-down on our core work to equitably advance the student success, research, and engagement missions of public and land-grant universities. The success of these efforts is dependent upon a highly engaged membership. The strength of APLU and its ability to advance change has and always will be through the engagement of its members on our councils, commissions, and boards; our projects and initiatives; and, of course, through our collective advocacy in Washington." Read the full article here. Twitter users can see and hear Dr. Becker here.

Google Grant Will Expand 4-H Computer Science Career Pathways Program - Google.org has awarded National 4-H Council a $5M grant to expand computer science skills and education to underserved youth across the country. With this funding, Cooperative Extension will expand existing and bring new 4-H Computer Science (CS) Career Pathways programs to communities across Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Nebraska, and West Virginia. Since its start in 2017, 1.4 million youth have participated in Extension’s 4-H CS program, with 65% living rurally, 56% of 4-H teen CS leaders being girls, and 47% coming from racially diverse backgrounds. Read more about Google’s support of 4-H here.

 

White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health Date Announced - The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health will take place in Washington, DC or through virtual means on September 28, 2022. The conference brings government leaders, academics, activists, and Americans from all walks of life together to achieve the goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases in the U.S. by 2030 – all while reducing disparities among the communities who are impacted the most by these issues. The White House has published a toolkit to an access from the conference website, whitehouse.gov/hungerhealthconference, for hosting satellite events, such as watch parties, discussions, and days of service.

 

APLU Annual Meeting Registration - The APLU Annual Meeting is in-person, and will be held in Denver, Colorado, November 6-8, 2022. The meeting is the premier gathering of senior leaders from public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems. No other meeting in higher education brings together such a diverse array of public university presidents, chancellors, and other senior leaders. The theme is Future Forward. The program is designed to ensure collaboration and give attendees useful, practical strategies. Ample time for networking with colleagues from the North and Central America is built into the schedule. The Board on Agriculture Assembly sessions include USDA award presentations, Annual Memorial Lecture, and General Membership Meeting. View draft BAA/CFERR/FA NR meeting track here. View entire meeting schedule, costs, etc., and be sure to register here before rates increase. 



ERS Releases Household Food Security Report for 2021 - In 2021, 89.8% of U.S. households were food secure while the remaining 10.2% (13.5 million households) were food insecure. Read the report here.

2023 National 4-H Conference

Save-the-Date - USDA NIFA announced dates for 2023 National 4-H Conference, to be held April 14-19, 2023 in-person at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia and online. More specific details will be announced this fall. Read more details and know who to contact here. 

Source: NIFA's Division of Youth and 4-H

NCFAR Latte-N-Learn Features USDA Under Secretary 9/15 -  NCFAR's next informative webinar is this week, September 15, 2022 at 10AM ET. USDA Under Secretary Chavonda Jacobs-Young presents how USDA's research community is working to advance climate-smart agriculture and nutrition security. Also, receive an update on the latest priorities from the leadership at ARS, ERS, NIFA, and NASS. The goal of these signature events is to educate and empower staff on Capitol Hill and policy stakeholders about the value of public investment in food and agricultural research. Registration here is required to attend this event. Please help spread the word through land-grant university government affairs networks. Thank you.

USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture - According to its MOU with NASS, the Cooperative Extension Section helps spread the word to farmers and ranchers about the importance of being represented in these widely used and influential data. NASS's 2022 Census of Agriculture national press release is ready to share (also available in Spanish). Additionally, leaders and communicators may follow @usda_nass on Twitter and USDA’s Facebook page to share ag census content, including a video from NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer, infographics, kids’ ag census activity pages, blog, and more. NASS’s Partner Tools site has resources that will keep outreach momentum going through this fall and winter. There, find ads for  newsletters and social media, banners for  web pages and email signatures, videos, brochures and flyers for use at events, FAQs, and talking points. Check the page periodically for new and updated materials.

Search Begins for National Office Executive

The ECOP Monday Minute is on hiatus until September 12, 2022. Have a safe Labor Day!

Search Begins for National Office Executive - Under the leadership of its Chair and Chair-elect, ECOP, the 15-member Governing Board of the Cooperative Extension System, is seeking to hire a highly skilled Executive Director to serve and guide its mission "to strengthen Cooperative Extension at national, state and local levels." Successful candidates will have extensive experience with the System, be an exceptional leader and communicator, and possess the ability to develop partnerships and relationships across a variety of constituencies, including the federal enterprise. A select 7-member search team consists of 5 Extension Section members from each of its Regions, 1 person representing the EDA Team, and 1 person to liaise with the hiring authority that is the APLU. ECOP's commission of the team includes recruiting candidates, screening applications, conducting interviews, gathering input from across the System and Extension's Strategic Partners, advising the Board, and influencing the process to hire. Please share this announcement widely. Priority will be given to applications received by September 15, 2022. Thank you.

Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting Only 4 Weeks Away - The annual National Extension Directors and Administrators gathering will occur jointly with the Experimental Station Directors in Baltimore September 25-28. So far, 55 members of the Cooperative Extension Section (76) have responded to their invitation. The extended deadline to reserve a room at the Marriott Waterfront is September 4. The absolute deadline to register is September 18. Links to vital meeting information is found at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/392702001257. 

Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan - On September 7, 2022, at 11 a.m. ET USDA NIFA will hold an informational webinar about the recently published NIFA Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, which represents the agency’s coordinated, collaborative response to the vulnerabilities and impacts caused by our changing climate. This one-hour webinar will provide an overview of the plan’s contents, and time will be reserved for audience questions. Registration for the webinar if found here.




ECOP/ACOP at 2022 JointCOPs - At the 2022 JointCOPs meeting in July in Washington, DC, ECOP met with leaders from the APLU's Board on Agriculture Assembly Academic Programs Committee on Organization and Policy (ACOP), the executive committee of the Academic Programs Section. The lively discussion addressed the questions: How can Extension and youth programs help with student recruitment, and how can ACOP help with Extension workforce development? Many resources and efforts were shared during the session, including partnerships between the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska and Nebraska Extension. Check out the following resources:
· Rural Prosperity Nebraska Fellowship Program
· Early College and Career Pathways (Examples)
· Digital Badges
· Master of Applied Science (online)



Next NCFAR's Lunch-N-Learn Series Features Advances in Food Science and Technology- For more than 40 years, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have provided science-based guidance for healthy eating, yet the quality of American diets has shown limited improvement. Please make congressional contacts aware of the National Coalition on Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) webinar on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 11:00 AM ET, Helping Americans Meet the Dietary Guidelines - Advances and Opportunities in Food Science and Technology, featuring Dr. Noel Anderson, Mosaic Food Advisors LLC. NCFAR’s "Lunch-N-Learn" series features experts from across the country sharing expertise on a wide range of topics. These events educate and empower staff on Capitol Hill and policy stakeholders about the value of public investment in food and agricultural research and Extension. Pre-registration here is required.

EXCITE Newsletter - The EXCITE Newsletter is a weekly communication to provide an inclusive and concise update on important happenings related to Immunization Education. Included in the newsletter is information on workshops, resources, requests, and updates. Check out the newsletter and the means to subscribe here.

Cooperative Extension Health Funding Approaches $300M

Dedicated funding to support the Cooperative Extension System’s portfolio of health-related work increased to nearly $300M in FY22. Funds originated from a variety of federal agencies and foundations including the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Walmart Foundation. National 4-H Council and the Extension Foundation both played important roles in distributing these funds to land-grant universities across the nation. This amount does not include federal capacity funds or funds appropriated at the state or county level to support Extension’s health-related work. For more information, contact Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director at rogerrennekamp@extension.org. ECOP contributed $12,000 of its reserves held at APLU to the cause of the Health Program Action Team.

Farm Bureau Survey on Drought’s Increasing Toll - Drought is taking an increasing toll on farmers and ranchers, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Market Intel service said after releasing the results of a third survey it has taken on the subject. With over 60% of the American West, Southwest and Central Plains categorized as D3 (severe) drought or higher, the American Farm Bureau Foundation conducted a third round of its survey to evaluate drought’s continued impact on farm and ranch businesses. "Given the region’s vital role in providing nearly half of American agricultural production by value, discussing and undertaking effective drought mitigation efforts is key to a secure domestic food supply and to protecting our farm and ranch families", concluded Daniel Munch, a Farm Bureau economist with ties to land-grant universities. Read the full report here.

New EXCITE Programming Opportunities - EXCITE is a nation-wide local response  by the Cooperative Extension System to increase immunization education, emphasizing boosting vaccination confidence with focus on adult immunization other than COVID-19. EXCITE is made possible through an interagency agreement between USDA-NIFA and the CDC that integrates partners and funders. The newest phase of funding will support projects addressing adult immunization education and vaccine confidence in land-grant Extension communities and is open to all land-grant institutions (1994, 1890, 1862) even if not currently involved with EXCITE. An introductory virtual session will occur September 22, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. ET. The project's elements, timelines, and goals will be covered, along with Q&A. Click here to register attend and/or receive the recording of the session.

New Program Action Teams Website Launched - pats.extension.org is a new website that provides an overview of the ECOP Program Committee's Action Teams (PATs) including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Climate Mitigation, Resiliency and Adaptation; Economic and Workforce Development; Health Equity and Well Being; 4-H Positive Youth Development; Broadband Access and Digital Tools; and Urban Programs. The PATs provide a mechanism for interested Extension professionals, as well as internal and external partners, from across the country to collaborate on high priority programs. Anyone with interest in these program areas can access contact information and get connected with colleagues.



USDA Resource Guides for American Indians, Alaska Natives - The USDA Office of Tribal Relations has released the USDA Resource Guide for American Indians and Alaska Natives 2022 and the USDA Native Youth Resource Guide 2022. The announcement by the agency including a quote by Secretary Vilsack is found here. These resources offer insights into the  Cooperative Extension System's connectivity with 1994s, 1890s, and 1862s within USDA.

Verizon Renews Support of 1890 4-H Programs

Verizon has committed an additional $5M to National 4-H Council for continued support of the 4-H Tech Changemakers program increasing the total commitment to $12.5M since 2020, with $10M focused on 1890s. Rose Stuckey Kirk – Verizon’s Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer (pictured on the right)– attended the AEA 2022 System-Wide Extension Conference, where Florida A&M University 4-H’er Stephen Hayes (pictured on the left) presented her the 4-H Opportunity For All Visionary Award. Read more about Verizon’s commitment to bridging the digital divide here.

Evaluating End-use Potential for Process Food Wastes - The next National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) Virtual Lunch-N-Learn to help educate Congress on the Hill is about process food waste generated by large-scale food producers. The waste is generally comprised of inedible portions of organic matter like fruit and vegetable trimmings, skins and peels, and brewing and wine waste. Diversion of these wastes from the landfill to higher value products can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and give additional value to a once discarded source. Process food waste is rich in carbon and often contain various nutraceuticals or bioactive compounds that can be recovered. Alternatively, the process food waste can be upgraded to methane via anaerobic digestion. The Extension System may encourage policy makers and their staffers to register here for the event scheduled for Tuesday, August 16, 2022, at 11:00 AM ET. 

USDA Household Food Security Survey Webinar - NIFA will host a webinar, The Development of New Measures to Complement the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, on August 30, 2022, at 1 p.m. ET on the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). The intended audience are NIFA stakeholders including academics, practitioners, and decision makers working to prioritize nutrition security. And any organization that seeks to help their clients get access to healthful food and/or eat in a healthier way, including hospitals and non-profits concerned with public nutrition. Dr. Eric Calloway will explain that, while the definition of food security is holistic and nuanced, measurement has not traditionally been operationalized more fully. The Household Food Security Survey Module is the primary tool used to assess food security in the United States. For more details, click here. 

NIFA Conducts Live FAQ Session: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems - Small businesses, land-grant institutions, state controlled institutions of higher learning, and NGO's are eligible to apply for the AFRI-funded Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1712) program area priority. Those with interest are invited to attend a live FAQ event September 14, 2022, at 3 p.m. ET, to learn more about the program area priority and meet the NIFA team. The A1712 is designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events.