Member Feedback at Work

A huge THANK YOU to the leadership of the Extension Directors and Administrators Regional Associations for collecting feedback and to all those who contributed to help improve the "Monday Minute." Note that the subject line of the click-through email message will now be, “Extension (ECOP) Monday Minute – (date).” National Office Executive Director Bill Hoffman worked with APLU's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software system experts to help standardize the title, which is something members of the Section asked for. He will also examine the analytics data to help ensure message delivery. If Bill's messages from APLU like the ECOP Monday Minute land in “other” inboxes or spam folders, please let him know.

LEAD21 Application Period Open Until November 15, 2023 - The LEAD21 program has released its call for applications to formulate class #20. The primary purpose of LEAD21 is to develop leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners who link research, academics, and extension to lead more effectively in an increasingly complex environment, either in their current position or as they aspire to other positions.




FREE Urban Agriculture Funding Conference - The three part Generating Research Opportunities Workshop (GROW) for Urban Agriculture Conference will begin in early November. This is a virtual conference for researchers, extension professionals, educators, and stakeholders designed to build interdisciplinary teams and support their efforts to secure funding for research, extension, and education (REE) that supports and expands urban agriculture.

• Phase I is November 1-3, 2023. This virtual session will focus on connecting participants with similar research, extension and education interests.
• Phase II will run from November 4, 2023, to January 16, 2024. Teams will work independently on developing interdisciplinary funding proposals.
• Phase III is January 17-19, 2024. This virtual session will provide an opportunity for teams to share their proposals with mock grant review teams to get feedback, and then provide an opportunity for the team to work on suggested revisions.

There is no cost for this conference, but registration is required.




USDA Announces $3 Billion for Agricultural Producers and Forest Landowners - On September 28, USDA announced an additional $3 billion in funding for agricultural producers and forest landowners nationwide to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices in fiscal year 2024. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is increasing Climate-Smart Agricultural and Forestry Mitigation Activities eligible for Inflation Reduction Act funding for fiscal year 2024 through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Additionally, NRCS is expanding the national priority areas eligible for Inflation Reduction Act funding for Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP) easements. Interested producers should contact their local NRCS office and apply as soon as possible.




USDA Launches Program to Support Agricultural Employers and Farmworkers, Aiming to Increase Economic and Supply Chain Resilience - USDA has announced agricultural employers can begin to apply for a pilot program designed to improve the resiliency of the food and agricultural supply chain by addressing workforce challenges farmers and ranchers face. USDA, in coordination with other federal agencies, is announcing up to $65 million in grants available for the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program. The deadline for agricultural employers to apply for this program is November 28, 2023.
     The program will help address workforce needs in agriculture, promote a safe and healthy work environment for farmworkers, and aims to support expansion of lawful migration pathways for workers, including for workers from Northern Central America, through the Department of Labor’s seasonal H-2A visa program. Read more here.