Beyond Ready: Laying the foundation for lifelong success.

Dr. Robert J. Jones (pictured left/above), Chancellor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, will address Cooperative Extension Leaders from across the system on Tuesday, September 17 at the Annual National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting neda.extension.org in Louisville, Kentucky. The keynote entitled Beyond Ready: Laying the foundation for lifelong success, will be presented during a dinner hosted by National 4-H Council and the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee. 

There are several other informative and leadership enrichment sessions to look forward to at this year's NEDA meeting themed Innovations & Disruptions: Strategies for Success. Register here by August 26, 2024 and save!

Secretary Vilsack Announces USDA and FFAR Innovation Challenge to Catalyze Agricultural Solutions - On June 11, the USDA and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) launched a global challenge to advance scientific research that will produce major breakthroughs for nutrition security while mitigating climate change impacts and advancing equity for underserved communities. The Nourishing Next Generation Agrifood Breakthroughs (Innovation Challenge) funding opportunity will fund transdisciplinary teams led by early-career scientists (those who have received a Ph.D. within the past ten years) to catalyze new discoveries and mobilize transformative research that simultaneously tackle our most important societal challenges. Applications found here are due Monday, July 29, 2024.



FY 2025 Appropriations: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture/FDA Markup Advances FY 2025 Bill - On June 11, the House Appropriations Agriculture/FDA Subcommittee held its markup for its fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations bill and advanced it to the full Committee on a party line vote. The bill text has been released along with accompanying summaries from both Republicans and Democrats. The markup devotes $1,714,850 to NIFA for FY 2025, $5M lower than FY 2024. The integrated category, which contains the Crop Protection and Pest Management line item, is flat funded. No line-by-line analysis is available, as of this writing.



Funding Opportunity from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service - USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service has announced a funding opportunity to support technical assistance to enhance the capacity of women farmers to participate in school meals value chains in one or two of the following three African countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. This opportunity is available to state cooperative institutions or other colleges and universities in the United States, as defined at 7 USC 3103. It is intended to enhance African women farmers’ capacity to participate in school meals value chains, through agricultural education following a Home Grown School Feeding program approach. For more information on this funding opportunity including application procedures, visit the funding notice on Grants.gov. Application deadline is August 9.

The National Office is closed on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 as APLU commemorates the Juneteeth Federal Holiday. The USDA AgLearn website makes available several resources about the historic, cultural celebration.  

Registration for Joint ESS/CES-NEDA 2022

Last Friday Cooperative Extension and the Agriculture Research Directors and Administrators received much-anticipated invitation to register for the Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting, September 25-28, 2022. Building Trust is the theme for the event to be held at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. This list of members of the Cooperative Extension Section and those with whom they delegate are urged to review the agenda and to register here for the first in person NEDA meeting since 2019. 

• The Cost to register for all Sessions, Sunday-Tuesday, September 25-27, is $600.
• The Cost to register for the bullet above and post-meeting sessions, Regional Association business, on Wednesday, September 28, is $750.

Either option includes the annual business meeting Tuesday, September 27, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.

• 1-hour Extension Foundation Meeting
• Networking Break
• 2-hour Cooperative Extension Section Business Meeting, presided by ECOP Chair Wendy Powers, University of California
  

Revisit the registration link after August 10 to book lodging. Listen to 90-second video promotion by keynote speaker, David Horsager, the Trust Edge - https://youtu.be/FjQC8pKXJkM. To register a travel companion for joint meeting meals served at the Marriott, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/392746684907. Direct questions to Ms. Jenn Tippetts at jennifer.tippetts@waaesd.org.

NRCS Releases Climate Change Adaptation Plan - USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has released a new Climate Change Adaptation Plan that works to ensure its programs and services meet the demands of the changing agricultural landscape for farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and land managers, and rural communities. The plan found here evaluates seven current vulnerabilities to NRCS’s mission, operation and infrastructure that may be affected by climate change and prioritizes key actions to address these vulnerabilities. 

Nominations for CARET Awards - The Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET), a voluntary organization of citizens cooperating with the Board on Agriculture Assembly, is seeking nominations for 2 types awards by September 15, 2022. At the March 2023 CARET/AHS Joint Meeting, the Lifetime of Service and the Meritorious Service Award will be presented to individuals who have been extraordinary in their service to CARET. The Lifetime Service Award is given to a longstanding CARET delegate who made significant contributions over many years and concluded their service to CARET. The Meritorious Service Award is given to an individual who has supported CARET and the overall Land-grant University community. Learn more about both awards here. Please submit nominations to fbethel@aplu.org by the deadline. 

FFAR Board Holds Public Conversation Next Month - The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) leverages public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation, and partnerships critical to boosting America's agricultural economy. The FFAR Board of Directors will host the Foundation’s annual Public Conversation on September 8, 2022, from 10:00-11:30 AM ET. This year’s event will be held in-person and virtual. The Public Conversation is an opportunity for the public and members of the food and agriculture community to hear from FFAR’s leadership and interact with them during the public comments and Q&A session. At this year’s event, meet FFAR’s incoming Executive Director, Dr. Saharah Moon Chapotin, learn about FFAR, and engage with the Board of Directors. Go here to register to attend the event and/or submit comments to FFAR in advance.