Virtual NEDA Meeting Breaks Record

Registration for this week’s National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting, Leading in a Time of Social, Economic and Political Disruption, September 23-24, 2020, has broken records of all previous years for face-to-face meetings. The average participation is 104 colleagues from 64 of a possible 76 land-grant institutions. At last count, there will be 154 participants from 71 universities participating this week! Last week everyone was invited to read materials posted in the "Prepare" menu (upper right) at neda.extension.org. Stay tuned to the ECOP Monday Minute for the release of meaningful outcomes from this historic meeting!

Communications and Marketing Roadmap Draft Framework Available for Review/Comment - The Board on Agriculture Assembly, Cooperative Extension, Experiment Station and Administrative Heads Sections has engaged Forbes Tate Partners to develop a new strategic communications plan roadmap. The draft of the initial framework of that roadmap includes an overview of the plan objective, strategy, a sample menu of potential tactics, and some information on best practices for the BAA to ultimately, fully realize and execute a plan. This outline is representative of what needs to be considered in developing the final plan and building a communications process – it is not intended to be the plan itself. As such, the message frames and communications tactics are examples, and are not meant to be exhaustive or exclude additional ideas. Rather, it is a guide that will allow the BAA to build a comprehensive, effective messaging effort to support its advocacy goals. Private comments on the draft can be sent to FT-BAA@forbes-tate.com. 

FANR Meetings Schedule During the APLU Annual Meeting - The 2020 APLU Annual Meeting will be held virtually. The office of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (FANR) continues to work on the agenda’s, minutes, speakers, and special events that are typically a part of the APLU Annual Meeting. Information on various meetings, some of which involves participation of Cooperative Extension Section membership, and events that are associated with the APLU Annual Meeting are located at this link. Invitation(s) to register coming soon from the FANR Office and the APLU Office of the President.

  

May 2021 National Urban Extension Virtual Summit - After discussion and thoughtful consideration, the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) has decided to postpone the May 2021 National Urban Extension Conference (NUEC), until May of 2022. Details on the 2022 NUEC will be forthcoming. In lieu of holding the conference face-to-face, NUEL will host a National Urban Extension Virtual Summit on May 18-20, 2021. Please save the dates! A detailed agenda and registration information will be released in early 2021.

Economic Development & Community Engagement RFP for 2021 Summer Meeting - Please Save the Date, June 14-16, 2021, and Submit Session Proposals for APLU’s 2021 CECE Summer Meeting, to be held in Pittsburgh, PA. Meeting registration will open in  January 2021. The theme is Maximizing Public Value through Partnerships and will allow Extension Directors and Administrators and their colleagues opportunities to reflect and strategize around how the “engagement” mission of public research universities can advance the economic and societal good in meaningful, intentional and substantive ways. The deadline for proposals is Friday, October, 2, 2020, 5:00 PM PST. Questions regarding the RFP process or the meeting may be directed to APLU’s Milan Ephraim.

NIFA Releases Projected FY21 RFA Publication Timeline - NIFA has released the Projected RFA Publication Timeline for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for non-AFRI competitive programs. These are target timelines only and are subject to change until the RFAs are published in Grants.gov. The current list applies to new RFAs, continuations, directed and multi-year solicitations. Bookmark this list and check back often for updates as target dates draw near. A new notification will signal when AFRI RFAs are added to the schedule. Questions regarding this timeline, should be directed to the NPL with the associated program or email policy@usda.gov.

NEDA Leadership Meeting Coming Up in September

Extension Administrators and Directors of the Cooperative Extension Section (CES) will gather for a joint meeting with the Experiment Station Section Directors on September 23-26 in Nashville, TN. The joint ESS/CES-NEDA meeting sessions will provide unique opportunities for professional development, collaborative learning and networking for the leaders of our national Cooperative Extension system. During a portion of this joint meeting, about 3 1/2 hours total, Extension leaders will also hold their annual CES Business Meeting and National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) meeting to focus on CES strategic priorities and the future of Cooperative Extension. The last time the 2 voting bodies of the Board on Agriculture Assembly met was September 2016. Registration and other details will be released in May 2019.

New Book Asks Can Extension Change? - The Innovation Imperative book was developed from a 2016 innovation report submitted to the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP). It is a collection of creative insights from 17 Cooperative Extension leaders and innovations from 12 land grant universities about 1. Innovation in leadership, 2. Innovation in learner engagement, 3. Positive change in Cooperative Extension culture, and 4. Innovation in hiring practices. The purpose of this book is to explore innovation, what it means to Extension, and how Directors and Administrators and their colleagues in leadership can innovate. For more information contact Paul Hill, paul.hill@usu.edu.

NUEC19 - Early Registration Ends Soon - Registration is now open, early-bird registration ends on Earth Day, April 22: https://sites.google.com/view/nuec2019/registration. Three, full-conference registration scholarships (value of $650) are being offered – deadline is tax day, April 15: https://sites.google.com/view/nuec2019/registration/scholarship-application.

• Conference includes: Over 150 presentations, 
• 6 Leading Edge Dialogue spotlight six critical issues facing our universities and our cities, 
• 10 Mobile Learning Workshops (filling up fast, don’t miss out), 
• Green Infrastructure working session and research tour. 

New CYFAR Sustainable Community Projects RFA Released - USDA-NIFA is pleased to announce the release of Requests for Applications (RFA) to fund new projects for the fiscal year 2019 Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Sustainable Community Projects. The mission of the CYFAR Grant Program is to marshal resources of the Land-grant and Cooperative Extension Systems so that, in collaboration with other organizations, they can develop and deliver educational programs that equip youth who are at risk for not meeting basic human needs with the skills they need to lead positive, productive, contributing lives. For the initial year, the maximum funding per grantee will be $80,000 for a single institutional applicant and for joint institutional applications the maximum funding allowed in the initial year is $160,000. Click Here for the RFA details. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, April 22, 2019.

Census of Agriculture Data Release Coming Soon - Please help NASS share these details about the upcoming Census of Agriculture data release on Thursday, April 11 at noon ET. The data will be available on the NASS website along with several census data highlight publications and videos, maps, and ranking tables. Additional products will follow throughout the year. NASS will host a live Twitter Ask the Census Experts Stat Chat (@usda_nass) for the public on Friday, April 12 at 1 p.m. ET. Pre-release informational videos are available HERE. Already preparing for the 2022 Census of Agriculture, NASS is currently asking for content change suggestions and for new farmers and ranchers to sign up to be counted in future censuses and surveys. 

eXtension Revamps Membership Structure

Beginning in 2019 there will no longer be two categories of Membership for eXtension, Premium and Basic. Key to this change was the Board of Directors' recent approval of a two-year budget through 2020. A strategic investment fund, the expansion of resources and revenue, and strong outlook for 2021 helped to inform the decision. The new membership model is meant to supply more Cooperative Extension Section institutions with professional development opportunities through the Impact Collaborative and equal access to the full range of benefits. New Members may immediately begin at no cost for the November and December 2018. Current Basic Members will be grandfathered into the new model without percentage increase for the next two years. Click here to read the full announcement. Contact CFO Peter Armodt peteraamodt@extension.org with questions about membership fees and COO Beverly Coberly beverlycoberly@extension.org about membership benefits.

Farm Stress Management Summit Opportunity - Michigan State University Extension is hosting the Farm Stress Management Summit to equip Extension professionals around the country with tools to work with farmers and to educate agribusiness stakeholders during stressful times. Join us in Lansing, Michigan, January 24-25, 2019, and learn to teach the Farm Stress Management curriculum that provides two workshops to help farmers manage stress and to help those who work with them learn techniques to connect farmers with resources. To learn more go to http://bit.ly/farm-stress-summit and/or join a 30 min. eXtension webinar with MSU Extension professional Suzanne Pish on November 9, at 2:00 p.m. ET.


Market Facilitation Program (MFP) Update - Extension Directors and Administrators should know that the MFP, administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency, provides direct payments to help corn, cotton, sorghum, soybean, wheat, dairy, hog, shelled almonds and fresh sweet cherries producers who have been directly impacted by illegal retaliatory tariffs, resulting in the loss of traditional exports. Payments are equal to the producer’s 2018 total production times 50 percent times the MFP rate. A second payment, if deemed necessary, may be issued using a different MFP rate. Producers may apply at a local FSA office or submit an application electronically either by scanning and emailing, or by fax. The deadline to apply for MFP is January 15, 2019. For more information about MFP, including payment rates and eligibility requirements, visit www.farmers.gov/MFP.

Deadline Reminder - November 21, 2018 is the deadline for proposals for presentations, workshops, posters, and panels for the 2019 National Urban Extension Conference (NUEC; Seattle, Washington, May 20-23, 2019).  Submissions with particular emphasis on abstracts that highlight research and/or outreach activities with partnerships between researchers, practitioners and Extension professionals are encouraged. See https://sites.google.com/view/nuec2019/Proposals for details.

NEDA Resources Now Available

Last week, Directors and Administrators of the Cooperative Extension Section met in Portland, Oregon to conduct business, contribute to national dialogue, and expand knowledge in their leadership roles at National, State and Local levels.
Archives of the Meeting may be found at http://bit.ly/CESpioneer

Gary Palmer, University of Kentucky, Mark Latimore, Jr., Fort Valley State University, and Ken La Valley, University of New Hampshire, engage in national dialogue on October 2, 2018. 

Top to bottom, L-R, October 2, 2018: Chuck Hibberd passes gavel to Ed Jones, incoming ECOP Chair. Ed Jones congratulates Chuck Hibberd, outgoing ECOP Chair. Recognitions included a clock presented to Fred Schlutt for service to ECOP 2013-2018. Chuck Hibberd thanks Fred Schlutt and Jo Britt-Rankin, for uncommon leadership for SNAP-Ed Initiative. Chuck Hibberd thanks Casey Mull, JCEP, for leadership engagement with ECOP. Chuck Hibberd expresses appreciation to Rachel Welborn, SRDC, for championing "Coming Together for Racial Understanding". Chuck Hibberd thanks Jennifer Sirangelo for proactive leadership on 4-H name and emblem and growth campaign. Chuck Hibberd thanks Patrick Proden, NUEL, for championing of Urban Extension. 

Candid photos of participants at NEDA during the reception of tastings by the Food Innovation Center and celebration dinner. 

Invitation to Present at the 2019 National Extension Conference on Volunteerism - Directors and Administrators are invited to share the request for proposals for the semi-annual National Extension Conference on Volunteerism (NECV); due October 31, 2018. Information can be found at http://necv.msuextension.org/rfa/index.html. NECV is designed for all Cooperative Extension professionals who manage volunteers as a part of their programs and will be held May 14-16, 2019 in Billings, MT. Those who are interested in developing a proposal may benefit from the 2017 NECV, see https://projects.ncsu.edu/mckimmon/cpe/opd/necv/pdf/presentationSummary.pdf.

National Urban Extension Conference Call for Proposals Announced - Washington State University and the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) are pleased to jointly announce a call for proposals for the National Urban Extension Conference on “Innovation in the City: A Land Grant University Experience,” which will be held in Seattle, Washington, May 20-23, 2019. The 2019 NUEC will focus on four core elements of building successful urban projects and programs: core competencies, subject matter expertise, personal experiences, and innovation. Proposals for presentations, workshops, posters, and panels for the 2019 Conference are encouraged with particular emphasis on abstracts that highlight research and/or outreach activities that involve partnerships between researchers, practitioners and Extension professionals. See https://sites.google.com/view/nuec2019/Proposals for details and act by November 21, 2018.

Rural Stress Conference December 10-12 - Directors and Administrators are invited to join representatives from across rural America to have a conversation, explore best practices, and learn from industry and academic experts. Speakers include Anne Hazlett, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, USDA. To learn more go to ruralstress.uga.edu.

Identifying Resources & Expertise Related to Broadband Access & Adoption

e-Connectivity is one of five priorities identified in the USDA Agriculture & Rural Prosperity Task Force Report released earlier this year. In order to support Cooperative Extension's capacity to effectively respond to this priority, a national team of Extension professionals, working in concert with the Regional Rural Development Centers, are conducting a survey (that has been sent to colleagues around the country) to better understand the e-connectivity resources and programs that exist within the System e-connectivity resources and programs that exist within the System. This information will help identify programmatic and educational gaps and guide the team’s efforts to collectively develop new resources and programs. Any Extension professional engaged in raising awareness of broadband, strategic planning, digital literacy or any such effort has been invited to respond at https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aasbkIsjv6aW0uh. Directors and Administrators are asked to share the survey with those in their organizations who have content expertise to add to the survey responses. The team lead on the survey design is Roberto Gallardo (robertog@purdue.edu), Purdue Center for Regional Development.


Leadership in the City Course for Urban Extension Professionals - The Leadership in the City 10-month comprehensive online professional development program prepares Extension professionals working in urban areas, to be relevant locally, responsive statewide, and recognized nationally. Participants will learn from experienced leaders; apply what they learn in their city, region, or state; engage in critical thinking and creative problem solving; and participate in online collaborative learning. Each competency-based module, developed with the assistance of eXtension Foundation, incorporates interactive digital delivery and the flipped classroom model for active learning and engagement. The deadline for registration ($500) is June 29, 2018. Class limit: 20 participants. If multiple participants from the same institute register, each are entitled to a $100 discount (Discount code: EITC18-100). The course begins August 3, 2018 and concludes with an in-person event at the 2019 National Urban Extension Conference (participation is optional and not included in this registration fee). For more details go to https://cityextension.osu.edu/leadership or contact Michelle Gaston at gaston.6@osu.edu.

eXtension Technologies: Looking to the Future - As eXtension grows the Impact Collaborative, it continues to offer technology that supports its members and the Cooperative Extension Service. eXtension is upgrading its tools to ensure the future of content for communities of practice (CoPs), provide CoPs greater flexibility and control of their content, and offer a domain structure with better marketability. A webinar will be offered at 2:00 PM EDT on June 27th, 2018 for CoP leaders and article contributors to share further plans and information. Read the full announcement here.


Last Chance to Respond to the 2017 Census of Agriculture - USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in a final push for response for the Census of Agriculture, asks Directors and Administrators to encourage farmers and ranchers, including landowners who lease land to producers, those involved in conservation programs, even those who may have received the Census and do not farm to submit to take action. Paper questionnaire deadline is June 15 and Census online deadline is the end of July. Improved in 2017, the online form is convenient and user friendly. To date, the national return is around 64 percent. Phone follow-up and personal interviews will continue through July. For more detail about the importance of the Census of Agriculture, check out and then share the latest press release and PSA from Secretary Perdue. For more information or for assistance with the questionnaire, producers can visit the website or call toll-free (888) 424-7828.

Culture of Health Partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: New Opportunity

 ECOP Monday Minute will return on June 5, 2017 following the observance of Memorial Day.

In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National 4-H Council announces an additional opportunity for Cooperative Extension land-grant universities (LGUs). This Pre-Award Request for Proposals (RFP) will identify one LGU to lead the professional development component for the five pilot program LGUs (to be selected by August 1). The selected LGU will provide integrated leadership for professional development activities, content and resources to be delivered in-person and virtually to build capacity among the "wave one" states, and for other LGUs wishing to prepare for "wave two" participation. The deadline for proposal submissions is June 30, 2017; 11:59 p.m. ET. The Professional Development RFP will be made available the week of May 22nd and can be accessed on National 4-H Council’s WebGrants platform. Click here to register for a live webinar on June 7, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. ET when participants will have a chance to ask questions about this exciting opportunity. For more information, contact National 4-H Council’s Director of Healthy Living Programs and Foundations, JoAnne Leatherman at jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu.

Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware and
Fred Schlutt, University of Alaska

Urban Extension Programming Showcased at Recent Conference - The University of Minnesota recently hosted the 2017 National Urban Extension Conference in Bloomington, MN. Extension professionals from all program areas shared their research and innovative educational strategies that address the needs of urban, suburban, and peri-urban populations as well as urban-rural inter-dependencies. National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) hosted a breakfast on the final day of the conference to engage participants in discussions about efforts that can be coordinated through NUEL regional caucuses. Regional caucus chairs will be contacting interested participants as a follow up. ECOP Chair Fred Schlutt, Past-chair Michelle Rodgers, and members Chris Boerboom and Bev Durgan were presenters. Congratulations to conference planning team and their Co-chairs Brent Hales, University of Minnesota, and Brad Gaolach, Washington State University, for the exceptional conference. Held biennially, the 2019 National Urban Extension Conference will be in Seattle. Follow on social media using #urbext, #NUEC19.


Communications and Marketing Project - The Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC) oversees the Communications and Marketing Project (CMP), a coordinated and targeted educational effort to increase awareness of the value of Land-grant University agriculture related programs, Agricultural Experiment Stations (AES) and Cooperative Extension Services (CES). The audience includes state citizens, community leaders, and institutional allies, with connections to identified congressional decision makers. Two consulting firms, kglobal and Cornerstone Government Affairs, are contracted to identify key targets and develop strategies to focus communication and education efforts. kglobal then implements targeted strategies via traditional media, grassroots engagement, grass-tops advocacy, digital, and social media AgricultureIsAmerica website (http://agisamerica.org/, Twitter, Facebook). In 2017, the CMP will engage in targeted educational endeavors to support the Board of Agriculture Assembly’s priorities, including: the “One Ask” ($200 million increase to NIFA priority areas: Smith-Lever, 1890’s Extension, Hatch, Evans-Allen, McIntire-Stennis and AFRI), Water, Healthy Food Systems and Infrastructure). The newest addition to this effort will be video shorts supporting the One Ask. Stay tuned!

Addressing Domestic and Global Food and Nutrition Security - APLU’s Challenge of Change Commission last week released its report, Harnessing University Discovery, Engagement, and Learning to Achieve Food and Nutrition Security. With support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly, APLU convened this commission last year to identify how public research universities can lead the way in addressing domestic and global food and nutrition security. The Challenge of Change Commission began with the understanding that public research universities – with their broad academic, research, and community expertise and experience – are uniquely positioned to address the complex and diverse challenges of food and nutrition insecurity. The strategy designed by the Commission includes all aspects of our food systems: production, nutrition, health, food safety and loss, economic costs, individual behaviors, and incentives – as well as societal factors affecting food availability, access and use. The report lays out an approach for stakeholders in government, business, and non-governmental organizations to work together with public research universities to achieve their shared goal of global food security. Learn more about the initiative and download the report at http://www.aplu.org/challengeofchange. Follow along on social media using #ChallengeOfChange.

eXtension Food Systems Fellowship - Encourage land grant professionals who are leaders in an area of the food systems spectrum to apply for a fellowship to lead the eXtension Food Systems Impact Collaborative. This is expected to be a one-year fellowship occupying .5-.7 FTE. Applications are due June 1, 2017.

ECOP Executive Director Search Update

The ECOP Executive Director Search Committee developed a position description, reviewed applications and conducted interviews in 2016. "The determination of the committee was to continue searching for an ECOP National Executive Director," says Fred Schlutt, Chair, University of Alaska. "We will be regrouping to determine a new direction. In the meantime, Fred Schlutt, ECOP Chair, the ED/A team along with Sandy Ruble will be performing of the duties ED. We are in final negations with a former Director of Extension to serve as Interim ED for 9 months or until a new National ED is identified." In the meantime, Fred Schlutt and the EDA Team will be performing ED the duties. Other members of the Committee are Doug Steele, Texas A&M University; Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware; Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska; Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University; Daryl Buchholz, Kansas State University; Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, and Robin Shepard, North Central Region Executive Director.

Lou Swanson,
Colorado State University

Swanson Joins ECOP - Lou Swanson, Vice President for Engagement and Director of Extension, Colorado State University joined the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) representing the Western Region in January 2017. Rich Koenig, Washington State University stepped aside to take on additional responsibilities in his state. ECOP is the representative leadership and governing body of Cooperative Extension nationwide and made up of 15 members, three from each of the five Cooperative Extension regions (1890 Institutions, North Central, Northeast, Southern, and Western).

Early-bird Registration for 2017 National Urban Extension Conference - The University of Minnesota will host the 2017 National Urban Extension Conference at the Radisson Blu located at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, May 8 – 11, 2017. Please use the following conference web link to register by March 17 to receive Early Bird pricing at https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/urbanextensionconference2017/index. Designed with the urban Extension educator in mind, the conference schedule is intently geared towards program faculty, administrators and staff including a rich line-up of keynote speakers, mobile learning opportunities, and informative and engaging poster, program and administrative track sessions and ignite talks weaved throughout the conference. Brent Hales, University of Minnesota, is Conference Chair and Brad Gaolach, Washington State University, is Conference Co-Chair.

eXtension Diversity and Inclusion Issue Corps - More than 40 teams representing 28 institutions have been selected for eXtension Foundation’s newly formed Diversity and Inclusion Issue Corps. The teams will meet in February for a Designathon workshop in which they will develop an issue response strategy through concept mapping and one-on-one mentoring from key informants. eXtension is recruiting key informants in areas of expertise specific to the needs of the Corps. https://extension.org/2017/01/05/diversity-inclusion-issue-corps-designathon-planned-for-february/

2017 National Extension Conference on Volunteerism: April 10-13, 2017; Asheville, NC - Designed for Cooperative Extension professionals who manage volunteers; the workshops, keynote presentations, poster sessions, lightening talks, and super seminars provide specific strategies for optimizing the benefits of the program for the volunteer, for the manager and for Extension. For registration and more Information: https://go.ncsu.edu/necv

• Early Bird Registration ends on 2/28/17 - $275 
• Standard Registration on 3/1/17 and ends on 3/15/17 - $325 
• One day only Registration - $150 
• 4-H Specialists Pre-Conference Registration (lunch included) - $60 
• EMGV (Master Gardner)  Pre-Conference Registration (lunch not included) - $25 

Please promote this opportunity to focus on volunteer development and program management.

ECOP Meets This Week in WY

ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, welcomes ECOP members to a face-to-face meeting at Jackson Lake Lodge, WY, in conjunction with the Joint ESS-CES/NEDA meeting September 19-21. As ECOP provides national leadership to benefit state and local Extension programming, key discussions are based on ECOP 2016 goals related to innovation, national system, private resource mobilization, and urban programming. Thanks to the work of the ECOP Budget Task Force, Jimmy Henning, Chair, University of Kentucky, ECOP will consider approval of a balanced budget for 2017. Further, the agenda includes discussion with USDA-NIFA, possible next steps on civil discourse for community safety programming, and ECOP emphasis areas for 2017. Watch the ECOP Monday Minute for reports of actions. 

Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin, &
Gary Thompson, Penn State University

ECOP and ESCOP Budget and Legislative Committees to Connect in WY – ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC) Chair Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin, and ESCOP BLC Chair Gary Thompson, Pennsylvania State University, combine efforts of the two committees Tuesday, 9.20.16, at Jackson Lake Lodge, WY. The primary purpose is to engage in a conversation about how the two committees can work most effectively together to advance advocacy for federal appropriations and authorizations. Priorities for 2018 farm bill preparation also are on the agenda for discussion. 

James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, &
Albert Essel, Lincoln University

Next Farm Bill Focus of Workshop – The ECOP Farm Bill Coordinating Committee co-chaired by James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Albert Essel, Lincoln University, will engage with others in facilitating a workshop Tuesday, 9.20.16, as part of the ESS-CES/NEDA meeting in Wyoming on New Ideas and Key Changes for Federal Authorization. The purpose of the two-hour workshop is NOT to set priorities, instead it is to identify through a facilitated process some concepts for potential authorization of interest to directors/administrators of Cooperative Extension and Experiment Stations. It is expected the results of the discussion will be considered at the October 3-4, 2016 meeting of the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Committee on Legislation and Policy in Washington, DC. 

Celvia Stovall, Alabama A&M University, &
Mike O'Neill, University of Connecticut

Orientation for New Directors/Administrators on Agenda Today – ECOP Personnel Committee co-chairs Celvia Stovall, Alabama A&M University, and Mike O’Neill, University of Connecticut, helped plan the ESS/CES New Director/Administrator Orientation 9.19.16 to precede the ESS-CES/NEDA Joint Meeting in WY. Stovall will moderate the panel discussion based on core competencies for leadership in Extension and research, dealing with the political realities of these top positions, and highlighting state-level ESS and CES collaboration to achieve results. 

Urban Conference Proposals Due 9.30.16 – Proposals for the 2017 National Urban Extension Conference, “Engaging in Collective Purpose”, are due the end of this month. The conference in metropolitan Minneapolis, MN, May 8 – 11, 2017 will include presentations and applied research on urban programs with impact along with how to position your Extension office or program in your urban community, how you attract and retain personnel in highly competitive environments, and creative and effective partnerships. See https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/urbanextensionconference2017/call-for-proposals. 

Cultural Competency Workshop – Those attending NAE4-HA http://www.nae4ha.com/2016-national-conference are encouraged to add the daylong pre-conference on Sunday 10.9.16 to professional development plans. The topic Towards Cultural Competency - Tools for the Journey Towards Cultural Competency is designed for Extension professionals to increase proficiency in navigating ever increasing global communities. Models and theories will be presented that can guide work with others in cross cultural interactions with applications for both personal and professional relationships. An additional registration fee is required for the pre-conference.

Urban Conference Proposals Due 9.30.16

ECOP Monday Minute will return on 8.29.16. 

The University of Minnesota Extension and the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) announce a call for proposals for the National Urban Extension Conference on Engaging in Collective Purpose in Bloomington, Minnesota, May 7-11, 2017. For details, see https://t.co/hSXJ4v5wWM. The conference website is https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/urbanextensionconference2017/index. Extension professionals from all program areas can share research and innovative educational strategies that address the needs of urban, suburban, and peri-urban populations as well as urban-rural interdependencies. Journey for Diversity and Human Rights, a three-day tour designed for community leaders and educators, will take participants to the places that history has marked as pivot points in the state’s judgements on collective values and their effects on the state’s original peoples, workers, women, and communities. ECOP member Chris Boerboom, North Dakota State University, is the liaison to NUEL. An ECOP 2016 priority is to enhance Extension urban programming while maintaining a strong presence in rural places. 

Growth Plan for eXtension Communities – The eXtension Foundation Board of Directors chaired by Dennis Calvin, Pennsylvania State University, directs your attention to the new eXtension Growth Plan for eXtension Communities of Practice and Learning Networks. The plan supports the new eXtension focus on issues, innovation and impact. Work addresses one or more county, area, state or national levels and is designed to garner program visibility and measurable impact. Existing communities can build upon established resources, keep what is working, retire low impact activity, and experiment with establishing new cohorts as a complete community or segments of an existing community. They will have the opportunity to narrow their focus on a county, state or national issue and leverage i-Three Issues Corps strategies. New communities can begin as an Issue Corps cohort and leverage existing eXtension publishing tools and services. 

4-H Science Day $50,000 Award Letters of Intent Due 9.2.16 – The deadline is fast approaching to express interest in creating the 2017 4-H engineering challenge. 4-H National Headquarters at USDA-NIFA and the National 4-H Council invite Cooperative Extension faculty and staff at all land-grant universities to submit a proposal detailing an innovative engineering design challenge for youth to conduct during the 2017 4-H National Youth Science Day. The winning application will receive a $50,000 award. The 2017 subject area focus is "wearable technology." To apply, go to http://grants.4-h.org/index.do. Letters of intent are due on September 2. Top applicants will be notified on September 12 and asked to submit a full application by October 28. Direct questions to 4HNYSD@4-H.org. 

Food and Agriculture Sciences Nominations Due 10.3.16 – Mid-career Extension professionals are encouraged to review requirements for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) award provided in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Beginning in 2017, the new $100,000 prize will recognize one annual mid-career recipient for an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production. The prize is endowed in perpetuity. For details, see Learn More | How to Nominate. 

USDA State Fact Sheets – The USDA Economic Research Service has updated its data sets on population, income, education, employment, federal funds, organic agriculture, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, top commodities, and exports for each state in the United States. Some county-level data also is available. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets.aspx.

2017 Urban Extension Conference in MN

  

May 8-11, 2017 are the dates for the next National Urban Extension Conference at Radisson Blu https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/urbanextensionconference2017/index, Mall of America, Bloomington, MN. The conference will feature presentations, workshops, local tours, networking, and an evening at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. A call for proposals will be coming soon. Questions can be directed to 612-625-5425. The conference is hosted by University of Minnesota Extension, Bev Durgan, Director and ECOP member. 

Immigrant Youth and Families Survey Due 8.31.16 – The USDA-NIFA Vulnerable Populations Immigrant Youth Champions Work Group requests your assistance in distributing The State of 4-H’s Engagement with Immigrant Youth and Families online survey to all Extension professionals, both state and local. The brief survey will assist the working group in identifying the professional development needs and strengths of Extension professionals in order to successfully recruit, engage and sustain the participation of immigrant youth and families in the 4-H Youth Development Program. The term "immigrants" (or "foreign born") refers to people residing in the United States who are not U.S. citizens at birth. Second generation immigrants are U.S. born children of immigrants (with at least one foreign-born parent). The survey is available at https://agrilife.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2au3j3obDmZk3UF. Direct questions to Fe Moncloa at fxmoncloa@ucanr.edu. 

USDA-NIFA Temporarily Suspends POW Updates – All 1862 and 1890 Research and Extension institutions do not need to submit updates to five-year Plans of Work (POW) in FY 2017 and FY 2018. This means that the 2018 – 2022 POW will not be due on 4.1.17 and the 2019-2023 POW will not be due on 4.1.18. For details, see https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/asset/document/FY2017%20and%20FY2018%20POW%20Suspension%20Memo.pdf. Integrated Annual Reports of Accomplishments and Results will still be due from each state in FY 2017 and FY 2018. The 2016 Annual Report is due 4.1.17. The 2017 Annual Report is 4.1.18. 

2017 4-H National Youth Science Day – 4-H National Headquarters at USDA-NIFA and National 4-H Council invite Cooperative Extension faculty and staff at all land-grant universities to submit a proposal detailing an innovative engineering design challenge for youth to conduct during the 2017 4-H National Youth Science Day. The land-grant university that submits the winning application will receive a $50,000 award. The 2017 subject area focus is "wearable technology." To apply, go to http://grants.4-h.org/index.do. Letters of intent are due 9.2.16. Top applicants will be notified on September 12th and asked to submit a full application due October 28th. Direct questions to 4HNYSD@4-H.org. 

House Ag Committee Hearing on SNAP-Ed – Jo Britt-Rankin, University of Missouri; Cornerstone Government Affairs; the Land-grant University SNAP-Ed Program Development Team (PDT), and the ECOP National Office worked collaboratively to provide the Extension perspective at a recent hearing. For an overview of the hearing, see http://agriculture.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=3433. Britt-Rankin’s testimony is at http://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/britt-rankin_testimony.pdf with the video archive of the entire hearing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkRS_Os65z4. The House Ag press release is at http://agriculture.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3445. Pat Bebo, Ohio State University and a member of the PDT, also provided written testimony which is part of the public record.

ECOP Working for You

ECOP Working for You – ECOP Chair Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, hosted ECOP members, liaisons and guests last week in Charleston, SC. Discussion topics focused on private-public fund development, follow-up to a NIFA-CES Retreat, linkages with the National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research and other partners, involvement with new requirements for SNAP-ED, public release of the impacts database, launching of the Cooperative Extension Innovation Inventory project, and recommendations for additional representation on the NEW eXtension Foundation Board of Directors. Watch the ECOP Monday Minute for details. 

ECOP Chair Delbert Foster, front left, and ECOP Chair-elect Michelle Rodgers, front right,
are joined by ECOP members, liaisons, and guests at the ECOP meeting
March 17-18, 2015 in Charleston, SC.

Food Safety Opportunities for Extension Education – See http://goo.gl/VSpq8F for a webinar invitation from the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) 11:00 a.m. – Noon ET, Thursday, April 30, 2015. The focus will be on how Cooperative Extension can become involved in helping small businesses prepare for and comply with regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act. Registration is required. Questions can be directed to Dawn Johnson djohns39@iit.edu.

USDA Releases Plant Breeding Roadmap – USDA’s Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) thanks stakeholders for input on the new Plant Breeding Roadmap http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-roadmap-plant-breeding.pdf. It was developed by the interagency USDA OCS Plant Breeding Working Group (PBWG), including ARS, NIFA, ERS, FS, and NRCS, and draws on extensive stakeholder input. Plant breeding is one of agriculture’s most effective tools for adapting to new circumstances. It will be a key component in ensuring versatility and adaptability of agriculture systems, through plants bred for adaptation and productivity in conditions more variable than in the past, with many other characteristics such as pest resistances, cooking qualities, and nutritional value. 

Inform Extension’s Urban Agenda – The National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) are dedicated Extension professionals advancing the strategic importance and long-term value of urban Extension platforms. NUEL has a 13-member steering committee including representatives from eleven 1862 and one 1890 land-grant institutions. NUEL is creating a national urban agenda for Extension to be more relevant and resilient in our urban and suburban communities. NUEL has begun to create a national urban Extension network where Extension faculty and staff can share ideas and resources to help implement and refine creative programs aimed at solving our nation’s pressing urban issues. NUEL invites you to the 2015 National Urban Extension Conference and to a meeting to set the national agenda on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. at the Ravinia Ballroom http://www.nuelaction.org/. 

National 2015 Extension Awards Due June 1 – ECOP and USDA-NIFA announces the 2015 nomination process for the national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is June 1st. Regions are subject to announcing earlier deadlines for their purposes. CLICK HERE for contact information by Region. For details and to access the online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandy.ruble@extension.org, ECOP Staff Associate. 

USDA-NIFA RFA Release Dates – For those who have asked about the general timeframe for RFA releases, Paula Geiger of USDA-NIFA’s Budget Office recommends referencing the end of the FY 2016 Explanatory Notes http://www.obpa.usda.gov/19nifa2016notes.pdf. AFRI appears on pages 19-114, where it states: “The Expected FY 2016 RFA Publication Dates for AFRI are 9/1/2015 through 12/31/2015.” Other competitive programs begin on page 19-120, and run through the end of the document with various estimated RFA dates for many other competitive programs. These are general guidelines. Applicants are reminded that plans change as situations change.