Cooperative Extension System Leadership Meets in Kansas City

Last week in Kansas City, ECOP received a visit from Dr. Manjit Misra, the director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA’s extramural funding agency in the Research, Education and Economics Mission Area. ECOP learned about Cooperative Extension influences in Dr. Misra's life and career. The latest draft of Strategic Directions 2023-2026 was approved. An operating budget for 2024 included $10,000 toward the formation of a Food System Viability and Market Access Program Action Team (PAT), working especially food loss and food waste. Dr. Ashley Stokes, University of Tennessee, will provide leadership for this new PAT.

NEDA Meeting Registration Status and Reminder - To date, there is a solid 40% rate of response by members of the Section to register at the Early-Bird rate for the National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting, October 10-12 in Tucson, Arizona. The link to register is https://neda.extension.org. Details are still evolving as to guest speakers and leadership learning sessions. Stay tuned for more information

2023 FALCON Conference - The First Americans Land-Grant Consortium (FALCON) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for its 19th Annual Conference, scheduled for October 13-15, 2023, at the Hilton Denver City Center, Denver, Colorado. The FALCON 2023 Agenda includes sessions in 1994 land-grant teaching, extension programs and research that benefit Native American students, communities, governments, and lands. There will be a strong student focus and tribal college students are especially invited to participate and present their work. The conference will also include a NIFA update, training workshops, information-sharing, and networking opportunities. To learn more and register, click: FALCON 2023 Registration. 

Course Available: Advancing Food Security for Military Families - Food security is a top priority for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Cooperative Extension is integral in helping military families become more food secure. Discover Extension professionals can work together to expand food security for military families in local communities with this timely course. Advancing Food Security for Military Families is a free, self-paced course developed by national food security expert Dr. Angela Odoms-Young. Share this professional development opportunity to expand capacity to support food security among the military families. Enrollment link: https://oneop.thinkific.com/courses/advancing-food-security-for-military-families

Non-Traditional Skill Development Collaboration

Video Recording: https://youtu.be/cbGkS_YETOo

Last Friday, May 5, 2023, members of 2 APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Sections, Academic and Cooperative Extension, convened to build the national dialogue for collaboration with 3 different learning audiences. The unique Learning for Leaders event covered:

• Youth Audiences - Extended learning opportunities for 4-H with college pathway development; 4-H projects for meaningful high school or college credit such as tech camps, and more.
• College Student Audiences - Summer and semester long Internships, undergrad scholar programs. Apprenticeships with stackable credentials leading to academic credentials that include students and adult learners.
• Adult Learners and Workforce Development - Continuing education, certifications, digital badging, micro- credentials. 

Examples of these innovations be found by reviewing the YouTube recording with these slides. Next steps in collaboration will be considered during summer leadership meetings.  

AFRI Education and Workforce Development RFP - AFRI Education and Workforce Development (EWD) funding focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. The range of awards is $20,000 - $750,000. The closing date is Thursday, December 7, 2023. There are various competitive funding opportunities available to the Extension System. To explore AFRI EWD, visit NIFA's website here.

Increasing Food Security for Military Families - OneOp is mobilizing family service professionals at federal, state, and local levels to focus on expanding food security for military family populations throughout the country with the 2023 Military Family Readiness Academy (MFRAcademy) call to action for Military Families and Food Security. An estimated 24% of our nation’s active-duty service members and their families are food insecure. Extension educators can help! The 2023 MFRAcademy is a multidisciplinary approach to alleviating food insecurity needs within the military family community. Please share this opportunity widely during the month of May when many states and non-profit organizations are celebrating National Military Appreciation Month. 

ECOP Welcomes New Members

Please welcome Carolyn Williams, Executive Associate Director, Prairie View A&M University, and Raymon Shange, Associate Dean and 1890 Extension Administrator, Tuskegee University, to the 15-member working board ECOP. The role of ECOP voting members is explained in full on page 2 of the ECOP operating guidelines. Dr. Williams, who previously served a term 2017-2022, is fulfilling an unexpired 4-Year term until the fall of 2024 and will devote additional time and effort to the ECOP Executive Committee Plan of Work. Dr. Shange, serving his first term ending the fall of 2026 will devote time and effort to the ECOP Professional Development Committee Plan of Work. Click the 2 national leaders' portraits to learn more. Thank you Carolyn and Raymon for your national leadership!

Carolyn Williams

  

Raymon Shange

 

Black History in the Making for Extension - One way to keep a pulse on growth and impact of 1890s Cooperative Extension programming all year long is to sign up to receive Extension Today, a monthly newsletter that highlights Cooperative Extension and provides updates across the 1890 land-grant system. Extension Today http://1890aea.org/extension-today-newsletter is published by the Association of Extension Administrators and the Marketing and Communications Committee. Contact communications@1890aea.org for more information or to join the mailing list. 

Still Time to Complete Census of Agriculture -The USDA National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) has extended data collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture through the spring of 2023 to ensure all farmers and ranchers take advantage of the opportunity to be represented in the widely used data. Everyone who received the 2022 Census of Agriculture and has not yet responded should be made aware it is not too late to be counted. The Partner Tools web page has materials to help with outreach, including social media tools, ads, brochures and more. NASS is grateful for the support and partnership with Cooperative Extension to share this information widely.

FREE Webinar Series on Food Insecurity & Military Families - Nearly 24 percent of America’s active-duty service members and their families are food insecure. Extension educators and other service providers have the ability to expand food security in the communities they support. OneOp’s Food Security in Focus collection offers free webinars listed at https://oneop.org/food-security-in-focus exploring the impact of food insecurity on military families. The webinars discuss how providers can best support the communities they serve. All webinars are virtual and free. Recordings will be available on demand. Programming topics include:
· Increasing children’s fruit and vegetable exposure
· Reducing food waste
· Helping clients inflation-proof their budget
· Connections between Medicaid, food security, and well-being
In addition to webinars, the collection offers engagement opportunities through a LinkedIn group and free continuing education credits from multiple credentialing agencies.

Census of Agriculture Response by June 30

From the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Extension Directors and Administrators are reminded that the 2022 Census of Agriculture is about people. Every survey response is essential by June 30, 2022. Ag census data informs policy, research, assistance programs, ag education, community development, and countless more decisions that ultimately affect farms and communities. From cattle ranchers to greenhouse and backyard growers and urban farmers to producers working thousands of acres, every ag producer needs to be represented. The ag census is a producers' voice, future, and opportunity. Find Partner Tools (i.e. brochures, FAQs, flyers, ads, website banners, etc.) for this Sign-Up to Be Counted phase and more on the NASS census page. Please check there regularly for additional/updated products. Contact: Jodi.halvorson@usda.gov.



Affordable Connectivity Program - As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden and Vice President Harris worked with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to create the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households $30/month off their internet bills, or $75/month on Tribal lands. To deliver maximum cost savings to families, the current administration has secured commitments from 20 leading internet providers to offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. Eligible families who pair their ACP benefit with one of these plans can receive high-speed internet at no cost. Fact sheet is available here and outreach materials are available at GetInternet.Gov



Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments Proposed Rule - Almost a year ago USDA announced that it would begin work on three proposed rules to support enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act, the law that protects poultry and hog farmers and cattle ranchers from unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive practices in livestock markets. Recently, Secretary Vilsack announced that the first of the three priority regulatory initiatives, the Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments proposed rule will be released. The proposed rule would revise the list of disclosures and information live poultry dealers (integrators) must furnish to contract poultry growers. The proposal would establish additional disclosure requirements in connection with the use of poultry grower ranking systems (tournaments) by live poultry dealers to determine settlement payments for poultry growers. The proposed rule is intended to promote transparency in poultry production contracting and to give poultry growers and prospective poultry growers relevant information with which to make business decisions. One of the disclosures in the proposed rule requires live poultry dealers to supply the contact information for the state university Extension service office or the county farm advisor’s office that can provide relevant information to the current or prospective poultry grower about grower costs and poultry farm financial management in the grower’s geographic area. A link to the proposed rule can be found here on the USDA website: Poultry Transparency proposed rule.



Food Supply Chain and Food System News from USDA - USDA announced details of a framework to transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers. The announcement also provides additional details on the June 2021 announcement to strengthen critical supply chains and address longstanding structural challenges that were revealed and intensified by the pandemic.



Free Online Social Justice Courses and Discussions Available - The 2022 Military Family Readiness Academy series focuses on individuals’ understanding of social justice and equity, including their own understanding of privilege and oppression. Three asynchronous courses and two panel discussions will equip family service providers with the skills to identify barriers that impact a family’s health and well-being and identify opportunities for social justice advocacy in their work. The Academy series will address the intersections between engaging a social justice mindset as a family service professional and the ability to support the well-being of diverse military families. Enrollment information can be found here.

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus on May 30. Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend.

The bipartisan report, Boots on the Ground: Land-grant Universities in the Fight Against Threats to Food and Agriculture, highlights the unique role of land-grant universities in safeguarding the Nation's food and agriculture and can be downloaded here. The report finds that land-grant universities can play a critical role in protecting the Nation’s food and agriculture, and details 15 specific recommendations to maximize their effectiveness. The report’s recommendations address the coordination of federal and Land-grant food and agro-biodefense efforts, early warning of threats to food and agriculture, and incorporation of Land-grant Universities into preparedness, response, and mitigation of biological events.



Funding Opportunity – Positive Youth Development - Among the AFRI Education and Workforce Development program areas, 2 brand new Special Workforce Development projects funded by the Farm Bill were recently announced. Extension Directors and Administrators and their assigns might wish to attend a webinar Friday, June 3, 2022, 2:30pm to 4:00pm ET, regarding RFAs for Youth Innovators Empowering Agriculture Across America (YEA) and Youth Innovators Empowering Agriculture Across America Coordinated Network (YEA-CN) projects. Projects must be fully integrated to include research, education, and Extension components. To see/download the new AFRI review criteria, click here. Applications are due August 4, 2022. To learn more about the Request for Applications, who to contact for more information, and register for the webinar, go to https://www.nifa.usda.gov/rfa-youth-innovators-empowering-agriculture-across-america-yea-webinar.

2022 Academy on Social Justice Kicks off June 1 - The kickoff of OneOp’s 2022 Military Family Readiness Academy on social justice for family well-being will be on June 1. The kickoff event will feature representatives from USDA/NIFA and DoD to welcome attendees and encourage participation in the 2022 Academy series. Both will also speak to the importance of this topic for providers, military service members, and their families. The 2022 Academy features high quality content with diverse and respected course authors and experts in subjects such as social justice, racial equity, identity formation, media representation, resilience, engagement through an antiracist lens, and building communities of belonging. Three FREE courses offer participants insight into myriad aspects of social justice such as examining history, community standards, prejudice and discrimination, institutional discrimination in organizations, and advocate for fostering well-being for military families. Each course offers an attendance certificate and/or continuing education credits from various credentialing agencies. Click here to RSVP for the kickoff and learn more. Courses will be available to access June 1 after the event.



Recap 2022 National Health Outreach Conference - More than 200 Extension professionals from across the country gathered in Kansas City, MO recently to participate in Cooperative Extension’s National Health Outreach Conference hosted this year by the University of Missouri. Keynote speakers include Salma Abdalla of the Boston University School of Public Health, Andrea Everett, Community Development Extension Agent of Prairie View A&M University, Sara Bleich of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and Dan Meers, mascot for the Kansas City Chiefs. Attendees engaged in their choice of 45 concurrent sessions and 30 poster presentations on such topics as coalition building, systems change, workforce development, immunization education, diabetes prevention, and food insecurity. Save the date for the next conference May 22-24, 2023, to be held in Ithaca, NY.

Climate Topic Learning for Leaders

Last Friday, 31 of the 76 members of the Cooperative Extension Section, plus 1, 1994 Extension Director participated in the Learning for Leaders organized by the ECOP Professional Development Committee. Participants learned about the national collaboration between National Extension Climate Initiative (NECI) grassroots effort and ECOP Program Action Team (PAT) grasstops effort on Climate programming. The 2 organizations are still recruiting while considering next steps to determining the role of Extension in Climate Resiliency. The 2 groups will work together to continually inform the Advocacy Toolkit on Climate Mitigation, Resiliency, and Adaptation. The recording of the session is available for review at https://youtu.be/Esd5gi90qZQ and slides with active links is found here. 

Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities - ECOP wants to assure that the Cooperative Extension Section is aware of this important development and funding opportunity. On Feb. 7, 2022, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits. USDA is now accepting project applications here for fiscal year 2022. A range of public and private entities may apply including Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education. Please note that the Notice of Funding Opportunity (page 11) specifically lists university Extension as eligible to apply. Grant deadlines are: April 8, 2022, for the first funding pool (proposals from $5 million to $100 million), and May 27, 2022, for the second funding pool (proposals from $250,000 to $4,999,999). 

Military Families Learning Network is Now OneOp - OneOp continues a tradition of free quality information and education for professionals helping military families. OneOp is a single-point-of-entry professional development resource for service providers. For more than 10 years OneOp has collaborated with DoD and the US Department of Agriculture to provide free and open-access learning opportunities within a full spectrum of family service subject areas. This long-standing DoD partnership allows OneOp to meet the professional development needs of service providers with programming that reflects complex and dynamic DoD priority areas. As a virtual organization with global reach, OneOp facilitates the connections and shared knowledge required of providers within DoD’s Military Family Readiness System. Please share this announcement, recommend bookmarking of the new website oneop.org, and connecting with OneOp on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Recap of 2022 Agricultural Outlook Forum - 5,900 people attended our 98th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum last month. In case you missed it, a recap is available using the links to speeches and slides embedded into the program here. This year’s event included: The release of the 2022 Outlook for the U.S. Ag Economy and Trade, Keynote address by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and discussion on China, and 25 sessions covering topics ranging from commodity outlooks and supply chain resilience to climate change adaptation and ag innovation.

The ECOP Calendar is updated frequently and found here. Contact Caroline Henney carolinecrocoll@extension.org if you have any questions. Thank you.