NEDA Begins Today

The 2018 NEDA and Cooperative Extension Section (CES) Business Meeting begins today in Portland Oregon! To date there are 96 individuals from 50 States/US Territories/District of Columbia, with 60 of the 76 Section Member institutions gathering in Portland. To kick off the event participants are asked to:

• Review the sessions and links to materials listed in the online Program before arriving. 
• Voting members of the CES are asked to review the suggested changes to the Rules of Operation, the proposed 2019 CES Budget, and Calendar. 
• Begin reading background materials at www.bit.ly/CESpioneer. (List will be updated throughout the meeting.) 

Former ECOP Member Tim Cross,
University of Tennessee.

Tim Cross is the 2018 ESP Ruby Award Winner - Epsilon Sigma Phi’s most prestigious level of recognition, the Distinguished Service Ruby award, is designed to recognize outstanding leadership, innovative thinking and sustained exceptional performance across a lifetime of career service in Extension. Former ECOP Member Tim Cross, Chancellor-University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture, will accept the 2018 Epsilon Sigma Phi Distinguished Service Ruby award on Tuesday, October 2nd. To experience his presentation, "To Every Extension Program There is a Session," at 12:15 p.m. Central Time, register for this event at https://epsilonsigmaphi.wildapricot.org/event-3072323/Registration and a link will be provided.

Extension Community Nutrition Education Visioning Web Retreat - The SNAP-Ed Program Development Team (PDT) has developed a framework to help prepare us as a Land Grant System to meet the challenges and opportunity for our collective work in limited resource nutrition education. This on-line, 2-hour retreat is intended to facilitate discussion to strengthen nutrition programming through shared expertise, state agency relationships, financial accountability and collective evaluation. SNAP-Ed and EFNEP leaders are invited to this event that will occur on October 26, 2018, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET. Directors and Administrators are asked to encourage participation and registration by October 19, 2018 through this link Extension Community Nutrition Education Visioning Web Retreat Registration. A link and passcode will be received by email after registration. After an initial overview of PDT committee chairs, participants will be randomly assigned into discussion rooms with 10-12 people and a facilitator.

Caroline Crocoll, USDA-NIFA

Caroline Crocoll Receives Board on Human Sciences 2018 Ellen Swallow Richards Public Service Award - Caroline E. Crocoll, Director of the Division of Family and Consumer Sciences at the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), who currently represents NIFA on the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee, is the winner of the Ellen Swallow Richards Public Service Award. The Board on Human Sciences award honors a nationally-recognized leader who has a significant history of promoting and advancing the human sciences. As Director of the Division of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) at NIFA for the past eight years, Crocoll has demonstrated a dedication to creating and facilitating a national agenda for human and community sciences research, education and Extension programs to promote the well-being of families and rural communities. She has served the Extension community at the county, state and federal level in FCS and 4-H since 1993. She is currently the Chair of the Alliance for Family & Consumer Sciences, past Foreign Agricultural Service and State Department Embassy Science Fellow, Corporation for National and Community Service National Service Fellow, and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute focusing on Leadership in a Democratic Society.


Agricultural Resource Management Survey Participation Opportunity - National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) requests cooperation in alerting growers to an upcoming survey opportunity. In the next few weeks, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) representatives may contact corn, soybean and/or peanut growers to participate in the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). ARMS is the only USDA survey that assesses farm production practices and resource use, and the economic well-being of America’s farm businesses and households. This is an opportunity to have a voice heard! If a grower is contacted, encourage them to provide input on their nutrient and fertilizer use, tillage practices, and pest management practices, as well as production costs for soybean farmers. Thank you for your cooperation in encouraging grower participation! To learn more about this survey opportunity, visit: www.nass.usda.gov/go/arms. To learn more about this survey and its benefits, go to: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/08/30/nass-economic-data-help-farmers-and-those-who-support-and-serve-them

2018 Top Honors in Extension

Ron Cox,
Oklahoma State University

Lesia Oesterreich,
Iowa State University

On November 11 in New Orleans at the APLU Annual Meeting the Cooperative Extension Section and USDA-NIFA will recognize the following for visionary leadership and diversity in educational programming.

--> National Diversity in Extension Award: Ron Cox, Oklahoma State University, for the leadership and impact of ¡Unidos Se Puede!
(United We Can!), the comprehensive approach to programming, collaboration tactics, and potential for the program to expand to other states.

--> National Excellence in Extension (EiE) Award: Lesia Oesterreich, Iowa State University, for innovative educational partnerships and programming with vulnerable families and early childhood education professionals.
     -- 1890 Region EiE Award: Jason de Koff, Tennessee State University.
     -- North Central Region EiE Award: Joe Luck, University of Nebraska.
     -- Northeast Region EiE Award: Molly Donovan, University of New Hampshire.
     -- Southern Region EiE Award: Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma State University.

L-R: Jason de Koff, Tennessee State University; Molly Donovan, University of New Hampshire;
Joe Luck, University of Nebraska, and Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma State University.

CLICK HERE to read entire article and to learn more about future nominations go to www.aplu.org/CESAwards.


Inspire Kids to Do STEM With 2018 4-H National Youth Science Day - Now in its eleventh year, 4-H NYSD was created by National 4-H Council, USDA-NIFA and Cooperative Extension to ignite an early interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among young people. The 2018 National Youth Science Day challenge, Code Your World, co-developed by West Virginia University Extension Service and Google, is a four-part challenge that teaches kids ages 8-14 to apply computer science to the world around them through hands-on activities. Code Your World is easier than ever to facilitate, with each kit including a computer-based activity on Google’s CS First platform and three unplugged activities that bring coding to life through games and interaction. The national NYSD celebration kicks off October 1, and coding events can take place throughout the month of October. Click here to purchase NYSD kits and inspire kids to do STEM this fall.


Registration for the Impact Collaborative Summit Extended to September 27 - More than 160 professionals including Key Informants, teams from 26 eXtension member institutions, and external partners will be joining us at the Summit on October 16-18, 2018 in Indianapolis, IN. The deadline is extended it until September 27 to accommodate any remaining teams that still wish to attend. Five free registrations are offered to premium member institution teams, and 3 free registrations are offered to basic member teams. Community partners are welcome. The purpose of this Summit is to guide project and program teams from your institutions through the Impact Collaborative Innovation Process and send them home with a project or program better informed by Key Informants and capacity-building Partners that is ready to be implemented at their institutions or within their communities. Learn more and register here.

Extension Serves as Outreach Leader for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Program - The CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity is pleased to announce funding to 15 land-grant universities across the country through the High Obesity Program (HOP)--CDC-RFA-DP18-1809. The land-grant universities will leverage community extension services to increase access to healthier foods and opportunities for physical activity in counties that have more than 40% of adults with obesity. Since 2014, CDC has funded land-grant universities to work with existing county Cooperative Extension and outreach services in predominantly rural areas that have less access to healthy foods and fewer opportunities to be physically active. The High Obesity Program has demonstrated communities’ progress to improve access to healthy foods and physical activity across different settings. Please email DNPAOPolicy@cdc.gov if you have any questions about this announcement.

Tradition With a Twist: 2018 NEDA

Ecotrust is the venue for ECOP passing of the gavel on Oct. 2 in Portland, Oregon.

Beginning this year ECOP will conduct the traditional "passing of the gavel" at NEDA instead of at the APLU Annual Meeting. On Oct. 2 NEDA registrants will be transported from the Embassy Suites Downtown Portland to Ecotrust. Upon arrival everyone will enjoy a reception of "tastings" specially prepared by the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center (FIC) Agricultural Experiment Station, a resource for client based product and process development, packaging engineering and shelf life studies, food safety, and consumer sensory testing. During the catered dinner program, Chair Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska will share successes and appreciation, pass the gavel to Ed Jones, Virginia Tech, and be honored for his leadership. Guests traveling to Portland with NEDA attendees may register for this special event by September 24 at http://www.cvent.com/d/0gqxkw. Contact Sandy Ruble sandyruble@extension.org for more info.

JOE Special Issue Guest Editors starting top left: Ken La Valley, University of New Hampshire; Eli Sagor, University of Minnesota; Debby Sheely, University of Rhode Island; Jerry Thomas, Ohio State University; Nathan Meyer, University of Minnesota, and Terry Meisenbach, eXtension Foundation, Inc.

Journal of Extension Special Issue on Innovation - From the editors: "Cooperative Extension’s innovative and connected educators have been developing and promoting contemporary, practical education to meet the country’s needs for more than 100 years. As we look ahead to Extension’s next century, we must consider the myriad factors that will influence our continued work with communities to address the nation’s most complex challenges. This is especially true as we consider Extension’s changing audience, people of all walks of life in urban and rural communities. This Special Issue on Innovation reaches across the Extension system to mine our colleagues’ innovative practices. We invite you to use this compilation of 22 articles from across the Extension system as a resource to innovate your own programming, a charge to think differently, and a source of new colleagues with whom to collaborate."

Share Impact Collaborative Summit Registration by 9/20/18 - eXtension is bringing partners to the Summit for Extension project and program teams. The deadline to register is September 20, 2018. To fuel project advancement, eXtension is engaging and involving important Cooperative Extension external partners at the Impact Collaborative Summit. The Summit is October 16-18, 2018 in Indianapolis, IN. Partners will be on-site to offer coaching, advice, and advise participants on alignment with potential collaboration for funding. Partners that attendees can expect to work alongside include Family Foundations, Community Foundations, United Way, Philanthropy Serving Organizations, USDA, Rural LISC, Agricultural Leadership Programs, Crowdfunding Platforms, and more! One of the benefits of the Summit is to help expand the capacity of project and program teams with new partners. Click here to learn more and register.

Collaboration with NRCS - On Friday, September 14, 2018 members of the Cooperative Extension Section and Jeff Jacobsen representing Experiment Stations conversed with Jimmy Bramblett, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Deputy Chief for Programs, Sharif Branham, Director of Conservation Planning and Technical Assistance Division, and Amanda Schaller, Conservation Technical Assistance. To review the conversation, please use the following links:
    Recording: https://youtu.be/PiaACT3Mibo
    PowerPoint: Collaboration with NRCS
    Questions/Comments: ecopblog@gmail.com

Next Generation Extension - Learning for Leaders: Collaboration With NRCS

ECOP Chair Chuck Hibberd (L) and 1890s Region Executive Administrator,
Albert Essel (R) presenting during CES/ESS/USDA-NRCS Meeting, Ft. Collins, 8/15/18.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Land-grant University Cooperative Extension and Experiment Station Sections have worked collaboratively for decades on issues important to natural resource conservation, profitability of agricultural and natural resource enterprises and quality of life. Leaders from these three organizations from across the country met in Fort Collins, Colorado on August 14-15 to discuss potential strategies for how future collaboration can be even stronger. Meeting participants identified natural resource issues and functional and organizational initiatives to improve local, state and national partnerships across these three organizations. To learn more, go to the message to the Cooperative Extension Section dated 8/28/18. SAVE THE DATE: A special edition of Next Generation Extension - Learning for Leaders is scheduled for 3-4:00 p.m ET on Friday, September 14 for Directors and Administrators to have a conversation with NRCS. Connection details will be included in the invitation to attend.


Calls to Action In Review - Directors and Administrators are encouraged to view to the recorded conversation from last Friday, September 7 when Members of the Section conversed with ECOP Chair Chuck Hibberd, ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee Chair Jon Boren, CES Representative to Committee on Legislation and Policy, and Cornerstone Government Affairs' Hunt Shipman about how to make calls to action more effective. Please send questions and requests for more information to ecopblog@gmail.com.
     Recording: https://youtu.be/1u84ViHZO-s
     Important links to remember: www.agisamerica.org and www.land-grant.org
     PowerPoint: Calls to Action
     Survey Summary: Results


NEDA Registration Fee Increase - TODAY is the last day to register at the rate of $350 to attend the 2018 NEDA and Cooperative Extension Section Business Meeting, October 1-3. Also, the Embassy Suite Hotel Room Block, $224/night, expires today, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Go to http://www.cvent.com/d/0gqxkw for more information.

2018 EDEN Annual Conference - EDEN's Annual Meeting is taking place October 16th-19th in College Station, Texas. This meeting will celebrate the 24th anniversary of EDEN, a collaborative multistate effort by extension services across the country to improve the delivery of services to citizens affected by disasters. EDEN Annual Meeting Committee and local Texas hosts are preparing to make this meeting the most impactful meeting yet. The meeting is an opportunity for collaboration by providing a forum where important issues and big ideas can be discussed. Breakout sessions, panel discussions and keynote speakers will provide a glimpse into disaster programming throughout Extension. See https://eden.lsu.edu/educate/resources/2018-annual-meeting-college-station-texas/?tab=menu-registration for registration. Hotel information is included in the registration link. 

L-R: Co-facilitators Cathy Howard, Virginia Commonwealth University's Vice Provost,
Eric Barron, Penn State's President, and with panelists Jeff Alexander, RTI International,
Debbie Hughes, Business-Higher Education Forum, and Doug Steele incoming APLU
VP of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources at APLU, September 5, 2018

Cooperative Extension Involved in the CEO-CICEP Policy Briefing - The APLU CEO-CICEP (Council on Engagement and Outreach/Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity) Public Policy Working Group, including Stephan Goetz from the Northeast Regional Rural Development Center, has prepared a set of federal- and university-level policy imperatives in Advancing University-engaged Economic and Societal Prosperity. The imperatives address five key national priorities in advancing economic and social prosperity: 1. Build a thriving rural America. 2. Meet the demands for 21st century talent through workforce development. 3. Secure American leadership in advanced manufacturing. 4. Stimulate and accelerate university-based innovation and entrepreneurship. 5. Foster equitable, inclusive economic opportunity and mobility. On September 5, Doug Steele, incoming APLU Vice President for Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources served as one of three thought leaders on the discussion panel. Directors and Administrators are encouraged to send comment/questions about this paper to Executive Director Rick Klemme rickklemme@extension.org, who will keep the Section informed in follow-up efforts.


NACo’s Creative Counties Placemaking Initiative - The National Association of Counties (NACo) and Americans for the Arts are collaborating on a multi-year project funded by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support counties as they work to identify and strengthen ways to integrate arts into solutions to local challenges. This project delivers a mix of in-person workshops, conference calls, webinars, and a monthly Creative Counties newsletter. Learn more about this project and sign-up for the free newsletter at www.naco.org/creativecounties. resources at: www.nado.org/readytodiversify. Questions or ideas? Contact Jenna Moran, NACo Program Manager for Resilience, at jmoran@naco.org.