e-Directions is an information-sharing newsletter issued at least bi-monthly to help keep you updated on Extension-related issues covering restructuring, programming opportunities, strategic plan initiatives and enhancements and other information.
If you have any comments or suggestions to improve e-Directions or the Director’s Web site, please contact me at pcoreil@agcenter.lsu.edu.
CREATE-21 Bill
The CREATE-21 bill was introduced in the Senate last week as S.1094. This proposed legislation is supported by Land Grant Institutions across the nation and may be our best chance to see future increases in both formula and competitive funding for extension and research. The language does not include other Farm Bill recommendations. For more information on CREATE-21 visit:
http://www.create-21.org/.
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H.R. 85 - Energy Technology Transfer Act
This newly proposed legislation continues to create interest among the state extension organizations. New Mexico State University, with the two New Mexico senators as Energy and Natural Resources chair and ranking member, is providing valued leadership in working to get this bill introduced in the Senate. It has already passed the House with only one negative vote. The bill would provide the opportunity for state Cooperative Extension Services to compete to create outreach centers for energy education focusing on efficiency and renewable energy resources. More information on this legislation will be provided in future editions of e-Directions.
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National Extension Urban Conference
The National Extension Urban Conference will be held in Kansas City beginning May 7, 2007. Registration is brisk, and attendance should be strong. This meeting, coupled with the summer meeting in Washington, D.C. of National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) Commission on the Urban Agenda, will combine to move the issues surrounding CES urban programs. Visit the Urban Conference Web site at http://extension.missouri.edu/urbanconf/. Please plan to attend one or both of these events.
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2007 Farm Bureau Convention
The 2007 Farm Bureau Convention will be held June 21st through June 24, 2007 at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel. The Commodity Conferences will be held Saturday, June 23. Please note that the convention will be held earlier than usual.
More information will be available as the date approaches. I encourage everyone to attend – especially the Saturday commodity committee meetings.
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Award for Excellence in Extension Nominations
The request for nominations for the annual Excellence in Extension awards can be found at:
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/Employee_Resources/DesktopModules/
ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=1753.
Five regional and one national winner will be recognized during the NASULGC Annual Meeting, November 11-13, 2007, in New York City. Nominations packets are due electronically on June 1, 2007. No late nominations will be considered.
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CSREES Enhances Competitive Award of FY 2007 Funds
Based on recent guidance from the Office of Management and Budget, CSREES is announcing competitions and soliciting new applications for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 funds via http://www.grants.gov/. CSREES released solicitations for the Interregional Research Project #4 Minor Crop Pest Management Program (IR-4) and the Expert Integrated Pest Management Decision Support System Program on March 30, 2007. CSREES will release solicitations for the following four programs in April and May 2007: Critical Agricultural Materials, Rangeland Research, Rural Health and Safety and Supplemental and Alternative Crops (Canola and Hesperaloe).
The agency plans to release a solicitation for the Critical Issues program later this year. Requests for Applications (RFA) for these programs will be available on the http://www.grants.gov/ and CSREES Funding Opportunities Web sites when released. RFAs outline goals and objectives for each program, define eligible applicants, and describe the agency's peer review process. Applicants are given at least 30 days to prepare their submissions. Contact Joanna Moore, policy specialist, CSREES Office of Extramural Programs, with questions.
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Hall of Fame Nominations Requested
Requests for The Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) Hall of Fame nominations have begun. Inductees into the CSREES Hall of Fame must have worked, coordinated or supported activities exemplifying CSREES’s synergy of excellence in any combination of research, education and extension approaches on local, regional, national or international levels and will have demonstrated a measurable and positive impact on the agency. Nominations will be evaluated based on the nominee’s role in research, education and extension, his/her measurable impact on CSREES and letters of support.
Nominations are due by August 24, 2007 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/about/pdfs/hall_of_fame06.pdf.
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Farm Bureau Advocates Public-funded Research
Bob Stallman, American Farm Bureau President, is an advocate for increased public funding for land grant universities. Stallman believes there needs to be more funding for research and that Congress needs to realize the contribution from land grant universities in the advancement of agriculture.
With new expectations on agriculture and innovative conservation practices, Stallman believes the need for research is intensifying. To provide critical outcomes and essential tools needed to respond to these expectations, Stallman also believes extension research must be enhanced greatly.
Key areas where research is needed, according to Stallman, are bio-security, improved diets, the environment, rural revitalization, biotechnology and renewable energy.
Public funding for research initiatives has fallen in real dollars over the past two decades, and Stallman believes that trend needs to stop.
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Johanns Proposes Expanding Food Stamp Eligibility, Obesity Study and Improving Nutrition
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on March 26 expanded on the administration's Farm Bill nutrition proposals, an area of farm policy that constitutes the largest part of USDA's budget. The nutrition proposals would spend $467 million more than current programs. An additional $2.75 billion would be spent on the purchase of fruits and vegetables to improve nutrition in USDA food and nutrition programs.
“We drew up the nutrition proposals with three primary goals in mind based on the feedback we received during our Farm Bill Forums. We recommend increasing program access for the working poor and elderly, moving America toward healthier eating habits and making more effective use of taxpayer dollars. We will make certain our eligibility rules support both work and education wherever that is possible. We also want to improve our administration of the Food Stamp Program, strengthen its integrity and, finally, rename it to reflect the changes that time and technology have brought since its inception in 1964.”
Visit the USDA Newsroom to read the transcript and full release.
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Home
FAQs
The LSU AgCenter is now the proud owner of a weekly news column in the New Orleans InsideOut magazine. Called “Home FAQs” (pronounced “facts”), the column will deal with all areas of the home as it relates to living in and around New Orleans.
Topics to be featured will include, but are not limited to, living in FEMA trailers, being safe with propane, hurricane remediation, storm safety, hurricane trusses, things you can save from your kitchen to put in your compost pile, urban landscaping, replacing windows, home decor ideas, ideas in rebuilding, choosing and using lawn equipment and dealing with pest problems such as the raccoon problem now in New Orleans.
Johnny Morgan, area communications, is the contact for this project. E-mail jmorgan@agcenter.lsu.edu. Phone (225) 578-8484, cell (225) 281-0814 or home (225) 752-1581.
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Diversity Training Session
I encourage everyone to attend the upcoming diversity training session to be held May 2, 2007 in Efferson Hall Room 212. The training session will run from noon until 3:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
To register for the event, send your name, title, unit, e-mail address and date hired to the AgCenter Human Resource Management Office, Attn: Amy Fowler, 103 J. N. Efferson Hall, P. O. Box 25203, Baton Rouge, LA 70894-5203, FAX 225/578-8284.
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Measuring Excellence in Extension
The Extension Council on Policy (ECOP) recently put out an overview publication on measuring excellence in extension. To access the Excellence in Extension publication, go to http://ces.ca.uky.edu/ces/documents_materials.htm and choose Extension Excellence publication. We continue to seek better approaches for delineating extension scholarship and for measuring programming excellence within the extension system across the nation. As this initiative advances, I will continue to keep you posted.
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2TheAdvocate Opinion: Smart Bodies
Smart Bodies is an educational program aimed at preventing childhood obesity. A joint initiative of the LSU AgCenter and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, Smart Bodies integrates classroom activities with hands-on learning to teach children how to build strong bodies and develop active minds.
The opinion section in 2TheAdvocate “commends the agricultural center and Blue Cross and Blue Shield for addressing this challenge and hopes the efforts are successful”. You may read the full opinion article at http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/6718207.html.
I would also like to commend the Smart Bodies program for doing such a wonderful job within our school community. Keep up the good work!
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Chi Epsilon Sigma
Chi Epsilon Sigma, Epsilon Chapter, the LSU AgCenter’s support staff fraternity was formed 2003. The fraternity is open to all support staff, which consists of classified and unclassified employees of the LSU AgCenter. The purpose of this fraternity is to maintain the standards and ideals, uphold the morale, prestige and respect of the LSU AgCenter support staff; to develop an effective working relationship and spirit of fraternal fellowship among present and emeriti employees of the LSU AgCenter support staff; to encourage professionalism; and to recognize, share and reward professional excellence in job performance.
Several important opportunities are afforded to members such as professional development scholarships, annual awards, meetings and involvement in community service projects. CES has been invaluable to support staff as well as administration. It is imperative to have good lines of communication between support staff and administration, and I feel this professional organization encourages such communication. Administration is in full support of this organization, and I encourage all support staff to consider joining for their personal growth and for the betterment of the LSU AgCenter.
Chi Epsilon Sigma’s Annual Meeting is being held May 4 & 5, at the Wesley Retreat Center in Woodworth, La. Meeting costs and program information will be out shortly. The web site to find more information about CES is:
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/administration/about_us/
professional_organizations/chi_epsilon_sigma/
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Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic Update
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Raghuwinder (Nick) Singh joined the Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic on March 20. Singh will serve as the primary diagnostician in the clinic and comes to us with a very strong background in disease and pest identification.
Nick received a Master of Science degree in crop protection from the University of Reading (Reading, U.K.) in 2000 and a Doctor of Plant Medicine (DPM) degree from the University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) in 2004.
As part of his DPM program, Nick had 30 semester credit hours of practical internship and 93 semester credit hours in plant pathology, entomology, nematology, soil science and weed management. His internship in plant pathology included training in both classical and modern diagnostic methods in the plant disease clinics of both the University of Florida and the Florida Division of Plant Industry.
Please take the time to stop by the disease clinic in 436 Life Sciences Building, phone (225) 578-4562, and welcome Nick to the LSU AgCenter!
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Outstanding Nutrition Educator
Congratulations to Juanice Moses, nutrition educator, in Natchitoches Parish. She was named Food and Nutrition program’s Outstanding Nutrition Educator at the recent EFNEP, FNP & FFNEWS 2007 Spring Conference.
Thanks to Hubert Wilkerson and Bettye Carnahan for assisting with the nomination process to help highlight the work being done by Juanice. She officially serves Natchitoches and Sabine parishes, but has assisted with projects that have been used by educators and agents in all of the Northwest Region.
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National Collegiate 4-H Members Volunteer in St. Bernard
At this year’s national 4-H conference held in Baton Rouge on February 15-18, collegiate 4-H members gathered together and helped with the recovery efforts of Hurricane Katrina. Members from 34 schools in 27 states worked in three locations in St. Bernard Parish to help make things look more like normal by landscaping around a local park and school. The students worked for 4 hours, and their total contribution added to more than $11,000.
A grant from Shell Oil Company as well as help from the LSU AgCenter and state funding will be used towards a three-phase landscaping project at a local high school. This first phase will involve spreading mulch as a bed for plants that will be set out. The second phase will include pouring concrete and placing benches around the school, and third phase includes building a greenhouse so salt-tolerant coastal plants can be grown.
Many thanks to agents Wayne Burgess, Lauren Faust and Alan Vaughn for coordinating the volunteer efforts in St. Bernard Parish.
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Congratulations to Northeast Region Agents
I would like to commend the agents in the Northeast Region for their continued involvement and participation in local conferences and other professional development meetings. This participation sends a strong message to our clientele that our agents are actively engaged in the agricultural industries of this state. Congratulations to Terry Erwin and Carol Pinnell-Alison who won first and third place, respectively, in the very competitive Pest I.D. contest at the LASA meeting. Additionally, Donna Lee won the Best County Agent Oral Paper at this meeting. Several of our agents also made excellent presentations at regional commodity meetings. These accomplishments are good signs that we are making continued progress in attaining excellence in our parish and regional educational programs.
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New 4-H Coordinator in Southeast/Crescent Regio
ns
Congratulations to Dr. Todd Tarifa for being promoted as the new 4-H coordinator in the Southeast Region. Dr. Tarifa can be reached via email at TATarifa@agcenter.lsu.edu or via phone at (985) 543-4129.
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Extension Equine Executive Council
Congratulations to Clint Depew, animal science department professor, for being named to the National Extension Equine Executive Council. Clint can be reached via e-mail at cdepew@agcenter.lsu.edu or by phone at (225) 578-2219.
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New
Tensas Parish Extension Agent to Cover Agriculture and Aquaculture
Please welcome H. Randall “Randy” Smith to the AgCenter community who has assumed agricultural responsibilities in Tensas Parish as the newest extension agent.
Smith is a native of Raymond, Miss., where he was raised in a family farming operation. He received a bachelor’s degree in plant pathology and a master’s degree in weed science with a minor in crop physiology from Mississippi State University. He previously worked as a technical service representative for Rhone Poulenc and the Delta and Pine Land Co. and began his career as an area agronomy agent with the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service, focusing on corn and cotton in the Mississippi Delta region.
He is a certified crop adviser and certified crop consultant in Mississippi.
“My objective is to disseminate information from the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service and Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station to expedite adoption of recommended agronomic and pest management practices to growers, agricultural chemical representatives and private crop consultants,” Randy said. In addition, the new agent will assume the responsibilities of regional aquaculture agent for Northeast Louisiana.
Randy adds that agriculture production accounts for 95 percent of all economics in Tensas Parish. New aquaculture responsibilities are now being covered in Northeast Louisiana, especially for catfish producers.
Randy plans to conduct on-farm research and work closely with researchers and corporate representatives to provide row crop and aquaculture producers as well as consultants with the latest information.
He can be reached at the Tensas Parish Extension Office at (318) 766-3320 or rsmith@agcenter.lsu.edu. His mobile number is (318) 267-6709.
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New Communicator for
North Louisiana
LSU AgCenter Communications is pleased to welcome to our faculty Mary Ann Van Osdell, assistant communications specialist for North Louisiana. She is a Shreveport native and a graduate of LSU with 14 years as a writer for the Shreveport Times and nine years in public relations with hospitals and nonprofits. Her responsibilities include covering the media markets of North Louisiana, which encompass the Northwest, North Central and Northeast AgCenter regions. She will write news stories, take news photos and assist with media contacts for LSU AgCenter research and extension activities and projects. Her office is at the Northwest Region office. Her phone is (318) 741-7430. Please welcome Mary Ann to the AgCenter, and don’t hesitate to contact her about story ideas and communication assistance.
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New Efferson Hall Occupants
We are pleased to have four new occupants in Efferson Hall working close to us! Joining us from the Ag Leadership Department are Mike Futrell, Bobby Soileau and Jodie Widdon, secretary. Mike and Jodie’s offices are located in 102 Efferson Hall. They can be reached at (225) 578-3659. Bobby’s office is located in 101 Efferson Hall and can be reached at (225) 568-5670.
Also joining us in the Extension section in Efferson is Mr. Eric Eskew, our new State 4-H Foundation executive director. Eric can be reached at (225) 578-1172.
Larry Stevenson with the Risk Management and Safety Office is now in Efferson. Mr. Stevenson’s office is located in 210 Efferson Hall. He can be reached at (225) 578-4198.
Please take the time to welcome and get to know all new occupants!
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AgCenter Hires New Extension Coastal Engineering Specialist
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Hassan Mashriqui as a new Assistant Extension Professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Hassan (or Mashriqui to those who work with him) will join us on May 1, 2007. His appointment is 50% with the LSU AgCenter and 50% with Louisiana Sea Grant. His office will be room 105 in the north wing of E. B. Doran.
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Please continue to visit the director’s website at:
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/administration/about_us/
extension/our+director/index.htm
If you have any comments or suggestions to improve e-Directions or the director’s website, please contact me at pcoreil@agcenter.lsu.edu.
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