July 2018 – Extension Foundation

News Roundup – July 2018

Another exciting month at eXtension. The Impact Collaborative trained 29 new Facilitators from 22 Premium Member Institutions to take the Impact Collaborative Process back to their institutions and help get innovative ideas for projects and programs moving forward. We are scheduling Designathon One events and Innovation Kit Workshops at Premium Member Institutions, a job opportunity and fellowship opportunity, an update on the Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program, and some big news about our October 2018 Summit!
Making An Impact: Video Feature

Making An Impact Video Series

Angela Allen, Associate Professor and Communities Educator, from the University of Wisconsin Extension – Milwaukee County shares how she’ll be able to help her institution with the skills she’s learned from the Impact Collaborative.

News Roundup

Impact Collaborative Summit. The Impact Collaborative is hosting its first national Impact Collaborative Summit in Indianapolis, IN, from October 16-18, 2018. The Summit is available to all member institutions and includes an Innovation Kit Workshop and Designathon Two. The registration fee is waived for Premium Member Institutions for the first 5 members sent as a team, and the first 3 members for Basic Member Institutions. The Summit Flyer, with registration information, can be found here.
Fellowship Opportunity. eXtension has a Fellowship opportunity for a Customer Relationship Management Sandbox and it is open to all Land-Grant Universities regardless of eXtension membership status. eXtension is funding an opportunity for a Fellow position to lead a process with a national committee and eXtension to explore and document needs and potential solutions for Customer Relationship Management functions in Cooperative Extension across the country. For more information on this opportunity, click here.
Now Hiring – Innovation Facilitator Manager. We are seeking an expert facilitator and experienced innovator to join our Impact Collaborative team and help lead innovation capacity-building for our members of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in this opportunity – please click here for more information.
Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program Update. On June 30th, 2018, the first 6-month progress reports were due for the PSEFMP projects. A survey was created and sent to the coordinators to gauge their experience with the training and submission of the report. A complete summary of the results are available here.

From the eXtension Blog

Community Video Can Build Capacity in Extension. Read more
The Business of Farming. Read more

Upcoming Webinars

Check out all upcoming professional development events listed on learn.extension.org

Understanding, Tracking, and Predicting Harmful Algal Blooms. August 8th, 2018 at 2 PM EDT. Learn More or Register
Tree Stewards: Case Study of Two Virginia Urban Tree Volunteer Programs. August 16, 2018 at 1 PM EDT. Learn More or Register
Family Finances Series: Financial Planning for Life Events. August 28, 2018 at 11 AM EDT. Learn More or Register

July 31, 2018/by Aaron Weibe

eXtension Job Opportunity: Innovation Facilitator Manager

Announcements, Community, Content, Events, Fellowships, Newsroom, UPDATE

We’re searching for an Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Manager. Join our virtual team from any location.

First round of application reviews: August 9, 2018.

Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Manager, eXtension Foundation

We are seeking an expert facilitator and experienced innovator to join our team and help lead innovation capacity-building for our members of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. Innovation is critical to eXtension and the Cooperative Extension System and other eXtension partners across the nation. eXtension is known for technological leadership over the past several years and now for our Impact Collaborative. The six-phase Impact Collaborative process is creating measurable and visible impact at the local level through various strategies including our current products: Innovation Kit Workshops, Designathons One and Two, a Virtual Bridge, an Impact Collaborative Summit and Facilitator Trainings. In partnership with our members, we are fostering strategic innovation and organizational change utilizing a growing cadre of trained innovation facilitators. This new role on our team will continue to build this capacity and collaborate in the design of our products and services in support of our member institutions.

The Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Manager will lead in the following areas:

Work as a member of the Impact Collaborative Leadership Team to strategically integrate innovation and organizational change models and methods into the work of the Impact Collaborative and to continuously improve our design and delivery.
Catalyze and support innovative practices in partnership with our member institutions through the practice and products of the Impact Collaborative.
Serve as the lead eXtension facilitator for the Impact Collaborative product events nationally and across the country at member institutions (currently Innovation Kit Workshops, Designathon Ones, Impact Collaborative Facilitator Training and Summits).
Train, schedule and evaluate institutional Innovation Facilitators to serve our growing schedule of national and institutional events. Current schedule includes facilitator training January 2019 (planned for twice a year), up to 37 Innovation Kit Workshops or Designathon One events per year, and two national summits per year.
Grow and strengthen the IC Innovation Facilitator role in institutional capacity building, and continually expand and deepen their knowledge and skills.
Evaluate facilitator skills and abilities and results of their events using the Impact Collaborative Evaluation Protocols to make recommendations based on results, feedback, and needs.
Provide mentoring and coaching to IC Innovation Facilitators, maintain an updated database and be in constant communication to assist them in their professional development and certification process.
Lead a variety of planning teams to contextualize Impact Collaborative products for local institutional needs (up to 37 planned per year).
Share expertise and experience with the Impact Collaborative through a variety of presentations, webinars, social media and publications.

Qualifications:

An experienced innovator within an organization who has taken ideas to implementation and demonstrated experience in co-creation/co-innovation of projects & programs. Community-based projects/programs with measurable impact preferred.
Strong public speaking and facilitation skills required.
Master’s degree preferred in community development, organizational development, or related field.
Ability to work in a fast changing environment with multiple priorities. Willingness to evolve with the needs of the organization.
Knowledge of, or experience in, the Cooperative Extension System and the audiences they serve preferred.
Knowledge and experience using innovative methodologies, design thinking strategies, concept mapping and Adobe Kickbox preferred.
Experience managing programs, managing people and managing organizational change required.
Experience in effectively working with, and managing, several projects at once and working with a virtual team.
Personal computer and social media skills required.

This is a 1.0 FTE employee position with eXtension. The position reports to the Impact Collaborative Program Director. Travel nationally, possibly up to 70% time. We are a virtual organization and require the use of G-Suite, Zoom, Slack and your own computer, internet and work space during business hours.

First round application review will be August 9, 2018. Position will be advertised until the position is filled.

Please send your letter of interest and your resume to ceoassistant@extension.org by August 8 for first round reviews. For more information on the position contact:

Dr. Beverly Coberly
Chief Operation Officer
eXtension Foundation
beverlycoberly@extension.org
573-239-9409

July 24, 2018/by Aaron Weibe

eXtension Fellowship Opportunity – Customer Relationship Management Sandbox

Announcements, Extension, Fellowships, Innovation, News, Newsroom, Technology, UPDATE

This opportunity is open to all Land-Grant Universities regardless of membership with eXtension as part of our cooperative agreement with USDA-NIFA.

eXtension is funding an opportunity for a Fellow position to lead a process with a national committee and eXtension to explore and document needs and potential solutions for Customer Relationship Management functions in Cooperative Extension across the country. The Fellow will conduct and create needs assessments, user journeys, personas, and use cases as well as review and provide a landscape summary of potential solutions. Proactively managing multiple customer relationships, with multiple products, services, events and programs is a challenge for Cooperative Extension. eXtension is requesting names of those interested in serving on the CRM Sandbox Committee working with the Fellow. eXtension is seeking a Fellow to work with eXtension and a national committee to explore what is needed by participating institutions, to review potential solutions and to create a “sandbox” with eXtension to test up to two solutions with participating institutions. A final report summarizing the process and the findings is due by July 31, 2019.

The NTAE-CRM Fellowship will begin by October 1, 2018 and will conclude July 31, 2019. eXtension is a virtual organization and work will be conducted virtually.

The specific requirements of the fellowship include:

Expertise with workflow and technologies supporting customer relationship functions.
Knowledge and experience designing and implementing relational databases.
Understanding Cooperative Extension and the unique audiences and relationships among those audiences, programs, evaluation, funding, and communication.
Ability to work with all levels of expertise and positions.
Experience conducting user needs assessment and analyzing workflows.
Experience creating user journeys, personas and use cases.
Experience writing recommendations for solutions.

The Fellow will report the results via eXtension’s web site. The Fellow is encouraged to develop a peer-reviewed paper for publication in an appropriate journal. The Fellow will use eXtension’s Zoom, Slack, and G-Suite to conduct the work of their fellowship.

Funding for the Fellowship comes through a cooperative agreement with USDA-NIFA to eXtension and includes: paid travel to one eXtension Impact Collaborative Summit planned for April 2019; and buyout of time from their current positions of up to $25,000. Additional funding may be available for testing up to two solutions.

Application Process

To apply please submit the following information in a PDF document to Beverly Coberly (beverlycoberly@extension.org):

A maximum 1-page letter highlighting your areas of expertise in CRM, technology and knowledge of Cooperative Extension.
A copy of vitae/resume focusing on your expertise in technology and databases, educational or experience background working with CRMs. Limit of 2 pages.
Letter of support from your institution Director/Administrator for Cooperative Extension

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee.

Questions regarding the application process should be directed to:

About the eXtension Foundation

The eXtension Foundation is a membership-based non-profit designed to be the engine fueling U.S. Cooperative Extension advancement in making a more visible and measurable impact in support of education outreach from land-grant universities/colleges located in every state and territory. eXtension provides an array of opportunities for Extension professionals that foster innovation creation, the adoption of innovations at member institutions, and increased impact of Extension programs.

July 20, 2018/by Aaron Weibe

Community Video Can Build Capacity in Extension

Fellowships, Food Systems, Innovation, Issues

This article was written by Jennifer Cook, Digital Green fellow for eXtension

Digital Green is a global non-profit development organization that empowers smallholder farmers to lift themselves out of poverty by harnessing the collective power of technology and grassroots-level partnerships. They partner with extension actors in developing countries to solve problems like market access, farmer training, and rural nutrition education using digital technology. Digital Green developers build cutting-edge software, such as mobile apps and online data collection and analysis, to benefit farmers worldwide.

Community video approach

One solution offered by Digital Green is the community video approach, using peer learning and human-mediated discussion to help disseminate farming or other skills. In this approach, a community member is trained in video production and facilitation skills. Once trained, videos are produced staring local farmers, on topics needed in the community.

The magic of this approach happens in the dissemination. Local farmers or others come together to watch the video. The new practice or idea is more accepted because it is explained by their peer in the video. The video is paused frequently and a facilitated discussion engages the group, allowing time for the idea to become clear. This solution enables consistent and quality information to reach farmers, many of whom are illiterate, in a cost-effective and scalable manner.

Finally knowledge gained and behavioral changes are collected and maintained on a database called CoCo (Connect online Connect offline). CoCo works well in areas where internet connectivity is a challenge, and enables near real-time data analytics on farmer behavior.

Where might this solution work in the US?

Videos and YouTube are plentiful in the US. The community video solution has created a formula for video production, facilitation, and dissemination of educational material. We are all so busy and many times asked to do more with less. This solution can be a tool to build capacity at scale, as the videos can also be used as training material for extension agents as well as farmers.

Digital Green’s video-enabled approach might work in places where language or cultural differences create a challenge for disseminating new ideas. For example, the community video approach has been proposed to be used to teach refugee farmers about food safety practices at an incubator farm in Northern California.

Interested in working with Digital Green on implementing this solution in your area? Contact Digital Green eXtension fellow Jennifer Cook jennifer.cook@colostate.edu

July 13, 2018/by Aaron Weibe

The Business of Farming

Fellowships, Food Systems, Issues

This article was written by Jennifer Cook, Digital Green Fellow for eXtension.

For the past nine months, I served as the Digital Green eXtension fellow, interviewing many small and beginning farmers, farm groups, and farm partners from across the US, to understand the challenges small farmers face. Representing Digital Green, a global non-profit development organization, I was looking for gaps in the ways in which farmers are supported by both public and private actors.

A topic that kept coming up in interviews and in my research is the economics of farming. Small farms, defined as those making less than $350,000 gross farm income, are more likely to have an operating profit margin in the red zone, 59-78% of them according to USDA, ERS (2016). It is the passion for farming that drives farmers to continue farming, often not income.

Perhaps it’s this economic challenge that has reduced the number of beginning farmers in the US? In 1982, 38% of farmers were beginning (less than 10 years in operation), in 2012 only 17.2% were beginning farmers (USDA, ERS 2012). We need a new generation of farmers to support local and sustainable food systems, provide jobs, and maintain open space and wildlife habitat in our communities. New farmers and farmland should be encouraged and supported.

Beginning farmer story highlights challenges

Chris and her husband Shawn have always wanted to be farmers. They learned how to grow mushrooms and vegetables and began selling at their local farmers’ market. A few years later they bought some farmland, expanded their production, and diversified to berries, honey, vegetables, and more varieties of mushrooms.

Chris and Shawn’s farm products are now in high demand, but they both work off-farm jobs and can’t afford to quit to be full-time farmers. Finding dependable and proficient farm labor has been a challenge so they continue to do all the work themselves.

They are at a crossroads, having invested a lot in land, equipment, and infrastructure, but still not seeing much profit when they consider all their own labor and transportation inputs. Chris and Shawn need to earn a profit by either cutting costs or increasing revenues. Are there ways that they can find inexpensive and proficient labor? Should they rework their business plan to explore other profit avenues? Should they cut their losses and quit farming or continue to invest in their business?

How can Extension agents support the business of farming?

Small farms, such as Chris and Shawn’s, make up 90% of farms in the US (USDA ERS, 2016). How can farming be more economically sustainable for small and beginning farmers? What solutions (tools, technology, resources) can help mitigate some of the major challenges that beginning and small farmers face in the US?

Farmers must be market savvy. What tools and resources, such as enterprise budgets and price points, are available, or could bedeveloped to help farmers make informed business decisions?
Farming has a lot of risk. What risks, such as investment of land, water, and equipment could be mitigated to encourage farming? Incubator farms and food hubs are models that have worked.
How can farming be more economically sustainable for small and beginning farmers? The solutions are often situation-specific. Options include sharing assets in the community or decision-making based on understanding of individual farm budget and hidden costs of transportation and labor.

How can we as Extension agents guide new farmers toward being more business savvy? In Colorado, we offer a Building Farmers Program where farmers are guided to develop a business plan and understand wholly the economics and business of farming. The program is helping new and beginning farmers assess their ability to start and maintain a new farm or expand and improve an existing one. What programs and types of assistance are working in your state?

References

USDA, ERS. (2016). America’s diverse family farms. Economic Information Bulletin Number 164. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/81408/eib-164.pdf?v=42709

USDA, ERS (2012). Beginning farmers and age distribution of farmers. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/beginning-disadvantaged-farmers/beginning-farmers-and-age-distribution-of-farmers/

July 6, 2018/by Aaron Weibe