eXtension Selects 8 Projects For Acceleration From Cooperative Extension for 2020-2021

,

As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected 8 projects from 33 competitive nominations across the system for year two to participate in its project accelerator program. The nomination process opened in May 2020 and closed in July 2020. All Land Grant Universities were eligible to submit nominations. The project period is September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021. Requirements included:

  • Projects must be in early stages of maturity and have a high potential for making a significant local impact and providing a model for adoption by other Extension professionals regionally or nationwide. This means the project is likely to have objectives completed, audiences identified, outcomes identified and has had some early stage of implementation. 
  • Each nomination should identify a lead (a Fellow) for the project that will serve as the primary contact.
  • All nominations must have the support of the Extension Director/Administrator.

These projects will receive wrap-around services from the eXtension Foundation to support and amplify the project outcomes. Wrap-around services include:

  • Project/Program advisory support from a Catalyst (current or past senior program or administrative Cooperative Extension Service (CES) personnel).
  • Support to compose a peer-reviewed publication of resources and processes used by the project which might be an eFieldbook or ePub publication.
  • Evaluation support
  • Digital engagement support for digital learning and instructing
  • Leadership support and training for adaptation to a digital environment 
  • Optional Wrap Around Services
    • Market research and messaging
    • Partnership development assistance 

Nominations were reviewed for alignment to the USDA Strategic Goals.  The selected projects are:

  • Community Learning Through Data Driven Discovery: Barriers to Rural Health, Virginia Tech
  • Southern University Jagriculture Emergency Preparedness, Southern University
  • The Juntos Program: Building Common Measures for National Sustainability, North Carolina State University
  • Equipping Western Rangeland Managers to Create Land Management Plans, Oregon State University
  • Oregon State University Extension Fire Program, Oregon State University
  • Wellness In Tough Times Toolkit, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Strengthening Health, Resilience and Farm Vitality through Online Forums, University of Delaware
  • Navigating the Grocery Store Aisle: Understanding Non-GMO Labeling, University of Connecticut

Three of the selected projects that were nominated had incubated their projects through eXtension’s Impact Collaborative program. This includes the Southern University Jagriculture Emergency Preparedness, Wellness in Tough Times Toolkit, and Strengthening Health, Resilience and Farm Vitality through Online Forums projects. eXtension’s Impact Collaborative project incubator program is a professional development experience for Cooperative Extension professionals. It provides learning opportunities geared towards innovation while bringing strategic support and new capacity to the System. These experiences are enhanced with the help of external partners and supporting organizations. Working together, we find new ways to generate visible and measurable local impact. The Impact Collaborative is supported by membership funding and is available exclusively to eXtension members.

Several teams that were not selected as projects for 2020-2021 have been invited to further develop their projects over the next year through eXtension’s Impact Collaborative program to help prepare them for future nomination opportunities. 

eXtension Catalysts providing the program/project advisory support for Year 2 include:

  • Scott Reed, Retired Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement and Director of OSU Extension Service
  • Fred Schlutt, Retired Vice Provost for Extension and Outreach at University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Rick Klemme, Former Executive Director, ECOP
  • Chuck Hibberd, Retired Dean of Cooperative Extension, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

More information about each project will be available in the coming weeks at eXtension.org/ntae.

/by

New eFieldbook Available! Using Digital Technology in Extension Education

,

As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected Dr. Rose Hayden-Smith as the Technology in Extension Education Fellow for year one (2019-2020). Part of her fellowship was the creation of the first version of the Using Digital Technology in Extension Education eFieldbook. 

The eXtension eFieldbook series provides a digital platform for aggregating content, tools, and engagement, and is available to all professionals in Cooperative Extension.

The emergence of COVID-19 has required Cooperative Extension professionals to respond quickly to changing needs. Many are working out of their homes and working hard to find ways to use technology to serve their communities. Cooperative Extension is facing unprecedented challenges and we are learning.

This edition of the Using Digital Technology in Extension Education eFieldbook provides timely content that aims to help Cooperative Extension professionals consider the role of technology in their work, and perhaps increase the adoption of technology, particularly social media. The information in the eFieldbook provides both food for thought and practical information that will enable you to apply what you’ve learned and to take action. Topics include:

  • A series of perspective essays that explore the nature of technology in Cooperative Extension work and what the future may hold; 
  • An exploration of two featured technologies with case studies, including a newly created social intranet/audience engagement platform designed for Cooperative Extension, and a popular social media platform (Instagram); 
  • A section on leveraging the digital information – content – we already produce using technology, including resources about search engine optimization;
  • Suggested resources that will support your work; and
  • An ongoing series of blog posts to provide additional information to help you stay abreast of technology topics.

This eFieldbook is closely connected to visioning work underway at the eXtension Foundation. To help determine developing technologies that may impact Cooperative Extension through 2025, the eXtension Foundation has developed a futuring panel to explore future options. The panel is led by Jerry Thomas at The Ohio State University. The project’s goals are to:

  • Identify key emerging technologies that may impact Cooperative Extension;
  • Provide a context about how they may impact Cooperative Extension; and
  • Recommend policy and professional development options for Cooperative Extension.

The Using Digital Technology in Extension Education eFieldbook is available on the eFieldbook bookshelf at efieldbooks.extension.org, or can be found on the main navigation in Connect Extension at connect.extension.org. 

Curator/Editor:

  • Dr. Rose Hayden-Smith, eXtension Foundation Technology in Extension Education Fellow. Emeritus, Cooperative Extension, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). 

Perspectives Contributors:

  • Greg Aronoff, Oregon State University
  • John Buzzard, Oregon State University
  • David J. Krause, Driscoll’s Berries
  • Dr. Mark Lubell, University of California, Davis
  • Dr. Lindsey Shirley, Oregon State University

Case Study Contributors

  • Dan Macon, M.A., UC ANR
  • Aaron Weibe, M.A., eXtension Foundation

Leveraging Content Contributors

  • ChaNaè Bradley, M.P.A., Fort Valley State University
  • Cynthia Kintigh, UC ANR
  • Liz Sizensky, UC ANR
  • Victor Villegas, Oregon State University

LinkedIn login is required to access the eFieldbooks. This is similar to using Google or Facebook to log in instead of setting up an account via email. If you do not have a LinkedIn account, you can register for one free here. The purpose of the LinkedIn login is to provide an encrypted ID to the eFieldbook so users can securely interact with that eFieldbook, take notes, and make contributions. The eXtension Foundation is not collecting your personal information. In order to receive notice updates from eXtension, we invite you to opt-in the first time you login to an eFieldbook by providing your desired email address.

/by

Results from the July 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest

,

In May, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest subgroup here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the July 2020 contest was about how Extension is empowering farmers to maximize their use of data, equipment, and precision technology – especially as it relates to farm profitability, environmental impact, or innovation. We’d like to thank everyone that submitted a story lead for July 2020.

@Jason de Koff, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, Tennessee State University submitted the winning story lead, Bringing Drone Technology Training to Tennessee Farmers.

Summary: In 2020, the Tennessee State University Cooperative Extension Program, led by Jason de Koff, engaged in multiple workshops across the state, working with over 140 farmers, to provide hands-on experiences in flying drones as well as instruction on the different uses, types of drones, and costs.  After the workshops, 98% of farmers indicated their knowledge of drones increased, 63% believed drones were not as difficult to fly as they had thought, and over 50% indicated an increase in their likelihood of purchasing a drone and getting their remote pilot certification in the next two years.

Congrats to Jason and Tennessee State University! We look forward to seeing the story published in Farm Journal.

August 2020 Contest

The August 2020 Story Lead Contest has been posted and is due on Friday, August 28th. For August 2020, Farm Journal would like to hear from you about an innovative research project, on-farm trial or farmer engagement program you or Extension is leading to help farmers measure, analyze and improve their soil health.  Learn More here

/by

Ask Extension Pilot Program

,

The eXtension Foundation is seeking volunteers to pilot the upgraded Ask An Expert platform, dubbed Ask Extension, to test features and provide input on user experience for long term improvements. Historically, Ask An Expert has served Cooperative Extension as a digital outreach tool to connect millions of U.S. citizens with you – their local Extension experts. The upgraded Ask Extension provides significant improvements in terms of enhanced ability for clients to dialogue with the expert, create accounts to view their entire history of questions and answers, and for experts – expanded permissions to allow groups to control access to their questions. Experts and clients are also able to respond using email without having to log into the Ask Extension platform, making it more convenient for spontaneous responses. Further, the forms through which clients ask questions will reside on institutional or group websites, each carrying their own branding rather than through a central eXtension site.

To become a pilot group for the new Ask Extension upgrade , fill out the form and join us at https://askhelp.extension.org/become-a-pilot-group/

Background

eXtension’s Ask an Expert system began in 2006 as one of the core services provided to all land grant universities.  From the beginning, the underlying technology has remained the same, although a number of enhancements were deployed over time. For many Extension programs, this has served as a key educational outreach tool in responding to specific individual educational needs. In the past 14 years, this system was created, hosted, and serviced by eXtension application developers. This has resulted in the creation of a repository of a half-million questions, answered by more than 7,700 experts. Many of these questions are available to the general public to search. In 2019 ask.extension.org received almost 10,000,000 unique pageviews, and for the peak summer season, 1,160 experts handle about 11,000 questions per month.

To leverage this important national digital asset, eXtension launched two new projects with funding from its USDA-NIFA New Technologies for Ag Extension cooperative agreement. ,  Building an artificial intelligence platform that provides information from a wide range of Extension educational resources, and  modernizing the current Ask an Expert system. 

Over the past 10 months, the eXtension Engineering Team including Mark Locklear, Ben MacNeill, and Larry Lippke, along with a team of current Ask an Expert users from several institutions, have been working with staff from Eduworks to design and develop the replacement Ask an Expert component, known as Ask Extension.  In June this team of users alpha-tested and provided quite valuable feedback. Indeed, there are more, mostly administrative changes that remain to be done, but we are ready to begin the next pilot phase of the testing and rollout of Ask Extension.  

Since the beginning of Ask an Expert, there have been two primary gateways through which the public has been able to ask questions. One is the very broad, general interface currently available at https://ask.extension.org. With this gateway, questions are directed to experts based primarily on the subject of the question and the location of the customer. The second gateway is through group-specific widgets that are embedded on group websites.  For example, several states have chosen to deploy county specific widgets on county Extension websites, in which all questions are directed to county Extension educators within those respective counties. In other cases, a subject matter department (e.g., horticulture, entomology, etc.) may have a widget on its departmental website, inviting questions specific to that respective subject matter.

Current Pilot Details

In this upcoming phase of the rollout of Ask Extension we are looking for groups using widgets who are willing to engage in our pilot test. This first phase entails our working with individual groups and updating their existing widgets to receive questions in the new system. This approach allows us to test the scaling of the new system and work out any interface and workflow issues experts might encounter. We are also looking for new groups that do not yet use such widgets but would like to give it a try. You can view an example of this widget at https://askhelp.extension.org/widget-demo/.

If your group is interested in participating in this first phase, we’ll provide new widget code to be installed on your site. When questions are submitted via this new widget they will be processed in the new system. Your group might still get questions in the existing Ask an Expert system if the questions come in through the broad ask.extension.org gateway or if they are reassigned by someone to your group. This means your experts may potentially need to work in both systems during this pilot. But, all the work done in the new system can be considered permanent; i.e., all questions asked and answered will remain and become part of the permanent repository when the full rollout is complete.

Next Steps

More information about Ask Extension and the planned transition to this new system is available at https://askhelp.extension.org. But we specifically invite you to apply to be a pilot group by completing the form at https://askhelp.extension.org/become-a-pilot-group/. After you’ve submitted your information we will follow up to discuss the next steps for your group prior to going live in the new system. We look forward to working with you on this transition.

/by

Connect Extension Weekly Digest: August 3, 2020

,

All Cooperative Extension professionals are invited to join Connect Extension. To register your free account, click here. 

Impact Collaborative Opportunities for eXtension Members. Next month, the Impact Collaborative will be an Innovation Facilitator Training. The Innovation Facilitator training is six sessions on August 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, & 28. It helps provide individuals with a new way of looking at program and project development to help new and existing programs across your states and institutions identify gaps in their planning, ensure they are most ready for implementation, and have explored all considerations to maximize local impact. Learn more and register here. 

If you have questions regarding eXtension membership, please contact membership@eXtension.org. 

ICYMI: Recent Posts

Connect Extension Podcast Now Available
Aaron Weibe, Communication & Engagement Manager, eXtension FoundationThe eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce that our Connect Extension Podcast is now available! Each month in Connect Extension, eXtension hosts a virtual chat on a different topic area to highlight best practices and innovations throughout Cooperative Extension…Learn More

Virtual National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference
Mark Megalos, Extension Professor, North Carolina State UniversityRegistration is now open for ITEP’s Virtual National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC) and there is no cost for attendance. Join us to listen and hear from various partners who will be joining us to share their knowledge…Learn More

Best Thing You’ve Shared Recently?
Karl Bradley, Leadership Development Fellow, eXtension Foundation

Completely out of the blue I asked my son this question… What’s the best thing I’ve ever shared with you? We both moved on to other things & frankly I thought he’d forgotten. Eventually, he came over to me & said the best thing I’d shared with him was…Learn More

Data & Policy: Responding to Human Services Needs
Brad Gaolach, Director – WSU Metropolitan Center for Applied Research & Extension, Washington State University

The Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research has released the next white paper in their Leading Edge Dialogue series: Data and Policy: Responding to Human Services Needs. Data is needed for decision-making, particularly around human services and community development…Learn More

Health & Well Being Subgroup Open to New Members
Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, ECOP

A new subgroup for Extension faculty and staff working in the area of health and well being has opened its doors to new members.  The new subgroup’s Connect Extension platform is designed to serve as a virtual gathering place…Learn More

Webinar for Educators: Exploring Climate Migration in the Classroom
Mark Megalos, Extension Professor, North Carolina State University

Educators are invited to join Pulitzer Center education staff and journalist-grantees for a professional development webinar on migration and its relationship to climate change. By engaging with a pathbreaking new reporting project in The New York Times Magazine and ProPublica…Learn More

Conversations That Matter: Advance Planning for Rural Families
Leacey E. Brown, Gerontology Field Specialist, South Dakota State University

‘Conversations that matter: Advance care planning for rural families’ is the result of a collaboration be between SDSU Extension, SDSU College of Nursing, and NDSU Extension…Learn More

New Pollinator Garden Guide is Now Available!
Kara Maddox, Creative Director, Communications, National Pesticide Safety Education Center
Using Mass Media for Extension Messaging Subgroup

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote on the design for the Pollinator Garden Guide! We are excited to announce the guide is ready for download on AgNearMe.com…Learn More

The Moral Determinants of Health
David Young, Professor & Community Health Specialist, Montana State University
Health & Well-Being Subgroup

The source of what the philosopher Immanuel Kant called “the moral law within” may be mysterious, but its role in the social order is not. In any nation short of dictatorship some form of moral compact, implicit or explicit, should be the basis of a just society…Learn More

Alzheimer’s Risk Factors May Be Measurable in Adolescents & Young Adults
Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, ECOP
Health & Well-Being Subgroup

Risk factors for Alzheimer’s dementia may be apparent as early as our teens and 20s, according to new research reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®) 2020. These risk factors…Learn More

Healthy People 2030 Launch
Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, ECOP
Health & Well-Being Subgroup

On August 18, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will unveil the latest edition of Healthy People! Healthy People 2030 is a set of science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving health and well-being in the United States…Learn More

National Academy of Medicine – Community-Driven Health Equity Plans
Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, ECOP
Health & Well-Being Subgroup

As part of its Culture of Health Program, earlier this year the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) released a model for developing Community-Driven Health Equity Action Plans , as well as Community-Driven Health Equity Action Plans developed by groups…Learn More

Key Findings from the 4-H Youth Mental Health Survey
Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, ECOP
Health & Well-Being Subgroup

Together with the Harris Poll, National 4-H Council examined the impact of the public health crisis on the mental health of teens – from the perspective of teens themselves. If you missed the recent webinar to share the findings of the study…Learn More

Natural Hazards Workshop
Sabrina Drill, Natural Resources Advisor, UCANR
Health & Well-Being Subgroup

This past year brought record-shattering disasters that caused great harm and suffering. From massive storms and floods to catastrophic wildfires and damaging earthquakes, millions of people—many of whom were already at the margins of society—have had their lives upended…Learn More

Impact Collaborative Opportunities for eXtension Members
A listing of Current eXtension Members Available Here
Investing In Community Resilience: Moving From Knowledge to Action (Learning Circle)
August 12th, 2020, 3 PM – 4 PM ET

Connect with philanthropy and Extension professionals for an interactive learning circle to discuss the concepts explored in the third and fourth webinars of the Investing in Community Resilience series…Learn More
Innovation Facilitator Training
August 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 28
1 PM – 3 PM ET

This training will provide individuals with a new way of looking at program and project development to help new and existing programs across your states and institutions identify gaps in their planning, ensure they are most ready for implementation, and have explored all considerations to maximize local impact…Learn More
Learn Calendar Events
Available to All Cooperative Extension Professionals
Managing Predators with a Small or Backyward Poultry Flock
August 4th, 2020, 3 PM – 4:30 PM ETWhen raising chickens, predators can be a serious issue – whether you live in a rural or urban area. We have put together a panel of specialists from different parts of the country to discuss how to handle predator problems…Learn More

 
How to Solarize a Tunnel/Hoop House
August 6th, 2020, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM ETAfter registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting…Learn More
/by

Connect Extension Weekly Digest: July 27 2020

,

Impact Collaborative Opportunities for eXtension Members. Next month, the Impact Collaborative will be hosting two events: an online Innovation Skill-Building Experience (ISBE), and an Innovation Facilitator Training. The ISBE is four sessions on August 4, 6, 11, & 13 and covers building blocks to spark ideas, increase innovation, and turbocharge implementation to ultimately create local impact. Learn more and register here. Registration for this event ends tomorrow, July 28th, 2020

The Innovation Facilitator training is six sessions on August 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, & 28. It helps provide individuals with a new way of looking at program and project development to help new and existing programs across your states and institutions identify gaps in their planning, ensure they are most ready for implementation, and have explored all considerations to maximize local impact. Learn more and register here. 

If you have questions regarding eXtension membership, please contact membership@eXtension.org. 

ICYMI: Recent Posts
ICYMI: Connect Extension Chat: Virtualizing and Social Distancing Horticulture & Master Gardener Volunteer Programs
Stephanie Mathias, State Master Gardener Coordinator, University of MarylandIn case you missed it: We had an excellent live chat with 58 participants discussing all the innovative ways to move horticulture and Master Gardener volunteer programs to a virtual platform!…Learn More

June 2020 Story Lead Contest Winner Published in Farm Journal
Aaron Weibe, Communication & Engagement Manager, eXtension FoundationCongrats @Stacey Stearns from UConn for submitting the winning story lead for the June 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest. And thank you to everyone that submitted last month! The story, COVID-19 Needs Spurs Dairy – UConn Food Pantry Parternship has been published by Farm Journal. You can read the full story here. Learn More

New eFieldbook Available! Bridging the GAPs: Approaches to Treating Water On Farms
Aaron Weibe, Communication & Engagement Manager, eXtension Foundation

This curriculum, Bridging the GAPs – Approaches for treating water on-farm, is a four-module curriculum designed for a producer audience. This eFieldbook covers:

  1. FSMA Definition and Requirements of Agricultural Water
  2. Agricultural Water Treatment Tools
  3. Developing On-Farm Agricultural Water Treatment Programs
  4. Implementing Agricultural Water Treatments…Learn More

Encouraging Adoption of Protection Behaviors to Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19
Roberta Riportella, Associate Dean for Extension & Engagement, Oregon State University

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) have highlighted a new guidance document for encouraging the adoption of COVID-19 protection behaviors, “The current pandemic requires adoption of health-promoting behaviors, such as mask wearing…Learn More
ICYMI: Conducting Market Research for Extension Programs: Nebraska Extension’s Weather Ready Farms
Aaron Weibe, Communication & Engagement Manager, eXtension Foundation

Last week, we had the opportunity to sit down with a wonderful team that has been working as one of eXtension’s New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) projects for 2019-2020. The Weather Ready Farms program comes from Nebraska Extension and as an NTAE project…Learn More

Impact Collaborative Opportunities for eXtension Members
A listing of Current eXtension Members Available Here
Innovation Skill-Building Experience (ISBE) Online
August 4, 6, 11 & 13
1 PM – 2:30 PM ET
Registration Deadline: July 28th, 2020

Do you have a project idea that needs incubation, innovation, and ways to get to implementation and impact faster? Are you looking to learn about design thinking and lean experimentation combined with Cooperative Extension’s best practices for solving important community issues?…Learn More
Innovation Facilitator Training
August 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 28
1 PM – 3 PM ET

This training will provide individuals with a new way of looking at program and project development to help new and existing programs across your states and institutions identify gaps in their planning, ensure they are most ready for implementation, and have explored all considerations to maximize local impact…Learn More
Learn Calendar Events
Available to All Cooperative Extension Professionals
Fighting Wildfire with Prescribed Burning in the Southern Great Plains: Social & Regulatory Barriers & Facilitators
July 27th, 2020, 10 AM – 1:30 PM ETTexas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be delivering an FREE online workshop on Monday, July 27, 2020 at 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM CST showcasing research findings from Dr. Urs Kreuter’s Joint Fire Science Program project…Learn More
Move Your Way To A Better Day: How Exercise Can Combat Stress, Anxiety, & Depression
July 28th, 2020, 3 PM – 4PM ETNow more than ever, you may be feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed. Join kinesiology researcher Emily Erlenbach to learn how you can use exercise to improve your mood and produce lasting changes to your mental health…Learn More
Tahoe Home Retrofit Workshop
July 28th, 2020, 8:30 PM – 10 PM ET

University of Nevada, Reno Extension and University of California Cooperative Extension present this free virtual workshop to educate residents on how to harden their home against wildfire…Learn More

 
PPP Loan Program Extended & EIDL Updates & Problems
July 29th, 2020, 1:30 PM –  2:30 PM ETRegister in advance for this meeting:
https://tuskegee.zoom.us/meeti…75OcQELob98W0o8OLL6y

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting…Learn More

 
Agrisafe Training: Mental Health in Farm & Ranch Country
July 30th, 2020, 1 PM – 2 PM ET

In rural communities, the stigma associated with mental distress is hard to confront. Rural agricultural residents pride themselves as hard-working and dedicated to the land. These characteristics are sometimes in direct conflict with asking for help and self-care, leaving those around them at a loss for words and action…Learn More
Social Permaculture: A Case Study
July 30th, 2020, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET

USU Extension Sustainability and The Resiliency Hub are hosting a webinar with Alyssa Reynoso Morris, a co-author of Pedagogy of Permaculture and Food Justice on July 30th at 5:30pm Mountain Time. She’ll be discussing an example of her work in Social Permaculture in the Dominican Republic…Learn More
/by

New eFieldbook Available! Bridging the GAPs: Approaches to Treating Water On Farms

,

As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Year 1 Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected a multi-state initiative including North Carolina State University, University of Florida, University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech to participate in our program accelerator, receiving several wrap-around services from the eXtension Foundation to help with faster implementation and impact. One component of eXtension’s wrap-around services is the creation of a peer-reviewed eFieldbook about this project and a model to provide to Cooperative Extension. Dr. Chris Gunter, North Carolina State University, served as the Fellow for this project.

About this eFieldbook:

Preventing foodborne illness and the protection of public health is objective 7.1 of the US Department of Agriculture 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. Sanitary irrigation water for produce is mandated by the USDA, including monitoring, treating and verifying compliance. Proper food sanitation is imperative to prevent situations like the Yuma, AZ E. coli outbreak in the spring of 2018 that ultimately resulted in 210 reported illnesses from 36 states, 96 hospitalizations, 27 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and five deaths. The outbreak was linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma region.

This curriculum, Bridging the GAPs – Approaches for treating water on-farm, is a four-module curriculum designed for a producer audience. This eFieldbook covers:

  1. FSMA Definition and Requirements of Agricultural Water
  2. Agricultural Water Treatment Tools
  3. Developing On-Farm Agricultural Water Treatment Programs
  4. Implementing Agricultural Water Treatments

This eFieldbook, along with others, can be found at efieldbooks.extension.org. Additionally, eFieldbooks can be found in the main navigation on Connect Extension.

Publication authors:

  • Dr. John Buchanan, Associate Professor, Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science, University of Tennessee
  • Dr. Barbara Chamberlin, Extension Instructional Design & Education Media Specialist, New Mexico State University
  • Travis Chapin, Former State Specialized Extension Agent, University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center. (Currently with FDA)
  • Dr. Faith Critzer, Associate Professor and Produce Safety Extension Specialist, Washington State University
  • Dr. Michelle Danyluk, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist of Food Safety and Microbiology, University of Florida
  • Dr. Laurel Dunn, Assistant Professor, Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia
  • Dr. Chris Gunter, Director of Graduate Programs – Extension, Vegetable Production Specialist and Professor, North Carolina State University
  • Alexis Hamilton, Ph.D Student, Washington State University, Department of Food Science
  • Dr. Lynette Johnston, Extension Associate, North Carolina State University
  • Dr. Troy Peters, Professor, Washington State University Department of Biological Systems Engineering
  • Dr. Channah Rock, Professor & Extension Specialist, University of Arizona
  • Dr. Laura Strawn, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist of Produce Safety, Virginia Tech
  • Dr. Annette Wszelaki, Professor & Commercial Vegetable Extension Specialist, University of Tennessee

Coordinators of this eFieldbook:

  • Dr. Chris Gunter, Director of Graduate Programs – Extension, Vegetable Production Specialist and Professor, North Carolina State University
  • Dr. Lynette Johnston, Extension Associate, North Carolina State University

LinkedIn login is required to access the eFieldbooks. This is similar to using Google or Facebook to log in instead of setting up an account via email. If you do not have a LinkedIn account, you can register one for free here. The purpose of the LinkedIn login is to provide an encrypted ID to the eFieldbook so users can securely interact with that eFieldbook, take notes, and make contributions. The eXtension Foundation is not collecting your personal information. In order to receive notice updates from eXtension, we invite you to opt-in the first time you login to an eFieldbook by providing your desired email address.

/by

TWO Impact Collaborative Events for eXtension Members – August 2020

,

For August 2020, eXtension’s Impact Collaborative program has two exciting opportunities for eXtension members. Register today to reserve your spot!

Impact Collaborative Innovation Skill-Building Experience Online

August 4, 6, 11, & 13
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET
Available to eXtension Members Only

Join us next month for an online Innovation Skill-Builidng Experience (ISBE). The ISBE has been revised with a new block format, fresh content, new activities, and new worksheets to meet the evolving needs of Cooperative Extension professionals. If you’ve participated in an ISBE before, you’ll find new online tools to support your virtual collaboration, checklists to determine where to best focus your energy, and improved methods for documenting progress.

Do you have a project idea that needs incubation, innovation, and ways to get to implementation and impact faster? Are you looking to learn about design thinking and lean experimentation combined with Cooperative Extension’s best practices for solving important community issues? Are you interested in becoming an Innovation Facilitator/Coach for future Impact Collaborative events and to support your institution’s teams and teams across the nation? Are you already an Innovation Facilitator or a team member who would like a refresher on the Innovation Skill-Building process?

If you answered yes, to any of these questions then join us to explore the Impact Collaborative’s Innovation Skill-building experience in a whole new way: The ISBE  will meet via Zoom for four sessions covering specific ISBE building blocks to spark ideas, increase innovation, and turbocharge implementation to ultimately create local impact.

Register

Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Training

August 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, & 28
1:00 PM ET – 3:00 PM ET
Available to eXtension Members Only

Become an Innovation Facilitator. The Impact Collaborative’s network of Innovation Facilitators are trained to provide individuals with a new way of looking at program and project development to help new and existing programs across your states and institutions identify gaps in their planning, ensure they are most ready for implementation, and have explored all considerations to maximize local impact.  With the updates to our Innovation Skill-Building Experience including the new block format, content, activities, and worksheets – we also encourage previously trained Innovation Facilitators to join us.

Locally trained Innovation Facilitators can be an asset in helping teams develop their projects or programs more quickly, and connect those teams with resources available nationally. They can work locally with teams through our design-thinking process to bring fresh ideas aligned with institutional goals.

There are currently 120+ Innovation Facilitators across Cooperative Extension working locally to catalyze innovation in their own states and institutions, and supporting Extension teams regionally and nationally.

Who Should Participate?

Our recommendations to Extension Directors and Administrators for selecting individuals to participate include:

  • Individuals such as a program leaders
  • Individuals that work closely with your leadership team
  • Already possess strong confidence in facilitation skills
  • Can be effective in working alongside leadership teams and other program leaders to catalyze innovation throughout the organization.

Register

About the eXtension Foundation

The eXtension Foundation is a membership-based non-profit designed to be the engine fueling U.S. Cooperative Extension’s 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 is embedded in the U.S. Cooperative Extension System and serves on the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP). 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. This work is supported by your membership dollars and funding from USDA-NIFA, grant no. 2019-41595-30123. For more information on eXtension membership, please visit eXtension.org.

/by

New eFieldbook Available! Resilient Agriculture: Weather Ready Farms

,

As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Year 1 Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected a Nebraska Extension program called Weather Ready Farms to participate in our program accelerator, receiving several wrap-around services from the eXtension Foundation to help with faster implementation and impact. One component of eXtension’s wrap-around services is the creation of a peer-reviewed eFieldbook about this project and a model to provide to Cooperative Extension. 

The Resilient Agriculture: Weather Ready Farms eFieldbook is an online, interactive guide created to help the agricultural industry become more resilient to weather extremes, climate variability and climate change. It is based on the Weather Ready Farms model developed by Nebraska Extension. The focus is primarily on field crop farms and producers in the Great Plains and Midwest regions of the United States. Many of the concepts and discussions within this fieldbook can be utilized and adapted for other regions and agricultural operations.

This eFieldbook, along with others, can be found at efieldbooks.extension.org. Additionally, eFieldbooks can be found in the main navigation on Connect Extension.

Publication authors:

  • Martha Shulski, Applied Climatologist, State Climatologist, Director, Nebraska State Climate Office, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Hans Schmitz, County Extension Director, Purdue University
  • Tyler Williams, Production Research Scientist, Bayer Crop Science. Former Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contributors:

  • Ashley Mueller, Disaster Education Coordinator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Dannele Peck, Director, USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub
  • Dennis Todey, Director, Midwest Climate Hub
  • Natalie Umphlett, Regional Climatologist, High Plains Regional Climate Center

LinkedIn login is required to access the eFieldbooks. This is similar to using Google or Facebook to log in instead of setting up an account via email. If you do not have a LinkedIn account, you can register one for free here. The purpose of the LinkedIn login is to provide an encrypted ID to the eFieldbook so users can securely interact with that eFieldbook, take notes, and make contributions. The eXtension Foundation is not collecting your personal information. In order to receive notice updates from eXtension, we invite you to opt-in the first time you login to an eFieldbook by providing your desired email address.

/by

eXtension Welcomes West Virginia State University and the University of Arizona as Newest Members for 2020

,

The eXtension Foundation welcomes West Virginia State University and the University of Arizona as our newest members for 2020. A complete listing of eXtension members is available here. Institutions that are members of the eXtension Foundation get access to the Impact Collaborative program and Impact Collaborative sponsored events. A listing of member-only events is available in Connect Extension or directly on the eXtension website and includes, but not limited to:

  • Two national Innovation Facilitator Training Sessions
  • Two national Innovation Skill-Building Experiences
  • Two national Impact Collaborative Summits
  • Local/Virtual Innovation Skill-Building Events for Member Institutions

Why the Impact Collaborative?

eXtension members have the benefit of leveraging our Impact Collaborative program to help guide vision and strategy, support alignment, cultivate community engagement and ownership of projects, establish shared measures across the system, advance policy, and mobilize resources in the diverse program areas of Cooperative Extension locally, regionally, and nationally. In 2019, $690K was awarded in Federal Grants to teams that incubated in the Impact Collaborative. 92% of Cooperative Extension professionals that have experienced the Impact Collaborative recommend it to others.

For membership inquiries, please contact membership@extension.org

About the eXtension Foundation

The eXtension Foundation is a membership-based non-profit designed to be the engine fueling U.S. Cooperative Extension’s 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 is embedded in the U.S. Cooperative Extension System and serves on the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP). 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. This work is supported by your membership dollars and funding from USDA-NIFA, grant no. 2019-41595-30123. For more information on eXtension membership, please visit eXtension.org.

/by

Quick Links

Find Extension in Your State
Search Extension
Impact Collaborative
Connect Extension

About
Team & Board
Annual Report
Contact Us

Membership
Campus
Ask Extension
Tools

Privacy Policy
Accessibility Statement
Terms of Use
Careers

Extension Foundation Logo

Our mission is to empower a national network of community-based educators, volunteers, and partners to turn knowledge into real-world solutions for stronger communities and people.

Terms of Use

Cooperative Extension Logo

The Extension Foundation is a nonprofit established in 2006 by Extension Directors and Administrators nationwide. Extension Foundation is embedded in the U.S. Cooperative Extension System and serves on Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP).

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

This website is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Stay up to date with the Extension Foundation.

Subscribe