University of New Hampshire Partners with Extension Foundation for USDA-NIFA’s $3.4M New Technologies for Ag Extension Award

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In partnership with the Extension Foundation, the University of New Hampshire was awarded the USDA-NIFA New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement (Grant Number 2023-41595-41325). 

The Technology-Enhanced Cooperative Extension Hub (TECHExt), a groundbreaking initiative led by the University of New Hampshire Extension (UNH Extension) in partnership with the Extension Foundation (EXF), aims to revolutionize the Cooperative Extension System (CES) by infusing it with state-of-the-art technologies and practices. The project aligns with the strategic priorities of the USDA-NIFA and the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), aiming to foster innovation, increase the capacity of Extension professionals, update NewTechnologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) delivery and management policies, enable locally meaningful opportunities through responsive marketing, and conduct comprehensive evaluations for continuous improvement. 

This project will meld UNH Extension’s deep-rooted expertise in community-based research and outreach with EXF’s successful initiatives like Connect Extension, Ask Extension, and ExtensionBot. Utilizing EXF’s substantial track record of executing impactful programs — evidenced by its efficient utilization of over $2.1 million in funding across 72 Extension collaborations in the previous NTAE project cycle– TECHExt is designed to enhance digital accessibility, professional capacity, and stakeholder engagement. UNH Extension will focus on two cornerstone projects: implementing New Hampshire’s comprehensive Digital Equity Plan and transforming its existing email marketing into an integrated omnichannel strategy. These initiatives will align with EXF’s Connect Extension for internal and external community engagement and Ask Extension’s public-facing Q&A service, which answered over 39,212 public inquiries in 2022 alone. Through this strategic collaboration, UNH Extension and EXF aim to create a more inclusive, effective, and technologically advanced CES, setting a precedent for similar systems nationwide. The full award briefing can be found on USDA-NIFA’s website linked here. 

More information about this award will be available in the Fall of 2023, including funding opportunities for Cooperative Extension professionals. Please visit extension.org to stay up-to-date with developments. 

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Extension Foundation Releases Four New NTAE Titles

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Four new titles are available on the Extension Foundation’s website. The brief publications – written as magazine-style feature stories – share project work funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. The goal of NTAE is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation. 

Each of the publications is excerpted from the New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook, an 83-page magazine, which shares how these grant projects improve human, environmental, and community health. The Yearbook shares innovative Cooperative Extension work across the U.S., from technology to composting to youth development to health and equity. In addition, the publication shares information about the vital work undertaken by ECOP’s Program Action Teams.

  • University of Illinois – Community Seminar Series. The University of Illinois Extension launched the Community Seminar Series in 2020 and has been refining and expanding it ever since. A collaboration between U of I Extension and U of I’s Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI), the CSS is an effective way to educate the public on health topics and give students majoring in health fields a chance to build their expertise, through developing and presenting the seminars. This story provides a brief overview of the goals and strategies of this program.

 

  • University of California ANR – Community is Our Jam. Through virtual and in-person workshops, participants in the University of California Master Food Preserver program learn about reducing food waste and about safe food storage, preparation, and preservation methods. This feature describes how the team has focused on equity, broadening their program’s audience and impact and the lessons the team has learned while developing the program. 

 

  • Penn State University – Buy, Cook, Eat Local. While changing food habits isn’t easy, learning how to cook healthy food using farm fresh ingredients may help people improve their diets. An innovative program that Penn State Extension educators launched in spring 2023 is lowering barriers to healthy eating by introducing people to fresh produce and other local foods. This story describes how the program works and how the team collaborates in the community, specifically with farmer’s markets, to accomplish its goals.

 

  • The National Center for Home Food Preservation: Because We Can. Specialists in consumer and retail food safety from nine Southeastern land-grant universities launched the Food Safety Extension Network in 2021 to raise general awareness of the importance of preserving food safely and to be a resource for home cooks, small, independent food retailers, and home-based food preparation businesses. This piece gives an overview of how the Network was built and how it expects to operate. Participating institutions are: University of Arkansas, Clemson University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech University.

The Extension Foundation carries dozens of titles in its library. Four to five additional publications are slated to hit the shelf each week through the end of November. Sign up to receive publication notifications here. You can find the entire library of publications here.

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New Extension Foundation Publication: “Pumpkin Smash Playbook”

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The Extension Foundation has released a new title. “Pumpkin Smash Playbook” shares how the University of Illinois Extension and community partners organize and host Pumpkin Smashes, fun community events that collect pumpkins for composting. The team hosted its first Pumpkin Smash in 2019. Since then, the organization has refined the process of planning, funding, and running Smashes. This playbook details how to organize a similar event in your community.

Smashes teach people about the importance of composting and help keep pumpkins out of landfills. But they also provide Extension organizations with an opportunity to increase Extension’s visibility and reach new communities, particularly in urban areas. 

“Pumpkin Smash Playbook” was written by Kathryn M. Pereira, an Extension educator with the University of Illinois Extension. It’s the latest publication released by the Extension Foundation for the Cooperative Extension Service. It was made possible with funding from the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) grant program.

The Extension Foundation has recently added new titles to its library, including the New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook. The 83-page Yearbook – presented in a lively magazine format – documents dozens of projects funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. The goal of the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) grant is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

You can find the entire library of publications here.

 

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Extension Foundation Board of Directors Names Dr. Beverly Coberly as the New Chief Executive Officer of the Extension Foundation

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Extension Foundation Awarded Cooperative Agreement from EPA to Support Pesticide Safety Education Programs

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News Release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a cooperative agreement to the Extension Foundation (EXF) to administer a national subaward program supporting Pesticide Safety Education Programs (PSEPs). The new project, titled “Empowered Up: A Comprehensive PSEFMP Promoting Efficiency & Environmental Justice,” will receive up to $15 million over five years. It will build upon a previous PSEP subaward program, also managed by EXF, which concluded in July 2023.

PSEPs, based at land grant universities, provide education and training on the safe and proper use of restricted use pesticides (RUPs)–those that are the most acutely toxic pesticides or that must be applied with special care—to applicators in agricultural, commercial, and residential settings. Federal law restricts RUP use to certified applicators or someone under their direct supervision, because of the harm RUPs can cause to people and the environment without additional safety measures. Applicators must undergo rigorous certification procedures to ensure they can use RUPs safely and effectively.  Under this agreement, EXF will provide funds to the PSEPs, which will help prepare applicators for certification and re-certification by teaching them safe and proper application methods, protecting applicators and the public from improper pesticide use.

The new award comes at a critical juncture. In 2017, EPA strengthened certification standards for applicators of RUPs, and required states, tribes, and territories to submit to EPA revised certification plans to meet or exceed the federal standards. All revised plans must be approved by EPA  by November 4, 2023 and then implemented. Many will have to update certification materials as a result. PSEPs will play an essential role in revising materials and trainings, conducting outreach to applicators, and playing other key roles in implementing the regulation.

With this new cooperative agreement, EXF also seeks to expand its environmental justice focus. The previous agreement required the publication of materials for pesticide applicators in multiple languages. The new cooperative agreement also requires  the promotion of environmental justice elements, namely collaborations between PSEPs and minority-serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and Hispanic, Asian American, Native American, Pacific Islander, and predominantly Black serving institutions.

To learn more about occupational pesticide safety and health, visit EPA’s website.

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Extension Foundation Selected as Vendor for USDA’s 22007 Outreach Support Program

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Highlights:

  • Through the 22007 Outreach Support Program, USDA would like to expand community-based partnerships to ensure all producer communities understand DFAP, know how to seek assistance, and know how to apply.

  • Extension Foundation is one of three organizations facilitating the 22007 Outreach Support Program. Extension Foundation is responsible for executing the application and funding process to provide funding and guidance to eligible Event Host applicants to plan and host 22007 outreach and/or technical assistance events in coordination with the 22007 regional hub vendors.

  • In partnership with USDA, Extension Foundation will facilitate coordination between Event Hosts and the DFAP regional hub vendors.

  • Event Hosts will only be responsible for planning, marketing, and hosting the outreach events. The DFAP Regional Vendors will be onsite at each event and will be responsible for providing program information and/or technical assistance to interested applicants.

  • To be eligible for funding, your organization must commit to host three (3) in-person events with a target of at least 35 attendees per event.

  • Your events should be accessible, culturally and linguistically appropriate and open to all producers and those who serve producers in your community who would like to learn more about DFAP or get assistance submitting an application. 

The Extension Foundation was selected by USDA to serve as one of its vendors for Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to solicit applications from eligible applicants pre-selected by USDA and assigned to the Extension Foundation, provide technical assistance, and make decisions on applications based upon USDA guidance. Section 22007 of the IRA directs USDA to provide financial assistance to producers who have experienced discrimination in USDA’s farm lending programs. To implement this legislative directive, USDA established the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. This program gives USDA the ability to provide financial assistance for farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners determined to have experienced discrimination in USDA’s farm lending programs prior to January 1, 2021. 

Congress directed that the program should be administered by non-governmental organizations, so in May, USDA signed contracts with three non-governmental vendors who, together, constitute a national administrator and four regional hubs. The vendors are working together to solicit applications from eligible farmers, provide technical assistance, and make decisions about each case (following rules set by USDA).  

The 22007 application opened on July 7, 2023 and will now close on January 13, 2024. 

To ensure maximum producer participation and increase their awareness of financial assistance, USDA has partnered with community-based organizations across the country with experience in agriculture and trusted relationships with producer communities. Leveraging partner networks will enable USDA to meet its goal to reach broad, diverse, and inclusive communities in all geographic regions. 

Toward this end, USDA is seeking to expand partnerships with trusted producer-serving organizations.

Specifically, USDA would like to support organizations to host 22007 outreach events in coordination with the DFAP regional hubs vendors through the 22007 Outreach Support Program. The purpose of this program is to facilitate awareness and understanding of the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program among producer communities through effective, accessible, and inclusive outreach and technical assistance events across geographic regions.

At minimum, eligible applicants: 

  1. must be verified non-profit organizations or institutions of higher education; 
  2. commit to plan, market, and host three (3) in-person events with a target of at least 35 attendees per event by December 22, 2023;
  3. coordinate with the funder organization and the DFAP Regional Hub Vendors to facilitate their 22007 activities at the events; and
  4. submit required reporting event outcomes.

Funding for each event is set at $2,500, the total award will be $7,500 to host the three events.

Learn more at 22007.extension.org

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NIFA Awards $10 Million to Extension Foundation for Workforce Development

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The ECOP Workforce Development Program Action Team in collaboration with the NECIW National Working Group (NWG) and Extension Foundation (EXF) will collaborate with NIFA staff to form a robust network of public and private entities across every U.S. region to build the nation’s capacity to respond to the changing needs in the food and agriculture sector. The primary audience for this project, “will be Cooperative Extension practitioners, workforce intermediaries, and the participants they serve. Intermediaries such as the US Department of Labor, American Jobs Center, industry partners, state and local workforce agencies, and vendors like Eduworks and AgCareers are critical partners for this project. The intermediary’s role is to “bridge” the timing and information gap and align employee preparation and training to employer needs, thereby creating the optimal connection between the demand and supply sides of the world of work, ultimately serving as the direct connection to job seekers.

The objectives of this project are to:

  • Create a living clearinghouse with dynamic technology to organize and share Cooperative Extension’s agriculture workforce development offerings.
  • Develop a sustainable network of Extension Educators and Industry partners to strengthen the alignment of agriculture WD offerings with real-time industry needs.
  • Connect workforce intermediaries to Cooperative Extension skill development programs that cultivate upskilling, credentialing, and participant readiness to successfully join or rejoin the ag workforce.

According to USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, “the goal of their project, “NECIW Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) Grant: Utilizing a Wealth of Extension Resources to Meet Agriculture’s Most Pressing Workforce Needs” is to connect similar regional efforts, identify gaps in the workforce ecosystem, and provide adaptive, science-based proven solutions to address local and regional workforce issues, including accessible training methodologies (i.e., experiential, skills-based learning opportunities and others), materials, instructors, and other solutions that result in participant’s upskilling, credentialing, and readiness to successfully join or rejoin the workforce).”

 

Read the full release from USDA-NIFA here. 

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Effective Health Communication: Explore the New Training Modules from Washington State University’s EXCITE Team

Check out the new video training modules and updated resources from the “Getting to the Heart and Mind of the Matter,” Washington State University EXCITE Team. This team has designed a toolkit and training program specifically aimed to helping you become more confident in being a trusted messenger of accurate health information in your communities. These new video modules effectively convey the toolkit’s concepts and include engaging educational activities. Access the playlist for each section of the training Motivational Interviewing, Science Media Literacy, and Neuromarketing below along with the corresponding slides and handouts for each module.

Resources:

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Success from Extension Foundation’s New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) Program Accelerator: North Carolina State University Juntos Program Awarded $7.8 Million from USDA-NIFA

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The Juntos Program from North Carolina State University was competitively selected in 2020 as a recipient of the Extension Foundation’s New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) award and received it for a second time in 2021. The program was served by Extension Foundation staff including its key informants, and was assigned Dr. Scott Reed as the catalyst/coach for the Juntos Program during their two-year partnership with the Extension Foundation. NTAE is a grant from USDA-NIFA in partnership with Oklahoma State University. Since 2019, the Extension Foundation has served 72 competitively selected Extension programs aligned with USDA and Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) strategic goals/priority program areas. Programs receive funding and support from the Extension Foundation for one full year.

Over the course of the two years that the Juntos Program received services from the Extension Foundation the project leader – Diana Urieta, Senior Director and Extension Specialist of Juntos, North Carolina State University –  and her team were coached to identify new possibilities and strengthen their planned impact. The Juntos Program received additional support to create materials and experiences that engage Extension resources to speed development and generate a change where it is desired. The NTAE Program provided the Juntos Program a robust and productive interaction with a group of catalysts and key informants in a mentoring role to help grow professionally over the course of the partnership. 

The Extension Foundation is excited for the continued success of the Juntos Program. According to Patrick Smith, North Carolina State University, “NC State’s Juntos program has received a $7.8 million grant to improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) participation, persistence and career readiness among Hispanic and Latino youth in the states of North Carolina and Washington. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the Youth Innovators Empowering Agriculture Across America program.” 

On the topic of working with the Extension Foundation through NTAE, Diana Urieta shared that “carrying the weight of this project’s vision casting and submission process was no walk in the park. I am incredibly grateful to have had my catalyst and mentor, Dr. Scott Reed and the NTAE team supporting me from beginning to end. From encouraging me to publish an efieldbook and podcasts on the Juntos story, building my small staff’s leadership potential, taking my management plan and creating images that produced vision, to believing this proposal was worth funding. Having the NTAE team helped strengthen the bridge that continues to serve hundreds and thousands of Juntos students and their families around our nation through Extension.”  

Read the full story from North Carolina State University here. 

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Extension Foundation Receives USDA-NIFA Award to Maximize Biosecurity Threat Resilience

The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) is a collaborative network of Cooperative Extension educators across the United States and territories who work to improve the delivery of education and information, and the availability of resources related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Historically, this grassroots network has been aligned with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and supported by USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the Food and Agricultural Defense Initiative (FADI) grant.

The Extension Foundation in partnership with Washington State University, Iowa State University, and the Cooperative Extension System, will support the administration of the EDEN project. The Extension Foundation assists in aligning system-wide formal work to increase system capacity while providing programmatic services. This partnership will help Extension programs scale and investigate new program implementation methods and models.

The project will build upon and expand related outputs and deliverables of previously funded FADI-EDEN projects by maintaining a competitive grant process to support innovation and curriculum development and directed funding for 1890 and 1994 Land-grant institutions. The continued leadership with additional support from Extension Foundation will ensure the implementation of the strategic plan for EDEN developed under the previous FADI-EDEN grant administration. By doing so, the project will contribute to the ongoing efforts of the FADI-EDEN program to enhance the capacity of Extension professionals to provide research-based information and educational programs to communities across the United States in response to disasters.

This project aims to support the coordination and implementation of EDEN’s strategic plan focusing on disaster management education, targeted communication and outreach, strategic structure, and management growth. Success hinges on strengthening participation and collaborations throughout the Cooperative Extension system and strategic partnerships and enhancing the education and professional development opportunities centered on interdisciplinary expertise and multi-state education and outreach programs that provide national consistency with local flexibility, a hallmark of Cooperative Extension. In addition, success is based on using Extension Foundation services and infrastructure to serve as the backbone supporting EDEN. The goals of this project include:

  • Support EDEN Strategic Structure and Management Growth
  • Expand Disaster Management Education
  • Strengthen Targeted Communication and Outreach

According to USDA-NIFA, “the goal of the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative Extension Disaster Education Network (FADI-EDEN) program is to maximize the resilience of the U.S. food and agriculture sector to biosecurity risks, extreme weather events and disasters, cyber threats, and other shocks. It is necessary to mitigate threats to sustain the overall competitiveness of U.S. agriculture to maintain an abundant food supply for people and livestock; to support the farmers, ranchers, and workers who drive the U.S. food and agriculture sector; and to sustain the vitality of rural communities, rural and urban agriculture infrastructure, and agricultural businesses. The FADI-EDEN program funds one Extension project that will address its priorities.”

More information and the full news release from USDA-NIFA can be found here. 

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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.

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