Twice each semester Human Ecology holds an informal extension/outreach gathering around a brown-bag lunch. At each one a faculty member presents information about his or her extension programs and activities. We have recently invited associations to join us electronically. Our limit is three connections and requests are filled on a first come, first served basis.
The second Extension Gathering of this academic year will be Tuesday, December 5, 11:30am-1:00pm.
The topic is The Logic of Evaluation. We are able to broadcast this presentation to the first three associations who request a link. Please contact Lauri Whatley at lhw6@cornell.edu if you want to connect.
The presenters are Bill Trochim, PAM, and Mike Duttweiler, Extension Administration. They will talk about evaluation activities in extension. Bring your ideas and questions for a lively discussion after the presentation.
Evaluation is a central part of extension work. It provides a structure for feedback within the organization, an impetus for looking at the connection between our programs and their results, and a basis for continuous learning from our work.
This presentation provides a brief overview of the logic of evaluation by addressing four topics:
--evaluation concepts and roles;
--articulation of an evaluation protocol, a series of specific steps to articulate evaluation needs and barriers and develop a system for evaluating; the importance of modeling the logic behind programs;
--the essentials of an evaluation plan.
The evaluation planning protocol, program logic models, and evaluation plans will be illustrated with examples from state and local extension efforts undertaken by Cornell Cooperative Extension in the past two years.
Agribusiness Economic Outlook Conference: Featuring Opportunities for Renewable Energy December 5 --- The 2005 Agribusiness Economic Outlook Conference will be at the Call Alumni Auditorium, Kennedy Hall on the Cornell Campus.
The morning session will include discussions on: Current Situation and Outlook for the National Economy AND Opportunities for Renewable Energy
Afternoon concurrent sessions will include discussions on:
Session I:
--Outlook for Feed Grains
--Outlook for Dairy Markets and Policy
--Dairy Farm Management -- Factors Affecting Profitability of Large Dairy Farms
Session II
--Fruit, Grape and Wine Situation and Outlook
--Vegetable and Ornamental Situation and Outlook
--Research Update: Metropolitan Growth and Specialty Crops Agriculture in the Northeast: Farming in the City's Shadow"
For agenda and registration information please see the Applied Economics and Management website at: http://aem.cornell.edu/outreach/conferences/economic_outlook.htm
FUNDRAISING: A Training for Board of Directors December 6, 2006 --- Take the fear out of fundraising and help your board, staff and volunteers learn the tools they need to be successful in funding your not-for-profit. This is an interactive two-part full day workshop that provides the tools and techniques that work. Learn about: the role of board members and staff; develop a plan; the art of the ask; capital campaigns; special events; branding and marketing; direct mail and annual campaigns; what motivates funders; linking programs to funders; and much more. Registration - $65 for one day; $120 for both. Day 1: Fundraising 101 and Day 2: The Art of Ask. For more information, contact Jinny Tauss at CCE Broome County at (607) 773-1238.
Prerequisite Programs and Sanitary Design Workshop December 6-8 --- The Prerequisite Programs and Sanitary Design workshop that we are co-sponsoring on December 6-8 at the Statler Inn and Conference Center here on campus is intended for anyone in the food industry (or allied industries) who is interested in food safety and sanitation. The workshop is targeted to food processing managers and supervisors who are responsible for production, quality assurance/control, sanitation, food safety and HACCP programs.
It is ideally suited for companies that are planning to renovate existing facilities or who are building new ones. County Extension educators may have constituents who would be interested in knowing about this program. For more information and an electronic flyer, please contact rbg2@cornell.edu Robert Gravani in the Department of Food Science, 607-255-3262
2007 NYS Farmers' Direct Marketing Conference January 18-20, 2007 --- For farm marketers, the New York State Farmers' Direct Marketing Conference will be a money maker. The 2007 conference offers three days of workshops and seminars designed to help farm marketers increase profits, find new markets and protect their bottom-line, will be held at the Treadway Inn in Owego, NY.
The conference will focus on the links between local agriculture and the health and well being of citizens and communities. This conference brings together the agriculture industry with the health and nutrition communities to learn how these professions can learn from one another.
For a full conference program and online registration is available at http://www.nysfdma.com . For more information contact Diane Eggert at 315-475-1101 or diane99@dreamscape.com or Martha Goodsell at nyfarms@clarityconnect.com .
The conference is sponsored in partnership by the NYS Farmers' Direct Marketing Association, NY Farms!, Pride of New York, the Small Scale Food Processors, the Farmers Market Federation of New York, Cornell University's Community, Food and Agriculture Program and the Farm to School Program, USDA's CNY RC &D, CADE, and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
January 25 Conference to Inspire NY Farmers with Ideas, Models for Staying Competitive Long-Term ---- Changing one's farm business strategy for long-term competitive success is the theme of a January 25, 2007 conference to be held in Lowville, NY, for New York dairy producers. A series of farmer and speakers will supply the practical how-to for developing value-added enterprises and strategic business alliances.
Conference organizer and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County Dairy Educator Frans Vokey says, "This program provides the opportunity to hear farmers talk about why they changed and how they have developed and are maintaining their farms as successful agricultural businesses. Now is a good time for people to come from across New York State to find the inspiration and ideas they need to strengthen their farms."
Vokey says the conference addresses topics identified as keys for strengthening New York's dairy industry: value-added opportunities, on-farm enterprise development, manure management, inter-farm alliance building for large and small farms, and strategic business decision-making and long-term business positioning.
Sheldon Brown of Woody Hills Farm will be one of the six panelists. Brown spearheaded a study on the feasibility of a centralized manure digester for a group of 10 farms ranging in herd size from 125 to 840 cows.
The 10 am to 3 pm program will also include the local success story of how 10 Lewis County farms formed Quality Dairy Farms, Inc. and also do business as Mercers Ice Cream, selling more than three dozen flavors of ice cream that is distributed statewide and has been served on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The program fee is $10 by pre-registration, $12 at the door and includes a hot lunch and Mercers Ice Cream for dessert. The program sponsors include First Pioneer Farm Credit, Community Bank N.A., Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County, and the New York Farm Viability Institute, Inc. Call the Extension office at 315-376-5270 by Monday, January 22 to register.
IPM Partnership Grant -Deadline is December 15 ---- Funding is available through the Northeastern IPM Center IPM Partnership Grants Program for 2007 (FY 2006 federal funds). Approximately $465,000 is available to support projects that will address or develop regional IPM priorities and will further the mission of the Northeastern IPM Center (http://NortheastIPM.org/). Eligibility for this grants program is very broad: private individuals, public and private institutions or organizations, businesses, and commodity groups are encouraged to apply. The primary project director must be from the northeastern region.
The Center is seeking applications for six project types:
(1) IPM Working Groups
(2) IPM Priorities
(3) Regional IPM Publications
(4) IPM Planning and Assessment Documents (Tactics Surveys, Crop Profiles, Pest Management Strategic Plans [PMSPs], and IPM Guidelines)
(5) State Network Projects
6) IPM Minigrants
This year, the IPM Partnership Grants Program particularly encourages extension proposals and projects involving small states,1890 institutions, environmental groups, grower groups, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Other changes to this year's RFA:
* The new IPM Minigrants program allows project directors to request up to $8,000, submit a short proposal, and focus on just one state, as long as they can show benefit to the region. Minigrant applications will be accepted by December 15, 2006, or from April through October 2007.
* Maximum funding amounts have been increased for two of the project categories: project directors who will spearhead IPM Working Groups or Regional Publications may now request up to $20,000. The Center is especially interested in proposals for working groups focused on establishing regional priorities, building bridges with NRCS, and researching the economic implications of IPM.
* Development of IPM guidelines is another area of strong interest for the Center. Projects devoted to guideline development can be proposed either as part of a working group or under the category called IPM Planning and Assessment Documents (which also covers IPM tactic surveys, crop profiles, and PMSPs).
DEADLINE: The original and fourteen (14) double-sided paper copies of each proposal must be received by the Northeastern IPM Center by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 15, 2006. See the complete RFA for full submission instructions. If you have questions or need paper copies of the RFA, please contact grants manager John Ayers, Co-director of the Northeastern IPM Center, Pennsylvania State University (phone 814-865-7776; fax: 814-863-8175; email jea@psu.edu). A Request for Applications (RFA) is posted on the Centers website at http://northeastipm.org/abou_fund.cfm .
For more information contact Lauri Whatley
http://www.staff.cce.cornell.edu/administration/ccenews/index.htm