- Author: Wendy Powers
While much of January was a bit slower paced, this week is vastly different. The mornings and nights have blurred, running into each other while seemingly getting further behind on the to-do list. I know many of the academic personnel felt this way this week with review packages due on Tuesday.
Program Council met this week and finalized recommendations to the Vice President regarding CE Advisor positions. The highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Gail that offered an inside look at the draft strategic plan for SAREP. Clearly the team has worked hard to engage stakeholders in development of a thorough and forward-thinking plan. While not in final form yet, the SAREP team is to be congratulated for their accomplishment.
Congratulations go out to Brent Holtz for the release of a documentary video by the Almond Board that takes one through his long-time efforts refine the practice and encourage adoption of whole orchard recycling. As we push past one of the driest January's on record, the need for new approaches that hold moisture in the soil are evident. Craig Kallsen received a callout in the Bakersfield News this week as part of a trio that developed an important pistachio variety. Congratulations to that team for the difference their efforts have made!
Previously, I shared a few impacts from Extension programs in other states. I spent some time today going through the impact survey to pull out a few of my favorites in preparation for a conversation that I will lead on Friday with Extension directors. The primary objective of the discussion on Friday is to determine what story we want to tell as a Cooperative Extension System and identify if there are key messages we want to focus on and commit to gathering impacts around. I share a couple more stories, below, in hopes we can all learn a bit more about what our colleagues across the U.S. are doing and think about how we tell our own story. While some of the stories provide condition change data, others convey the relevance of Extension in addressing challenges at critical points in time. Enjoy!
Twenty Alabama Extension Peanut Pod Blasting workshops were conducted at the Wiregrass Research and Education Center in Headland. The workshops helped 225 peanut growers in the Wiregrass region increase their profits $3.4 million by digging their peanuts at optimum maturity. The return on investment for Alabama Extension resources spent was $664 for every dollar invested in this program.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Diagnostic Research Laboratory provides pest identification and integrated pest management education to commercial and home clients. The $500 million potato industry is the largest agricultural sector in Maine, encompassing more than 500 businesses generating more than $300 million in annual sales, employing over 2,600 people, and providing over $112 million in income to Maine citizens. In 2020 the Extension's IPM research and identification efforts saved Maine's potato industry an estimated $10 million in losses avoided, yield increases and reduced pesticide use; for an expenditure of $95,000, the return was 110 to 1.
Puerto Rico imports more than 80% of the food consumed locally. One way to overcome our food susceptibility is by improving the marketing strategies of our local agribusiness. During 2020, Puerto Rico Agricultural Extension Service (PRAES) county agents and specialists provided training and individual assistance to 1,574 farmers about farm management, feasibility analysis, business plans, marketing strategies and network development to promote the sales and production of local food. A total of 111 farmers reported adopting computers as a management tool for their business, 61 prepared business plans, 17 acquired loans to improve their business, 91 new agricultural projects were established, 107 farmers increased their business, 55 increased production and 135 adopted innovative marketing strategies for their agribusiness.
- Author: Wendy Powers
Calling all UC ANR photographers! Be sure to consider entering some of your best ‘ANR in action' photos into this year's contest. Time to enter is limited so consider what might already be in your gallery, or get out there and take some new pictures. I am in New York this week where the temperature discourages outdoor photography, despite new fallen snow on a couple of occasions. Instead, I will share photos from Kathryn and Mark who sent me some nice water shots they saw over winter break and the long weekend, respectively.
The week is a hodge-podge of meetings that range from partnership discussions to the upcoming merit and promotion cycle to working on the impact narrative for the national Cooperative Extension system. Counterparts in other states have shared impressive impact stories. I am learning a ton of new things. Did you know that peonies are one of only a few agriculture exports for Alaska? After 20 years of work to develop varieties and the industry, there are now 135 commercial growers in Alaska. New Mexico State University Extension has an impressive partnership with schools for 4-H delivery. Schools with the program see significantly reduces absenteeism, from 23% to 7%, following start of a 4-H In the School program. In West Virginia, adoption of a prediction-based spray program to address fire blight and downy mildew saved apple, cucurbit, and tomato growers, on average, 3 sprays thus reducing potential runoff to surface water and an estimated $900,000, total, to the surveyed growers.
We are beginning preparations to meet with our state and federal representatives. While the meetings will be virtual again this year, the need to have strong impact stories remains just as important. The 2022 Project Board data won't be compiled in time for this year's meetings, so I will spend some time re-reading through the 2021 stories so that they are top of mind as we have our conversations in March.
Friday I spend a few hours with the National Academy committee for which I am serving. I have some homework to do before the end of day tomorrow. I have some strategic plan homework yet to do as well. I suspect I could have made better use of my time this week to get those out of the way. It will all get done before the deadline. Things always work out.
- Author: Wendy Powers
Do you recognize the character in the photo? It's Happy McGivins, our Big Dig Day mascot. I'm not sure if Happy is Irish or Scottish, but I know that Big Dig Day is just around the corner (June 5)! The Development Services team is so creative – Emily and team have customized a ‘Flat Happy' for each of our programs to use in Big Dig Day selfies. Despite the economic fallout of COVID-19, the statistics for giving are pretty remarkable. I hope you are ready to spread the word to supporters about your program and UC ANR!
Some of our supporters may be those who have adopted practices learned through UC ANR educational content. A quick review of our federal report impacts illustrates that our work translates to behavior changes. Here are a few examples that will be shared with our federal partners:
- A participating grower in the cover crop field trails, saw measured improvements in soil health including reduced weed pressure in cover crop treatments, and increased total carbon and nitrogen in the topsoil. Additionally, early adopters of improved soil health practices the Sacramento Valley using cover crops and compost have reduced water use, and seen reduced pest pressure. (Amber Vinchesi and Sarah Light)
- A participating grower in the cover crop field trails, saw measured improvements in soil health including reduced weed pressure in cover crop treatments, and increased total carbon and nitrogen in the topsoil. Additionally, early adopters of improved soil health practices the Sacramento Valley using cover crops and compost have reduced water use, and seen reduced pest pressure. (Amber Vinchesi and Sarah Light)
- The number of virus-tested sweet potato plants produced by UC Davis Foundation Plants Services has increased gradually over the past five years. Adoption by growers in California is very high, about 80%, based on information from the main seed producer in the state. (Scott Stoddard)
- Evaluation data collected from 153 students enrolled in the Cal Fresh Healthy Living, UC Hunger Attack program in a Riverside County high school found about one-third of students made improvements in vegetable consumption (34%), sweetened beverage consumption (33%); and tracking how much they spend on food each week (37%). (Chutima Ganthavorn)
What great stories we have to share with our federal and local partners! We don't have to dig very deep to see how our work makes a difference.
I am wrapping up the academic merit and promotion reviews for this year, with hopes of having final documents uploaded into our system in 2 weeks, just in time for paperwork processing of salary actions. I am finding it more difficult to stay focused on this task this year, despite the effort being one of the most important functions of my position. I suspect I need a change in venue. After seeing some of the photos of crowded spaces across the country that occurred during the long weekend, I wonder if we might be heading backwards a bit. Just in case, I had better get used to my current scenery.